Reims from Paris: The Coronation Cathedral and the Champagne Cellars
Reims is the double bill among Paris day trips: the cathedral where the kings of France were crowned, and the champagne cellars of the biggest names in the business, all within a walkable city 45 minutes from Gare de l’Est by TGV. The two halves need opposite planning. The cathedral needs no planning: walk in free, any day. The cellars need all of it: reservation-only tours that book out weeks ahead. Reserve the tasting first and build the rest of the day around it.
The Coronation Cathedral
Clovis was baptized on this spot in the late 400s, and for eight centuries the kings of France came here to be crowned, ending with Charles X in 1825. The cathedral opens every day, free, from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm, with access limited during services. German shellfire burned it in September 1914, and the rebuilt church became a symbol of French recovery; look for the Smiling Angel on the left portal, the statue that survived the fire with its head knocked off and became the face of the whole story once restored. In the axial chapel behind the altar, three windows by Marc Chagall from 1974 glow in the same deep blue the medieval glaziers used. Next door, the Palais du Tau holds the coronation treasury; it closes on Mondays.
The Chalk Cellars
Under the Butte Saint-Nicaise, fifteen minutes’ walk from the cathedral, the champagne houses age their bottles in crayères: chalk pits first dug in Gallo-Roman times, now UNESCO-listed along with the rest of the Champagne slopes and cellars. Taittinger’s galleries run beneath the remains of a medieval abbey, Veuve Clicquot claims some 24 km of tunnels, Ruinart has aged wine here longer than anyone as the oldest house, founded 1729, and Pommery and Mumm round out the walkable set. Every major house runs tours by reservation only. Book direct on the house’s own site three to four weeks ahead, longer for English-language slots and peak-season afternoons; tours with a tasting start around €30 and climb quickly for older cuvées. The cellars hold cave temperature all year, so bring a layer whatever the weather upstairs.
Planning the Day
Direct trains leave Paris Gare de l’Est for Reims roughly hourly and take about 46 minutes; check that your train serves Reims Centre, because some TGVs stop instead at Champagne-Ardenne TGV outside town, which adds a tram ride. The clean shape of the day: cathedral and old town in the morning, lunch, cellar tour on your booked afternoon slot, and the free Saint-Remi basilica, with the tomb of the saint who baptized Clovis, if time allows. Buy a box of biscuits roses, the pink biscuits Reims has baked since the 1690s, for the train home. Épernay and its Avenue de Champagne sit 30 minutes further by local train and make a different trip, not an add-on. The rest of the region’s options are ranked in the top 30 day trips from Paris.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Reims from Paris?
About 45 minutes by direct TGV from Paris Gare de l’Est, with trains roughly every hour. Check for Reims Centre as the arrival station; Champagne-Ardenne TGV sits outside town.
Is Reims Cathedral free to enter?
Yes. It opens daily from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm, free, with access limited during services. The Palais du Tau treasury next door is ticketed and closes on Mondays.
Do champagne house tours in Reims require booking?
Yes, all the major houses run cellar tours by reservation only. Book direct on the houses’ own websites three to four weeks ahead, longer for English tours and peak-season slots. Tours with a tasting start around €30.
Which champagne house should you visit in Reims?
Whichever has a slot on your date, honestly, because they book out. Ruinart is the oldest house, Taittinger and Pommery have the most dramatic chalk pits, and Veuve Clicquot carries the biggest name. All sit within walking distance on the Butte Saint-Nicaise.
Can you do Reims and Épernay in one day?
Only at a run. The towns sit 30 minutes apart by local train and each fills a day, Reims with the cathedral and crayères, Épernay with the Avenue de Champagne. Pick one.