We are staying in Paris and are planning a day trip (we have a driver) to taste Champagne. I want to go to the House of Billecart-Salmon (Ay) and a few others. However, I am not sure if Reims is do-able the same day or how long the tours last. Plus - any suggestions on Champage Houses would be appreciated.

Reims tours last about 1.5 hrs in my experience - and there are often a few hours around noon when they may be closed. Most of the Reims Champagne houses are clustered together on the southern edge of town. Note that the most presitigious Champagne Houses are in Epernay - the effective capital of Champagne vinticulture i think.

Ruinart Champagne House all the way! We just went a couple of weeks ago. You must make an appointment in advance for the tour. I believe you can get cheaper tix with the tourism office ($8EUR vs 15 at Ruinart). The tour is a little over an hour. The cool thing about Ruinart is the tours are small (ours was maybe a dozen people) and the walks through the chalk mines/pits. The tour is followed with a tasting (two generous glasses) in a really nice tasting room with nice sofas in groups...you can lounge as long as you like.

It was a really elegant place, in my opinion. We went to Pommery afterwards but opted not to do the tour...it was big and touristy and we noticed the tour groups were enormous.

We took a day trip from Paris out to Reims. We took the morning train and had arranged a tour of our favorite champagne house-Lanson. Because it was a Friday in March the facility itself was closed so my husband and I had a tour by ourselves with a very nice guide. It didn't cost us anything and she opened a full bottle of champagne at the end of the tour. Then we went to Les Crayeres for lunch and more champagne. Walked from there into the center of Reims to visit the cathedral and see the Chagall windows-gorgeous!!! Then the train back to Paris. Have a great day.

I've been to quite a few Champagne houses - Of the Grandes Marques - I would say that Mumm was the most interesting and Moet was the most glamourous. These tours last about 1 hour including the degustation. The tours cost about 8-10 euros.

Recently I was there and decided to call a few of the small marques who do tours by appointment only. This was really cool as you get a full tour - including the bottling etc, whereas on the bigger tours they really just walk you round the caves. I would recommend thoroughly the smaller marques. We were on our own, and we had a guide and also got to speak to the men doing the actual work and we could ask them questions. The tour was free and lasted about 2 hours and the tour guide cracked open a very nice bottle for us at the end.

Champgane houses Mumm and Verve Cliquot were wonderful.

To: lawchick (or anyone else): Which small marques do you suggest that we contact for a personal tour? We have done this in California with small wineries, and it has been great fun.

Eperney - Dom Perignon.