I will be in Paris for the first time in April, for eight days. I am considering a side trip to Reims, primarily because I love champagne. However, I've already given up one day of the trip for cooking classes, so I only really have six full days to explore. I plan to see the major sights, but I want a lot of time for walking around and exploring different neighborhoods.

I do love champagne, so Reims is appealing. (The cathedral looks beautiful as well). But maybe I save that for "next time?" Just wondering what Paris veterans have to say on the subject.

(Note: "next time" may not be for five or ten years...hard to say.)

Since the next time is a long time away, I would do it. Are you going there by train? I went there twice. The second time, I visited the Chanpagne house.

Well, I hope so! We have tickets for March 27. There are a couple of very positive posts here about that. SO's daughter did this recently and loved it.

if you plan on coming back to p
paris another time. Visit Reims
But I never have seen all of Paris in several visits.
But do go since you love Champagne.

I had a really nice time there when I went. I'd go again. Happy Travels!

Hi all,

Do Tattinger's or Mumm's taste any different when taken in Reims than they do in Paris?

I was bored in Reims. Not much to do other than champagne tasting and not too easy to do at that (I recall it was a bit expensive for my budget at the time).

I did find that Paris took a long time for proper exploring. With so many museums and sights, 10 days for me was not enough. I took other little side trips to Provins, Versailles, Fontainebleu, and Orleans (they also have a lot of impressive cathedrals, churches, and castles), and that quickly took care of a lot of my days...

Tough decision. There is so much to see/do in Paris that you could spend all your 8 days there without seeing everything. However, Reims is a nice daytrip also.

Do you plan on any other daytrips out of Paris, like Versailles or Chartres? I would make a list of your "must sees", prepare some general daily itineraries and see if you have any time to fit in a trip to Reims. If your time turns out to be tight, decide if you are willing to forgo any of these "must sees" to see Reims.

I enjoyed visiting Reims, but it did take up most of the day.

I did a day trip to Epernay, near Riems, and loved it.
Toured the Moet and Mercier complexes .... was very interesting.
Would think that Reims would be similiar.
As a champagne lover myself, I thought it was WELL worth it : )

I loved Reims, there is a lot to do there, I couldn't see a lot of what I wanted in just a day trip, but I enjoyed it immensely. First, the cathedral, of course -- I wasn't aware there were Chagall stained glass windows in there. Then, the recapitulation (or maybe reedition) museum or whatever it is called (Eisenhower headquarters during WWII, and where the Germans surrendered). That was fascinating, but I love history -- the original map room where they planned things is there with the maps on the wall, and some great old film clips. I also visited the fine arts museum which has some nice paintings. That was about all I had time for except some strolling around and a bit of shopping. There were several other good museums I really wanted to see, especially the Abbey of St Remi one, and maybe the Tau. I didn't even go to champagne houses as I don't like champagne, but I don't understand thinking there is nothing to do in Reims but the champagne houses. I mean, I can see it if you don't like any museums at all, don't like history, and don't like architecture.

I would recommend Reims for 3 reasons:
1. It's only 45 minutes by train from Paris, so it is super easy.
2. The cathedral is magnificent and totally empty -- after the Times Square crowd in Notre Dame in Paris, this makes an incredible amount of difference in one's appreciation.
3. A champagne visit. The only one I have done is Tattinger, which was excellent and fascinating. You see things you'll never see back home.

Also, getting a glimpse of a provincial city in France will give you an idea of how different the atmosphere is in the provinces compared to Paris. This will be very useful for planning future visits.

A foodie and champagne fan as well - I can identify. We did a trip to Reims and Epernay and stayed Reims two nights. The Cathedral is fabulous as is the museum. I agree with Kerouac - the lack of tourists makes the visit a very different (and much more special) time than viewing Notre Dame with the masses. We were there when the organ master came to practice. AMAZING! In the museum, Charlemagne's robe is the star but there are many, many other beautiful things to watch the chefs at work.

As far as the champagne houses - we visited several which were great - the highlight was a private tour of Perrier Jouet in Epernay. They are not open to the "Public" but if you can find someone connected to their distributor in your area you may be able to hook up a private tour. WELL worth the effort.

Where is your cooking class? We did a day at Ritz Escoffier - interesting but not hands on. It was impressive to see though. Another trip we did the Le Cordon Bleu - still no hands on but fun.

You'll have a fantastic trip - and you'll if you fall in love with Paris (and France in general) that you'll find a way to get back sooner rather than later.

Patay, I'm a bit confused. Is Charlemagne's robe at the Cathedral? There is a museum there? Or is it another museum?