Hi Sue-

We did the trip to Reims directly on arrival a few years ago. Got there by late afternoon, checked in to the hotel, strolled around the main square, had dinner and a wonderful bottle of local champagne that wasn't from a famous maker (but we loved it and can sometimes find it here in DC), and early to bed after a night on an airplane.

The next day we visited the cathedral. It is just lovely and I particularly loved the porcelain (I think) statue of a very young and innocent looking St Joan wearing a real chain mail suit. For some reason it was so haunting and made me feel like I was seeing the real girl, not just a historical figure.

From there, a delightful lunch with more bubbly and then a tour of Pommery (gorgeous and the tour guide was so knowledgeable about the history and science of champagne production). For dinner that night we splurged on the champagne tasting menu at Les Vignerons.

One more night in our hotel, breakfast at a cafe, a nice final walk, and back on the train to Paris, arriving in time to check in and go out for a late lunch.

A nice mellow short trip before the bustle of Paris.

Thanks, BlueSwimmer! That's exactly what I was thinking of doing. I even made an hotel reservation, knowing I could cancel up to that day if I want. It's the Best Western Hotel de la Paix, which looks to be fairly close to train station and the main parts of town. Where did you stay? My plane arrives at CDG at 9:10 AM, so I have plenty of time to get to Reims. I think I will go ahead with this plan, as I'm sure I'll enjoy Reims more this way.

Hi Sue-

I had to look at my travel notebook, which informed me that we didn't do the tour at Pommery but at Taittinger. We stopped at Pommery, which is in a beautiful mansion type building, but they were hosting an event that night so there were no tours. All the kudos I wrote above go to Taittinger instead.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel de L'Univers. It wasn't anything special but the location and price were right for us.

Here's a memory from Reims that I wouldn't have dredged up without looking at my travel journal: the croissants were all mini-sized instead of full sized, everywhere we went.

Have a wonderful trip!

I spent days reading reviews and scouring several sites. I booked on 1800 hotels for the Claude Bernard. I dont like being locked in and pre paid. Do it differently next time but booked and keeping my fingers crossed for Sept. good luck

Some notes about travel insurance. You can get "cancel for any reason" coverage, but read carefully as some covers you only 50%, etc., and you must know how soon/how late you can cancel and be covered. Apartment deposits/rental can also be covered, but make sure it's not excluded under "prepaid expenses". With most policies, you have a period of time to review the actual certificate/policy and cancel for a full refund if the coverage is not what you have in mind.

And, yes, Thierry and the apartments do receive raves all over the various forums.