Tracy and I finally succumbed and bought our Air Tahiti Nui flight (thanks Priceline) to Paris, where we will spend Christmas with millions of our Parisian friends. Since we will be there eight days, I thought a day trip to the Champagne area might be fun.

It looks like we take a train from Paris est (is that where Werner Erhard used to bend spoons) to Epernay or Reims, with Epernay being a little closer. For those of you who have daytripped to either of these places, could you give us your favorite day plan? We would go to Champagne the Thursday or Friday before Christmas (if they're open, of course).

We are fans of Veuve-Clicquot (mainly because I got Tracy liquored up enough on the stuff to say "yes" to marrying me years ago). Has anyone done this particular tour? Are there other notable tours in the area that you recommend?

Iit looks like I should reserve a tour ahead of time. Correct?

Merci!

oohhh boy, I am already looking forward to the trip report

Though Epernay's Champagne houses are perhaps a tad bit more prestigeous than the exact same companies' similar houses in Reims, Reims offers much more than Epernay for a day there - such as a world-famous cathedral and the War Room, near the train station, where the Allied High Command plotted the final Putsch against Nazi Germany - war cabinet tables and maps left on wall exactly as they were.

But if just for Champagne, then Epernay is perfect. Haven't taken tours for a while but my impression is you just show up (most are closed i think for a few hours at noon).

Laughing out loud - Mariegross...
my thoughts exactly!

LOVE it!! I, too, thought the same thing -- what a rapturous trip report this will be! Maybe she'll get you liquored up this time and ............

Have fun planning and actually being there!

joy/luvparee

We stayed overnight in Reims and did the Vueve tour; I recommend it highly. It is simple to train to Reims; the cathedaral is a must while you are there.

I've day-tripped to Reims, but not Epernay, so really can't comment exactly on that idea. My personal opinion is obviously that Reims is more interesting, or I would have gone to Epernay. I don't care much about champagne, though, and don't really even like it.

In Reims, I first visited the cathedral as that was a must-see (it has windows by Chagall), then I visited the Beaux Arts museum and walked around that central area. I enjoyed the museum, but it would not be a must-see if you had other priorities (like champagne). I did a little shopping in central stores but that's mainly because the weather was lousy and it was raining so I wanted to get out of it (bought an umbrella and sweater). I visited the Surrender Museum (Eisenhower's headquarters) after walking back that way which is back towards the train station. This was fascinating, I'm so glad I went. (called War Room above).

I meant to go to a champagne house then, I think it was Veuve Clicquot which is over that general way, but didn't care enough about it to actually do it. The other things I mainly wanted to do was visit a couple of the other good museums -- especially the St Remi abbey museum of history and archeology and the Tau Palace (former archbishop palace) which has a treasury, as I recall.

You might find our trip report on Champagne useful as you plan the details of your stay. We preferred Reims to Epernay as a base. We also thought Troyes was great (and it has outlet malls!) and it would be possible to use it as a base for exploration, provided that you rented a car - and sobered up after your tastings.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34845706

If you're an aviation buff then just outside Reims is the spot where a landmark airplane flight took place - can't think of name but could have been first successful flight, in French context anyway.

Hi, maitaitom, I've been pipped at the post by OPs recommending reims rather than epernay, and for all the same reasons. [well, nearly]

I've been to reims several times now and the cathedral still blows me away but i still remember the first time [don't we all]. That was on my first trip abroad with my parents, aged 11 ish. After /or possibly before "doing the cathedral" we stopped for a drink in a cafe and my mum needed the loo. The look on her face as she emerged, having had to walk past the men's urinals to get the the ladies was priceless - it's 40 years ago, and I can still remember it, and so can she!

Hopefully the facilities have improved a bit since then. [though on a recent visit to the Pyrenees, i still came across a "crouch and pray" loo - I though they'd all gone, but sadly not].

good luck!

Great stuff everyone. Thanks for the input. Reims it is, and I have already e-mailed the Veuve-Clicquot people to warn them of our impending visit. I believe they are hiding their best bottles of bubbly.

Since we won't be drinking champagne for six hours (I think that is our Christmas Eve plan), we will take in the Cathedral, World War II museum and a couple of other Reims attractions as well as a little champagne tasting.

Kate, due to my gas-impaired mistake of last year, the European Union has forbade me from driving in any EU country until summer of 2007, so it will only be a train excursion for us this visit.

And yes, there will be a brief trip report upon our return. OK, maybe not so brief. Thanks again for all your help.

You may want to visit here for tastings or dinner, it is wonderful.

http://www.lescrayeres.com/uk/navigation.htm

I received an email back from Veuve Clicquot this morning welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Maitai to an English tour of their Reims facility in December. I can feel the bubbles tickling my nostrils already.

feeling jealous - though not overly so as I'm off to venice today - just for the weekend! [sorry, couldn't resist "sharing"]
hope you enjoy your paris/reims trip.
Regards
Ann