Epernay and Reims TOURS that Accommodate LARGE Groups

Article by guest author Peter Brooker

For anyone planning a trip to Epernay and Reims, aka Champagne Valley, I thought you might appreciate my itinerary from a recent trip. I planned for 18 people over 3 nights, including restaurants, cellar tours, open bus tours and in some cases, train tickets.

You can find all the notes in this PDF here, but for now here is a breakdown of where we stayed, where we ate and what we saw in Epernay and Reims. This post is not sponsored nor endorsed by these companies. You can also catch some previous notes from our trip back in 2022, in a post here.

Tours

EPERNAY

We did an open top bus tour that left Epernay and went to Reims. There we visited the Arnoult Champagne house and got a tour of the pressings. We had a salmon dinner inside and then a picnic under a tree somewhere. Very quaint, civilized. The tour also included a visit to the tomb of Dom Perignon. The church itself was perhaps more interesting than the tomb, but a good one to check off the list.

On the bus we had multiple bottles, though somehow incongruously we ran out of Champagne on a Champagne tour bus. The ice buckets were also completely devoid of ice during a heat wave. I'd say the tour guide Marie was combative throughout, including on emails in the run up to the event. But she was cordial on the trip, and I do think sometimes as Eddie Izzard would say, 'the French can be, you know, just a bit French.' BOOK THE TOUR here.

REIMS

Our second tour was booked to REIMS leaving Epernay also. This was one I recommend. We did a historical walking tour of Reims, which included the Cathedral. The cathedral is stunning and can't be missed. The statues are awe-inspiring, (some 2,000 of them) and inside you'll also be beguiled by the stain-glassed windows and vaulted ceilings.

This tour also included lunch, and a trip to Pommery where we walked the caves. These hollowed out cellars are shrouded in romantic mysticism, peppered with modern art and light installations. TIP - be sure to ask for tour guide Thomas (the old Thomas) as he is a local to Reims and has an unfathomable amount of knowledge on the area and wines. BOOK THE TOUR here.

MOET CHANDON

Does tours for large groups. We booked and paid on arrival.

Restaurants

We had 3 dinners, in three different restaurants in Epernay. All restaurants are capable of taking large bookings. All are very authentic and the food is terrific. I've listed them in order of personal preference. 1 A LA FLEUR DE SEL 2 LA CAVE à CHAMPAGNE 3 BULLES ET BONEUR.

Where to stay

We stayed in an AIRBNB without AIRCON. So if you're travelling in summer then I'd have to recommend Hotel Margaux instead.

MUST SEE

Be sure to visit Boutique Champagne Pierre Mignon on Rue Jean Moet and ask Ludovic to sing. He will make you cry I promise. Château Perrier (the museum) is interesting enough and a decent way to pass the time for an hour or so. YES it's air conditioned. They have a mechanical device hooked to a bottle that shows the slow and deliberate process of how the yeast revolves to the neck of the glass. In Champagne de Venoge you can enjoy some comfortable seating, a bottle of champagne of course and some sausage and light bites. Also air conditioned.