Epernay Champagne Day Trip from Paris

Visiting Epernay from Paris puts you on Avenue de Champagne, the most famous wine street in France. Major champagne houses line both sides - Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, De Venoge - with 110 kilometers of cellars carved underneath. The town is smaller and more focused than Reims, which means less time navigating and more time tasting. You can walk the entire Avenue in 20 minutes but you'll spend 3-4 hours exploring the houses.

Getting here takes 1 hour 20 minutes by train from Paris. That's slightly longer than Reims but the town's concentration of famous names in one walkable street makes your Epernay day trip from Paristrip worthwhile. If you're serious about champagne and want the classic houses without splitting focus between cathedral and cellars, Epernay beats Reims for pure wine tourism.

Tip: Book cellar tours 2-3 days ahead for Moët and Perrier-Jouët. They're the most popular and weekend slots fill fast. Smaller houses sometimes take walk-ins on weekdays.

Quick Facts

One Day Itinerary for Epernay

Morning: Train from Paris (9:00-10:30 AM)

Trains from Paris Gare de l'Est to Epernay run every 2-3 hours. Most require a change at Dormans or Château-Thierry - the journey takes 1h 10min to 1h 30min depending on connection. Direct trains exist but run less frequently. Book on SNCF or Trainline ahead for better prices.

Epernay station is small and charming. Exit and you're facing Avenue de Champagne 500 meters straight ahead - a 7-minute walk through residential streets. Taxis exist if you have luggage but walking is the standard move.

Note: The train connection makes this slightly less convenient than Reims but still very doable as a day trip. If you're visiting the broader Champagne region, some travelers prefer to base in Reims and take a 30-minute local train to Epernay rather than doing both as separate Paris day trips.

Stop 1: Avenue de Champagne Walk (30 minutes)

10:30-11:00 AM: Walk the Avenue before your first cellar tour to get orientation. The street runs 1.5km with the serious champagne houses concentrated in the first 600 meters from Place de la République.

You'll pass mansions that look like small palaces - these are champagne house headquarters built with wine money in the 19th century. The aesthetic is "successful wine merchant trying to look like minor nobility" and it works. Moët's building is the most impressive, Perrier-Jouët has beautiful Art Nouveau details, De Venoge has an elegant stone facade.

Underneath all this runs 110 kilometers of chalk cellars stacked in multiple levels. The entire avenue sits on hollow ground filled with aging champagne bottles. Some houses offer viewings of cellar entrances from the street.

Tip: The avenue slopes gently uphill heading east. Start at the Place de la République end (lower) so you're walking slightly downhill after wine tasting instead of climbing uphill while tipsy.

Stop 2: First Champagne House Tour (1.5 hours)

11:00 AM-12:30 PM: Start with one of the major houses. Your choice depends on what you want from the experience.

Moët & Chandon: The biggest name. They produce 30 million bottles annually and the scale shows - massive cellars, industrial efficiency visible alongside traditional methods, polished corporate tours that move groups of 30+ people through quickly. You'll see the Grand Gallery (impressive vaulted ceilings), aging cellars, and bottling areas. Tours are professional but feel assembly-line. Good if you want the famous name and don't mind crowds. Tasting usually includes Moët Imperial (their standard non-vintage) and sometimes Dom Pérignon if you book premium tours.

Perrier-Jouët: Smaller production, more intimate tours (groups of 10-15), beautiful Art Nouveau mansion as tour starting point. The house is known for floral, elegant champagne and the tour reflects that aesthetic - less industrial, more artisan feeling despite being owned by Pernod Ricard. Their Belle Epoque bottle with painted anemones is iconic. Tours feel personal and guides take time to answer questions. Tasting usually includes Grand Brut and sometimes Belle Epoque on premium tours.

De Venoge: Mid-size house with good balance of professional tour and personal attention. Beautiful historic cellars, clear production explanations, less crowded than Moët. They're proud of their royal warrant history (supplied European royalty in the 1800s) and the tour emphasizes that heritage. Good middle option if Moët is too corporate and Perrier-Jouët is booked.

Tip: If you're new to champagne, Perrier-Jouët offers the best learning experience - guides explain production clearly without rushing, and the smaller groups let you ask questions. If you want to say you visited Moët, do that, but know it's more about the name than the tour quality.

Stop 3: Lunch in Epernay (90 minutes)

12:30-2:00 PM: Epernay has solid lunch options on and around Avenue de Champagne. Rue Gambetta (parallel street one block north) has local restaurants with better prices than avenue-facing spots.

Regional food: Andouillette (tripe sausage - not for everyone), coq au Riesling (chicken in wine sauce), local pork dishes, excellent cheeses from nearby farms. Many restaurants offer champagne by the glass - you're in the capital, might as well have a glass with lunch if you're pacing yourself.

Place de la République has cafes with outdoor seating when weather is good. They're touristy but the people-watching beats sitting inside.

Note: Most restaurants close between 2:00-7:00 PM for afternoon break. If your second tour is at 3:00 PM, eat before 2:00 PM or grab sandwiches from a bakery to eat in Parc de Champagne.

Stop 4: Second Champagne House or Town Walk (1-1.5 hours)

2:30-4:00 PM: Two options depending on how much champagne tasting you want.

Option A - Second house tour: If you did Moët in the morning, try Perrier-Jouët or a smaller house for contrast. If you started with Perrier-Jouët, you probably don't need Moët unless you specifically want that name. Two tours = 4-6 glasses of champagne total across the day. Know your limits.

Option B - Explore the town: Epernay beyond Avenue de Champagne is pleasant but unspectacular. The main appeal is checking out smaller champagne houses that don't get the tourist attention.

Worth seeing if you skip a second major house tour:

• Parc de Champagne - hillside park with vineyard views overlooking the town
• Smaller houses on Rue de Reims and Avenue Foch that welcome walk-ins (Boizel, Janisson-Baradon)
• Covered market (closed Sunday/Monday) with local cheese and charcuterie
• C.Comme gallery museum if you want champagne history without another cellar tour

The town walk option lets you decompress between tastings and see how a working wine town functions beyond tourist-facing operations.

Return to Paris

4:30-5:00 PM departure: Trains back to Paris run every 2-3 hours. The return journey is 1h 10min-1h 30min with possible connections. You'll arrive Paris by early evening.

If you want dinner in Epernay, later trains exist (last around 8:00 PM) but check schedules because evening frequency drops.

Champagne Houses on Avenue de Champagne

Major Houses Open to Public

Avenue de Champagne has about a dozen champagne houses offering tours. These are the ones most visitors book:

Moët & Chandon - 20 Avenue de Champagne. The big name everyone recognizes. Huge production scale (30 million bottles/year), extensive cellars, professional but impersonal tours. Good for first-timers who want the famous brand experience. Advance booking essential.

Perrier-Jouët - 26-28 Avenue de Champagne. Beautiful Art Nouveau mansion, more intimate tours, elegant champagne style. Better for learning about production because smaller groups allow questions. Their Belle Epoque bottle is iconic. Book 2-3 days ahead.

De Venoge - 56 Avenue de Champagne. Historic house (founded 1837) with royal warrant heritage. Good balance of scale and personal attention. Tours feel thorough without being rushed. Easier to book than Moët/Perrier-Jouët.

Mercier - 68-70 Avenue de Champagne. The "fun" house. They offer train rides through their cellars on a small tourist train. More casual, family-friendly vibe. Popular with visitors who want less formal wine education. Good for kids who can legally taste (18+ in France) or families where not everyone cares deeply about champagne.

Pol Roger - 1 Rue Henri Le Large (just off the Avenue). Smaller house, very traditional, less touristy. Churchill's favorite champagne - they name a cuvée after him. Tours feel exclusive and the champagne is excellent. Harder to book, often requires email inquiry rather than online booking.

Smaller Houses and Hidden Gems

If you want to escape the major tourist houses, several smaller producers welcome visitors:

Boizel - 46 Avenue de Champagne. Family-owned since 1834, produces 1 million bottles/year vs. Moët's 30 million. Tours are personal and guides have real expertise. Often has walk-in availability on weekdays.

Janisson-Baradon - 2 Rue des Côtes. Tiny grower house (family owns vineyards, makes champagne from own grapes). Tours feel like visiting someone's home because essentially you are. Very educational about viticulture side of champagne production. Usually requires email booking but worth effort.

A. Bergère - 34 Rue des Côtes. Another small grower house. They'll walk you through vineyards before descending to cellars. Tours are personal and flexible - ask questions, spend more time on topics you care about. No online booking, call or email ahead.

Note: These smaller houses offer better value if you're a wine enthusiast who wants depth over famous names. But they lack the polish and infrastructure of major houses - tours might be in French only, facilities are basic, and you need to make more effort to book.

Booking Champagne Tours

Book directly on champagne house websites or by phone/email or on our partner's platforms. Major houses (Moët, Perrier-Jouët, De Venoge) have online booking systems with English options. Smaller houses often require email or phone.

Timing: Book 2-3 days minimum for major houses. Weekend tours in summer book out a week or more ahead. Smaller houses sometimes accept walk-ins on weekdays but calling ahead is safer.

Tours last 60-90 minutes typically. Morning tours (10:00-11:00 AM start) and afternoon tours (2:00-3:00 PM start) are most common. Some houses offer additional slots in peak season.

What's included: Guided cellar tour in English (verify language when booking), champagne production explanation, tasting of 1-3 champagnes depending on tour tier, opportunity to buy bottles at cellar prices.

What's not included: Transport to the house (you walk), lunch, extra tastings beyond tour package.

How Cellar Tours Work

Similar to Reims houses - you descend into chalk cellars (temperatures around 10-12°C year-round, bring a jacket), walk through aging rooms with millions of bottles, see riddling demonstrations or mechanized riddling machines, learn about champagne method production.

The chalk cellars under Epernay are famous because they're deep and extensive. Some houses go down three or four levels. Moët's cellars alone cover 28 kilometers of tunnels. Walking through these underground networks feels industrial and beautiful simultaneously - vaulted stone ceilings, dim lighting, endless rows of bottles.

After the underground portion, you taste in dedicated tasting rooms. Guides explain what you're drinking - grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier), dosage levels (brut, extra brut, demi-sec), vintage vs. non-vintage, aging time.

Tip: Don't feel obligated to buy at the end. Cellar prices are competitive but shipping and luggage constraints make buying at home sometimes smarter. If you love something specific, buy it, but ignore any pressure.

Epernay vs Reims - Which to Choose

If you're planning a Champagne excursion from Paris and choosing between these two towns, here's the breakdown:

Choose Epernay If:

• You care primarily about champagne and want concentrated wine tourism
• You prefer walking one famous street vs. navigating a full city
• You want the most iconic champagne house names (Moët is here)
• You like smaller, more focused towns
• You're doing serious tasting and want everything within 200 meters

Choose Reims If:

• You want champagne plus a major cultural landmark
• You prefer bigger cities with more restaurant/cafe options
• You want easier train access (45 min vs. 1h 20min from Paris)
• You like Art Deco architecture (Reims rebuilt after WWI in 1920s style)
• You want more variety in a day beyond just champagne houses

The honest take: Reims is the better first-time choice for most people. The cathedral alone justifies the trip, champagne houses are excellent, and the train is easier. Epernay makes more sense as a second Champagne visit for serious wine people, or as part of a multi-day trip where you're basing in the region and hitting both towns.

That said, if you genuinely don't care about cathedrals and just want to taste champagne in its most famous location, Epernay delivers. Avenue de Champagne has more prestige than any street in Reims.

Can You Do Both in One Day?

Reims and Epernay are 30 minutes apart by train or car. Theoretically you can hit both - morning in Reims (cathedral + one cellar), afternoon in Epernay (Avenue de Champagne + one cellar). But it's rushed and you'll spend a lot of time in transport/transit instead of actually experiencing either place.

Better plan: Pick one town for your Paris day trip. If you love it and want more Champagne region exploration, book a second trip or consider spending 2 nights in Reims and doing Epernay as a half-day excursion from there.

When to Visit Epernay

Weekday vs Weekend

Weekdays are significantly better. Champagne houses have more tour slots, smaller groups, easier bookings. Saturdays bring Parisian day-trippers and tour groups - Avenue de Champagne gets congested 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Sundays see some restaurants closed and fewer tour times.

If you must visit on weekends, book tours 1-2 weeks ahead and arrive early (before 10:00 AM) to beat crowds.

Best Months: May-September

May through September offers warm weather (15-25°C), full champagne house schedules, and outdoor cafe viability. June and July are peak tourist season - Avenue de Champagne gets crowded midday with tour groups.

September is harvest time. Vineyards around Epernay are active with grape picking. Some houses offer harvest tours or vineyard visits if you book ahead. The town has more energy during harvest.

Shoulder Season: April, October

April and October work fine - cooler (10-15°C) but manageable. Fewer tourists, easier champagne house bookings, lower prices if staying overnight. The Avenue de Champagne walk is pleasant in any weather that isn't actively raining.

Winter: November-March

Major houses stay open but some smaller producers close January-February. Weather is cold (2-8°C) and grey. The town doesn't have winter appeal beyond wine tourism - there's no Christmas market scene or winter activities. If you're visiting purely for cellars, winter works because tours continue, but spring/summer is more pleasant.

Transportation from Paris

Getting to Epernay by Train

Most trains from Paris Gare de l'Est to Epernay require one connection at Dormans or Château-Thierry. Total journey time is 1h 10min to 1h 30min depending on connection wait time. Direct trains exist but run infrequently (1-2 per day).

Where to buy: SNCF website, Trainline app, or station machines. Advance booking (a few days ahead) saves money. Prices vary by departure time - morning and evening peak trains cost more.

Train types: Mix of Intercités and TER regional trains. All have reserved seating. Connections are usually quick (5-15 minute waits) and platforms are clearly marked.

From Epernay station to Avenue de Champagne: 7-minute walk straight ahead from station exit. It's residential streets transitioning to the Avenue. Signage is clear, you can't get lost. Taxis exist but walking is standard.

Tip: The connection at Dormans or Château-Thierry is usually smooth but allow buffer time for your return journey in case you miss a connection. Having a 20-minute wait at a small station beats missing your Paris train and waiting 2 hours for the next one.

Driving from Paris

Possible but less practical than the train. The drive is 1h 45min via A4 autoroute (145km) with tolls. You'll pay for parking in Epernay and can't properly taste champagne if you're driving back.

Driving makes sense if you're doing a multi-day Champagne region tour hitting villages and small houses that require car access. For a single-town day trip, the train wins despite the connection.

Day Tours from Paris

Organized day tours from Paris to Champagne region often include both Reims and Epernay, visiting 2-3 champagne houses total. They solve transport logistics but cost significantly more than DIY train travel and reduce flexibility.

Tours make sense if you want vineyards and small grower houses outside the towns - these require car access. For Epernay's Avenue de Champagne specifically, the train is easier and cheaper.

Where to Eat in Epernay

Lunch Options

Avenue de Champagne has expensive restaurants targeting tourists. Better value exists on Rue Gambetta (parallel street one block north) and around Place de la République.

Good spots:

• Rue Gambetta bistros - local lunch menus, reasonable prices, less touristy clientele
• Place Mendès France area - cafes with outdoor seating in good weather
• Covered market (when open) - cheese, charcuterie, bread for DIY lunch in the park

Regional dishes: Champagne-based sauces (chicken, fish), andouillette if you're adventurous, local cheeses (Chaource, Langres), Brie from nearby Meaux.

Note: Many restaurants close 2:00-7:00 PM for afternoon break. Plan lunch before 2:00 PM or have backup sandwich options.

Champagne by the Glass

Most restaurants offer champagne by the glass. Prices vary wildly - tourist spots on the Avenue charge premium, local places on side streets are more reasonable. Drinking champagne with lunch in Epernay feels appropriate if you're pacing tasting properly.