Where to stay in the Champagne region
If you’re taking the train from Paris, the city of Reims is a convenient base to call home in the Champagne region. With stunning views of the Saint‑Remi Basilica and the Reims Cathedral Domaine Les Crayéres offers 20 intimately appointed suites perched at the top of Saint Nicaise, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Decorated in early 20th-century classical French style, no room is the same; expect unique wallpapers, embroidered linens, and subtle design touches that transport you back to the time of Louis XIV—without feeling cheesy. The cellar also features over 1,200 bottles of Champagne, so you can still taste from producers that don’t make it into your itinerary.
Roughly forty minutes south in charming Epernay, Loisium Champagne is a modern oasis complete with a Finnish sauna, steam baths, and heated outdoor pool. It’s the ideal balance for those looking to offset winery visits with a spa treatment or two, and many of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies facing the surrounding forest, for a true nature experience. Also in Epernay, the rooms, restaurants, and 15,000 square-foot spa at Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa overlook the bucolic surrounding vineyards. Don’t sleep in and miss the breakfast buffet, which includes a decadent spread of cheeses local to the region, as well as classic fare like eggs, muesli, and of course, a by-the-glass Champagne list with which to start off your morning.
Where to taste wine in the Champagne region
Avoid the temptation to cram as many tastings as possible into each day, and hold yourself to one visit in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The majority of Champagne houses require reservations in advance for tours and tastings.
In Aÿ, the newly opened Champagne Lallier tasting room (bookings by reservation only) is a design maven’s dream come true, complete with interiors from renowned architect Elodie Sire. The cellar tour starts in an antechamber that guides through the various steps of making Champagne (from harvest to bottling) and also explores how the house’s approach to winemaking has evolved over the past century. Nearby Champagne Billecart Salmon prefers to keep its tour groups intimate, so it’s worth making a reservation well in advance; once you’re there, expect a stroll through a vineyard, as well as the opportunity to taste vintages tailored to your specific tastes. At Champagne Bollinger, explore the cellars and learn about the house’s history dating back to the 1820s.
