The high-speed TGV train travelling alongside vineyards, Reims, Champagne.
Most visitors to Champagne head for Epernay, a quiet town whose main attraction, the Avenue de Champagne, is home to a number of well-known Champagne houses (including a fair few who trade more on the foot traffic than the quality of the wines), the regional museum of Champagne’s wines, and a number of smart places to relax with a glass.
What few realise, however, is that even a one-night trip to Champagne gives plenty of time to explore independently without having to hire a car or arrange a tour. Here then, is our guide to Champagne by train.
Travel Champagne by train – Google My Maps
Travel Champagne by train
This map shows train routes to Champagne from Paris, as well as the route from Reims to Epernay and all the fantastic villages producers, hotels, restaurants and bars to visit along the way.
Arrival
Epernay may bill itself as the Champagne capital, but it’s Reims, a smart city in the north of the region, which is the most rewarding place to stay, well worth exploring in its own right (as well as boasting a number of top Champagne houses and the region’s finest dining and drinking options).
Admittedly it’s a little further away from many of the vineyards, but if you want a bit of buzz in the mornings and evenings it’s the best place to base yourself.
Trains run from Paris Gare de l’Est to Reims, taking around 45 minutes.
There are also separate trains to Champagne-Ardenne TGV (high-speed train) station, located on the southwestern edge of Reims city. This connects to the Reims-Epernay train line, although it’s better to head directly to those two cities if they’re your planned first stops. Nevertheless, it’s perfectly convenient for the (sometimes lengthy) gaps in the TGV service to Reims.
There are slower, direct trains to Epernay from Paris Gare de l’Est, too (taking one hour 20 minutes) – these run mostly at commuter times in both directions. They have the bonus of running along the pretty Marne Valley vineyards on the way into Epernay.
All aboard the vineyard express: Reims-Epernay line
With its pretty villages and great train connections, Champagne is an easy region to visit by rail. Credt: ImageDJ / Alamy Stock Photo
Running once an hour in both directions throughout the day, the regional train (called the TER) calls at two notable Champagne villages – Rilly-la-Montagne and Avenay Val d’Or – and perhaps most usefully Champagne’s historic vineyard town, Aÿ, perched on the river Marne just north of Epernay.
STOP 1: Rilly-la-Montagne, just 13 minutes on the train from Reims, is a quiet town on the north-facing side of the Montagne de Reims. This is a well-regarded town and its vineyards are rated premier cru, and are known for producing fruity and bright Pinot Noir, as well as some Meunier.
The top producers here are J Lassalle, Vilmart & Cie and Didier Herbert (soon becoming Herbert & Co, an up-and-coming grower). Be sure to make appointments in advance (see tips below). Le Bacchus and Prise de Mousse are good stops for lunch and a glass.
It is also possible to walk 20 minutes through the vineyards (on the Chemin des Wardes) to pretty Chigny-les-Roses, where Couvert de Vignes is a modern, friendly restaurant with top-notch cooking and a smart Champagne list (and Champagne Palmer & Co’s Domaine du Chalet provides upmarket accommodation). There are a number of Champagne producers here, from independent Gounel-Lassalle to the house of Cattier.
STOP 2: The next stop, just five minutes on from Rilly-la-Montagne, is Avenay-Val d’Or.
There’s perhaps less to see here, although the biodynamic grower Augustin and the bold, oak-influenced Champagnes of Crucifix Père et Fils are both to be found in the village (both accept visits by appointment).
Nearby, too, is the popular Loisium spa hotel in Mutigny, with its heated pool overlooking the vineyards, smart, modern rooms and well-appointed bar (it’s a…
Source : https://www.decanter.com.master.public.keystone-prod-eks-euw1.futureplc.engineering/wine-travel/greener-wine-travel-champagne-by-train-538035/
