Explore the Champagne Region on a Daytrip from Paris

Paris offers endless daytrips for the traveler looking to leave the city behind, and the Champagne region, known for its eponymous bubbly wine and storied farmland, is only a 40-minute train ride away on the TGV from the Gare de l’est station.

Plan to spend the day in Reims, an elegant and cozy city where France’s kings were crowned for centuries and Joan of Arc led Charles VII to his coronation. Spend your morning at the exquisite Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Reims, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before spending your afternoon sampling Champagne and learning more about the wine-making process. Wineries get crowded quickly especially during the fall harvest season so book a tour of the cellars (where most of the wine is kept while aging) at Veuve Clicquot, G.H. Mumm (closest to the train station), Taittinger (which has one of the largest holdings of vineyards in the region), and Maison Ruinart (the oldest Champagne house).

Clicquot has some of the best examples of crayeres or old quarries, which acted as both wine storage and a secret hiding space for many residents during World War II. Tours (led in English) tend to take about one hour and include a tasting of the Champagne. Be sure to dress warmly as the cellars are cool even in the height of summer. Reims is easy to get about on foot, and you can walk from the cathedral to the Champagne houses easily. Make sure to pick up a bag of the famous “Biscuits Roses,” pink-hued sugar cookies that locals eat while sipping on Champagne.