economie

Whenever I’m in Paris, I take a 40-minute train ride to Champagne. A roundtrip ticket is only $60, and the wine lives up to the hype.

October 17, 20240
I took a high-speed train from Paris to Reims.

Amber Gibson

I booked a roundtrip ticket on the TGV train from Paris to Champagne for 56.50 euros, or about $62. I purchased the tickets via Rail Europe, which I think is the easiest way for Americans to buy train tickets in advance.

I recommend getting to the station about 15 minutes before your train’s departure so that you have ample time to find your seat. Tickets are either first- or second-class, and each ticket has a coach number and seat number attached.

To access the train platform, I had to scan a QR code. But keep your phone handy — the conductors came through the cabin to scan it again during the ride.

Since TGV is France’s high-speed rail, the trip only takes about 40 minutes.

I got off in Reims, the largest city in the Champagne region. French kings used to be crowned at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims, and today, many Champagne houses are headquartered there.

Reims is a lovely, walkable town.
You can’t tour Laurent-Perrier’s Champagne house, but some of its vineyards are open to the public.

Amber Gibson

Although you can drink plenty of wine in town, I recommend exploring the different Champagne houses for the full experience.

Over the years, I’ve visited nearly a dozen houses, and some stand out. Maison Ruinart offers an 85-euro tour of its stunning chalk cellars, which are actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. The family-run Billecart-Salmon house also has a lovely 80-euro tour and tasting that I like.

Unfortunately, many of the top Champagne houses, like Laurent-Perrier, Krug, and Charles Heidsieck, aren’t open to the public. But luckily, I’ve easily found rarer bottles at local wine shops.

The Chai Léon shop in Reims offers free tastings on Saturdays and has an excellent selection of Champagne, including smaller producers I’d never heard of before. As a bonus, most of the prices are better than back home in the US.

There’s an amazing Michelin-star restaurant just outside Reims.
I love Champagne, especially when I bring it home from Champagne.

Amber Gibson

I’m so glad I set aside time to explore Champagne on my last trip. Getting to the region from Paris was quick and relatively cheap, and I found plenty of things to do and see.

The best part is I brought plenty of Champagne home — I firmly believe that the best souvenirs are ones you can share.

If you’re bringing alcohol back to the US, just remember to declare anything over the federal limit of 1 liter for personal duty-free use. I also wrap my wine bottles in clothes before placing them in my suitcase for extra protection and easy packing.