Plan the Best Day Trip to Épernay From Paris

A day trip to Épernay from Paris is easily one of my favorite things to do. I’ve done it for my birthday, a very bubbly occasion indeed, and for no reason at all…because you don’t actually need to be celebrating something to have Champagne.

While Reims is often the default choice for a Champagne day trip from Paris, Épernay is a great option if your primary goal is to drink Champagne rather than sightsee.

In this guide, I’ll cover how to get to Épernay from Paris, how much time you need, what to do on a day trip, and whether Épernay or Reims makes more sense for you.

Quick Tips for Your Épernay Visit

Your Flight: Find deals to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris-Orly Airport using Skyscanner. Love those deals? Subscribe to Going.

Your Accommodations: We generally treat Épernay as a day trip from Paris, as we lived just outside the city. For overnights, browse Booking.com or Hotels.com. Vrbo is my Airbnb alternative.

Your Ride: You don’t need a car for a day trip to Épernay. If you’re planning a road trip in Champagne, book a rental car well ahead of your trip.

Top Spots: Walk the Avenue de Champagne, tour a Champagne house, and leave time for a leisurely lunch and a glass (or two) of bubbly.

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Is Épernay worth visiting?

Yes, Épernay is worth visiting, especially if you like Champagne. The town is home to the famous Avenue de Champagne, where some of the region’s best-known Champagne houses line one very bubbly street.

It’s also super accessible as a Paris day trip. Take the train instead of dealing with a car, parking, and figuring out designated drivers after a few glasses of bubbly.

Obviously, the bubbles are a reason to go in itself, too.

How to Get From Paris to Épernay

The easiest and fastest way to get to Épernay from Paris is by regional train. Trains leave from Paris Gare de l’Est and take roughly an hour and 20 minutes to reach Épernay.

Once you arrive, you’re within a five-minute walk of the center and the Avenue de Champagne, so there’s seriously no reason to rent a car for most day trips here.

Driving is an option if you’re planning to explore more of the surrounding Champagne region, but for Épernay itself, the train is best. You can leave Paris, spend the day drinking Champagne, and let someone else worry about getting you home.

How much time do you need in Épernay?

A woman enjoys a Champagne tasting in Epernay.

The easiest way to get to Épernay from Paris is by train. Trains leave from Paris Gare de l’Est and take roughly an hour and 20 minutes to reach Épernay.

Once you arrive, you’re within walking distance of the center and the Avenue de Champagne, so there’s really no reason to rent a car for a typical day trip.

Driving is an option if you’re planning to explore more of the surrounding Champagne region, but for Épernay itself, the train is much more convenient. You can leave Paris, spend the day drinking Champagne, and let someone else worry about getting you home. That’s a pretty good arrangement.

What to Do on a Day Trip to Épernay From Paris

You can spend a day in Épernay like this:

Start with a coffee and a pastry at Pastry Florence and Vincent Dallet.
Walk the Avenue de Champagne and admire the grand Champagne houses.
Tour a Champagne house and learn how the stuff gets from vineyard to bottle.
Make time for a Champagne tasting.
Have lunch at one of Épernay’s restaurants.
Stop for a second Champagne tasting (if you’d like) before heading back to Paris.
Wander around the town center before heading back to Paris.

Walk the Avenue de Champagne

A view of a famous street in Epernay, France

The Avenue de Champagne is the obvious place to start your visit to Épernay, after you’ve fueled up on some caffeine and treats.

This grand boulevard is lined with some of the Champagne region’s most recognizable names, including Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët, and Mercier.

There’s more to it than fancy facades, though. Beneath the avenue are miles of Champagne cellars, where millions of bottles are stored. You can walk the avenue and admire it from there, or stop at one of the Champagne houses for a tour and tasting.

That second option always sounds better to me.

Tour a Champagne House or Book Champagne Tastings

Visitors to Champagne generally want to try some Champagne.

Note: I’m not being a pusher here. There are just SO many other places to visit in France that don’t revolve around bubbles…or the Eiffel Tower, even. Épernay would be an odd pick otherwise!

We visited Moët & Chandon, one of the most famous Champagne houses in Épernay, for a cellar tour and tasting on our first trip.

It’s a fun way to get the classic big-house Champagne experience, and walking through the cellars gives you a better appreciation for what’s under your feet.

We’ve also visited Leclerc Briant, a smaller Champagne house with a more intimate feel and a focus on organic and biodynamic viticulture. It was a nice contrast to the big-name experience at Moët & Chandon.

Other Champagne houses to consider include:

Mercier: Choose Mercier for its more theatrical cellar experience, including a guided tour aboard a small train.
Perrier-Jouët: Visit Perrier-Jouët for its Belle Époque heritage and Art Nouveau-inspired spaces.
Champagne de Castellane: Stop here for a cellar visit and a look at the house’s distinctive tower overlooking Épernay.
Alfred Gratien: Choose this family-owned Champagne house for a more traditional, small-scale experience.

Looking for a more casual tasting? We’ve also stopped at Le 19 Avenue de Champagne, where you can sample Champagne without committing to another full cellar tour.

It’s a good option if you want to add a second tasting to your day without another formal tour…or if you want a quick glass before your train back to Paris.

Other Things to Do in Épernay

the outside of Église Notre-Dame d'Épernay in Epernay

If you need a break from Champagne, there are a few other things to do in Épernay to fill in the gaps:

Explore the town center and its shops.
Visit the Église Notre-Dame d’Épernay.
Tour le Musée du Vin de Champagne et d’Archéologie Régionale.
Stroll through the Jardins de l’Hôtel de Ville.

If you’re thinking beyond day trips to Épernay, you can visit nearby Hautvillers for more Champagne history.

Fun fact: Hautvillers is the village where Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk often associated with the development of Champagne, lived and is buried.

It’s also surrounded by vineyards, making it a good addition if you want to see more of the landscape beyond Épernay.

Planning more time in Champagne? Check out some of these fun guided excursions that offer bubbly fun outside of the city:

Where to Eat in Épernay

Delicious bubbles are easy to find in Épernay, but you should also make plans to eat something tasty, too. You won’t have trouble finding a good spot.

Here are a few options:

La Grillade Gourmande: We had my birthday lunch here and loved it. The grilled fish and soup were delicious, and the restaurant has a classy feel that makes it a nice choice for a longer lunch. You’ll need the break.
Kitsch Café: We stopped here for a pot of tea and some treats in between tastings. They carry a great tea selection, something I’m almost as big a sucker for as Champagne.
La Cave à Champagne: This is a good option if you want a traditional French meal with Champagne remaining part of the experience. It’s centrally located on Rue Gambetta.
Le P’tit Champenois: Head here for traditional French cooking in a Champagne cellar, right in the center of Épernay. We haven’t tried this one, but the setting puts this one at the top of my list for our next trip!
Bulles & Bonheur: This is the pick if you want to stay right on the Avenue de Champagne and keep the day fancy. This is very much fine dining, and since you’re in France, don’t expect this to be a quick lunch.

Note: If you’re only in Épernay for the day, I’d make lunch your main meal and leave room for a pastry (or a few per person), coffee, or an afternoon treat otherwise!

Which is better for a day trip, Épernay or Reims?

It really depends on what you want from your day.

Choose Épernay if Champagne is the main event. The Avenue de Champagne, Champagne houses, tastings, and proximity to the vineyards make it easy to spend the day focused on the bubbles. If you’re celebrating something, it’s pretty perfect.

Choose Reims if you want to combine Champagne with sightseeing. Reims has the impressive Notre-Dame Cathedral, a bigger city center, and several major Champagne houses of its own.

Épernay also feels more manageable for a day trip when your primary goal is Champagne. The center is compact, and you can walk between the train station, Avenue de Champagne, and many of the Champagne houses easily.

Can you visit Épernay and Reims in one day?

You can, but I wouldn’t do it.

You could take the train between the two cities and see a few highlights in each, but you’d spend part of your day moving around instead of having a chill day. Add a Champagne-house tour or two tastings, and the schedule gets even tighter.

If you have only one day, I’d pick the option that matches what you want to see. Save the other for another trip. Both are great!

Fun fact: French kings were traditionally crowned at Reims Cathedral, with the tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Épernay, meanwhile, became famous for Champagne production, with the Avenue de Champagne eventually becoming home to some of the region’s biggest Champagne houses.

Tips for Taking a Day Trip to Épernay

A woman poses outside of a Champagne house in Epernay.

Here are a few more tips for planning the best day trip to Épernay:

Book Champagne-house tours in advance. Popular houses can sell out, particularly on weekends and during busy travel periods.
Book your train ticket time after your Champagne tours. Build your day around your Champagne-house reservation rather than the opposite.
Skip the car. The train from Paris is easy and efficient, and Épernay’s center is walkable. You won’t need the car unless you’re here on a longer road trip.
Don’t overbook yourself. One formal cellar tour plus a couple of tastings is plenty for one day. Champagne houses aren’t Pokémon.
Leave time for lunch. Give yourself enough time to actually sit down and enjoy a meal between tastings. Future you will thank you.
Check opening days. Some restaurants, Champagne houses, and attractions have limited hours or close on certain days of the week and months of the year.
If you want to explore the vineyards, stay longer. A day in Épernay works well, but an overnight stay gives you more time to visit nearby villages and producers.

Is a day trip to Champagne worth it?

Yes, especially if you like Champagne. A day trip from Paris gives you an easy way to trade the city for vineyards, Champagne houses, cellar tours, and considerably more bubbly.

Épernay is particularly easy to do in a day because you can take the train from Paris, visit a Champagne house, fit in a couple of tastings, and still make it back that night.

There’s a reason I keep coming back to the region, even more so than other wine biggies like Bordeaux. You don’t even need a special occasion, either. Sometimes just wanting to spend the day tasting Champagne is enough…and you deserve it!

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