A Champagne day with eight tastings and lunch

About this experience

My Winedays runs the most-booked Champagne day from Paris, and the format explains why. The minivan collects you from your hotel in central Paris, and on the two-hour drive east the guide hands out croissants and starts the Champagne lesson. The morning is a guided visit and tasting at a major house. The listing names Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Mercier, Pommery, Lanson and Nicolas Feuillatte as examples, and the house is decided by the operator, not by you.

Then the day goes small. You drive through the vineyards with a tasting among the vines, then sit down for a classic French lunch of about two hours at a family-run Champagne house or a local restaurant, with at least three Champagnes poured. The afternoon is a second producer: either two small family vineyards in total, or a cooperative plus one family vineyard. The listing promises at least eight tastings, the most of any small-group day on this site, and lunch is included, which the two cheaper days ask you to pay for yourself.

Three caveats. The return drop-off is at Hôtel de Ville, not your hotel, unless you book the private option. The tour needs at least four travellers, or the operator may cancel and offer another date or a refund. And it is a 10 to 11 hour day with about four hours in the van. If you only want one famous cellar, the TGV gets you to Reims in about 45 minutes and Mumm sells its own visits: our train guide shows how. What you cannot easily do by train is the grower lunch and the afternoon in the villages.

• At least eight tastings, the most of any small-group day here
• A major house plus family growers or a cooperative
• Lunch at a family Champagne house or local restaurant, with 3+ Champagnes
• A tasting among the vines and a masterclass, weather permitting
• Eight guests at most in an air-conditioned minivan
• Guides who know wine: guests name Tommy, Cedric and Joel

How the day runs

1. MorningPickup in central Paris

   The minivan collects you at your hotel. About two hours east, with croissants, bottled water and a first talk on how Champagne is made.

2. About 1.5 hA major Champagne house

   A guided cellar visit and tasting at a big name. Which one depends on the day: the listing gives Mumm, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Mercier, Pommery, Lanson and Nicolas Feuillatte as examples.

3. Late morningInto the vineyards

   A drive through the slopes with a tasting among the vines and the guide's masterclass, weather permitting.

4. About 2 hLunch with Champagne

   A classic French meal at a family-run Champagne house or a local restaurant, with at least three Champagnes.

5. AfternoonA second producer

   A family estate or a cooperative, with a tour of the cellar and another tasting.

6. About 2 hBack to Paris

   Drop-off at Hôtel de Ville in central Paris, usually in the early evening.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Pack a warm layer. The listing warns that cellars sit at about 10°C and feel damp, even in August.
• Tell the operator about food allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book, not on the day.
• Spanish and French guides exist, but only subject to availability. Ask before you book if you need one.
• Plan your evening from Hôtel de Ville: it is central, on Métro line 1, and the drop-off is there, not at your hotel.
• Eat the croissant. Eight tastings before and after lunch add up.

Read next:

• Best Champagne tours
• Is a day trip worth it?
• Paris to Champagne by train

Frequently asked questions

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