The Ultimate Guide to a Weekend in Champagne
The Ultimate Guide to a Weekend in Champagne
How to spend an epic weekend in Champagne
I spent last weekend in Champagne, the eponymous grape-growing region of France, and absolutely loved it.
Although it was a very last minute trip, all we needed to have an incredible time was a car, a map and a sense of adventure. My new floaty dresses worked a treat too ;)
So, after a lush couple of days away, here are my tips on how to have the perfect weekend in Champagne!
1) Driving to Champagne from London
Champagne is located on the North-East side of France, and as such is pretty easy to drive to from London.
Taking a car also means that you get to take the scenic routes through the region, and really get a feel for how beautiful the place is. Our weekend in Champagne wouldn’t have been as fun if we didn’t explore it by car.
It’s not a long trip either – it took us 2 hours to get from London to the Euro Tunnel, then 30 mins on the tunnel, and then a 3 hour drive to Hermonville… which is where our adventure in Champagne begins…
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2) Go to the Art & Jazz Festival in Hermonville
By chance, we ended up visiting Champagne on the exact weekend of the annual Art & Jazz festival in Hermonville, which is an epic celebration of all things gorgeous.
The Festival is held in the sleepy, wonderful town of Hermonville, which is located just north of Reims.
Whilst it’s always pretty, during the Art & Jazz festival the town of Hermonville transforms into a bustling, music-filled arena that would rival any festival in the world.
The festival is arranged across a number of cordoned-off avenues, and each nook and cranny is filled with paintings, prints, sculptures, and live bands playing gorgeous jazz.
In amongst this are food trucks and stalls that fill the air with delicious aromas. Our favourites in particular are the spicy Moroccan sausages sizzling on hot coals, plates of soft, unpasteurized cheese, and fresh crepes filled with strawberries and cream.
If you are tempted to visit Champagne then definitely go in June, during the Art & Jazz festival at Hermonville. It makes the whole trip just epic.
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3) Explore Reims
It makes absolute sense to head to Reims after your adventure at the Hermonville festival, for two reasons.
The first is that you get to see the extraordinary Cathedral, and the second is that Reims is the closest big city in Champagne from Hermonville.
Double win.
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4) Explore the historical Champagne cellars and take tours
Whether you drink or not, I would recommend booking in a tour of one of the historical cellars at a Champagne house.
One of the best Champagne houses to visit is Ruinart, with their incredible labyrinth of ancient, underground chalk quarries.
Although we couldn’t get into Ruinart on our weekend in Champagne, we did make it in to Veuve Clicquot in Reims, where we loved talking to their expert growers, and enjoying the sunshine on their terrace.
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5) Stay in Epernay
Known for its Avenue de Champagne, Epernay is often spoken about as being the true heart of Champagne, and we loved staying here.
As well as the shear number of Champagne houses in Epernay, it’s also a great base from which to explore the Champagne Routes.
This is another reason why it’s almost essential to have a car in Champagne, so you get to see all the gorgeous little towns and hamlets that make up the region.
So there you have it, my ultimate guide to the perfect weekend in Champagne! Please go – it’s awesome.
