# Épernay The Avenue de Champagne, a UNESCO heritage site, the Moët & Chandon cellars, the Castellane tower and routes through the vines. 1 h 20 from Paris by train. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/grand-est/epernay · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## Why Épernay and not just Reims? Reims has the cathedral; Épernay has the champagne street. The Avenue de Champagne gathers over 1.5 km the mansions of the great houses, and beneath them, in galleries dug into the chalk, rest some 200 million bottles. Since 2015 it has been part of the "Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars" UNESCO World Heritage property. It is smaller and quieter than Reims, can be walked in full and has the vineyard in view from the town itself. ## How do you get there from Paris? By direct train from the Gare de l'Est: an hour and twenty minutes. On leaving the station you cross the town-hall park and in under ten minutes you are at the tourist office, at number 7 on the avenue. From Reims it is thirty minutes by train through the Montagne de Reims, so the two cities can be combined in a weekend. By car, the tourist office reckons an hour and a half from Paris on the A4; Reims is 27 km away. Park at the Jard, with the first hour free, or in the Arts car park, next to the office. If you fly from Spain to Charles de Gaulle or Orly, the train from Gare de l'Est is simplest: the RER B drops you at Gare du Nord, a few minutes' walk away. ## Which cellar should you visit? The first visit is usually Moët & Chandon, at number 18: an hour and a half through its galleries and a tasting, from €48 for the Instant Impérial, in French or English and with a booked time. Cheaper and with views is the Castellane tower, next to the railway tracks: 237 steps up to a height of 66 metres and a glass of Brut Croix Rouge for €20. Its cellars are temporarily closed, so Castellane is the tower and the collection, not the cellars. If you want to see the vineyard, the Estafette tour by My Vintage Tour Company leaves at 10:00 and 14:00 from in front of the tourist office: two hours over the slopes of the Marne valley in a vintage van, with a Spanish-speaking guide and a glass among the vines, from €49. That way nobody drives after the tasting. Between visits, the Champagne wine museum, in the Château Perrier, tells of the chalk, the region's archaeology and the history of champagne; it costs €10 and is free for under-13s. ## How much time and when? A day gives you one cellar, the tower or the museum, lunch and the route through the vines. Two days allow you to add Reims or the villages of the Champagne Tourist Route. Go from May to October to see the vineyard alive; September is the harvest. In December, the Habits de Lumière fill the avenue with lights and fireworks from 11 to 13 December 2026. ## Where to eat and sleep? For Sunday lunch, La Cave à Champagne, home-style regional cooking with champagne from growers, or Chez Max, in Magenta. For a special meal on the avenue, Bulles & Bonheur, with a €50 lunch menu. For dinner grilled over the coals, La Grillade Gourmande, Tuesday to Saturday. To sleep, the Hôtel Jean Moët, twelve rooms in the centre with breakfast included, and La Villa Eugène, a five-star with a pool and parking on the avenue itself. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Champagne Wines - Cerca: Reims (a 24.4 km), Provins (a 72.3 km), Disneyland Paris (a 88.5 km), Pierrefonds and Compiègne (a 91.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **A Walk along the Avenue de Champagne** (1 h · 1.5 km · All ages · Free): The Avenue de Champagne is the street of the great houses: 1.5 km of mansions, cobbled courtyards and 19th-century gardens that form part of the “Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars” site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. Beneath it, in galleries dug into the chalk, some 200 million bottles are resting. How to walk it Start at the tourist office, at number 7, and walk east: Moët & Chandon at number 18, the Château Perrier with the wine museum at number 13, Perrier-Jouët and its Maison Belle Époque, and at the end, the villas that look out over the vineyard. You can do it on foot or by bike. The tourist office has a guided route for your phone, Bulle Verte, covering the buildings of the avenue and the town centre. When to go Any day. On 14 July there is the Soirée Blanche, and in December, the Habits de Lumière. At dusk, the light on the façades is the best of the day. - **The Moët & Chandon Cellars** (1 h 30 · Adults; under-18s with an adult · Instant Impérial €48 · Signature €65 · Autour du Grand Vintage €85): The best-known house on the avenue has its cellars beneath number 18: kilometres of chalk galleries where the bottles age. The basic tour, the Instant Impérial, starts in a private salon, goes down into the galleries and ends with a comparative tasting of Brut Impérial and Rosé Impérial before passing through the shop. Which tour to choose All three cellar tours last an hour and a half. The Instant Impérial costs €48; the Signature, €65, compares the Brut Impérial with the latest white Grand Vintage; Autour du Grand Vintage, €85. If it is a special trip, Richesses Naturelles (€230 per adult, two and a half hours) adds a car journey to the Fort Chabrol vineyards. Practical details Tours run from 9:30 to 17:00, with a time slot booked online, in French or English; in Spanish only as a private tour, by asking at visites@moet.fr. The cellars are cool: bring a jacket. There is a lift. - **The Castellane Tower and Its View over Épernay** (1 h · Adults and teenagers who can climb stairs · Tower and one glass €20 · with two champagnes €30 · heritage tour €60): The De Castellane tower is 66 metres tall and has eight floors. At the top, after 237 steps, you see the whole of Épernay, the Marne and the slopes of vines all around. The guided visit includes the house's permanent exhibition and ends with a glass of Brut Croix Rouge. The cellars, closed for now The Castellane cellars are temporarily closed to the public. What you can visit is the tower (€20 with one glass, €30 with two) and, by reservation, the hour-and-a-half heritage tour, with the room of 7,000 labels (€60). Booking Groups of ten at most. Write to visites@castellane.com or call +33 3 26 51 19 11. Dogs cannot take part in the visits. - **The Champagne Wine Museum at the Château Perrier** (1 h 30 · All ages · €10 · reduced €6.50 · free for under-13s and on the first Sunday of the month): At number 13 Avenue de Champagne, the Château Perrier, a former merchant's house, holds the museum of Champagne wine and regional archaeology. The route runs from the geology of the chalk to Celtic and Merovingian jewellery, and then through about ten rooms on how champagne has been made and drunk, with touch tables, virtual reality headsets and an aroma table. Opening hours and prices From November to March it is open Wednesday to Friday from 13:30 to 18:00, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00; it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The rest of the year it is open every day except Tuesdays. Entry costs €10 (€6.50 for ages 13 to 25 and over-65s) and is free for under-13s and for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. Telephone: +33 3 26 55 03 56. With children It is the best stop of the day for them: the screens, the fossils and the aroma table work well, and there is no waiting for a tasting. - **A Vineyard Tour in a Vintage Estafette** (2 h · Adults; groups of up to seven · Essentiel Tour from €49 · Cœur de la Champagne from €79 · Hiver en Champagne from €69): A Renault Estafette van from the 1960s, a driver who tells you about Champagne in Spanish and a glass of grower champagne in the middle of the vines. The Essentiel Tour spends two hours on the slopes of the Marne valley around Épernay, with stops at the best viewpoints. What is included The ride, explanations of the work in the vineyard according to the season and a champagne tasting with Reims pink biscuits, in the open air. It does not go into any cellar: for that there is the three-hour Cœur de la Champagne. In December, until the 19th, the winter version leaves at dusk with the vehicle lit up. Practical details Departure in front of the tourist office, at 7 Avenue de Champagne, at 10:00 or 14:00. Seven people per vehicle. Book on their website; free cancellation up to fifteen days before. It is a way of seeing the vineyard without a car and without anyone having to drive after the tasting. - **Habits de Lumière, the Avenue Celebrates in December** (4 h · All ages · Free to stroll; workshops from €20): Three days of festivities before Christmas, organised by the town and the houses of the avenue. On the evenings of Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026, the Avenue de Champagne fills with video mapping on the façades, shows, champagne bars, music, light installations and fireworks. The programme On Saturday morning, Michelin-starred chefs cook with the houses and the growers of the avenue in open demonstrations; in the afternoon there is a young pastry chefs' competition, pairing workshops (from €20) and cellar tours. On Sunday 13th, more than 400 vintage cars parade through the town, and some houses open their cellars. Good to know The evening events on the avenue are only on Friday and Saturday. It is the busiest weekend of the year: book your accommodation in good time. ## Dónde comer - **La Cave à Champagne** (Restaurant, Épernay · rue Gambetta, €€). Qué pedir: the €29.50 menu sympa and a bottle of grower champagne for the table - **Bulles & Bonheur, the Restaurant** (Restaurant, Épernay · Avenue de Champagne, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Rose lunchtime menu, at €50, with a champagne pairing for €35 more - **La Grillade Gourmande** (Restaurant, Épernay · rue de Reims, €€€). Qué pedir: whatever comes off the wood fire and a champagne dessert - **Chez Max** (Restaurant, Magenta · Avenue Thevenet, €€). Qué pedir: the set menu of the day and a dish cooked in champagne ## By plane: Flying to Paris and the Train to Épernay Épernay is easy to reach by flying to Paris: Charles de Gaulle and Orly have direct flights from the main Spanish cities, and from Gare de l'Est a direct train leaves you in an hour and twenty minutes ten minutes' walk from the Avenue de Champagne. You do not need a car: the cellars are in the town and the vineyard can be seen on a guided excursion. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hôtel La Villa Eugène** (Hotel): A 19th-century mansion that belonged to the Mercier family, on the stretch of the Avenue de Champagne that used to be called the Faubourg de la Folie because of the wealthy estates that made it up. Today it is a five-star hotel with a park, terrace and swimming pool. The rooms Rooms and suites decorated with period furniture, some with a view of the park. There is one room adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Breakfast is served in the glazed veranda, and the bar is open during the day. Pool and parking The outdoor pool is heated and has a sun terrace next to the terrace. Parking is private, enclosed and supervised, with one space per room: if you arrive by car, you do not have to look for a spot in the centre. Dogs and cats are accepted for €30 per night per animal. What is nearby You are on the avenue: Moët & Chandon, the Château Perrier and Perrier-Jouët are a ten- or fifteen-minute walk away, and the station about twenty. The dinners at Bulles & Bonheur are next door. - **Hôtel Jean Moët** (Small hotel): A boutique hotel with twelve rooms in a hôtel particulier on the rue Jean Moët, right in the centre. The Avenue de Champagne begins a few metres away and the station is a short walk: it is the comfortable base if you arrive by train from Paris. The house Breakfast, included, is served under a glazed veranda; during the day there is a champagne bar and lounges. The rooms range from the more intimate attic ones to those that look onto Épernay town hall and its park. The Réhoboam room, on the ground floor, is spacious, suitable for families and adapted for guests with reduced mobility or reduced vision or hearing. Getting there and parking The hotel has a private car park very close by. Reception is open from 7:00 to 22:00: if you arrive later, let them know. ### Servicios - **Épernay Tourist Office**: 7 Avenue de Champagne · maps, tour bookings and shuttles to the cellars from May to October - **Épernay Station**: Train from Paris Gare de l'Est in 1 h 20 · 30 min from Reims · 10 min on foot from the Avenue de Champagne - **From Charles de Gaulle or Orly to Épernay**: RER B to Gare du Nord, walk to Gare de l'Est and a 1 h 20 train · or hire car, about 150 km ## Car-free: Épernay by Train Épernay is one of the few champagne excursions you can do entirely without a car: the train from Gare de l'Est leaves you ten minutes from the avenue, the whole centre can be covered on foot and for the vineyard there are guided routes with a driver. Besides, nobody has to drive after the tasting. Presupuesto orientativo: 120–260 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hôtel La Villa Eugène** (Hotel): A 19th-century mansion that belonged to the Mercier family, on the stretch of the Avenue de Champagne that used to be called the Faubourg de la Folie because of the wealthy estates that made it up. Today it is a five-star hotel with a park, terrace and swimming pool. The rooms Rooms and suites decorated with period furniture, some with a view of the park. There is one room adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Breakfast is served in the glazed veranda, and the bar is open during the day. Pool and parking The outdoor pool is heated and has a sun terrace next to the terrace. Parking is private, enclosed and supervised, with one space per room: if you arrive by car, you do not have to look for a spot in the centre. Dogs and cats are accepted for €30 per night per animal. What is nearby You are on the avenue: Moët & Chandon, the Château Perrier and Perrier-Jouët are a ten- or fifteen-minute walk away, and the station about twenty. The dinners at Bulles & Bonheur are next door. - **Hôtel Jean Moët** (Small hotel): A boutique hotel with twelve rooms in a hôtel particulier on the rue Jean Moët, right in the centre. The Avenue de Champagne begins a few metres away and the station is a short walk: it is the comfortable base if you arrive by train from Paris. The house Breakfast, included, is served under a glazed veranda; during the day there is a champagne bar and lounges. The rooms range from the more intimate attic ones to those that look onto Épernay town hall and its park. The Réhoboam room, on the ground floor, is spacious, suitable for families and adapted for guests with reduced mobility or reduced vision or hearing. Getting there and parking The hotel has a private car park very close by. Reception is open from 7:00 to 22:00: if you arrive later, let them know. ### Servicios - **Épernay Tourist Office**: 7 Avenue de Champagne · maps, tour bookings and shuttles to the cellars from May to October - **Épernay Station**: Train from Paris Gare de l'Est in 1 h 20 · 30 min from Reims · 10 min on foot from the Avenue de Champagne ## By car: Épernay by Car By car, Épernay is an hour and a half from Paris on the A4 and 27 km from Reims. The car is useful for the villages of the Champagne Tourist Route, such as Hautvillers, Aÿ or Cumières, but remember that on a tasting route someone has to drive without drinking. Presupuesto orientativo: 130–300 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hôtel La Villa Eugène** (Hotel): A 19th-century mansion that belonged to the Mercier family, on the stretch of the Avenue de Champagne that used to be called the Faubourg de la Folie because of the wealthy estates that made it up. Today it is a five-star hotel with a park, terrace and swimming pool. The rooms Rooms and suites decorated with period furniture, some with a view of the park. There is one room adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Breakfast is served in the glazed veranda, and the bar is open during the day. Pool and parking The outdoor pool is heated and has a sun terrace next to the terrace. Parking is private, enclosed and supervised, with one space per room: if you arrive by car, you do not have to look for a spot in the centre. Dogs and cats are accepted for €30 per night per animal. What is nearby You are on the avenue: Moët & Chandon, the Château Perrier and Perrier-Jouët are a ten- or fifteen-minute walk away, and the station about twenty. The dinners at Bulles & Bonheur are next door. - **Hôtel Jean Moët** (Small hotel): A boutique hotel with twelve rooms in a hôtel particulier on the rue Jean Moët, right in the centre. The Avenue de Champagne begins a few metres away and the station is a short walk: it is the comfortable base if you arrive by train from Paris. The house Breakfast, included, is served under a glazed veranda; during the day there is a champagne bar and lounges. The rooms range from the more intimate attic ones to those that look onto Épernay town hall and its park. The Réhoboam room, on the ground floor, is spacious, suitable for families and adapted for guests with reduced mobility or reduced vision or hearing. Getting there and parking The hotel has a private car park very close by. Reception is open from 7:00 to 22:00: if you arrive later, let them know. ## As a family: Épernay with Children Épernay is a town of tastings, and that does not say much to a child. It works if you mix a single cellar with what does interest them: the Château Perrier museum, the walk along the avenue and, in December, the Habits de Lumière festival. ### What works best The Champagne wine museum, with touchscreens, virtual reality and fossils; free for under-13s The walk along the Avenue de Champagne, flat and with no cars on the pavements The Habits de Lumière, with video mapping, fireworks and a young pastry chefs' competition ### Where to stay Hôtel Jean Moët, with a spacious family room on the ground floor La Villa Eugène, with a heated pool in season ### Where to eat La Cave à Champagne has high chairs Chez Max, in Magenta, has a baby corner ### Good to know In the cellars under-18s always go in with an adult; Moët's Richesses Naturelles does not admit under-10s The cellars are cool all year round: bring a jacket for the children The Castellane tower is 237 steps ### Qué hacer as a family - A Walk along the Avenue de Champagne - The Champagne Wine Museum at the Château Perrier - Habits de Lumière, the Avenue Celebrates in December ## Consejos ### Book the cellar with a time Moët & Chandon works with online slots; at weekends they fill up. ### Bring a jacket The cellars are cool all year. ### First Sunday of the month The wine museum is free. ### Combine with Reims Half an hour by train between the two cities. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Paris to Épernay? By direct train from the Gare de l'Est, in an hour and twenty minutes; the Avenue de Champagne is ten minutes' walk from the station. ### How much does it cost to visit a cellar in Épernay? From €20 for the Castellane tower with a glass and from €48 for the Moët & Chandon cellars. ### Can the cellars be visited in Spanish? Moët & Chandon runs its visits in French or English; the vineyard tour by My Vintage Tour Company is in Spanish. ### What is the Avenue de Champagne? The street of the great champagne houses, 1.5 km of mansions with cellars beneath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. ### Is Épernay worth it if I'm already going to Reims? Yes: it has the avenue, the vineyard in view and combines with Reims in half an hour by train. ### Where do I eat on a Sunday in Épernay? La Cave à Champagne opens at midday and in the evening; Chez Max, in Magenta, at midday.