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Vineyards on the slopes surrounding ÉpernayMmullie (WMF) · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to do · Épernay

A Vineyard Tour in a Vintage Estafette

Excursion · 2 h · from €49 · tasting in the vineyards · in Spanish · departs from the tourist office

InformationFrom €49 person
From
€49 person
Duration
2 h
Season
All year, with departures at 10:00 and 14:00
Who it's for
Adults; groups of up to seven

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.

Who runs it

Opening hours and prices can change: check them before you go.

Round off the plan

Where to eat, where to stay and what else to do

To eat nearby

The dining room of La Cave à Champagne in Épernay© La Cave à ChampagneChampagne-region cooking and grower champagne

La Cave à Champagne

Restaurant · Épernay · rue Gambetta · €€€€

What to order: the €29.50 menu sympa and a bottle of grower champagne for the table

Open lunch and dinner from Thursday to Monday, Sunday included
A dish at the Bulles & Bonheur restaurant© Bulles & BonheurFine-dining menu in a 19th-century house

Bulles & Bonheur, the Restaurant

Restaurant · Épernay · Avenue de Champagne · €€€€

What to order: the Rose lunchtime menu, at €50, with a champagne pairing for €35 more

Open Thursday to Monday, lunch and dinner; 18 covers, book ahead
The wood-burning fireplace in the dining room of La Grillade Gourmande© La Grillade GourmandeMeat and fish grilled over wood

La Grillade Gourmande

Restaurant · Épernay · rue de Reims · €€€€

What to order: whatever comes off the wood fire and a champagne dessert

Tuesday to Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday

To stay nearby

A room at the Hôtel Jean Moët© Hôtel Jean MoëtSmall hotel

Hôtel Jean Moët

Four stars · 12 rooms · Central · Breakfast included · Champagne bar

Why we like it: Four-star boutique hotel with twelve rooms in a stately house in the centre of Épernay, a few metres from the Avenue de Champagne.

The heated outdoor pool at La Villa Eugène next to the terrace© La Villa EugèneHotel

Hôtel La Villa Eugène

Five stars · Avenue de Champagne · Heated pool · Private parking · Dogs welcome

Dogs welcome

Why we like it: Five-star hotel in a 19th-century mansion of the Mercier family, on the Avenue de Champagne, with a heated swimming pool and enclosed parking.

Itineraries

Features in these plans