Champagne: Reims & Épernay with a private driver
Reims and its cathedral, Épernay and its Avenue de Champagne, UNESCO-listed hillsides: Champagne is 90 minutes from Paris. The case for a private driver fits in one sentence — you taste, he drives.
The Champagne road is quick: 145 km on the A4 and you stand before Reims cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned. The great houses — Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Ruinart — run cellar visits through chalk galleries, best booked a few days ahead.
Épernay, thirty minutes away, lines its famous Avenue de Champagne with the façades of Moët & Chandon and Perrier-Jouët, above 110 km of cellars. Between the two, the Montagne de Reims vineyards and the village of Hautvillers, resting place of Dom Pérignon, offer the finest viewpoints — your driver stops as often as you like.
It is also the excursion where a private car justifies itself most simply: tastings follow one another, the boot takes your cases, and nobody on board needs to stay reasonable in order to drive home.
How a typical day unfolds
- 8:30 amDeparture from your Paris hotel90 minutes on the A4, against the traffic.
- 10:00 amReims — cathedral and Champagne houseNotre-Dame de Reims, then the cellar visit you have booked (we help you choose by taste).
- 1:00 pmLunch in Épernay or among the vinesBistros and starred tables suggested with the quote.
- 2:30 pmAvenue de Champagne & HautvillersÉpernay's great houses, then Dom Pérignon's village and the Montagne de Reims panoramas.
- 5:00 pmBack towards ParisYour cases travel in the boot — arrival around 6:30 / 7 pm.
What the excursion includes
- Recent Mercedes vehicle (sedan, 7-seat van or S-Class) with private driver
- Pick-up at your hotel or any address you choose
- Car and driver stay with you at every stop — no imposed schedule
- Fuel, tolls and parking included in the quote
- Bottled water and chargers on board; free child seats on request
- French- and English-speaking driver; other languages subject to availability
Not included: entrance tickets to sites and museums, meals and tastings. Your driver drives, waits and advises — for commented visits inside the sites, we can recommend licensed local guides.
Your questions
Are the tastings included?
No — each house sells its own visits and tastings, booked directly (from €25 to €90 depending on house and cuvées). We gladly advise on which houses to combine and in what order.
Can we buy champagne on site?
Of course — that is precisely the point of a private car: your cases ride in the boot to your hotel, with no weight limit and no breakage risk.
Should cellars be booked in advance?
Yes, especially May to October. The great houses sell out days ahead; once the quote is confirmed, book your slots and we build the route around them.
Grand houses or small growers?
They combine beautifully: a grand house in the morning for the monumental cellars, a family grower in the afternoon for the welcome and gentler prices. Tell us your preference.
Does the trip work in winter?
Yes — cellars stay at a constant 12 °C year-round, and December has its charm between Reims' Christmas markets and frosted vines. Only the harvest scenery (September) is seasonal.