Day 1 in Reims

Welcome to Reims! Upon arrival, you will go through customs and immigration. Make your transfer to your destination, arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do.

Begin your afternoon with a pleasant lunch at the famous Café du Palais. This family-owned café, located only a minute from the Cathedral, has been in operation since 1930 offering a unique collection of funky artifacts. Enjoy a relaxing (and delicious) lunch of some local specialties while basking in your surroundings. Afterward, we recommend that you get acquainted with the city by taking a guided tour or hop on open top bus tour through the streets of Reims to discover its monuments and attractions.

Alternatively, grab yourself a map and take your own tour to get your bearings. The main squares: the Place Royale, with a statue of Louis XV, and the Place Cardinal-Luçon, with an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc. The Ruede Vesle is the main street and crosses the town from southwest to northwest, passing through the Place Royale en route.

As night falls, head to one of the many delicious restaurants in the pedestrian-only main square, Place d`Erlon. This is a prime location for some great food and drinks, as well as some shopping and a bit of people watching.

Day 2 in Reims

Start your day early at the magnificent UNESCO site Cathedral Notre Dame, probably as famous as the one in Paris if not more. This Gothic cathedral, built in 1211, has a deep religious and historical heritage as this site has seen many Kings Coronations including the famous Louis XIV. It features stained glass windows, a 12-petaled rose window, a Gothic organ case, and an astronomical clock built in the 15th-century.

After exploring the cathedral make sure to check out the towers - you will need to climb a few hundred steps to get to the top. This is one we highly recommend as the views at the top of the Cathedral are amazing.

Another UNESCO site that is linked to the Cathedral is the Palais du Tau. This used to be the residence of kings in waiting and served as a place for French kings to host post coronation banquets. Today it serves as a museum that holds many treasures such as religious relics from the cathedral, statues and an astonishing assortment of tapestries. Tour the museum and spend some time discovering the many unique treasures that are kept here.

If time allows, check out some other highlights of the city. The oldest monument in Reims is the Porte de Mars (Mars Gate), one of the 4 Roman gates to the city walls. This is the triumphal arch consisting of three archways flanked by columns. Take a visit to Reims Musee de Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum) on Rue Chanzy, which contains one of the most remarkable collections of paintings in France. There are also several other important buildings of interest, numerous parks and gardens, other religious monuments including a synagogue and various churches, some grand townhouses, an imposing town hall and part of the original Roman forum.

After a long day of sightseeing enjoy some dinner in the city center. Relax over a nice meal before heading back to your hotel for a good night`s rest.

Day 3 in Reims

Spend your final day exploring the vast network of tunnels underneath Reims. The former quarries turned out to be the perfect spot to store champagne, and today there are some 124 miles of champagne cellars lying 65 to 131 feet under the city, holding millions of bottles of bubbly in various stages of fermentation. Most of the top champagne maisons offer daily tours of their operations (many require reservations in advance). Mumm, Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, Tattinger and Ruinart are just a few of the prestigious names, and they`re all open for visitors. All will take you down into the crayères, man-made chalk tunnels and give you a taste at the completion of your tour.

Alternatively, grab a map and make an adventurous day of hiking or biking, the Montagne de Reims or Route de Champagne is the best place to experience the beauty of this region dominated by vineyards. Montagne de Reims is a forested plateau south of Reims, where the slopes produce the grapes used to make champagne. There are many routes to choose from, but you`re not likely to have time to visit all of them. We recommend routes GR14 and GR141, they form a loop of 31 miles around the plateau`s eastern section, taking in such towns as Verzy.

After a busy day of sightseeing, head back to your hotel for a good night rest.

Additional Days in Reims

Should you be able to spend additional days in Reims we recommend you take a day trip to the many charming towns located in the Champagne-Ardenne region and beyond.

From Reims, Laon is just 28 miles Northwest and is most interesting for its history. The town is set on a ridge above the plain and the Ardon River. Over the years, it has witnessed much turbulence. The cathedral here is an astonishing early gothic masterpiece, and the Museum of Laon is another must-see highlight.

Another interesting town of the region is Amiens, 68 miles Northwest of Reims on the Somme River in the Picardy region. This has been a textile center since medieval days and is best known for the impressive 13th-century Amiens Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the largest gothic style cathedral in France.

Beyond Amiens and Laon, the heavily forested Ardennes attracts lovers of nature and French poetry alike. Rimbaud lived and wrote here, as well as writers such as Victor Hugo, George Sand, and Alexandre Dumas who also have ties to this area. The sandy beaches of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage are the most fashionable with many resorts along the Channel. It was nicknamed the `playground of kings` in the days before World War II. Many of these stops are worth a visit if time allows.

Your Last Day in Reims

Depart your hotel for the airport for the airport or train station where you will head home or make your way to more European adventures. Savor the memories of a very special time in Reims and the Champagne-Ardenne region in the north of France.