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Voykit pocket guide · France
Reims
Give Reims 2 nights: one full day for the cathedral, Saint-Remi and one champagne cellar tour, then a 45-min TGV back to Paris.
Reims is the Champagne capital and a 45-minute TGV ride from Paris, so it works as a two-night base or a long day trip. The UNESCO-listed cathedral, the Palais du Tau and the Romanesque Saint-Remi Basilica sit within a walkable centre, while the big champagne houses run timed cellar tours in chalk tunnels under the city. Most of the old town was destroyed in World War I and rebuilt in the 1920s, which is why the streets mix Gothic, Art Deco and Renaissance buildings.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, some houses closed for harvest), late Dec
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €2–4 |
| Baguette sandwich | €4–7 |
| Mid-range main course | €14–22 |
| Glass of champagne in a bar | €8–15 |
| Champagne cellar tour with tasting | €25–70 |
| Bus single ticket | €2 |
| TGV Reims → Paris | €20–45 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CDG · Paris Charles de Gaulle
- TGV from the airport station to Champagne-Ardenne TGV, about 30 min; check the station on your ticket.
- BVA · Paris Beauvais
- About 2 h by road; no direct rail link.
- XCR · Châlons Vatry
- About 45–60 min by road; few scheduled flights.
Typical fares
- TGV Reims → Paris
- about 45 min, €20–45 booked ahead
- TGV CDG Airport → Champagne-Ardenne TGV
- about 30 min
- Bus single ticket
- about €2
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable, with pedestrian shopping streets. Buses cover the rest of the city; single tickets are about €2 and a carnet of 10 is cheaper (2026 estimate). Taxis must be booked in advance rather than hailed. The tram links Champagne-Ardenne TGV station at Bezannes with the city centre.
See and do
Known for
- Reims Cathedral (UNESCO)
- Champagne house cellar tours
- Palais du Tau
- Saint-Remi Basilica
- Art Deco rebuild of the 1920s
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Épernay | TER train from Gare de Reims, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Paris | TGV from Gare de Reims or Champagne-Ardenne TGV, about 45 min | About 1 h 15 |
| Troyes | Train with a change, roughly 1 h 30–2 h | About 2 h |
| Charleville-Mézières | Train via Champagne-Ardenne TGV or with a change, about 1 h 30–2 h | About 2 h |
| Sedan | Train with a change, about 2 h | About 2 h 15 |
Sleep
- Place Drouet d'Erlon and around
- Central, walkable to the cathedral and the main restaurant strip; mid-range hotels and the cheapest bars.
- Cathedral and Hôtel de Ville quarter
- Quietest central option; best for a short stay focused on the sights.
- Gare de Reims area
- Practical for early trains; about 15 min on foot to the cathedral.
- Bezannes / Champagne-Ardenne TGV
- Only if you arrive late or leave early; tram links it to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-SEE |
| A glass of champagne, please | Un verre de champagne, s'il vous plaîtuhn vair duh shahm-PAN-yuh, seel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twah-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Two stations serve Reims: Gare de Reims (centre) and Champagne-Ardenne TGV (Bezannes). Check your ticket — mixing them up means a missed train.
- Most champagne houses run tours by appointment or timed slot only; book ahead, especially in summer.
- Some houses close or run reduced tours during the grape harvest in September.
- Taxis cannot be hailed on the street; book by phone or app.
Reims is a safe city overall. The real risks are pickpockets around the station and Place d'Erlon at night, and drinking on an empty stomach before a cellar tour: eat first, and keep an eye on your bag in crowds.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Reims yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Reims Cathedral (UNESCO)
- Champagne house cellar tours
- Palais du Tau
- Saint-Remi Basilica
- Art Deco rebuild of the 1920s
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Reims Tourist Office: www.reims-tourism.com/
- Ville de Reims: www.ville-reims.fr/
- Reims Cathedral: www.cathedrale-reims.com/
- Palais du Tau: palais-tau.monuments-nationaux.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Reims, revision 5331355 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331355
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Reims
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland all run embassies in Paris; there is no consulate in Reims. Check your embassy's site for the current address and hours.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/reims). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.