Explore Reims, the capital of Champagne, on a budget
Could the capital of Champagne really be anything but credit card sensitive expensive? The glorious answer is ‘oui’.
Many of Reims’ champagne houses offer surprisingly affordable tours and tastings, and the best local ‘caves a vin’ offer excellent value bottles made by any one of a whopping 19,000 producers.
The city is also an understated charmer, replete with art deco architecture, chic brasseries and spruce gardens. All this joie de vivre is only four hours from London via Paris on the Eurostar and SNCF.
Where to sleep
Hotel Azure
This whitewashed, discreet hotel with a sun-kissed courtyard for your petit dejeuner offers excellent value for money. The rooms are small but impeccably decorated in soothing shades of blue and turquoise. There are also plenty of whimsical touches; Look out for the bedside lamps made from teapots.
B&B double room from £59.50 (hotel-azur-reims.com)
La Closerie des Sacres
Fifteen minutes’ drive from central Reims, these converted stables still have their thatched cribs but have been beautifully furnished with open fireplaces, wrought iron chairs and leather sofas. There is a kitchen where you can prepare your own picnic and a boules pitch in the garden.
B&B double room from £91 (closerie-des-sacres.com)
Appart’City comfort
Appart’City Confort has “simple but comfortable” double rooms (above) from £69
It’s not particularly flashy, but the Appart’City Confort has everything you need. The location is also convenient as the hotel is only 450 m from the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral and the Automobile Museum is also nearby. Rooms are simple but comfortable, and have kitchenettes with microwaves, stovetops, and refrigerators.
Double room from £69 (appartcity.com)
Le Clos des Roys
With only two rooms (Clovis I and Charles VII), this former fabric trading house is as intimate as guest houses. Both are gorgeous whitewashed retreats, but the Charles VII Room is superior thanks to its free-standing bath. Breakfast is huge with pancakes and waffles offered alongside baguettes and cafe au lait.
B&B double room from £88 (leclosdesroys.fr)
What to see and do
Let’s get bubbly
Visit Maison Collet in nearby Ay for a champagne cellar tour – you can try three glasses of their fizz for £24.50. Above is a view of the vineyards of Ay
Mumm, Taittinger and all the big champagne hitkers offer cellar tours and tastings, but better value can be found with smaller producers. Maison Collet in nearby Ay is more lavish than most; After the tour you can try three glasses of their fizzy drink for £24.50 (citeduchampagnecolletcogevi.com).
Magnificent Cathedral
If you only see one cathedral in France, there’s a strong argument that it should be the gargantuan Notre-Dame de Reims. 33 kings have been crowned here, some of the stained glass windows were designed by Marc Chagall and the Gothic nave is the size of a soccer field (cathedrale-reims.com).
Above it rises the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral, whose Gothic nave is the size of a soccer field
market share
The smell of cheese and ham automatically draws you to Rue de Mars on Saturday morning, where the stallholders of Les Halles du Boulingrin (marcheduboulingrin.fr) present their products under a huge white concrete arch. Find little-known champagnes and wines at great prices at Vino Degust and feather-light cakes and pastries at A la Brioche Feuilletee.
The Last Front
At 2:41 a.m. on May 7, 1945, in a tiny classroom in front of General Eisenhower, General Alfred Jodl signed the German surrender. Known today as the Musée de la Reddition, it is very well preserved. The table on which the documents were signed remains alongside ashtrays and campaign maps (£4.40, musees-reims.fr).
where should we eat
A L’Ere du Temps
The muted tones and light wood decor of this stylish little restaurant, meaning ‘in the age of time’, complement the house specialty of crepes, both savory and sweet. The Celtique is a delightful creation filled with creamed mushrooms, eggs, Emmental and ham for just £7.90. (aleredutemps.com)
Brasserie Excelsior
Brasserie Excelsior pictured offering an express lunch for £17 on weekdays
Wood paneled and with a timeless ambience, this is everything you want from a classic Gallic brasserie but without the steep prices when you opt for the £17 weekday express lunch. This gives you a main course, dessert, coffee and a glass of wine. Expect sautéed veal with mushrooms and bacon while gazing out at the lush greenery of Les Hautes Promenades. (excelsior-reims.fr)
Le Bocal
There’s something comforting about a seafood restaurant with an ever-changing menu. It means a chef who thinks for himself and strives for the freshest dishes. That’s true of Le Bocal, which bills itself as a fishmonger and seafood bar and, as you’d expect, pairs it all with the finest wines. It’s a simple place, but often the best food comes from humble surroundings. (restaurantlebocal.fr)
how to get there
Eurostar has return trains from St Pancras to Paris from £58 (eurostar.com). SNCF operates connecting trains to Reims from £53 return (en.oui.sncf).
