City · Marne

Reims

The coronation city of French kings — a UNESCO trio of monuments and the TGV gateway east.

From Épernay TER day tripUNESCO 3 monumentsRole TGV gateway

Get directions On the route map

Architectural Detail - Reims - Champagne - France - June 2022

From Épernay

Day trip

Frequent TER · Ligne des Bulles

UNESCO trio

3 sites

Cathedral · Tau · Saint-Rémi

Cathedral

Coronations

Church of the French kings

Onward

TGV

Champagne-Ardenne station east

The city

Reims is the major city of Champagne, commonly paired with Epernay as a day trip — especially on guided runs from Paris (source: Champagne Houses in Epernay Elegant Heritage with a Down-to-Earth Welcome.md). Its UNESCO trio is the draw: the Notre-Dame Cathedral, coronation church of the French kings; the Palace of Tau; and the Abbey of Saint-Rémi (source: compass_artifact_wf-ba682d0f...).

It sits slightly north and west of the direct Épernay→Strasbourg path, so it's best treated as a Champagne add-on rather than an eastward waypoint — though the nearby Champagne-Ardenne TGV station is the natural place to pick up the fast train toward Alsace (source). See Épernay to Marlenheim: Car-Free Travel (Source Summary).

What to see

01Notre-Dame CathedralGothic coronation church of French kings.
02Palace of TauThe archbishop's palace beside the cathedral.
03Abbey of Saint-RémiRomanesque-Gothic abbey and museum.
04The grandes maisonsReims's own Champagne houses.

How it fits the trip

Day trip · from Épernay

Ligne des Bulles

TER ~every 30 min

Gateway · east

Champagne-Ardenne TGV

Fast train to Alsace

Pair with

Épernay

The Avenue & the houses

Plaque in Reims Cathedral listing Coronation dates for French Monarchs

Reims Cathedral - Reims - Champagne - France - interior June 2022

Reims Cathedral - Reims - Champagne - France - interior arches June 2022

Expansive aerial view of vineyards in Orschwiller, Grand Est, with a road and hills.

Champagne bottle and glass on a wooden barrel in a winery in Ethiopia, perfect for celebration themes.

Our notesA Champagne add-on

Reims is a cathedral day trip and the TGV gateway east, not a base for the wine villages — pair it with Épernay rather than treating it as a waypoint to Alsace.

Come for the cathedral; leave by TGV.

§From the wiki

Reims is a major Champagne city, commonly paired with Epernay as a detour or day trip, especially on guided trips from Paris (source: Champagne Houses in Epernay Elegant Heritage with a Down-to-Earth Welcome.md).

Highlights

It has a UNESCO trio: the Notre-Dame Cathedral (coronation church of French kings), the Palace of Tau, and the Abbey of Saint-Rémi (source: compass_artifact_wf-ba682d0f...).

Transport role

Reims is slightly north/west of the direct Épernay→Strasbourg path, so it's best treated as a Champagne add-on rather than an eastward waypoint — but it is the natural place to pick up the fast TGV via the nearby Champagne-Ardenne TGV station when heading to Alsace (source: compass_artifact_wf-ba682d0f...). See Épernay to Marlenheim: Car-Free Travel (Source Summary).