Reims to Épernay: the scenic drive

The most famous names, and the loveliest vineyard road between them

This is the drive for your first visit to Champagne: the region's two most famous places, Reims cathedral and the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, with the finest vineyard road in France between them. No motorway, but the D-roads that wind over the Montagne de Reims through the grand cru slopes.

The icons along the way: the Verzenay lighthouse, built in 1909 as an advertising folly and now a viewpoint above a sea of vines. And the Faux de Verzy: a forest of twisted beeches, centuries-old trees that knot and curl in on themselves, free and open all year. You begin with the Gothic cathedral where the kings of France were crowned and end on the avenue beneath which some two hundred million bottles lie ageing.

The Touren.app promise: a measured route, not a rough sketch. You get the kilometres, the honest driving time, a free GPX for your sat-nav and the route straight into Google Maps. Two proper cellar visits fit comfortably into one day, one in Reims and one in Épernay.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

Plan your own route

The 6 places along the route

1. Cathédrale de Reims

Start · the coronation cathedral

Notre-Dame of Reims is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in France: for centuries the kings of France were crowned here. High on the west front the famous smiling angel beams down; inside, Chagall's windows colour the choir. Walk a lap before you set off, or save the tower climb for after the drive.

Practical: the nave is free to visit. The tower climb is guided (about 9 euros) and closed from mid-November to mid-February. Park in the paid Parking Cathédrale nearby. As of 11 July 2026.

2. Champagne Pommery

the first house · Champagne Pommery

On the Saint-Nicaise hill stands Pommery, a champagne house with an English Elizabethan-style château that Jeanne-Alexandrine Pommery had built between 1868 and 1878. Beneath your feet run eighteen kilometres of Gallo-Roman chalk cellars, today filled with changing contemporary art. A grand start for anyone who wants to see the bubbles at the source.

Practical: the self-guided tour is around 30 euros; booking online is advisable, but walk-in is often fine. Visitor parking at the house. As of 11 July 2026.

3. Phare de Verzenay

the lighthouse in the vines · Verzenay

Above the grand cru slopes of Verzenay rises a genuine lighthouse, built in 1909 as an advertising stunt for champagne and now a viewpoint with a museum of winegrowing. From its foot you look out over a rolling sea of vines all the way to Reims cathedral. Nearby, the old Verzenay windmill turns above the vineyard.

Practical: the lighthouse and the Musée de la Vigne are open from 1 April to 30 September 2026 (tower 3 euros, museum 8 euros, combined 9 euros), closed outside that season. Own car park on site. As of 11 July 2026.

4. Faux de Verzy

the twisted beeches · Faux de Verzy

In the state forest above Verzy stand the Faux de Verzy: hundreds of twisted beeches, a rare kind that curls and knots into arches and parasols. Some are centuries old. A short loop of a few kilometres passes the finest of them, free and open all year. A surprising, almost fairy-tale interlude on a day full of champagne.

Practical: free, with several free car parks along the forest road (Parking des Faux, des Pins). The walking loop is about 3 km; sturdy shoes in wet weather. As of 11 July 2026.

5. Avenue de Champagne

champagne's grand avenue · Épernay

Épernay welcomes you with the Avenue de Champagne, a boulevard of mansions and champagne houses beneath which, in chalk cellars fifteen metres deep, some two hundred million bottles lie ageing. The avenue has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015. Walk it, façade by façade, and pick your house for the second visit of the day.

Practical: the avenue is free to walk, five minutes from the station. Park in the paid Jard or Centre-ville car parks; the blue zone is free for the first hour. As of 11 July 2026.

6. Moët et Chandon

the finale · Moët & Chandon

At number 18 on the Avenue de Champagne sits Moët & Chandon, the house of Dom Pérignon, with some of the longest cellar galleries beneath the avenue. A tour leads you through the chalk tunnels to a tasting; outside, the statue of the monk who legend says helped invent champagne keeps watch. A fitting close to the iconic drive.

Practical: tours from about 48 euros, daily 9:30 to 17:00 in high season (31 March to 15 November); booking advised. Prefer not to taste? Walk the avenue and photograph the façades. As of 11 July 2026.

Practical: for a rental car, convertible or motorbike

Direction and start: the route runs from Reims to Épernay, downhill from city to wine town and with the sun behind you for photos. Coming from the north, you naturally begin in Reims; if you are staying in Épernay, drive it the other way.

The vineyard road: the D26 and the connecting D-roads over the Montagne de Reims are well kept but narrow through the village centres (Verzenay, Verzy, Mailly). Drive gently and expect farm traffic at harvest time. In a convertible you want the roof open here.

Tasting and driving: France has a 0.5 g/L blood-alcohol limit, and 0.2 g/L for drivers with less than three years' licence. A glass of champagne goes a long way, so spread your tasting or use the crachoir: spitting after tasting is entirely normal at the houses. If someone rides with you, agree on a designated driver. To taste properly at several houses, a chauffeured tour from Reims or Épernay is the safest choice; drive the route yourself another day.

Best time: high season runs from May to October. The Verzenay lighthouse is only open from 1 April to 30 September; Moët & Chandon runs until mid-November. During the grape harvest (September) the region is at its loveliest but also busy, and some houses limit visits.

Fuel and tolls: fill up in Reims or Épernay. There are no tolls on this route; it runs entirely on free D-roads.

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