Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [65]
CAR TRAVEL
The A4 heads east from Paris to Reims; allow 90 minutes to two hours, depending on traffic.
The A16 leads from L’Isle-Adam, north of Paris, up to Beauvais and Amiens.
If you’re arriving by car via the Channel Tunnel, you’ll disembark at Coquelles, near Calais, and join A16 not far from its junction with A26, which heads to Reims (2½ hrs).
TRAIN TRAVEL
It’s easy to get around the region by train. Most sites can be reached by regular train service, except for the Champagne vineyards, which require a car.
There are frequent daily services from Paris (Gare du Nord) to Beauvais; Amiens; and Laon (taking up to two leisurely hours to cover 140 km [87 mi]).
The TGV service, introduced in 2007, covers the 170 km (105 mi) from Paris (Gare de l’Est) to Reims in 45 minutes.
Cross-country services connect Reims to Épernay (20 mins), Châlons (40 mins), and Amiens (2 hrs) via Laon (35 mins).
Train Information: Gare SNCF Reims (Blvd. Joffre | 51100 | 03–26–65–17–07). SNCF (36–35 [€0.34 per min] | www.voyages-sncf.com). TGV (www.tgv.com).
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Reims | L’Épine | Châlons-en-Champagne | Épernay | Château-Thierry
An uplifting landscape tumbles about Reims and Épernay, perhaps because its inhabitants treat themselves to a regular infusion of the local, world-prized elixir. But unlike the great vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy, there are few country châteaux to go with the fabled names of this region—Mumm, Taittinger, Pommery, and Veuve-Clicquot. Most of the glory is to be found in caves (wine cellars), not to mention the fascinating guided tours offered by the most famous producers.
Despite its glamorous image as the home of Champagne, the region in fact has a laid-back rustic charm where “life in the fast lane” refers strictly to the Paris-bound A4 expressway. On the map, Champagne encompasses Reims and the surrounding vineyards and chalky plains. The province starts just beyond Château-Thierry, 96 km (60 mi) northeast of Paris, and continues along the towering Marne Valley to Épernay. Cheerful villages line the Route du Champagne (Champagne Road), which twines north to Reims, the capital of bubbly and the largest city in Champagne. To the southeast the grapes of Champagne flourish on the steep slopes of the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims, really more of a mighty hill than a mountain. For a handy Web source for many of the great Champagne houses of the region, log on to | www.maisons-champagne.com.
REIMS
161 km (100 mi) northeast of Paris.
Reims is the largest city in Champagne. Behind a facade of austerity, it remains one of France’s richest tourist sites, thanks especially to the fact that it sparkles with some of the biggest names in Champagne production. This thriving industry has conferred wealth and sometimes an arrogant reserve on the region’s inhabitants. The maze of Champagne cellars constitutes a leading attraction of the city. Several of these producers organize visits to their cellars, combining video presentations with guided tours of their cavernous, hewn-chalk underground warehouses.
Getting Here and Around
Since 2007 a new TGV (www.tgv.com) express train covers the 170 km (105 mi) from Paris (Gare de l’Est) to Reims in 45 minutes. Trains depart from Paris eight times daily and cost €12–€50. Several SNCF trains daily connect Reims to Épernay (20–30 mins, €6), and there are four trains a day from Châlons-en-Champagne (40 mins, €12–€50). There’s one direct train each day from Amiens to Reims (2 hrs, 30 mins; €21.60) via Laon. STDM Trans-Champagne (03–26–65–17–07 | www.stdmarne.fr) runs three daily buses to Reims from Châlons-en-Champagne (line 15; 50