JUNE 2019, UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2025

I recently visited the Champagne for the third time, so it was time to update my blogpost about the Champagne region. From the Netherlands the Champagne is only a short drive (about four hours, depending on where you’re from) and it is a completely different world. Whether you are visiting as a couple, a family or with friends, there is something of interest in the Champagne. Over the years I discovered the best tastings and restaurants in Epernay and you can find them in this blogpost.

Where to stay in the Champagne

If you are visiting the Champagne, there are a few towns/cities where you can stay. Epernay is the most logical location, as this is where the famous “Avenue de Champagne” is located, which is a stately street which houses a lot of famous champagne houses. If you stay in Epernay you can visit most champagne houses by foot, which is handy when you want to do several tastings. Other options are the city of Reims, some champagne houses are located in Reims, it is a very lively and beautiful city. Hautvillers is a more off the beaten path location and it offers beautiful views over the Champagne as it is located on a hill. However, you will have less restaurants nearby and less choice of hotels.

You will find that in Epernay there are not a lot of hotels, but there are many options to stay in an apartment. I stayed in an apartment two times and one time in the Kyriad hotel (which is outdated but fine). In 2025 we stayed in a two bedroom apartment with friends. You can find it on booking.com as “Un cocon au coeur de la champagne with parking”. We paid € 330 for an entire weekend and it was very comfy and featured a full size kitchen. Refer to pictures below.

Champagne tastings

Of course you visit the Champagne to do some tastings. It is sensible to do some research which houses you want to visit, most of them take reservations. When you walk on the Avenue de Champagne, you will also see signings for houses that take spontaneous walk-bys. Below I have highlighted the tours & tastings that I have done over the years.

Mercier

This is not my favorite Champagne but I loved the tour. You receive an audio tour and will visit the cellars by an open train. Mercier is very commercial, so the tour is very well organized and it is super sleek. The tour is very entertaining and contains cool audiovisuals. Because you receive your own audio guide headphones, in a language of choice, it is really easy to listen to the explanations about the cellars, the marketing and the champagne making process. The cellars are beautifully decorated by some sort of carvings. I really liked that this tour also explained a lot about the marketing aspects of champagne. Mercier offers several packages depending on how many Champagne you want to try, you can book here. If you are visiting with kids, Mercier is your best option. Hugo was entertained all the way!

Castellane

In this house you can visit a large part of the cellars and you can do tours in English. I found this the most extensive tour that I have done, however I had a guide whose English was hard to follow, so the quality of the tour will also depend on that.  I recommend visiting Mercier first, so you know the basics and can ask questions for follow up during this tour. This tour felt very personal.

Charles Mignon

Charles Mignon is a smaller champagne house. I visited twice and both times the English of the tour host was very good. There is lots of time to ask questions and you have a say in which type of champagne you wanted to taste. Unfortunately you could only see a small part of the cellars. The cheapest tour is € 15 and includes one glass of Champagne. The staff was incredibly kind to our little toddler.

Boutique Pierre Mignon

In the centre of Epernay you will find the Boutique of Pierre Mignon. We did an extensive tasting with three glasses of Champagne for € 24 per person. The boutique feels very high end and the champagne is delicious. We loved sitting down and relaxing while having our tasting. I would not recommend visiting with kids, the host seemed terrified of kids and kept telling him not to break the Champagne glasses which cost € 30 a piece. So adults only for this one!

Champagne G. Tribaut

You cannot visit the cellars, but the location of Tribaut is very beautiful: on top of the hills in Hautvillers. You can taste champagne for about € 4 a glass and it was very tasty (2019 prices). When you buy sufficient champagne ( I think from 6 bottles on) you do not have to pay for the tasting.

Tattinger

Tattinger was the fanciest house I visited. The cellars were really beautiful and the champagne was super tasty, but I thought the tour was very rushed. The groups were really big and the guide did not wait for the last visitor when explaining about the cellars. We traveled from Epernay to Reims to visit this house, but I would not particularly recommend this. Of course the quality of the visit does depend on the quality of the guide.

Other things to do in Champagne

Avenue de Champagne

This street itself is a beautiful sight. It is a very wide street with broad sidewalks, surrounded by beautiful Champagne houses.

Hautvillers

Hautvillers is the prettiest town in the champagne region. It is super charming, super French, with wildflowers and cute little houses with louvre hatches. It is like the Provence, but then in the North of France. From Hautvillers you have beautiful views of Epernay and the grape bushes. Definitely worth spending an afternoon or going for lunch. There are walking tours and cycling tours in this pretty area as well.

Reims

Reims is one of the main cities in the region and is charming enough to visit for an afternoon (or more). I particularly loved the Reims Cathedral, which looks a little bit like a mixture of the Notre Dame and the Sagrada Familia and contains beautiful stained glass windows. If you like shopping and French brands, Reims is perfect for you: There are shops of Sandro, Maje, the Kooples, Galerie Lafayette etc. Next to the Cathedral you can find the chain restaurant Au Bureau, which offers excellent value-for-money and great views!

Musée du vin de Champagne et d’Archéologie régionale

Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit the Champagne museum, but apparently it is a lot of fun (even for kids).

Châlons-en-Champagne

In Châlons-en-Champagne you can take a boat in the evening to watch a light show. It is available certain evenings from Spring-Autumn. We didn’t do it, as it would be too late for our little son, but seems like a great activity. You can find information here.

Portail Saint-Martin

This is a little monument in the center of Epernay; the remains of a 16th Century church. During the summer it was beautiful decorated with flowers. We stopped twice to take pictures.

Restaurants

Over the years the restaurants in Epernay have improved. Before 2020 I found that the restaurants were less atmospheric than when I revisited in 2025. I would specifically recommend the following:

Chez Max: This restaurant is located just out of the center of Epernay and looks a bit dated. However the service is good, the price-quality of the food is good. I loved the cheese platter which comes in a cart, and you can choose six cheeses yourself.

Sacré Bistro: Trendy wine-bar kind of restaurant. The ceviche was amazing!

Chez Ali: If you are over classic French food, this is a Moroccan restaurant serving great tajines.