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Avenue de Champagne

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Hi,

I’m plotting our July “tour de France “, and we arrive on a Monday at 10:30 from overnight flight from SFO. Our first goal is the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, which we reserved for 3 nights at La Cave de Avenue. (Anyone been there?, any other “do not miss” hotel?) It’s an hour and a half drive from CDG, and I still left our first night upon arrival open.....in case we were too tired to drive? We have stayed at the hotels at CDG, and they’re not bad, and then we could rent the car the following day, but it does “eat up a day”.

I’m just wondering who has stayed on the Avenue de Champagne. Is it worth “bee-lining” straight there? Sleep a few hours and then explore, or perhaps go to Reims first for a night?

We will really only have 2 full days in Epernay, before leaving on to our next stop (Luxembourg).

I’m guessing we could drive through Reims, stop for a coffee, maybe see the main town square and cathedral, and then onto Epernay right nearby? Making it 3 full days of Champagne! Considering the last day is my hubby’s 60th birthday!
I think as I type, but would love to hear others experiences there....like is 3 days too much?
Stay a night in Reims? a week isn’t enough for the Avenue de Champagne??? (we do LOVE Champagne!)
Any advice?

merci beaucoup!

Howard

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1321 posts

I'd stay as close to CDG as possible but you can take the train to Reims and rent a car there. You could rest on the train. But really spending the night at CDG and driving in the AM won't really waste time since you won't be tasting champagne at 8 in the morning anyway.

We stayed at Hotel Jean Monet steps from the beginning of the Avenue de Champagne. It was a great location and a great staff with it's own Champagne Bar. ( that's a rarity) We loved it. We were there 3 nights. I tell people that "Champagne" is the most romantic place in the world. We walked the AC a couple different times. We did a tour at Moet & Chandon and tasted at a few different places. Our day trip to Reims we did the tour at Taittinger and tasted at Veuve Clicquot. My husband read the bio of Madam Clicquot and it was a great overview of the area and of the beginnings of Champagne. Dom Perignon had nothing on her!

You don't have to your to take the tour at most of the wineries but you might think its required since the first thing you see at the big houses are the tours of day board! They make a lot of money on the tours. When you walk in and ask if can just do a tasting...after a couple tours - how many wine caves and stories about how to make champagne do you really need to hear. Also - ask in the tasting room for the "cap" - ask discreetly though they don't want to give them out to everybody. You'll see the "cap collection" boards at the TI. And if you don't buy a board having the caps are a great little souvenir.

Should you select a couple places to tour you can reserve times on line. Busy times of the year this would be almost a must.

The TI in Epernay is right at the start of the AC and very very helpful. We asked for ideas that were "off the beaten path" and found a couple lovely places.

Reims is a university town and way larger than Epernay.

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