How much time to allot for a day trip to Reims?

Hi Dorothy, I think you should plan a full day for a trip to Reims. We were there in May 2015 as part of a RS tour. We visited the Surrender Museum, Cathedral, and a champagne house (Martel). Add time for lunch and that's a full day. Hope you enjoy your trip!

I'd take the earliest train I could and the latest one back. Give it the whole day. Besides the cathedral and Surrender Museum there's a fine Roman gate near the station. I'd give it the full day even without the Champagne visits. And of course a café lunch, what else?

Thanks very much to both of you - I'll give it the whole day. Any special cafe stands out? Thank you!

If you take the earliest train there and the latest train back as suggested by Dick, it is possible as a day trip. But it will be a loooong day and a rushed one to boot. A better possibility, in my opinion, to really do Reims justice, is a one night stay getting there early in the a.m. and leaving late the next p.m. More than one night will probably be too long.

Two restaurants come to mind. Across from the cathedral (which is interesting because of the Chagall glass) is Au Bureau with outside tables and is good for lunch. The other is Le Gran Café on Place Drouet across the street from a hotel with a similar name. Great food -- ate there twice!!

We went to the Martel champagne place and found it to be very interesting. It is easy to get to on the city bus from the area of the train station.

The Museum of the Surrender (?) where the peace treaty ending WWII is also well worth a visit.

Thanks so much for the recommendations - they sound great!