While writing about our Reims travel, I realized something. The trip was only two weeks, yet I’ve spent at least two months, maybe three, recounting it on the blog! Yikes… sorry about that. I get so lazy, but I’ll get to the end at some point. There’s only Paris to go.
After four wonderful days in Lille, we hopped on the train to Reims, and honestly, it might have been my favourite surprise of the whole trip (haha! can’t decide my fave). I didn’t know quite what to expect, but Reims turned out to be charming, manageable, and absolutely delicious in every sense of the word.
Before we go any further, it’s pronounced ‘Rance.’ Not Reems, not Rims… Rance. I only know this because Fede had spotted an Adidas tracksuit in Lille, but they didn’t have his size. I confidently told the store clerk we were heading to Reims next (I’d already forgotten how to say it, even knowing), and could he check a store there?
The poor man spent a solid few minutes looking super confused until I pulled out my phone and showed him on the map, at which point his face cleared, and he went, ‘Rance!’ I forget every single time. Even now, I still say “Rims” ‘cos my friends didn’t know what I was talking about either when I told them where we went.
We stayed two nights at the Holiday Inn close to the cathedral, which turned out to be a great base (awesome roof terrace views). Everything we needed was within easy reach, which, after the luggage-dragging adventure that was our arrival in Amiens, felt like a true luxury.
We took the fast train only to their main train station, after which we were supposed to transfer to the metro, still on the same ticket. We opted for Uber because it was less than a 15-minute ride. I was not about to drag luggage down all the stairs to reach the metro. Lesson learned.
The Cathedral:
I suppose one cannot go to Reims without visiting the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. We skipped the inside because I’d had my fill. This is the cathedral where the kings of France were crowned for centuries, nearly all of them, right up until the 19th century.
It’s stunning, with those incredible Gothic towers and the most beautiful stained-glass windows, including some designed by Marc Chagall (had I known which ones, I would have paid more attention). I stood there with my mouth open.
The Champagne Tour: Pommery Was the Right Call
Now, obviously, you come to Reims, and you drink champagne. It’s an unwritten rule. We had thought about making a day trip to Épernay to do the famous Avenue de Champagne, but honestly, getting there on public transport was too cumbersome.
We’ve filed that one away for a future trip, ideally one where we rent a car and actually stay overnight so we can really take our time. That one deserves its own adventure. A cab would have been 85 euros each way… uhm… no, I’d rather drink that in champagne.
Instead, we chose Vranken-Pommery, and it was the perfect decision. It was just a short cab ride away, which made everything easy.
The tour itself was fantastic. Pommery is built over a network of underground chalk tunnels — crayères — that go deep into the earth and stretch for kilometres. They’re gorgeous down there, cool and atmospheric, with art installations tucked into the alcoves named for different teams alongside the thousands of bottles quietly doing their thing. Our little group included a mother and daughter visiting from Seattle, a lovely older couple, and two newlyweds in their twenties.
One very important tip: bring a sweater. I cannot stress this enough. It is genuinely cold down in those tunnels, no matter how warm it is above ground. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! We went prepared and felt bad for a couple of people in shorts and tank tops.
The Story I Will Be Telling Forever:
The thing about underground champagne cellars is that you go down a lot of stairs to get in, which means at some point you have to climb all those stairs back up, and that’s after all the steps while down there. As our tour was wrapping up, I looked at those stairs, and I thought: absolutely not.
So I announced, loudly, to our small group, who had barely exchanged two words with each other for the entire tour, that I was far too old to climb back up all those stairs, and they had better have an elevator, or I was calling an ambulance.
Well… that broke the ice right open. The older couple immediately perked up and thanked me for asking. Our guide smiled and said Yes, we do have an elevator, and off she led us — me, the older couple, and the mother. Fede and the younger ones cheerfully bounded up the stairs like mountain goats. The thing is, I’m not sure why she didn’t offer it to us. She just led us to the stairs, but I knew there had to be one :-).
Once we were all back up top, we all piled onto the couches together and suddenly everyone was talking, swapping notes on where we’d travelled, what we’d seen, and comparing favourites.
It turned into the best part of the whole experience, and the champagne was fantastic too. The moral of the story? If you’re ever on a tour and it feels a bit stiff, threaten to call an ambulance. Works every time. 😄
What we ate in Reims:
We ate very well in Reims, and I am naming a couple of names here so we can be sure to revisit them if and when we get back to Reims.
First, we discovered L’Edito on the main boulevard. We almost walked past it because it’s inside a hotel and we assumed it would be expensive, but nope! The set menu was around 15 euros, complete with dessert, and the food was genuinely amazing. Don’t make the same mistake we almost made. I think they have more than one across the country.
Then there was Canard Street, which I am still thinking about. Everything on the menu is duck. Everything. Fede had the duck filet, and I had a duck burger and honestly… so, so good. It’s cozy and fun and the kind of place you want to go back to the next night (which we seriously considered).
This one surprised us: we had the best gyros we’d had in a very long time right there in Reims. I was not expecting that. Northern France, the Champagne country, and incredible gyros. The portion was humongous and so big that we skipped lunch when we got to Paris later. Reims is a college town, so young people, and I think that’s why the prices were reasonable.
All Too Soon…
Two nights in Reims felt just right, though I could easily have stayed longer. It’s friendly, beautiful, and has great food. Definitely a place to go back to. So much champagne, so little time.
Paris, our last leg of the trip, was calling, so we bid adieu, reluctantly. Have you been to Reims? If so, did you enjoy it? Any champagne testing for you?