One Day in Epernay: the Avenue, a Cellar and the Vineyards
Epernay is small enough to walk and rich enough to fill a day. The houses sit on one avenue, 500 m from the tourist office, and the tours leave from its door for the villages. This guide shows how a day fits together, from the first train to the last, with three plans hour by hour and the champagne tour epernay that fits each one.
How does a day in Epernay fit together?
In two halves. One half is on foot in town: a house's cellar tour on the Avenue de Champagne, a walk along it, and perhaps the museum. The other half is out in the vineyards on a tour, with a grower, a vineyard ride or both.
Which half comes first depends on your tour. The afternoon tour with lunch meets at noon, so the house goes in the morning. The vineyard rides are short, so they fit either side of lunch. A day from Reims or Paris takes the whole day by itself.
Everything starts from one place. The tourist office stands at 7 avenue de Champagne, next to the Hôtel de Ville, and most local tours meet outside it.
Which train gets you there in time?
From Paris, direct trains leave Paris-Est and reach Epernay in 1 hour 20 minutes. From Reims, the TER "Ligne des Bulles" runs every 30 minutes and takes about half an hour, calling at Aÿ on the way. Check the times with SNCF for your own date.
The station is under 500 m from the tourist office, through the Hôtel de Ville garden. Moët & Chandon calls it a five-minute stroll from its door. So a train that arrives by 9:15 gets you to a 9:30 cellar tour, and one that arrives by 11:30 gets you to a noon tour.
Driving? The Jard underground car park, entered from rue Eugène Mercier, is 150 m from the tourist office, and its first hour is free.
What should the morning be?
A house, because the houses are on foot. Moët & Chandon opens at 9:30 every day. Its shortest visit, "The Imperial Moment", takes 1 hour 30 and costs EUR 48 with two glasses. Mercier's shortest visit takes 45 minutes by driverless train and costs EUR 25 with one glass. Mercier opens daily from 6 April to 15 November in 2026.
If you would rather keep the champagne for later, the Musée du Vin de Champagne at Château Perrier opens at 11:00 from April to October. Entry is EUR 10, and it is free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
A vineyard ride also fits the morning. The e-bike day leaves the tourist office at 9:35 am and drops you back at 3:15 pm, lunch included, which fills the day on its own.
Which afternoon tour fits?
The afternoon small-group tour with lunch is built for this plan. It meets outside the tourist office at noon and returns at about 5:15 pm. You visit Hautvillers, have lunch with champagne in Aÿ and taste at a family house.
The Bubble tour sells a 2:00 pm afternoon slot as well as its morning one: three and a half hours with a grower in Oger and the regional spirits. The private half days also run in the afternoon, with pickup within 6 km.
The vintage van takes two hours, and you pick its slot when you book. It fits after a late lunch, with time to spare before an evening train.
Where does lunch go?
On the afternoon tour, lunch is part of the day. Otherwise it sits between the morning and the afternoon, in town, and it is yours to find. The centre is a short walk from the avenue.
Perrier-Jouët's Maison Belle Epoque, at 11 avenue de Champagne, serves lunches and dinners from Tuesday to Saturday. Moët & Chandon has a bar for a glass or a cocktail after your visit.
Can you add Hautvillers?
Yes. Hautvillers is 6 km from Epernay, above the Marne. Dom Pérignon's tombstone lies in the choir of its church, Saint-Sindulphe, which is open all year. The old abbey buildings belong to Moët & Chandon and are not open to visitors.
Most tours stop there. The vintage van stops for ten minutes, the afternoon tour for 45, and the Must-sees half day spends two hours in the church, the village and its vineyards.
On your own, hire a bike near the station and follow the Véloroute 52 towards Dormans, with a detour up to the village. Leave time for the climb.
What does the day cost?
Here are three days, hour by hour, with what each costs per person before trains.
| Plan A: a house, then growers | Plan B: cellar, museum, van | Plan C: from Reims | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Moët & Chandon's cellar tour at 9:30, 1 h 30, two glasses | Mercier's cellar train, 45 minutes, one glass | Meet at the Reims station tourist office at 9:20 |
| Late morning | Walk the avenue to the tourist office at no. 7 | The museum at Château Perrier, from 11:00 in season | A family estate: tour and tasting |
| Lunch | In the fare, with champagne, in Aÿ | Your choice in town | In the fare, at a local restaurant |
| Afternoon | Noon to about 5:15 pm: Hautvillers and a family house | The vintage van: Aÿ, Hautvillers, a tasting in the vines | Hautvillers, the avenue in Epernay, two more estates |
| Cost per person | EUR 48 + $257 | EUR 25 + EUR 10 + $57 + lunch | $292 + your train to Reims |
Plan A gives you both sides of champagne in one day. Plan B is the lowest cost and keeps you in town until the afternoon. Plan C suits you if you are staying in Reims. For a full day with nothing to plan from Paris, see the Epernay tours from Paris.
What about a day from Reims instead?
Reims has its own tours out to the villages, and several drive along the avenue in Epernay. France Intense's three-domains day meets at the Reims station tourist office at 9:20 am, with lunch and nine glasses. À La Française's Reims tour takes four and a half hours with two family wineries and Hautvillers.
Or take the half-hour train and start in Epernay. The Epernay or Reims post weighs the two bases.
Can you do the day without a car?
Easily. The station, the tourist office and the houses are all within walking distance, and every local tour either meets at the office or collects you.
For the villages on your own, buses run from Epernay to Dizy, Aÿ, Pierry, Moussy, Chouilly and Mardeuil, and the TER stops at Aÿ. From May to October the tourist office books the Esprit de Champagne shuttle, eight seats a run, to cellars and heritage sites. Nicolas Feuillatte sells a visit with a taxi shuttle from Epernay station for EUR 60.
What changes on a Sunday or a Tuesday?
Less than you might think on a Sunday. Moët & Chandon opens every day, 9:30 to 17:00. Mercier opens daily from 6 April to 15 November, then Wednesday to Sunday until 27 December. Nicolas Feuillatte opens every day, by booking only.
The tourist office opens on Sundays from April to October; from November to February it closes on Sundays. The museum at Château Perrier is closed on Tuesdays all year, and on Mondays too from November to March.
What if your day falls on a festival?
Two dates change the avenue. On 14 July the Soirée Blanche fills the Avenue de Champagne for the evening. On 11, 12 and 13 December 2026, Habits de Lumière brings video-mapping and shows on the Friday and Saturday evenings, with chefs and houses on the Saturday.
The tourist office changes its hours for both, so check them before you plan the day. Moët & Chandon sells a Habits de Lumière dinner at EUR 520. On those dates, book your cellar slot before anything else.
What should you book first?
The tour, because the vans take eight people at most and the jeep three. Then the house slot: Moët & Chandon takes walk-ins only when places remain, and Mercier recommends booking ahead. Book your trains last, around the two times you now have.
Every tour here except the Moët & Chandon day refunds in full up to 24 hours before it starts. An early booking costs you nothing if your plans change.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Paris to Epernay by train?
Can I fit Moët & Chandon and a grower tour into one day?
Can I get to Hautvillers without a tour?
What if it rains on my day in Epernay?
Can I start from Reims instead?
Where do I park in Epernay?
Can I visit the abbey where Dom Pérignon lived?
Tours that fit a day in Epernay
From Epernay : Bubble Champagne Tour 6 tastings
Three and a half hours from the Epernay tourist office: a grower's cellar in Oger, three champagnes, then ratafia, fine and marc in Cramant. No lunch.
From $189 per person
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From Epernay : Champagne tasting with a vintage car
Two hours in a vintage Renault van to Aÿ and the slopes above the Marne, with champagne poured among the vines. Sabrage is EUR 15 extra.
From $57 per person
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The Must-sees 3h30 from Epernay (Private Half day Champagne Tour)
Your own guide-chauffeur for three and a half hours in the Aÿ and Mareuil vineyards, three champagnes and three local spirits. Priced per person, two minimum.
From $298 per person, 2 minimum
Check AvailabilityNext: choose the afternoon that fits your train, then compare every fare on Epernay Tours.