Champagne Getaway: Charming Villages & Regional Wine Cellars
6 nights from €1379
5Savor your memories of a bike tour that sparkles
Every two seconds, a bottle of champagne is opened somewhere in the world! The very symbol of sophistication, graceful living, and celebration, champagne is only produced in this serenely beautiful region of France. All champagne varieties are made within a few miles of each other outside Reims and Epernay, near to the Abbey of St. Pierre where Dom Pérignon, the legendary Benedictine monk, reportedly invented the sparkling wine by accident in the early 18th century.
In the heart of the blissful Champagne area, graced by tales and traditions of French history, arts, and culture, you'll find men and women proud to share their passions, their love of the region, and their incredible local knowledge. Covering the Champagne region by bicycle and exploring the countryside between the Marne Valley and Montagne de Reims Natural Park is a journey rich in diverse discoveries.
Take the tour that goes off with a pop!
Daily Program
Day 1: Arrival in Reims
Arrive by your own arrangements in romantic Reims and check in at your hotel in the afternoon. A local representative will welcome you at the first hotel to present the tour, provide the luggage tag, assist with setting up the RidewithGPS app, and give some touristic recommendation.
Overnight in Reims.
Day 2: Reims – Châlons en Champagne
34 miles/55 km
After breakfast, you'll leave Reims by bike, journeying in the direction of Épernay via Tinqueux and the many traditional villages and vineyards of the lovely Montagne de Reims: Mailly Champagne, Verzenay, Bouzy, and others. Soak up some gorgeous, rural French scenery as you ride to Châlons.
Overnight in Châlons en Champagne.
Day 3: Châlons en Champagne – Épernay
22 miles/35 km
Enjoy the short, easy ride to Épernay today, cruising alongside the Marne Canal. You'll have time in the afternoon to discover the treasures of Épernay itself, nicknamed the 'Capital of Champagne Wines'. An authentic and exciting way to maximize your stay in Épernay is to pay a visit to some of its impressive wine cellars and enjoy a tasting.
Overnight in Épernay.
Day 4: Épernay – Loop ride in Marne Valley
24 miles/39 km
Winding your way between verdant vineyards and charming hillsides, the Champagne Trail in the Marne Valley will introduce you to the rich viticultural heritage of this French region. Frequently overlooking the valley, today's itinerary affords wonderful views you won't forget in a hurry.
Your trail snakes through the vineyards towards Hautvillers, a charming village known for its Benedictine abbey. You'll then head to Cumières, a glorious site to enjoy your lunch, perhaps in the restaurant sculpted from chalk! Refreshed, continue onwards to Damery, where the 12th-13th century church housing Watteau's Madonna and Child painting is well worth a visit.
Venturing onwards to Venteuil, enjoy a grand view of the Château de Boursault along your route. The valley trail will lead you between villages, vineyards, fields and forests all the way to Reuil. You'll then make your way back to Épernay on the other side of the Marne.
Overnight in Épernay.
Day 5: Épernay – Loop ride in Cote de Blancs
25 miles/41 km
Today you'll visit the vibrant vineyards of the Côte des Blancs, homeland of the Chardonnay grape. Following the Champagne Tourist Trail, descend towards Pierry where you can visit an 18th century château, storeroom, and cellar. You can also pay a visit to the intriguing Chavot-Courcourt commune (12th century) - a solitary island of stone surrounded by an ocean of vineyards.
After visiting Cuis and its fine Romanesque church, the trail will take you close to the cliffs to reach Cramant, home to a colossal (8.5 m) sculpture of a champagne bottle! Not far from here is the small village of Avize, decorated in frescoes. Visiting Oger, you won't be surprised to learn of its reputation as one of the 'most beautiful villages in France'. Here, you can visit a museum dedicated to traditions, love, and champagne! Make your way back to Épernay in the afternoon.
Overnight in Épernay.
Day 6: Épernay – Reims
24 miles/39 km
After breakfast, discover the atmospheric national forest of Hautvillers by passing through Avenay Val d'Or, Germaine. You'll ride home to Reims via Ludes, encountering luscious French scenery.
Overnight in Reims.
Day 7: Departure from Reims
Make your way home from Reims.
Don't want the adventure to end? Consider taking a cycling day tour in Champagne or another French location.
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability*.
The accommodations on this tour are a 4-star hotel, boutique guest house, and in Matougues a 3-star hotel.
Reims: Grand Hotel Continental
Châlons en Champagne: Hôtel du Pot d’Etain
Épernay: Parva Domus (Guest house)
In case of unavailability in the preferred hotel, we suggest an alternative hotel of the same standard. If the same hotel category is not available, then we try the upper category hotel. In that last case, there will be an extra cost.
Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
Bikes
Standard touring bike
Giant Argento
- aluminum frame
- V-brake pad brakes
- 24 gears
Electrically-assisted bike
Moustache Samedi 28
Bike features:
- Aluminum frame
- Battery range: ~80 km depending on use
- 9-speed brakes
- Hydraulic disks brakes
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
Accessories
Specialty rentals (pricing available on request):
- Child seat
- Trailers
- Kids tandem bikes
All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:
- Tire repair kit (with extra inner tube)
- Pump
- Bell
- Lock
- Rear carrier (for standard saddle bags)
- 2 read bags
- Removable handlebar bag with map case
- Smartphone holder
Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.
Helmets:
Helmets are included with bike rental (please reserve at time of booking). We recommend, for safety and hygiene reasons, that you bring your own bicycle helmet. Please let us know if you will be bringing your own helmet.
Surface and terrain
The terrain is moderately hilly. It follows quiet roads for 75% of the route, and is on roads shared with traffic the remaining time. Most of the route is on asphalt vineyard roads, countryside roads, or cycle paths.
How to get there
Tour start and end
Nearest airports: Paris airports
Nearest train station: TGV Champagne/Ardenne or Reims Centre
There is a fast train (TGV) from Paris Est to Reims every two hours, on average (it takes about 1 hour). The TGV train station is outside the city center (about 8km from Reims), but there is a tramway to get to the center. Or taxi is also possible.
You will need to take a taxi from the train station TGV Champagne/Ardenne to Reims. Or you can take another local train/tramway to the station Reims Centre. The first hotel is located about 5 minutes walking distance from the station Reims Centre.
Tips on getting to and from your tour.
Reviews
- ★★★★★ Tad P.
Bubbles and bikes a great combination
This self-guided tour was fantastic. The routes were well planned on lightly trafficked roads. The accommodations exceeded our expectations. And the champagne was extraordinary. We could not be happier with our selection of Bike Tours to provide services to us for our tour. We would not hesitate to recommend the company and this tour to our friends and family.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Robyn Larkin
A great week of biking & enjoying champagne!
We have done several bike tours in Europe, with varying experiences. This was among our favourite trips, and we recommend this for anyone interested in cycling, chmpagne or visiting France!
First, the not so great part of the review: it is a challenging route! We did not use electric bikes, and that made it feel like every hill was a hard won accomplishment.
Also, having a specific map earlier in the planning process would have helped to make tasting reservations at wineries since many of them require advance bookings.
The things we loved about this:
- bags were always on time when we arrived
- accommodations where great with extremely helpful staff (although it helps at the Epernay chambre d’hotes if you speak French as the hosts do not speak English - but are super friendly)
- we did the dinner package & while we would have preferred choosing off the regular menu most nights, all but one place was a fabulous recommendation of where to dine each night (the Brasserie la Banque in Epernay was the place we didn’t enjoy at all)
- bike drop off in Reims was smooth - and the operator was there early to give us our initial briefingI guess my one idea for improvement was to offer additional bookings of champagne house tours/tastings/visits as it is not easy to research ahead of time. Early morning or late afternoon would allow for easier planning and there are options for both almost every day. I certainly would pay for that. At the very least, a list of some places that are friendly to tours/visits would be helpful if we need to plan our own.
But overall, it was a lovely, relaxing, and champagne filled experience - exactly what we wanted when booking this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Celina
Gorgeous and Delicious! (but not for the faint of heart)
WOW was this ever a gorgeous trip! We pedaled through beautiful forests and along serene rivers. The food along every stop was OUTSTANDING. I loved that the Champagne region is a popular destination for French and European tourists, but you rarely see Americans. I felt truly immersed.
The tour starts in beautiful Reims, which is the most bustling of the cities you will visit. Check-in was simple, and the hotel had a beautiful view of a park and excellent air conditioning. There are plenty of great restaurant options nearby, and it's fun to wander the nearby city streets. Of course champagne is plentiful wherever you go!
The first day's ride is a long one, but gorgeous. Prepare for some uphill climbs. I also recommend buying snacks and even lunch food in Reims, because restaurants become scarce in the second half of the day. If you run slow, you may miss the meal altogether! (We did...). The hotel in Matouges is in the tiniest town with only a few blocks and no stores or restaurants to be found. You'll be eating in the hotel restaurant if you didn't grab food elsewhere. The hotel restaurant is delightful, though, so you won't be disappointed. There is also a POOL! It was great to take a dip after a long day's ride and cap of the night with a delicious meal.
The next day you ride to Epernay, which is a piece of cake compared to day 1. Epernay is an AWESOME city. You must make a stop in the town along the way for lunch (you'll see it in the guide book). Really, take the rides as slowly as you want. The point is to savor and enjoy! You may want to book tastings ahead of time, as it was difficult to figure out how to access some of the smaller champagne houses along the way.
You're in Epernay for a few days, and the rides out are loops. We chose to take one day off and just relax in Epernay, since we definitely did not train enough, and our legs had become a bit jello-y by day 3. There is plenty to do and see in Epernay, and we were very fortunate that the city was hosting a block party one of the nights we were there.
The ride up to the champagne tasting in Hautvillers is also steep! But WOW Is it ever a gorgeous view. And the steep ride down is also a treat. Definitely sign up for the optional tasting--the town and view and tasting room are all not to be missed.
The return to Reims is challenging but doable, and mostly beautiful. Navigating the city roads leading back to the hotel can be a bit annoying, but the map app is incredibly helpful. Treat yourself to a last night of delicious food before heading off. You could even catch a train out to Paris that night if you wanted to see it before heading home. The ride is quick and almost too easy.
Minor downsides were that the hotels did not have air conditioning, which made sleeping a bit uncomfortable. Also, the uphills climbs are TOUGH. If you are not training for this type of cycling, it may be quite the shock. SHOW MORE
This trip made me fall in LOVE with cycle touring. The pace is perfect for seeing little stops you would never get from a car or see from a major city. Every turn was a new adventure. Be brave! Try it! This was hands down one of the best experiences of my life.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- June 26, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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