The Champagne region (variously known as 'Le Champagne' and 'La Champagne') is just 45-minutes from Paris by high-speed TGV train. The famous regional centres of Reims and Epernay are fascinating places to visit, not least because they're home to famous champagne houses like Cristal, Moet & Chandon and Bollinger. Here's how to get to Champagne, where to stay and what to do when you get there.

All about champagne

If you want to know what champagne is, how it's made and how to read a champagne label, have a read of my All About Champagne blog. Want to know the meaning of brut? How cava, prosecco and sparkling wine differ from champagne? It's all there. It'll make visiting the Champagne region simpler and more enjoyable too.

Why visit Champagne?

Lots of reasons:

1. It's home to one of the world's most enjoyable drinks, champagne
2. It's so close to Paris it would be rude not to
3. If you dream of the sound of corks popping, it's a constant soundtrack there
4. Local food is superb
5. Meet the people behind the label
6. Try 'Coteaux Champenois' - the little-known local red wine enjoyed chilled, hard to source outside the region, as well as less-well-known champagnes

Visiting the great Champagne houses

Crucially, remember Champagne is in France. Obvious, yes, but important. What does this mean? It means that many of the great Champagne houses (producers) are shut on Sundays, even the whole weekend. It also means that just turning up without an appointment isn't the best plan. So call or e-mail in advance to make sure they're ready for you. This is especially true of smaller producers but also the larger ones too, as well as during quieter (i.e. non-summer) months.

Or dispense with making plans yourself and leave it to the organised tours by the likes of Arblaster & Clarke and Grape Escapes.

The big producers have stunning cellars you can visit - notably Veuve Clicquot in Epernay and Ruinart in Reims. As well as showing the process of making champagne, they're a must-see in their own right. Some may charge for a tasting and tour, others won't. 

But make time for the little producers - you'll get a much better feel for what really lies behind the world's most famous wine. Try the biodynamic champagne house of Leclerc-Briant or small producer Champagne Launois, which also has a really good wine museum.

For more information about champagne producers, contact the producers group, the CIVC.

What to do in the Champagne region

• You'll want an excuse to try plenty of bubbly while you're there - the historic Cafe du Palais restaurant is a Reims institution and a must-visit.
• The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Reims is stunning - it once was the venue for crowning kings.
• Visit the sixteenth-century walled town of Troyes, around 60km to the south of Reims along the champagne route, the E17.

Rail tickets and train fares to Champagne, France

Just 45-minutes from Paris on the high-speed TGV train, Reims and its neighbouring town Epernay, lie at the heart of the Champagne region in north-eastern France. Many of the main producers are clustered around Epernay and Reims, rather than out in the grape-growing vineyards, so there's little need for a car.

Hotels in Reims and Epernay

Reims is a great base to explore the rest of the region. If you're happy to blow the budget, the Chateau Les Crayeres comes highly recommended, or the Best Western Hotel De La Paix is an excellent mid-range hotel. At the budget end, try the Hotel Azur.

As an old friend always says, “a magnum is an ideal size for two people, provided only one of you is drinking.” Still, take a female friend with you anyway and chance your arm by sharing.