Reims gives you a cathedral where kings were crowned, a Romanesque-Gothic basilica, and chalk cellars under the city. Épernay and Hautvillers lie beyond the Montagne de Reims, among the vines. Here is what each costs, when it opens, and where a reims france champagne tour fits around it.
Reims Cathedral is free to enter and opens every day from 8:00. You can walk in without a ticket. Sunday mornings are the exception: until noon, visitors may use only the narthex, the entrance hall inside the west doors.
| Day | Doors open | Doors close | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 8:00 | 19:30 | Last entry 15 minutes before closing |
| Sundays and feast days | 8:00 | 19:15 | Until noon, visitors may use only the narthex |
| The towers | Guided slots only | — | Booked online, EUR 9, free under 18 |
On three evenings this autumn, the west front becomes a screen. Regalia, a free show of about 10 minutes, retells a coronation day on the facade at 22:45 on 18 and 19 September and on 10 October 2026. You need no booking.
The towers are a separate, guided climb of 249 steps. Here is how it works:
Two discounts are worth knowing. Entry is free on the first Sunday of March and November. And with a TGV INOUI ticket less than five days old, you pay EUR 7.50.
The cathedral parish lists 33 kings crowned at Reims. From Henri I in 1027, Reims was the coronation cathedral. Charles VII was crowned here in 1429.
| King | Crowned | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Louis the Pious | 816 | The first king on the parish's list |
| Henri I | 1027 | From here, Reims is the coronation cathedral |
| Philippe II | 1179 | — |
| Louis IX | 1226 | — |
| Charles VII | 1429 | — |
| François I | 1515 | — |
| Louis XIV | 1654 | — |
| Louis XVI | 1775 | — |
| Charles X | 1825 | The last |
Some tour listings say 25 French kings were crowned here. That figure is not the parish's. Its own list runs to 33, from Louis the Pious to Charles X.
Palais du Tau, the archbishop of Reims's residence, housed the kings during a coronation. The royal procession set out from it, and the coronation feast was held there. It is closed for works and reopens in 2027 as the Musée des Sacres. Its two-level palace chapel dates from 1215 to 1235, built after the fire of May 1210.
The Basilica of Saint-Remi is 126 metres long. It was built in the 11th century for the relics of Saint Remi, the bishop who baptised Clovis between 496 and 498. His present tomb dates from 1847, and the Gothic choir from the late 12th century. Reims Tourisme lists the basilica as UNESCO-listed.
To get there, take bus 4, 6, 11 or 40 to the stop “St Remi”. The tourist office runs guided visits of 1 hour 30 if you want the story told.
The Avenue de Champagne in Épernay runs for 1.5 km, and it starts five minutes' walk from the station. Since 2015 it has been on the UNESCO list, with Fort Chabrol. Moët & Chandon stands at number 18 and Mercier at 68, and you can tour the cellars at both.
From Reims Centre, the regional train takes 30 minutes and runs about every 30 minutes. If you are there on 14 July, you catch its Soirée Blanche. On 11 to 13 December 2026, Habits de Lumière fills it with light shows, bars and a parade of old cars.
Hautvillers is a village 6 km from Épernay and 26 km from Reims. Its vineyards are part of the UNESCO listing. Dom Pierre Pérignon was procurator of its Benedictine abbey from 1668 until he died on 24 September 1715.
You can see his tombstone in the choir of the Saint-Sindulphe church, open all year. The old abbey itself belongs to Maison Dom Pérignon, and you cannot visit it. The abbey was trading corks as early as 1737.
Most full days stop in Hautvillers and walk the Avenue de Champagne, with the tastings and the driving done for you.
Prefer a morning in the vines? The grower morning leaves at 9:20 am and is back at 1:15 pm, which leaves the afternoon for Saint-Remi.
Hours and prices come from the cathedral, the towers and the Palais du Tau's own sites. The coronation list is the parish's. Épernay and Hautvillers facts come from their tourist offices, and the UNESCO dates from the World Heritage Centre.
A 7:00 am minibus from Paris for eight at most: the cathedral, a family winery, a big house near Épernay and Hautvillers. Six glasses; lunch is yours.
From $263 per person
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A private day for your party, collected in Reims or Épernay: the cathedral, the crayères of a famous house when it has a slot, and a family estate's tasting.
From $631 per person
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A private chauffeur-guide, one famous house chosen by its availability, a boutique family producer, the cathedral and lunch, collected in the Reims or Épernay area.
From $807 per person
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