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Underrated city break destination
Top things to see and do in Reims if you only have a day
As the name suggests, let's talk about this city which is still to be discovered by many however it is such a nice place to visit that I had to write a blog post about it and hopefully get you inspired to visit one day.
Where is Reims?
It's a city located in a northeast of France and unofficially known as a capital of champagne making region. Multiple champagne making houses have their headquarters here and offer champagne tasting tours. Online you can find that it's named as a city of saints and kings due to it's cathedral which played immense role in France's monarch history.
You could say that Reims was one of those cities we knew nothing about before visiting and this has intrigued us to consider a trip. It came up on the map as we were looking for somewhere to stop over for a night en route London to Geneva and the quickest way was via Reims. After googling it up a little bit and reading the titles such as "the city of kings and champagne" it convinced me that it would make a good stop over.
Getting to Reims
By road
We drove from London to Dover, then took a ferry to Calais, from Calais drove another 2h 40 min and reached Reims. This stretch of road from Calais to Reims was a pure joy to drive. Roads are really good unlike some of the highways in other countries in Europe but about those later. We passed amazing sceneries leaving behind little french market towns and vineyards but these beautiful roads didn't come free.
Duration of the trip : 6 hours
How much does it costs to go to Reims by car?
Ferry return journey 2 weeks booking in advance cost us £130 + road tolls in France £30 + diesel £50 = £210
Extra's: vip lounge access in the ferry £24 (unlimited coffee, tea, juices, fruits, pastries, macaroons).
Food on the good: average prices for a sandwich in petrol station in France 5-6 euros.
By air
Geographically closest airport to Reims is Chalons Vatry however it's a small airport so you will most likely won't be able to find a direct flight. The best way would be to fly to Paris and then 1 hour train journey from Paris Gare de l'Est or drive. In that way, you will get to see two cities instead of one, only pros ;)
By train
We suggest you should add Reims to your itinerary for a few days trip when you are visiting Paris. Fastest train from Paris Gare de l'Est only takes 46 minutes and for those of you who aren't fans of big cities but love architecture, history, food and champagne it's the perfect place to be.
How long we stayed in Reims?
We arrived at 7 pm and left the next day around 4 pm. Spent 6 -7 hours sightseeing.
It wasn't enough time to be honest.
How many days to stay in Reims?
2 full days would be ideal for doing the city tour/walk and visiting most the historical monuments and museums.
If you wanted to throw in a visit to one of the vineyards which will most likely take up most of your day, we would suggest adding one extra day.
Where to stay in Reims on a budget?
As much as we would love to, we can't recommend the "hotel" we stayed in. We stayed in "Best hotel Remotel" in Reims industrial park for £44 and price says it all. It was a s***t hole and without getting into too much detail we can't recommend enough to spend £20 - £30 more and get yourself something closer to the city centre (Ibis, Mercure or apartments). You won't regret it.
If you are budget traveler like us, you will still find reasonably priced hotels but definitely go for a better known company. We would suggest putting in google maps phrases like " hotels in reims" and the map will show you the hotels in relation to the city centre which is great for someone who doesn't know the city but wants to stay central and you can see prices straightaway. Very convenient.
Screenshot on 19th august 2019
Our must do's in Reims if you only have a day
1. Cathedrale Notre dame de Reims
As much as I love to be different with my blog posts and don't want to repeat the same information that's already available online, this one is a no brainer and has to be on top of any list. Prior to visiting we had heard that the cathedral of Reims is a contender to Notre Dame de Paris and we unfortunately have never been to the Paris one so given the opportunity we couldn't miss the chance to see it.
The Cathedral is so important in France's history because at more than 800 years old it's a surviving testament of the history of France's royalty. Almost every king of France was coronated here and resided in the Palace du Tau next doors which is now turned into a museum. Fascinating number of 2300 statues of various shapes and forms makes it a technical masterpiece of French Gothic style. Entry to the cathedral is free but you are encouraged to donate to keep this possible. Book your tour to the cathedral and explore other UNESCO monuments in Reims
2. Dinner at a family run restaurant "La Table Amoureuse"
If you are looking to experience the fancy dining for affordable prices in the Champagne region of France, I would absolutely recommend this restaurant. It's tucked away and not straightforward to find and decor is very simple (no dress code) but the food quality and the staff are just superb. It's worth every penny. To read my full review with everything we ate click here
3. Palace of Tau (Palais du Tau)
Adjoining to the cathedral it is impossible to miss this gothic beauty
Inaugurated as a museum in 1972, Palace of Tau was a residence of Saints and Kings of France when coronations were taking place. It now houses a museum and tells a history of french royalty and the one of the cathedral. Some of the original statues of the cathedral have been taken down for reservation purposes and are displayed in the palace giving you the chance to see the sculptures that date as far as 1300s. Ticket costs 8 euros.
4. Old town squares for a stroll
For the size of city as Reims, there is quite a few beautiful town squares that are nice to walk through and each have a historical meaning to them. Below I briefly discuss two squares which left the biggest impression.
Place Royale - this square is mainly used as a roundabout for car traffic entering/exciting the old town and there isn't zones for pedestrians or any places to sit and enjoy however it's just a beautiful place to take a look at. It was built in the honour of one of the most beloved kings of France. Louis XV is known for the second longest reign in french history (59 years). His sculpture in the middle dominates the square. If place Royale is a rather small square which doesn't get as much attention but it is stunning don't get me wrong and which you will probably cross on your way to the town hall anyway, the next one on the list is nothing but quiet.
Place Drouet D'Erlon - this is by far the busiest, the most centric square of the down with an impressive Sube fountain dominating the scene. Square is situated on the crossroads of the shopping and restaurant avenues therefore is in a very busy and all year round vibrant place. Fountain Sube is more than just a fountain, it's a piece of artwork, a monument dedicated to the rivers of Marne region. 4 sculptures on 4 sides each represent a different river. Clever.
5. Reims town hall (Hotel de ville)
Wow, what a stunning architecture! This building has seen hard times and the only remaining part of the original building is the pediment showcasing the sculpture of king Louis XIII which managed to survive WWI fires. Current building features the decorative elements of renaissance style, roof and columns are particular to 17th century. Nowadays town has a purpose to provide municipal services to it's citizens.
6. Boulingrin market (Halles du boulingrin)
Ever since googling things to do in Reims I was very excited about visiting this market. When travelling I have this urge to check out local foods and see the local markets even more so than than visiting the museums. This market isn't just a simple market, it was built at a time when Reims was recovering from WWII depression after demolition of many areas in the city and the new architecture of concrete and art deco style building was and still remains a manifest to the new beginnings.
Handy information for the market visitors
Opening times:
Wednesday 7 am - 1 pm
Friday 7 am - 1pm and bio market 4 - 8 pm
Saturday 6 am - 2pm.
Closed at all other times.
Parking: if you are with a car we recommend to get a blue parking disc in any petrol station as most of the on street parkings in France are with blue disc only displaying the time when you parked and usually allows couple of hours of free parking.
If you have a blue disc you can park in the market parking 1h30 min free anytime between 8 am to 2 pm.
7. Pink biscuits of Reims (Biscuits roses de Reims)
If there is one speciality you shouldn't miss it is pink biscuits of Rose or in french "biscuits roses de reims". They are special to this area because the recipe was created in the area of Reims 3 centuries ago and it's a symbol of remois (word to say people of Reims) gastronomy. It has a funny story of where it got it's pink colour from. The creators of recipe added vanilla pod to give it a nice sweet flavour however vanilla being dark it gave a brownish colour which didn't look presentable so the colouring agent "carmine" had to be added and ever since biscuits are pink. Pink biscuit is eaten dipping it in a champagne (of course, we are in champagne making region), coffee, milk or ratafia (type of liquor).
Where to try pink biscuits? Restaurant "Gueuleton" next to the cathedral serves ice cream with pink biscuits for 3 - 4 euros. "Biscuits Fossiers" - this is top 1 shop which comes up if you look online for places to get the biscuits however we found a local supermarket which sells the very same biscuits but cheaper.
"Monoprix" - local supermarket sells "Fossier" biscuits cheaper. We found a good selection of "edible souvenirs" (sables cookies, mustard, vines, vinegar, cheese) in the "Monoprix" next to the town hall.
Want to snack like a royal back in a days? Get some pink biscuits and treat yourself to a bottle of champagne. Because where is better place to get it than here in champagne region? You will be sure to get value for money as world's most famous champagne houses are located in Reims.
8. Taste le champagne
First, Reims is a capital of champagne region so no wonder it is one of the must dos here. If you don't have enough time or money to do the champagne tasting tour (good ones cost over £100 for a half day tour) buying a bottle of middle class champagne could be a solution. We got ours Blanc de blancs champagne from an artisan food store "Aux Gourmets des Halles'' for 25 euros a bottle. We were ensured that this is a good price for the champagne. We trusted it and since we are no experts nor big drinkers spending loads of money on champagne seemed unreasonable and we were just happy to bring a bottle of champagne back with us. If you would like to book a tour, have a look here.
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These are the highlights of our short but sweet time in Reims and I hope it gave you an idea of the city and you will be adding it to your itinerary when in France!
Thanks for reading! See you soon!