STANDARD PLUS CHAMPAGNE
Standard Plus Champagne Tasting Tour - What's Included
For our customers who are not able to travel at weekends when our Premium tours take place, we have introduced Flexible tours in many of the regions. These tours generally offer a far wider range of available dates than our Premium tours with trips offered throughout the year and with departures on mid week and weekend days.
The various elements of these tours do not necessarily need to take place over one day. You can spread your tour out over a few days to give yourself a more relaxed holiday. For guests wishing to stay longer in their chosen region, we are happy to arrange additional nights and to customise the itinerary by adding further visits / tours as required.
The Grape Escapes Standard Plus Champagne Tasting Weekends include three nights’ accommodation in your chosen Reims hotel, plus a half day tour around the Champagne region, three additional visits on foot, return TER rail tickets between Reims and Epernay and a gourmet four course lunch with Champagne and fine wines. For prices and hotel options, please see our dates and prices page.
These three night trips build on the Standard packages, with an additional day in Epernay or Reims, depending upon where you are staying. If you prefer the Standard Plus Reims break, during your full day in Reims, you will enjoy a half day transported tour in the Montagne de Reims, followed by a visit to your preferred Champagne House in Reims. The VIP element of this package however, is without a doubt your day in Epernay, where you will enjoy the fabulous private Dom Perignon tour. After a short train ride to Epernay, you will wander along the world famous Avenue de Champagne to Champagne Moët and Chandon, where you will visit some of the oldest areas of the Moët and Chandon cellars which are seldom visited by the public. A tasting of Dom Perignon will conclude the visit in a private reception room at the Moët mansion. Also included in the Standard Plus package is a gourmet four course lunch in a premium local restaurant in Epernay or Reims.
In general, we will work with a carefully selected local partner for some or all of the tour elements. This will usually mean that the parts of the tour that are transported may well have a central departure point (as opposed to our Premium tours where all guests are met at and returned to their hotels)and you will be walking between destinations or taking the TER train rather than being transported. As we use local agents, we have limited control of the detail of these tours; for example the number of wines tasted at each Champagne House with our partner agencies will often be less than the extensive tastings / best wines that are included on all Premium tours.
What's Included
For full details of what is included, please see the descriptions below:
The Standard Plus Champagne Break in Reims includes:
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast in your choice of hotels in Reims. Please note that due to their locations, the two Luxury grade hotels would be less appropriate for this tour then the other three centrally located hotels.
- A half day transported tour in the Montagne de Reims. This will include a look at several vineyards and a visit to a small, family-run Champagne House for a tour and tastings of two Champagnes.
- A visit to your preferred large, prestigious Champagne House in Reims for a tour of their cellars and glasses of two of their Champagnes. Subject to your dates of travel / availability, options include Lanson, Mumm, Pommery, Taittinger, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot. Please note that some of these Houses (particularly Veuve Clicquot) are very popular and offer very few tours therefore advanced booking (ideally at least 60 days before travel) is essential.
- A visit to another Champagne House in the city of Reims for a tour of the cellars and museum followed by tastings of three Champagnes.
- Return TER rail tickets between Reims and Epernay.
- A VIP visit to Champagne Moët and Chandon for a tour of their historic cellars followed by a flute of Dom Perignon.
- A gourmet four course lunch or dinner at a highly regarded restaurant accompanied by a Champagne aperitif and fine wines.
- Return Folkestone to Calais Eurotunnel crossings for a car and two passengers.
Availability
This tour is available throughout the year and can generally be arranged for any guests who will be in Reims for at least two days; however the half day tour is not possible on Sundays or Wednesdays.
The Standard Plus Champagne Break in Epernay includes:
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast in a choice of three hotels in central Epernay.
- A half day guided and transported tour in the vineyards. Your English speaking guide will take you to look at several vineyards and you may even have the chance to try your hand at pruning! The tour will conclude with a visit to a small, family-run Champagne House to learn about the fascinating Champagne-making process from grape to bottle and tastings of the Maison’s Champagnes.
- A gourmet four course (instead of the three course) lunch or dinner at a highly regarded restaurant accompanied by a Champagne aperitif and fine wines.
- A VIP visit to Champagne Moët and Chandon for a tour of their historic cellars followed by a flute of Dom Perignon rather than the standard Grand Vintage tour.
- Return TER rail tickets between Epernay and Reims.
- A visit to your preferred large, prestigious Champagne House in Reims rather than in Epernay for a tour of their cellars and glasses of two of their Champagnes. Subject to your dates of travel / availability, options include Lanson, Mumm, Pommery, Taittinger (only one Champagne is tasted here), Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot. Please note that some of these Houses (particularly Veuve Clicquot) are very popular and offer very few tours therefore advanced booking (ideally at least 60 days before travel) is essential.
- Return Folkestone to Calais Eurotunnel crossings for a car and two passengers.
Availability
This tour is available throughout the year and can generally be arranged for any guests who will be in Epernay for at least two full days.
Extend Your Stay
If you wish to extend your stay to visit more of the Champagne region, or even head down to Burgundy, we can provide an excellent tour itinerary which includes the very best places to visit. Please call us on 08456 430 860 for details and prices.
Reims Hotels, Tour Dates and Prices
The Grape Escapes Standard Plus Champagne Tasting Breaks include three nights’ accommodation in your chosen Reims hotel, plus a half day tour around the Champagne region, return TER rail tickets between Reims and Epernay, two or three Champagne House visits for tours and tastings, a three course lunch or dinner with Champagne and fine wines and Eurotunnel crossings between Folkestone and Calais for a car and two passengers. For prices and hotel choices, please see our dates and prices page.
Other Champagne Tasting Tours
Please see our Champagne Tasting Tours page for details of the other Champagne Tasting tours we offer.
We also arrange many private Champagne tasting tours for individuals, groups and corporate clients. So, if the above trips are not exactly what you are looking for, please give us a ring on 08456 430 860, or email us at info@grapeescapes.net to arrange your perfect Champagne Tasting Tour