Luxury holidays in Champagne

When to go

Avoid harvest time, when many of the smaller growers will be too busy to welcome you. Visit just afterwards in October or November, when the countryside colours will be at their russet-hued best.

Getting there

• Planes

  The Paris airports – either Charles de Gaulle or Orly – are the best served.

• Trains

  Take the TGV from Paris’ Gare de l’Est to Reims (about an hour) or Épernay (about an hour and twenty minutes).

• Automobiles

  It’s best to hire a car here – public transportation is almost non-existent and taxis are slow to arrive (and exorbitant when they do). Just flip a coin to determine the designated driver and hit the road. Plus, the car boot will prove handy for bringing home all the bottles you buy.