The big houses on your own

Can you visit Veuve Clicquot without a tour?

Yes. You book a cellar visit with the house and get to Reims on your own. There is no sign of walk-ins: book first.

Veuve Clicquot sits at 1 rue Albert Thomas, on Saint-Nicaise hill in Reims. Reims Tourisme lists six tour and tasting tiers (Reims Tourisme). Bookings go through the house's own website.

Opening days are the trap. From 2 September to 27 October 2026 the house opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 17:30, closed on Mondays. From 30 October to 29 December it opens Wednesday to Sunday. A Monday in Reims is a bad day for Veuve Clicquot fans.

Getting there: the TGV to Reims-Centre takes about 45 minutes from Paris Est, then a taxi or city bus up to the hill. Details in Paris to Champagne by train.

Is visiting Veuve Clicquot worth it?

Yes for fans of the yellow label, who get the crayères and the house's story. For a first cellar visit on a budget, Mumm or Pommery give more for less.

The entry tier is fair value for a famous name and a chalk cellar. The higher tiers pour older and rarer cuvées. The Advanced tasting on one private tour, for example, includes Extra Brut Extra Old and the 2015 vintages, and the Premium option sets Yellow Label in magnum against La Grande Dame 2015.

What you will not get is a small-producer feel. It is a large, polished operation, and one of the most requested names in Champagne, which is why slots go early. Veuve Clicquot lists a lift, useful for visitors who cannot manage cellar stairs.

One more reason to book direct, or by name: on the private Veuve Clicquot half day, a guest was moved to Moët & Chandon because Veuve Clicquot changed its opening days. The operator offers an alternative or a free cancellation in such cases.

Can you just walk in to Moët & Chandon?

Sometimes. Moët says walk-ins are possible but places are limited, and recommends booking online. The cellars are open daily, 9:30 to 17:00.

Moët & Chandon, on the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, has 28 km of cellars, the largest network in the region. Its 2026 visits, all from the house's own page (Moët & Chandon):

Moët also tells visitors to bring warm clothing for the cellars. Épernay Tourisme names Moët among the houses where availability can be limited, so on a summer weekend we would not risk turning up without a slot (Épernay Tourisme).

Which Champagne house is the best to visit?

For a first visit, Pommery or Taittinger for the chalk cellars, Mumm for price and long opening days, and Moët for the biggest name with the most flexibility.

Eight houses you can book yourself, with 2026 details from official or tourist-office pages:

Our picks. Pommery for drama: 116 steps down to galleries 30 metres underground, with art in the cellars. Taittinger for its crayères and short visits of 35 to 55 minutes, with children welcome. Mumm for the lowest price and the shortest walk from Reims station. Moët for the name and daily opening. Ruinart if you want a small group and do not mind paying for it. Days and hours move, so check the house page before you book.

Which Reims Champagne tour is the best?

On your own, Pommery or Taittinger on Saint-Nicaise hill. From Paris, a tour that pairs a Reims house with a family grower, such as the 8-tastings day.

If Reims is your day, book one crayère house on the hill and add the cathedral, which is free. Taittinger's cellars stay at 8 to 12°C, and the house notes its visit suits reduced mobility. Pommery's staircase does not. Mumm is the easy morning option from the station: its tours all last 1 hour 30, from one glass to two vintage Grand Cru pours (Mumm).

From Paris, three tours put a Reims house in the day. The 8-tastings day often starts at a big Reims house; one guest's day was at Mumm. The small group with sabrage lists Veuve Clicquot, Moët, Taittinger or Nicolas Feuillatte, subject to availability. Only the private Moët and Veuve Clicquot day books Veuve Clicquot by name.

How far ahead should you book the big houses?

A week or more for weekends, public holidays and summer; earlier for Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart. Midweek in winter you have more slack, but fewer open days.

Épernay Tourisme says most Champagne houses need advance booking for guided tours and tastings, and that it matters most on weekends, public holidays and in the summer season (Épernay Tourisme). Ruinart caps its visit at 12 places. Veuve Clicquot works by reservation.

Winter cuts the choice. Mumm opens Thursday to Monday from November and only Thursday to Saturday from mid-January to February; Pommery closes on 25 December and 1 to 3 January; Veuve Clicquot drops to Wednesday to Sunday from 30 October. The winter opening days post tracks the changes.

Do tours from Paris guarantee the house you want?

Most do not. They name big houses as examples, subject to availability. The private Moët and Veuve Clicquot day is the one that books both by name.

If the name is the point of your trip, book the house yourself and travel by train, or pay for the private day. One guest on it wrote: "Highly recommend for anyone who loves Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon champagnes!"

A private Mercedes to Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, both booked by name, with Hautvillers and the cathedral.

12.5 hours

Explore the private Moët and Veuve Clicquot day → Tour details

Can you do Veuve Clicquot and Moët in one day on your own?

Yes. Book a morning slot at Veuve Clicquot in Reims, take the 34-minute TER to Épernay, and an afternoon slot at Moët. Avoid Mondays.

The private tour runs it the other way round: Moët from 10:00 to 12:00, Veuve Clicquot from 14:45. By train, Reims first makes more sense, since the TGV lands you there. A taxi from Reims-Centre to Saint-Nicaise hill, a 9:30 or 10:00 visit, lunch, then the TER to Épernay and a walk down the avenue to Moët.

Leave an hour of slack between the two visits, and check the last train back from Épernay, which SNCF lists around 7:50 p.m. (SNCF).

Frequently asked questions