UPDATE 2018

Holy Moly. If I knew what all Reims was about when I went five years ago, I don’t think I would have left. Sure, I did one of the most famous champagne houses, which was lovely, but just a half hour drive away are little villages FULL of champagne makers just waiting to be discovered. And the prices…25 bucks for the top vintage of any year. I was in HEAVEN.

This was in a cute little cutey cute village in Epernay, France. And because we went in January, it was super quiet and we basically felt like we had the entire champagne village to ourselves. These fine residents only speak French so be prepared to have patience if you are only  English speaking.

Previous Edition 2013

My boyfriend and I like to travel for our birthdays as a way to spoil each other and to see a bit more of Europe while we do it 🙂

For my 26th birthday, I wanted to go to Reims, the Champagne region in France, and tour a champagne house. From Gent, it was about a 3 hour car ride. Reims has a train station in the city and can be accessed via train.

We arrived to our hotel, Hotel Des Templiers with Emmett (pet friendly hotel!) and quickly checked in. The front desk manager was very nice and helpful in regards to what we can still see in the city so late.

 The Notre Dame in the center of Reims is beyond breath taking. I took my time walking around this cathedral and kept saying to myself, “Pictures don’t do it justice.” You must take the opportunity to really let the beauty of this cathedral sink in. Luckily, it was not damaged in the war much so most of the original cathedral is still there.

The next day, we needed to decide which champagne house we would visit. Our concierge recommended Mumm House and we gladly took his selection.

  We took Emmett with us on the tour and thankfully, they let us take him inside! Typically dogs are not allowed in the house but we kept him in his bag. I would not recommend trying this because even then, the staff was very reluctant.

 The tour explains how champagne is made and why it is specific to that area in France. Once you have seen how it is made, you get to experience the fun part. Tasting!

After toasting my birthday over a delicious glass of champagne, we walked around the city a bit before we headed home. A short trip but one to remember!