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Paris & Reims route inspiration

Paris & Reims

Champs-Élysées lights, champagne cellars, NYE

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5 days through Paris, Reims.

Paris & Reims is a 5-day curated route with 2 destinations and 18 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Paris on the Paris & Reims route

    Destination 01

    Paris

    9 places

    Christmas lights, department store trees and New Year's Eve at the Arc; 3 nights.

    • Champs-Élysées near ParisPhoto: Didier Boy de la Tour · CC BY 3.0

      Champs-Élysées

      The avenue's plane trees are wrapped in lights from late November into January, running up to the Arc de Triomphe.

      Tip On 31 December the avenue closes to traffic for the midnight show projected on the Arc.

      See8th arrondissementFree60 minAfter dark
    • Galeries Lafayette Haussmann near ParisPhoto: Captainm · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Galeries Lafayette Haussmann

      Department store whose 1912 glass and steel dome holds a giant Christmas tree each year, with animated windows outside.

      Tip See the tree from the third-floor balcony, then go up to the free rooftop terrace.

      Shop9th arrondissement$$$1.5 hrWeekday morning
    • Printemps Haussmann near ParisPhoto: Schölla Schwarz · CC BY 3.0

      Printemps Haussmann

      Belle Époque department store next door, known for its animated Christmas windows and lit domes on Boulevard Haussmann.

      Shop9th arrondissement$$$60 minAfter dark
    • Eiffel Tower near ParisPhoto: Julien Ricard · CC BY 2.0

      Eiffel Tower

      The 1889 iron tower sparkles for five minutes on the hour after dark, and on New Year's Eve at midnight.

      Tip Book summit tickets ahead for late December; the top can close in high wind.

      SeeChamp de Mars$$$2 hrOn the hour after dark
    • Jardins du Trocadéro near ParisPhoto: Celette · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Jardins du Trocadéro

      Terraced gardens and fountains facing the Eiffel Tower across the Seine, the classic place to watch it sparkle.

      Tip On New Year's Eve arrive early; access points are controlled and the area fills up.

      Outdoors16th arrondissementFree30 minAfter dark
    • Notre-Dame de Paris near ParisPhoto: Ibex73 · CC BY 4.0

      Notre-Dame de Paris

      Gothic cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the 2019 fire, with a cleaned interior and rebuilt spire.

      Tip Entry is free; reserve a time slot online to skip the queue.

      SeeÎle de la CitéFree60 minEarly morning
    • Angelina near ParisPhoto: Thomon · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Angelina

      Tearoom on Rue de Rivoli since 1903, known for thick hot chocolate and Mont-Blanc pastries.

      Tip Queues are long in December afternoons; go right at opening.

      Eat1st arrondissement$$60 minMorning

    • Bouillon Chartier

      Belle Époque dining hall from 1896 serving low-priced French classics under brass racks and mirrors.

      Tip No reservations; arrive before 7 p.m. or late in the evening.

      Eat9th arrondissement$75 minEarly dinner
    • Hôtel Plaza Athénée near ParisPhoto: Joe deSousa · CC0

      Hôtel Plaza Athénée

      Palace hotel on Avenue Montaigne with red awnings, a short walk from the Champs-Élysées lights.

      Stay8th arrondissement$$$$
  2. 2
    Reims on the Paris & Reims route

    Destination 02

    Reims

    9 places

    Coronation cathedral, Christmas market and chalk-cellar champagne houses; 2 nights.

    • Reims Cathedral near ReimsPhoto: Tournasol7 · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Reims Cathedral

      Gothic cathedral where French kings were crowned for centuries, with the Smiling Angel and Chagall windows.

      Tip The parvis is lit with trees and lights through the market season.

      SeeCentreFree60 minAfter dark
    • Reims Christmas Market near ReimsPhoto: Lucas Tabary-Maujean · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Reims Christmas Market

      Chalets along Place Drouet d'Erlon and around the cathedral selling crafts, biscuits roses and mulled wine.

      ShopCentre$1.5 hrAfter dark
    • Palace of Tau near ReimsPhoto: Tournasol7 · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Palace of Tau

      Former archbishop's palace beside the cathedral, holding coronation treasures and original statues from the facade.

      SeeCentre$60 minAfternoon
    • Basilica of Saint-Remi near ReimsPhoto: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Basilica of Saint-Remi

      Romanesque abbey church built around the tomb of Saint Remi, quieter than the cathedral and just as long inside.

      SeeSaint-RemiFree45 minMorning
    • Taittinger near ReimsPhoto: Victor Grigas · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Taittinger

      Champagne house whose cellar tour descends into Gallo-Roman chalk pits and the crypt of a medieval abbey.

      Tip Book tours ahead; December slots sell out and the house closes on some holidays.

      DrinkSaint-Nicaise$$$1.5 hrAfternoon

    • Pommery

      Estate with Elizabethan-style buildings over 18 km of chalk galleries reached by a 116-step staircase.

      Tip Bring a layer; the cellars stay at about 10 C.

      DrinkSaint-Nicaise$$$75 minAfternoon
    • Café du Palais near ReimsPhoto: Gérald Garitan · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Café du Palais

      Family-run brasserie since 1930 near the cathedral, with an Art Deco glass roof and champagne by the glass.

      DrinkCentre$$60 minAperitif
    • Avenue de Champagne near ReimsPhoto: Gérald Garitan · CC BY-SA 4.0

      Avenue de Champagne

      Épernay street of champagne houses including Moët & Chandon, lit up for the Habits de Lumière festival each December.

      Tip Épernay is 25 minutes from Reims by TER; the festival runs over one weekend in mid-December.

      DrinkÉpernay$$2.5 hrEvening

    • Domaine Les Crayères

      Château hotel in a park beside the Pommery and Taittinger cellars, with a long-established gastronomic restaurant.

      StaySaint-Remi$$$$

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Paris & Reims.

Start in Paris under the Champs-Élysées lights and the Christmas tree in the dome of Galeries Lafayette, with the Printemps windows next door. Walk the Seine to Notre-Dame, warm up with hot chocolate at Angelina and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the Trocadéro. Take the TGV to Reims for the Christmas market by the cathedral, the coronation treasures in the Palace of Tau and a descent into the Taittinger and Pommery chalk cellars. Day-trip to Épernay's Avenue de Champagne, then return to Paris for New Year's Eve on the Champs-Élysées.

Good for Couples and friends who want Paris lights, champagne cellars and a big-city New Year's Eve without a car.

When to go

The Champs-Élysées lights are switched on in late November and stay on into early January. The Galeries Lafayette tree goes up in mid-November and stays through the holidays. The Reims Christmas market typically runs from the last week of November to about 28 December. Épernay's Habits de Lumière takes place over a weekend in mid-December. On 31 December Paris holds a free show and fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe at midnight; many champagne houses close on 25 December and 1 January.

Getting around

TGV trains from Paris Gare de l'Est reach Reims in about 45 minutes, and TER trains link Reims and Épernay in about 25 minutes. In Paris use the Métro: line 1 for the Champs-Élysées, lines 6 and 9 for the Trocadéro, and Opéra or Havre-Caumartin for the department stores. Reims centre, the cathedral and the champagne houses of Saint-Nicaise are walkable or a short tram ride apart.

Tips for your crew

  • Book champagne cellar tours and New Year's Eve dinners weeks ahead.
  • On 31 December Métro stations near the Champs-Élysées close early, and transport is free overnight; plan your walk home.
  • Shop the department stores on weekday mornings; December weekends are extremely crowded.

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