Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Champagne

One day, one region. Train time, what you taste, and who each one suits.

All three regions work as a day from Paris by TGV. Champagne is the shortest ride and the easiest day. Burgundy is the one for people who care about the wine itself. Bordeaux is the longest ride and the grandest châteaux. Pick by what you drink at home.

Side by side

	Champagne	Burgundy	Bordeaux
Train	45 minutes, Gare de l’Est to Reims	1 hour 40 minutes, Gare de Lyon to Dijon	2 hours, Montparnasse to Bordeaux
What you taste	Champagne: one grand house plus a family grower, 6 to 9 glasses	Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: a grand house plus family domaines, 10 wines	Merlot blends from Saint-Émilion: three Classified Growth châteaux, 6 or more wines
Lunch	Included on the Veuve, Moët, and Mumm days	Included, at a winery	Included, a picnic at a château
The day	12 to 13 hours, back around 8:00 p.m.	12 hours, back by mid-evening	13 hours, 6:00 p.m. train back
Runs	Veuve daily mid-March to autumn; Moët Fri to Sun; Mumm Mon to Sat	Tuesday to Saturday, April to November	Daily except Monday, April to October
Price	$315 to $435 plus rail	$295 plus rail	$245 plus rail
Product	Veuve Clicquot Day Tour	Burgundy Day Tour	Bordeaux Wine Tour

Champagne

The short train makes Champagne the day trip that fits a tight Paris week. Reims is 45 minutes away, the cathedral is on the way to the cellars, and the day pairs one of the grand houses with a family grower who pours from his own cellar. Lunch is included on three of the four tours. The wine is one wine, champagne, in a dozen expressions. If you want a day out with the least logistics, choose Champagne. The which house page picks between Veuve Clicquot, Moët, Mumm, and Pommery.

Burgundy

Burgundy is for people who order Pinot Noir. The day starts in Dijon, drives the Route des Grands Crus through Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges, stops at the Romanée-Conti vineyard for a photograph of the most expensive dirt in France, and tastes ten wines between a major house and a family domaine, with lunch at a winery. The villages are small and the vineyard walls are older than the United States. It is the most educational of the three days. Runs Tuesday to Saturday, April through November, with winter dates by request. An overnight in Dijon and two nights in Beaune extend it.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the longest train and the biggest estates. The day trip goes to Saint-Émilion, the Right Bank village on the UNESCO list, and tastes at three Classified Growth châteaux with a picnic lunch at one of them. The wines are Merlot-based and the châteaux look like the labels. The train leaves Montparnasse before 7:00 a.m. and the return leaves Bordeaux at 6:00 p.m., which puts you in Paris a little after 8:00 p.m. The châteaux close on Mondays. If you want Médoc and the city’s food instead, the Bordeaux Food and Wine Day runs Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Bordeaux is also the region where an overnight pays off most, because the city itself is worth an evening; the Four Day Bordeaux Tour adds Arcachon Bay.

How to choose

• Two nights in Paris and one day free: Champagne.
• You drink Pinot Noir and read wine lists: Burgundy.
• You want the châteaux you have seen in pictures and a picnic in the vines: Bordeaux.
• A Monday: Champagne or Burgundy on request; Bordeaux is closed.
• A weekend: Moët on Friday to Sunday, Mumm on Saturday, Bordeaux on Saturday or Sunday. Burgundy runs Saturday but not Sunday.

Bike versions of all three exist for people who would rather pedal between tastings, and the day trips page lists them. For the season, see best time of year.

Questions

Which wine region is closest to Paris?

Champagne. Reims is 45 minutes by TGV from Gare de l’Est. Burgundy is 1 hour 40 minutes to Dijon, and Bordeaux is 2 hours to Bordeaux Saint-Jean.

Which tour tastes the most wine?

Burgundy: ten wines on the shared day and sixteen on the private version. Champagne tours pour six to nine glasses. Bordeaux tastes six or more across three châteaux.

Which wine tour is best in winter?

Moët runs on weekends year-round, and Mumm runs Monday to Saturday except December 25 to February 10. Burgundy and Bordeaux run winter dates on request.

Can I buy wine to bring home?

Yes, at every stop. Growers and châteaux ship to the United States, and your guide can help arrange it. A couple of bottles travel fine on the train.

Is lunch included?

Yes on the Burgundy day, the Bordeaux wine day, and the Veuve Clicquot, Moët, and Mumm days. The Épernay day and the Bordeaux food day leave lunch to you.

---

From Our Customers…

---

You May Also Like