Paris: Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot Champagne Tour by Mercedes

Reims is only about two hours from Paris, but the Champagne houses make it feel like another world. This private day takes you into the UNESCO-listed chalk cellars of Ruinart, then to Veuve Clicquot for a second guided visit and tasting, with a Mercedes car and hotel pickup handling the long-distance logistics.

I like the small private group, which keeps the day more flexible than a large coach tour. I also like the backup planning: when a Ruinart time changed, the operator arranged a small-producer tasting, a church linked with Dom Pérignon, and a vineyard visit instead.

The main caution is the price, $808 per person, before meals and drinks. This is a premium day for people who want two famous Champagne houses and private transport, not the cheapest way to sample sparkling wine.

Key points to know before booking

• Ruinart gives you the oldest-house experience: Founded in 1729, it includes a guided visit to UNESCO-listed underground cellars and two glasses of Champagne.
• Veuve Clicquot offers several tasting levels: The standard choices include four cuvées or a comparison of Yellow Label from magnum with La Grande Dame 2015.
• The Mercedes transfer makes a long day easier: You travel in an E220 for two or three people, or a Mercedes minivan for three to seven.
• Reims Cathedral adds a worthwhile cultural stop: You have about 30 minutes to see the church where French kings were crowned.
• The day is private, but not leisurely: Pickup is at 7:30 a.m. and hotel return is planned for about 7 p.m.
• Schedule changes can work in your favor: If one Champagne house cannot accept your date, an alternative or higher-level experience is offered before you travel.

Two great Champagne houses in one long day

This experience is built around contrast. Ruinart is the old, elegant Champagne house founded in 1729. Veuve Clicquot is the larger modern producer, founded in 1772 and now producing more than 22 million bottles each year.

You do not simply drive to Reims, take one tasting, and hurry back to Paris. You visit two major houses, sit down for lunch, see the cathedral, and travel in a private Mercedes. That makes the day a good fit if you want a polished introduction to Champagne without arranging trains, taxis, winery bookings, and local transport yourself.

It is also a long day. The advertised schedule runs from 7:30 a.m. to about 7 p.m., or 690 minutes. The driving alone takes roughly four and a half hours. I would book this for a special occasion or a focused wine day, not for a relaxed break between museum visits in Paris.

Leaving Paris at 7:30 a.m. by Mercedes

Pickup is at the entrance of your hotel or Airbnb address at 7:30 a.m. The vehicle is an English-speaking driver’s Mercedes E220 business-class car for two or three people, or a Mercedes minivan for three to seven people.

The vehicle arrangement matters here. You will spend about two hours heading east to Reims, then another two and a half hours returning to Paris. A private car gives you direct hotel-to-cellar service and avoids the extra steps involved with a train, station transfer, and local taxi.

One rest-area stop is planned during the outward trip. Bottled water is included. Food, drinks, and alcohol outside the planned tastings are not included, and food is not allowed in the vehicle.

The route includes views of Champagne vineyards, which make the drive feel connected to the place you are visiting rather than just a highway transfer. Still, keep your expectations sensible. The main pleasure of this part is comfort and convenience, not a guided sightseeing drive through every vineyard.

Ruinart and the underground cellars

The first major visit runs from about 10 a.m. to noon at Champagne Ruinart. Founded in 1729, Ruinart is described as the oldest Champagne house, and its underground cellars are among the most important parts of the visit.

The cellars are UNESCO listed, and a guided walk gives the morning a sense of place that a tasting-room-only stop would miss. You are seeing the spaces where the wine is stored and aged, then tasting two glasses of Champagne afterward.

Two glasses is enough to give you a clear introduction, but it is not a large tasting flight. If your main goal is to compare many different wines, the Veuve Clicquot options are likely to provide more variety. Ruinart is more about the setting, age of the house, and cellar visit.

The timing also works well. You arrive after the morning drive, have two hours for the visit, and finish before lunch. That said, Champagne-house schedules are not always immune to change. If Ruinart cannot keep your planned appointment, the operator says it will offer an alternative in advance or suggest a higher-level experience. You can accept that change or cancel without charge.

A useful example comes from a date when a Ruinart appointment shifted. The replacement plan included a complimentary tasting with a small producer, a church where Dom Pérignon is buried, and a vineyard visit. Those additions are not guaranteed parts of the standard day, but they show why flexibility matters on a private tour.

Lunch in Reims, with time to choose your own pace

From noon until about 1:30 p.m., you have lunch time in Reims. You can make your own choice, or ask the operator to reserve a restaurant.

This is one of the better features of the schedule. After a cellar tour and tasting, you get a proper break instead of eating on the move. You can use the time for a restaurant meal, a short walk, or simply a pause before the afternoon visit.

Meals and drinks are not included, so plan for that extra cost. The $808 price covers the private vehicle, visits, tastings according to your selected option, fees, taxes, water, and the cathedral stop. It does not cover lunch.

The one limitation is the fixed 90-minute window. Reims offers more to see than you can fit into that period, so lunch should come first. This is not enough time for an unhurried city visit, a long meal, and extra shopping.

A short look inside Reims Cathedral

At about 1:40 p.m., you have a 30-minute self-guided visit to Reims Cathedral. The cathedral is famous as the place where many French kings were crowned, giving the stop real historical weight beyond its architecture.

Thirty minutes is short, but it can be enough to step inside, see the main interior, and get your bearings before moving on. I like this addition because it breaks up the wine-focused day and gives you a piece of Reims itself.

Do not expect a guided cathedral tour. The visit is self-guided, and the schedule leaves little room for a long look at every feature. If you want a detailed religious-art or architectural visit, you would need a separate Reims day.

The timing is also tight. You leave for Veuve Clicquot at about 2:10 p.m., with the next house only a few minutes away. Keep an eye on the clock.

Veuve Clicquot: choose the tasting that suits you

The Veuve Clicquot visit runs from approximately 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The house dates from 1772 and produces more than 22 million bottles annually, making it one of the region’s largest Champagne producers.

A guided cellar tour led by Veuve Clicquot staff explains the house story and the Champagne production method. The biggest decision is the tasting level. The standard choices are not interchangeable, so you should select based on whether you want range, comparison, or older bottles.

Advanced: Une Seule Qualité

This option lasts about 1.5 hours and includes four cuvées:

• Brut Carte Jaune
• Extra Brut Extra Old
• Vintage 2015
• Vintage Rosé 2015

This is the best choice if you want breadth. Four wines let you compare house style, sweetness levels, vintage Champagne, and rosé. It is also the clearest choice for someone who wants to learn through contrast rather than focus on one prestige label.

Premium: Madame Clicquot

This 1.5-hour option compares Brut Yellow Label served from magnum with La Grande Dame 2015.

The format is narrower but more focused. You are comparing a familiar house Champagne with one of Veuve Clicquot’s prestige wines, while also seeing how a magnum presentation fits into the tasting. Choose this if the name La Grande Dame interests you more than sampling four different cuvées.

VIP: L’art du vieillissement

This higher-level option lasts two hours and compares four wines:

• Vintage Brut 2015
• Vintage Brut Rosé 2015
• Vintage Brut 2002 in magnum
• Cave Privée 1990

This is the serious wine option. The focus is aging, and the presence of a 2002 magnum and 1990 Cave Privée makes it more suitable for someone who already enjoys Champagne and wants to compare mature bottles.

The longer tasting may alter the rhythm of the afternoon, but it is still listed as a two-hour experience. Confirm the exact price and availability for this level before booking, since pricing is tiered.

Deluxe: La Grande Dame, la vitrine d’excellence de la Maison

The highest-level option lasts four hours and includes vineyard and cellar visits, plus tastings of Brut Carte Jaune, La Grande Dame, and La Grande Dame Rosé.

This option makes the entire day about Veuve Clicquot. It adds 1.5 hours to the trip, so your return to Paris will be later than the standard 7 p.m. schedule. Choose it only if the house itself is your main reason for booking and you are comfortable giving up a more compact day.

What the $808 price really buys you

At $808 per person, this is expensive. The value depends on how many people share the vehicle, which Veuve Clicquot option you choose, and how much you value private transport.

For two people, the per-person cost pays for a private Mercedes E220, a full day of driving, two major Champagne-house visits, tastings, cellar access, hotel pickup and return, and a short Reims visit. For a group of six or seven in the minivan, the private transport becomes easier to justify because you are sharing the vehicle cost across more people.

The price also removes several planning problems. You do not need to coordinate a train to Reims, find transport between Champagne houses, watch the return timetable, or arrange a taxi back to your hotel. For a first visit to the region, that convenience has real value.

It is less convincing if you mainly want to drink Champagne cheaply or visit smaller independent producers. The day emphasizes two famous commercial houses, and lunch is extra. You are paying for access, comfort, timing, and a private format more than for quantity of wine.

Check the exact tier before paying. The wording describes several Veuve Clicquot choices, including two standard options and higher-level experiences available on request. The final cost and availability can vary.

Who will enjoy this Champagne day most

I would recommend this for couples, families with older children, and small groups who want a private day without renting a car. Children under six are not accepted, and the experience is not suitable for wheelchair users.

It is particularly good for:

• People staying in central Paris who want hotel pickup
• Wine enthusiasts who want two famous Champagne houses in one day
• Small groups that prefer a private car to a coach
• Visitors who want a structured day with some free time at lunch
• Special-occasion visitors willing to pay for comfort and access

I would be more cautious if you dislike early starts, long car rides, or fixed schedules. The cathedral visit is brief, and lunch is the only substantial free block. You will not have much time for spontaneous exploring in Reims.

Practical booking advice

Choose your Veuve Clicquot tasting before you book, especially if the difference between four standard cuvées and a prestige comparison matters to you. If you want older Champagne, ask specifically about the L’art du vieillissement option and confirm that it is available on your date.

The tour is offered in English, with an English-speaking driver. The group remains private, with vehicle capacity ranging from two to seven people depending on the Mercedes used.

The activity allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later. That is useful because Champagne-house appointments can change. If one house is unavailable, you will be offered an alternative or a higher-level experience before the date, with the option to cancel free of charge.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the simplest premium way to see Reims from Paris. Ruinart’s old cellars, Veuve Clicquot’s tasting choices, and the private Mercedes transfer create a strong full-day package.

Skip it if your priority is low cost, a slow village-to-village wine day, or extensive time inside Reims itself. At $808 per person, it makes sense for a small group that values comfort and famous houses. For that audience, the private format and careful backup planning may be worth more than saving money with a train and self-guided visits.

FAQ

What time does the tour leave Paris?

Pickup is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. at the entrance of your hotel or Airbnb address.

How long does the experience last?

The advertised duration is 690 minutes, or 11.5 hours. The standard schedule runs from 7:30 a.m. to about 7 p.m., although the four-hour deluxe Veuve Clicquot option makes the day about 1.5 hours longer.

What vehicle is used?

Two or three people travel in a Mercedes E220 business-class car. Groups of three to seven use a Mercedes minivan.

Are meals included?

No. Lunch and drinks are not included. You have about 1.5 hours for lunch in Reims, and the operator can make a restaurant reservation on request.

Which Champagne tastings are available at Veuve Clicquot?

The choices include Une Seule Qualité with four cuvées, Madame Clicquot with a comparison of Yellow Label from magnum and La Grande Dame 2015, and higher-level options including L’art du vieillissement and the four-hour La Grande Dame experience.

Is the tour suitable for young children or wheelchair users?

Children under six are not permitted, and the experience is not suitable for wheelchair users.