REVIEW · PARIS
Paris: Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot Champagne Tour by Mercedes
Book on GetYourGuide →Operated by Clewel Travel · Bookable on GetYourGuide
Champagne in Reims beats Paris every time. This private Mercedes day pairs UNESCO-listed Ruinart cellars with a choice of Veuve Clicquot tasting options that go way past a quick pour. The one real catch is it’s a long day with no meals included, so lunch needs a plan.
You’ll get hotel pick-up in Paris around 07:30 and a return drop-off around 19:00, plus an English-speaking driver who keeps everything moving. The ride is part of the experience too, with a stop for a break on the way through classic Champagne country.
In This Review
- Key Highlights Worth Booking
- A Private Mercedes Day From Paris to Reims
- What the “private group” really means
- Ruinart at Reims: UNESCO Cellars and a Proper First Tasting
- Why Ruinart is a strong opener
- A practical timing note
- Reims Lunch Break and Cathedral Stop: See the City Without Losing the Day
- How to make this part work
- Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin: Guided Cellars and Pick Your Tasting Level
- The main tasting options (and what they’re good for)
- A tip for choosing your option
- How the Day Flows (and Where Time Can Feel Tight)
- What you should know about the car rules
- Price and Value: Is $808 Per Person Worth It?
- Who gets the best deal here
- If Ruinart Timing Shifts: The Backup Plan That Saves the Day
- What to Pack and How to Prep for a Champagne Day
- Should You Book This Paris-to-Reims Champagne Tour?
- FAQ
- FAQ
- What time do you get picked up in Paris?
- How long is the tour?
- Is this a private tour?
- What transportation is included?
- Do I get to skip the ticket line?
- What tastings are included at Ruinart?
- What are the included Veuve Clicquot tasting options?
- Is lunch included?
- What’s included besides tastings?
- What if the planned house visit timing isn’t available?
Key Highlights Worth Booking
- Ruinart first thing in the morning at the historic house founded in 1729, with UNESCO-listed underground cellars and a tasting of 2 glasses
- Veuve Clicquot tasting levels from 4-cuvée comparisons to La Grande Dame at a longer, higher-end pace
- Private Mercedes transport for small groups (E220 for 2–3, minivan for 3–7), with bottled water onboard
- Reims Cathedral timing built in as a self-guided stop, so you can choose your own pace inside
- Good backup if timings change, with documented examples of the operator swapping in extra Champagne time
A Private Mercedes Day From Paris to Reims
This tour is built around a simple idea: if you’re going to do Champagne, do it right, with real cellar time and guided tastings, not just photo stops. You leave Paris early, ride through the Champagne region, and spend the day in two major Reims houses—Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot—plus a classic cathedral stop in the Champagne capital.
One of the smart parts is how the day is paced. You’re not rushing between tastings in tiny group chaos; it’s a private setup with the driver handling logistics while you focus on wine and the places you’re visiting.
You can also read our reviews of more wine tours in Paris
What the “private group” really means
You’re traveling as a small party with a Mercedes tailored to group size—more comfort for the long drive, and fewer delays from regrouping. If you prefer a quieter, more direct day trip, this style fits well.
Ruinart at Reims: UNESCO Cellars and a Proper First Tasting
Ruinart is the morning anchor, and it matters. This is the oldest Champagne house created in 1729, and the visit is designed to show you why it still carries weight today.
The guided part happens in the underground cellars—the UNESCO-listed spaces that give Champagne its signature conditions for aging. You’ll get a guided cellars walk plus a tasting of two glasses, which is a great start because it wakes up your palate before the heavier tasting options later in the day.
Why Ruinart is a strong opener
A lot of Champagne days start with a blur of tastings. Here, you begin with history and cellar context first, then taste. It helps you connect the words you hear during the tour with what you actually taste in the glass.
A practical timing note
You arrive in Reims in the late morning, and Ruinart takes up the earlier window. That’s a good setup because your cellar experience happens before lunch and before Veuve Clicquot’s later building blocks.
Reims Lunch Break and Cathedral Stop: See the City Without Losing the Day
After Ruinart, you get a lunch window in Reims, with about 1.5 hours of free time. You can go on your own, or the operator can make a restaurant reservation for you, which is a nice convenience when your day is already packed.
Then you have a self-guided visit to Reims Cathedral of Notre Dame (about 30 minutes). This is not a long sit-and-stare museum visit; it’s a quick, focused chance to see a landmark tied to French coronations.
How to make this part work
Because the overall day is structured tightly around tastings, keep lunch simple. Pick something you can finish without stress, and plan to arrive back on time for the Veuve Clicquot departure.
If you enjoy religious art and medieval architecture, you’ll like the cathedral stop. If you only want a quick glance, 30 minutes is enough to get your bearings.
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin: Guided Cellars and Pick Your Tasting Level
In the afternoon, the tour moves to Veuve Clicquot’s visitor experience at Ponsardin. The house dates back to 1772, and it’s one of the biggest producers—over 22 million bottles per year. That scale can sound like a factory tour, but the guided approach keeps it grounded in craft and method.
You’ll get a guided visit with the house staff, including time in UNESCO-listed cellars and tastings based on the option you choose. This is where your money turns into meaningful variation, because the tasting lineup changes depending on which level you select.
The main tasting options (and what they’re good for)
You have two included high-level options, plus two DeLuxe upgrades that can be requested.
Advanced: Une Seule Qualité (1.5 hours)
- Tasting of 4 cuvées:
- Brut Carte Jaune
- Extra Brut Extra Old
- Vintage 2015
- Vintage Rosé 2015
This one is ideal if you want breadth. Four different cuvées in a guided comparison helps you spot how style changes from one wine to the next.
Premium: Madame Clicquot (1.5 hours)
- Comparative tasting:
- Brut Yellow Label in Magnum
- La Grande Dame 2015
This works well if you’re already curious about house style and want a more focused contrast—especially with the Magnum format included.
DeLuxe add-on by request 1: L’art du vieillissement (2 hours)
- Comparative tasting of 4 cuvées:
- Vintage Brut 2015
- Vintage Brut Rosé 2015
- Vintage Brut 2002 in Magnum
- Cave Privée 1990
If you like aging and how time changes aroma and texture, this is the option that speaks most directly to that theme. It’s longer too, so it’s a strong choice for real wine nerds or serious gift-buyers.
DeLuxe add-on by request 2: La Grande Dame, la vitrine d’excellence de la Maison (4 hours)
- Includes vineyards and cellars visiting
- Tastings of 3 cuvées:
- Brut Carte Jaune
- La Grande Dame
- La Grande Dame Rosé
- Makes the whole trip about 1.5 hours longer
This is the pick if you want more than a tasting room visit. The vineyard component is the differentiator here, but it does mean a longer day.
A tip for choosing your option
If you’re unsure, think in terms of your goal:
- Want variety and lots of learning fast? Go Advanced.
- Want focus and a showcase comparison? Go Premium.
- Want aging and top-tier comparisons? Go L’art du vieillissement.
- Want vineyards plus a slower, deeper experience? Go La Grande Dame.
How the Day Flows (and Where Time Can Feel Tight)
This trip is long on paper: about 690 minutes (roughly 11.5 hours). But the structure helps. You get: an early departure, a guided morning cellar visit, a lunch break, a cathedral hit, then an afternoon guided house visit with tasting.
The drive from Paris to Reims takes about 2 hours, around 140 km, and part of it runs through Champagne country. There’s a rest stop along the way. That’s helpful because the day is wine-focused, and you’ll want to stay comfortable.
What you should know about the car rules
The tour doesn’t allow food in the vehicle, and alcohol isn’t allowed in the vehicle either. Bottled water is included, so hydrate during the ride. If you’re sensitive to travel-time nausea, plan for it ahead, since lunch is your main food anchor.
Price and Value: Is $808 Per Person Worth It?
At $808 per person, this is not a casual bargain. But it can still be a good value if you treat it as a “buy the experience, not just the transport” purchase.
Here’s why it can justify the cost:
- You’re getting two major guided Champagne house experiences with tastings—not just one.
- Ruinart includes guided cellars plus a 2-glass tasting.
- Veuve Clicquot includes a staff-guided tour and tastings tailored to your level (from 4-cuvée comparisons up to DeLuxe upgrades).
- You also get private Mercedes transport, hotel pick-up and drop-off, skip-the-line handling, and all fees and taxes.
What can reduce the value for some people is simple: lunch and drinks aren’t included. That means you’ll add your own spending on food. Still, if you plan lunch calmly (rather than grabbing whatever is quickest), it’s manageable.
Who gets the best deal here
This tour tends to fit best if you:
- Want Champagne houses you can’t easily visit in a half-day frame
- Prefer private transport and fewer logistics headaches
- Plan to buy bottles or pick a tasting option you’ll truly enjoy
- Want a giftable, “France by the glass” day with real context
If Ruinart Timing Shifts: The Backup Plan That Saves the Day
One thing I really like about this operator’s approach shows up in real-world situations. There’s an example where Ruinart’s timing got moved, and the response was quick and thoughtful rather than panicky.
In that case, the plan included additional complimentary Champagne tasting at a small winemaker, a church visit connected to Dom Pérignon, and a vineyard visit to keep the momentum. The operator also helped with a restaurant plan afterward.
That kind of flexibility matters on Champagne days, because you’re dealing with fixed tour slots. If your schedule needs adjustment, you’ll want a company that treats it as an opportunity to add value, not just a problem to absorb.
What to Pack and How to Prep for a Champagne Day
This isn’t an outdoor hiking tour, but it is a long day with tastings. A few practical choices make it smoother.
- Wear comfortable shoes for cellar steps and cathedral entry.
- Bring a light layer; cellars and churches can feel cooler than the surface.
- Don’t plan to eat in the vehicle; lunch and your own timing at Reims matter.
- If you’re selecting DeLuxe options (especially the 4-hour one), plan for a later finish and save energy for that extra tasting depth.
Also, remember the day is wine-centered. Even with a driver, pace yourself during tastings so you can enjoy the flavors instead of rushing through them.
Should You Book This Paris-to-Reims Champagne Tour?
I think this is a strong booking if you want a serious Champagne day with guided cellar time in two heavyweight houses and you value convenience. It’s especially worth it if you’ll choose one of the multi-cuvée tasting styles at Veuve Clicquot, because that’s where the day becomes more than just a tour—it becomes a structured tasting lesson.
Skip it (or reconsider) if $808 feels too steep for you, or if you don’t enjoy long structured tours with minimal free wandering. Also, if you’re the type who needs flexible meal planning without coordination, the no-meals-included setup might annoy you.
If you want an elegant, well-paced way to experience Reims—without the stress of driving or booking multiple separate tours—this Mercedes-run day from Paris is built for exactly that.
FAQ
FAQ
What time do you get picked up in Paris?
Hotel pick-up is at 07:30, with the driver meeting you at the hotel entrance or your Airbnb address.
How long is the tour?
The total duration is about 690 minutes (roughly 11.5 hours).
Is this a private tour?
Yes. It’s a private group experience.
What transportation is included?
You travel in a Mercedes E220 for 2–3 people or a Mercedes minivan for 3–7 people.
Do I get to skip the ticket line?
Yes, the tour includes skip-the-ticket-line handling.
What tastings are included at Ruinart?
At Ruinart, you get a guided cellars visit and a tasting of 2 glasses.
What are the included Veuve Clicquot tasting options?
Two options are included:
- Une Seule Qualité: 1.5 hours with tastings of 4 cuvées (Carte Jaune, Extra Brut Extra Old, Vintage 2015, Vintage Rosé 2015)
- Madame Clicquot: 1.5 hours comparative tasting (Brut Yellow Label in Magnum and La Grande Dame 2015)
DeLuxe options can be requested, including a longer 4-hour La Grande Dame option.
Is lunch included?
No. Meals and drinks are not included. Lunch is a free-time block in Reims, and you can also request a restaurant reservation.
What’s included besides tastings?
You also get a self-guided visit to Reims Cathedral, bottled water, and all fees and taxes.
What if the planned house visit timing isn’t available?
If a house visit isn’t available on your date, the operator offers an alternative in advance or a higher level experience. You can accept it or cancel free of charge.
