Reims

This nickname for Reims comes from the image of a smiling angel over the door Cathedral. I guess you could say that I've been living in Reims on an on/off basis for a while so I've come to know the place very well. Situated in the northern France, it is the heart of the Champagne industry. There are bubbly factories all over the city and along with the Cathedral they are the biggest tourist attractions. First of all, how to get there! Reims is easy to get to by car from Calais. If you don't have a car, the city is only one and a half hours from Paris- Gare de l'Est so even a day trip is possible. If you plan to stay in the region Reims ...

I visited Reims for a daytrip last summer. Although the city is not that great for things to do, it does have a lot of champagne cellars you can visit. Some of the more famous manufacturers include Moet Chandon and Veuve Cliquot. I visited the Mumm cellar and had a very interesting tour of the cellars including a free sample of the finest champagne. The city does have a few bars and clubs in case you fancy a bit of extra curricular drinking but on the whole the city is quiet at night. There are several good restaurants and cafes in the city and lots of shops but there are loads of tacky tourist shops which spoil the atmosphere a bit. The cathedral in ...

A last minute decision to take a break resulted in a trip to Rheims. A search on the net found us a ferry ticket for 3 days to France for just £25, next came the destination. My husband was adament he would not go anywhere near Paris & no further than 3hrs from Calais. The map was consulted & Rheims chosen purely on the basis that we had both heard of it. My poor little Fiat panda was about to embark on its first trip abroad. We set off bright & early on a Friday morning & braved the horrors of the M25 speeding our way towards France. Once on French soil our borrowed map of France became redundant Rheims was signposted from Calais on a motorway ( ...