Hotels in Épernay

Épernay is a small town on the Marne with one overwhelming reason to visit: it is the self-styled capital of Champagne, and the Avenue de Champagne makes the case, lined with the grand mansions of houses like Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët and Pol Roger. Beneath those façades run miles of chalk cellars where millions of bottles age, and touring them, with a tasting at the end, is the whole point of coming. The avenue and its cellars are part of the UNESCO-listed Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars, and the surrounding vineyard villages of the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims make easy day trips.

Beyond champagne there isn't much here, the town centre is pleasant rather than beautiful, evenings are quiet, and Reims, a short train ride away, has the cathedral and the bigger restaurant scene. With only a modest number of hotels, rooms go quickly around the autumn harvest and on weekends. Stay in the centre near the Avenue de Champagne so you can walk between cellar tours and taste without needing to drive.