Reims

Reims (sometimes spelled "Rheims" in English), a city in northern France, is perhaps best known for its world legacy listed cathedral, where generations of French kings were crowned. It is also the largest city in the Champagne area and some the champagne cellars located in the city are likewise inscribed on the world legacy list.

ReimsGothic Church-01s - Gothic Church

Reims Halal Travel Guide

Reims and the home of champagne (the most celebrated and celebratory in the world), is the main city of the Champagne area. It is a charming city, and one that the French hold dear to their hearts. There stands one of the most beautiful buildings of the Middle Ages in Europe, one that is filled with history: almost all French kings were crowned there for about 1,000 years. Most of the old houses were destroyed during World War I, and the city was extensively rebuilt in the 1920s in an Art Deco style.

Reims, Épernay and Ay are the main places of champagne production. Many of the largest champagne producing houses, referred to as les grandes marques, have their head office in Reims. Most are open for champagne tasting and tours by appointment only. Champagne is aged in the many chalk caves and tunnels, some originating in the Roman period, located deep inside the ground.

The downtown is fairly small and easily walkable, with many streets for pedestrians only, mainly in the shopping area.

• Reims Touristic Office - 6 Rue Rockefeller 49.253132, 4.031635 - +33 3 26 77 45 00

Travel to Reims

Travel by train to Reims

Since the high speed train line has been opened, Reims is linked not only to Paris, but also to major cities in the nation: Lille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg... Charles de Gaulle Airport is only 30 minutes away and offers good connections to the South-East (Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice, Montpellier). Trains to cities other than Paris leave from the brand new Champagne-Ardenne TGV station, located just outside the city. This station is connected to the central station through bus and local train. When booking your ticket, check the station you'll be arriving to or leaving from as many people get mixed up and miss their train

Although one can get cheaper tickets if travelling on the regular train lines (with a change of trains in Épernay), it will take over 2 hours and one might get a much better deal buying a TGV ticket a few weeks in advance.

How to get around in Reims

While the centre is fairly compact and easy to get around by foot, if you want to go further afield then try the buses. They're very reliable, run regularly, and despite local complaints, good value at €1.55 to go anywhere. If you intend to use them a lot, buy a carnet of 10 tickets from bars, tabaco shops or newspaper shops. single tickets can be purchased on the bus but make sure you have the right amount. You can also buy day tickets which are interesting if you take the bus at least 4 times during the day Reims Public transportation website]

Taxis are reasonable (about €2 a mile) but you can't hail them and they have to be booked in advance, which can be difficult if your French isn't above conversational level.

With TGV a day trip to (or from) Paris is feasible (it takes 45 minutes). Be aware you have to book in advance, but at least you can do this in English online at / oui.sncf.com.

What to see in Reims

Basilique Saint-Remi de Reims 51 - Main altar of the Basilique Saint-Rémi de Reims

• Gothic Church - Notre-Dame de Reims - Place du Cardinal Luçon 49.253857, 4.03391 - The French equivalent, somewhat, for England's Westminster Abbey and the cathedral at Reims was the church in which numerous French monarchs were officially crowned. Reims is one of the later Gothic cathedrals and renowned for its height. There is a fine interior west facade with carvings of Biblical scenes; some fine 13c stained glass in the high windows of the nave and choir; and windows by Marc Chagall (in the eastern chapel) and the two local artists Jacques and Brigitte Simon. The south transept window by Jacques Simon shows themes linked with champagne including a portrait of the monk who invented it, Dom Perignon.

• Palace of Tau - 2 Place du Cardinal Luçon 49.253437, 4.034792 - Was the archbishop's palace and retains a 13c Palatine chapel.

• Porte de Mars - Place de la République 49.260607, 4.030026 A large late-Roman period triumphal arch.

• Hotel de la Salle 4 Rue de l'Arbalète 49.256713, 4.032352 A fine Renaissance mansion.

• Hotel des Contes de Champagne - Is a fine Gothic merchant's house.

• Town Hall Place de l'Hôtel de ville 49.258194, 4.031548 - Dates from the 17th century. Behind it on the right is a fine art nouveau building originally for Mumm champagne, with mosaics showing the champagne making process.

• Saint-Remi Basilica Rue Saint-Julien 49.243130, 4.042079 A Romanesque church some way south of the centre of town.

• Museum of Fine Arts - Musée des Beaux-Arts | 8 Rue Chanzy 49.253068, 4.030802 - +33 3 26 35 36 00 | Opening Hours: Tuesday closed

Best things to do in Reims

• The many champagne houses and the chalk caves that are used to store and age the champagne can in most cases be visited. Most of the houses have several guided tours throughout the day in a variety of languages for a small fee, which usually includes a sample at the end of the tour. It is a good idea to call ahead to ensure that you don't miss the tour you are interested in.

• Veuve Cliquot - Web:
• Piper Heidsieck - Web:
• Taittinger
• Pommery
• Ruinart -

Reims has a number of great museums, in particular the Musee de Beaux Arts and the War Museum, but as they all cost, visiting soon eats into your budget. The best thing about Reims is there is always something going on for free.

The best by far is the Christmas Fair which fills the Place d'Erlon with a huge number of specialist stalls, great for pre-Christmas shopping.

If you like classic cars, this is a mecca.

For the kids in the summer and the traders set up a free, supervised area in the Place d'Erlon, it even has some English speaking guardians.

For a cheaper time, head down to the Place de la Republique early on a Saturday morning (7am -1 pm) to look around the market, fish, Meat, Cheese and bric a brac at reasonable prices, unless they realise you're a tourist! If you don't feel like shopping, just wander about and soak up the atmosphere.

Reims has a vibrant theatre life. There is the main Theatre (Opera and Culture), La Comedie (20th century drama and film art), and further out the centre, La Cartonnerie (alternative, performance and music acts). It also has the Opera cinema which plays English language films, which one should note are marked V.O. on the board outside.

There is a free listing guide available in most bars and supermarkets called 'Sortie' which comes out on Thursday, which lists all the live gigs and cinema times.

• La Vigne du Roy - ☎ +33 6 31 86 59 23 - Varies - Private/Semi-Private tours of the Champagne region. They offer Half Day, Full Day or Multiple Day Tours that will enable you to discover the Champagne region and its makers in a relaxed and friendly environment.
  They focus is high quality boutique Wineries in mostly Grand and Premier Cru Villages. They provide tours of the vineyards and Cafes and offer comparative tastings of different styles of Champagnes that are made by these artistic makers. Wednesday present the entire process of creating Champagne and the culture and history behind it. They also host lunches with Champagne at a fruit cocktailry with traditional food from local farmers.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Reims

Reims has all the usual stores you'd expect in any major town. The Galeries Lafayette has menswear, womenswear, kidswear and a food hall downstairs, which sells English food at exorbitant prices if you feel homesick.

There is a small shopping centre, Espace d'Erlon, which has a Monoprix downstairs, not a bad bet to buy your Champagne at prices that aren't inflated as they are in some tourist shops. It also has a FNAC (the French equivalent of HMV) which sells CDs/ DVDs/ and Books, including English ones.

There are two cellars facing the cathedral, both of which sell a wide variety of champagnes at pretty much the same price as the maisons themselves, sometimes cheaper.

If you feel the need to buy English or American newspapers and there is a news stand opposite the Gluepot (the English Pub) on the Place d'Erlon. The guy who runs it is extremely good fun and revels in the chance of speaking English.

Halal Restaurants in Reims

The Place d'Erlon is the near beating heart of the city (It's not exactly a hotbed of activity!) . There are many great places to eat here from affordable Burgers bars (Q, a Belgian McD's) to Anglo-Irish bars, to the expensive, but very good Brasserie Flo, on the junction near the station. If you go around the junction onto Boulevard Foch you will find some good mid-price eateries. The restaurant in the Hotel d'Univers is supposed to be very good, according to my local friends, but looks very intimidating from the outside. The Cote, nearer the square, is cheaper and is just as good for food. The real gem worth finding is the Aux Coteaux, mainly a pizzeria but with some nice mains as well.

If you are up by the Theatre there's quite a nice affordable Chinese cafe opposite, and next to the only McDonalds in the centre of town.

There is only one Indian restaurant in town and the Taj Mahal, on the Rue de Vesle. reasonable value, reasonable food, but Gandhi is hardly going to rise from his grave to eat there. If you go further down the Rue de Vesle you come to the Place d'Erlon. The Irish pub, The Kilberry, does food, I'm saying no more. Pizzerias here are a lot cheaper than the centre of town. All seem to charge a flat rate of E4.50 for a large pizza and the Mexicanne at the Calabraise could easily pass for Pizzas Express' American Hot. They also do good mains as well. If you can't find it try the Dolce Vitae, opposite the Taj Mahal.

For better ethnic food look down the road at the side of the Opera cinema for a selection of good, cheaper, French and Ethnic restaurants (Chinese, Mexican and French). Matsuri, a small Japanese restaurant and is located next to the side entrance of Monoprix.

Real top end recommendations say if you've just sold your granny for cash try the Hotel National at the station end corner of the Place d'Erlon.

Another option is to buy a baguette at one of the many patisseries and sit by one of the fountains and watch the world go by. If this is your option try the Petit Fours, a small kiosk off the Place d'Erlon, past the Opera cinema and across the lights, it's bright yellow, you can't miss it!

• Brasserie Flo 96 Place Drouet d'Erlon 49.257446, 4.026295 - +33 3 26 91 40 50
• L'Edito - 80 Place Drouet d'Erlon 49.256626, 4.026411 - +33 3 26 40 33 06
• Aux Coteaux - 86 Place Drouet d'Erlon 49.256917, 4.026352 - +33 3 26 47 08 79
• Café de la Paix - home 25 Place Drouet d'Erlon ☎ +33 3 26 47 00 45 -

Champagne of course !

Place de Stalingrad- There are two great places here, The Kilberry and Stalingrad. The Kilberry, an Irish pub, is where all the French drink. It's a lot cheaper than in the centre and, to my mind, has a better atmosphere. It also has lots of free music and good promotions. The manager, Mike, is generally friendly and the staff and local residents are very friendly. Definitely one to watch the Rugby in. For the quieter drink, try the Stalingrad on the junction. It's a traditional French Tabac, has limited food at lunchtime. The owner, Patrick, is an English speaking Jazz fan and there is normally live Jazz upstairs on a Thursday night.

Place d'Erlon- The main street in town is home to some excellent establishments. Cochon A Plumes and the Gin Pamp are two of the few places that have happy hours. Gin Pamp, being the less expensive of the two, is typically more crowded; it also sometimes offers live music. The Cochon A Plumes, however, offers an excellent atmosphere. Other options include the sheesha lounge Les 3 Brasseurs, L'Apostrophe, The Shirlock Pub (where the servers wear kilts) and the James Joyce, and The Gluepot.

Interested in staying out a little later? Try the LBee (complete with a small dance floor) or La Bodega! Both close around 3am. After that you will need to go to one of the few night clubs in town.

If you venture as far as the Porte de Mars, nip across to the Bar d'Anvers, across the Place de Republique, nothing out of the ordinary, but you may get involved in an interesting conversation, if you speak French and sit at the café.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Reims

Reims - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Reims, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Reims. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Reims and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Reims. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Reims. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations inReims: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Reims.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Reims: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Reims, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Reims.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Reims, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Reims, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Reims and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Reims, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Reims, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Reims without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Reims is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Reims.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Reims is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Reims, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Reims Media: info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

• Best Western Hôtel de la Paix - 9 Rue Buirette 49.254767, 4.026507 - +33 3 26 40 04 08
• Holiday Inn Garden Court - 46 Rue Buirette 49.254375, 4.024417 - +33 3 26 78 99 99 - Reasonable sized rooms but a little aged. Good breakfast selection in top floor restaurant. Underground parking

• Ibis - 21 Boulevard Paul Doumer 49.24976, 4.025511 - +33 3 26 79 88 50 - (Was Express by Holiday Inn). Secure outside parking.

• C.I.S - CIS de Champagne - 21 Chaussée Bocquaine 49.24931, 4.02162 - +33 3 26 40 52 60A basic hostel for backpackers with communal kitchen and showers. It's affordable and clean, but can get noisy if large groups are in. Non smoking and no booze is allowed.

• Appart'City Reims Centre - Appart Hôtel | 33 Rue Ponsardin - +33 3 10 73 10 70 Check-in: 3 PM / Check-out: 11 AM

Reasonably priced hotels off the Place d'Erlon include Grand Hotel du North and Hotel Cristal. Most of these hotels have a reasonably priced deal with the underground vehicle park in Place d'Erlon, but remember to ask for a ticket at entrance to the vehicle park and don't use your credit card, or you will end up paying twice.

The cheapest place to stay in the Place d'Erlon is the Hotel Victoria. It's family run by the Camus and has been since the war. Don't be put off by the gaudy placards outside, or the cramped bar/ reception and the rooms are large, clean, en-suite and all come with TV (French), an added advantage is free wi-fi in the restaurant/reception. The bar is also the cheapest place to drink in the Place d'Erlon.

Travel Next

Fancy something different and there's a big ballooning scene around here, so if you want more information contact the tourist office.

Paris by bus. €9 / 2h30m

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