Car Hire in Champagne Ardennes

A stunning region best known for being the home ofChampagne, the Champagne Ardenne region has so much to offer. Located in the north of the country, the region offers so much more than just bubbly, and is a great place to visit at any time of year.

With a number of castles, chateau, beautiful countryside and ancient churches there is so much to see. One of the best ways to visit everything the region has to offer is to hire a car, which enables you to drive through the countryside, stopping at the many historical villages and seeing the sites Champagne Ardennes has to offer.

The region only has one main airport, theVatryInternationalAirportis mainly used for freight travel, although Ryanair now fly in and out of the airport and call it the Paris Vatry (Disney) airport due to its proximity to Disney world. (still 65 miles away)

Things to do when you hire a car in the Champagne Ardennes Region

The Champagne region

The most popular reason to visit the area is to see the home ofChampagneand most visitors will not leave disappointed. The Champagne houses atEpernayare particularly good, and you will find a number of museums in the region, as well as places where you can taste differentChampagne.

Spread over 312 villages, the area in whichChampagnecan be produced was established by law in 1927, and only entails around 2.5% of vineyards in the whole country. With Pinot noir, Meunier and Chardonnay the only three grapes grown in the region the quality of the drink produced is exceptionally well controlled.

Reims

Located in the region and the capital city ofChampagne Ardennes,Reimsis a stunning Roman city which has become the ceremonial site for the crowing of the French monarchy.

The ceremonies are held at the Cathedral of Reims which is a beautiful place to visit. You should also visit the door toParis, and the Foujita Chapel, a Japanese designed building which has since been listed as a historical monument.

Langres

A historical town in the north of the region, Langres offers a huge array of art galleries, and is also best known for its walls, built to defend the city and over 2 miles long. The walls have seven gates and 12 defence towers making for a stunning site and a great walk.

Also worth seeing in Langres is the Cathedral of Saint Mammes, a 12th century building.

Epernay

A small town located in the centre of the region,Epernayhas some wonderful churches and chateau. The Chateau de Montmort, and the Chateau de Conde are both worth visiting, as are many of the restaurants in the centre of the town.