🇫🇷 Reims — Family Travel Guide

Country: France (Champagne)
Airport: Paris CDG / Paris Orly + TGV
Last Updated: May 2026

Overview

Reims is not a theme-park city, and it is not trying to be Paris. It is a compact Champagne-region base with one of France’s most spectacular cathedrals, royal coronation stories, Roman ruins, Art Deco rebuilding, parks, caves, biscuits and enough short, high-impact stops to make a very good one-night family break or an easy add-on to Paris.

For children, the hook is simple: kings were crowned here, angels smile from the cathedral walls, chalk cellars run under the city, and the surrounding vineyards look completely different from the French capital. For adults, Reims is a chance to do Champagne without turning the whole trip into a wine itinerary. The honest note: many famous Champagne house tours are parent-led experiences, so choose carefully and balance them with parks, the planetarium, the automobile museum or a biscuit stop.

Why families love it:

• Notre-Dame de Reims is genuinely jaw-dropping, even for church-fatigued kids
• The city centre is walkable, flat and quick to understand
• The Palais du Tau turns the cathedral into a king-and-crown story
• Champagne cellars add an underground adventure if you choose a family-tolerant tour
• Parks, the planetarium and the automobile museum give easy non-cathedral resets
• Fast trains from Paris make it realistic as an overnight or long day trip

⏰ Best Time to Visit with Kids

Pro tip: September is beautiful around the vineyards but can be busy and expensive because of harvest season. With children, May, June or early October is usually easier.

🚗 Getting Around

On foot
Central Reims is very walkable. The cathedral, Palais du Tau, Carnegie Library, Cryptoportique, Place Drouet d’Erlon, Halles du Boulingrin and Porte de Mars are all manageable in one family loop.

Tram and buses
Reims has a simple tram network. It is useful for the station, city centre and some outer stops, but most short-stay families can combine walking with the occasional taxi.

Train from Paris
The easiest route is TGV from Paris Gare de l’Est to Reims Centre, usually around 45 minutes. From Malta, fly into Paris CDG/ORY, then connect by train if the timings work. With tired children, consider one night in Reims rather than forcing a late return.

Car rental
Not needed inside Reims. Useful if you want the Montagne de Reims vineyards, Verzenay lighthouse, Faux de Verzy forest, Épernay or smaller Champagne villages.

👑 Cathedral, Kings & Old Reims

1. Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral ⭐

Reims cathedral is the reason to come. This is where most French kings were crowned, and the building has the scale to match: soaring Gothic vaults, stained glass, sculpted portals and the famous smiling angel on the facade. Children often respond better here than expected because the exterior is full of faces, monsters and story details they can hunt for.

• Age suitability: All ages; best 6+ for history context
• Time needed: 45–90 minutes
• Cost: Cathedral entry usually free; tower/special access varies
• Family note: Do the outside first. Give children a small mission: find the smiling angel, animals, crowns and battle damage.
• Pro tip: Morning light is lovely, but the facade glows near sunset. Pair it with Palais du Tau so the coronation story lands.

2. Palais du Tau

The former archbishop’s palace beside the cathedral explains the coronations: robes, sculptures, cathedral treasures and banqueting history. It is the right-sized museum for families — not huge, but it gives the cathedral a narrative beyond “big church”.

• Age suitability: Best 7+
• Time needed: 45–75 minutes
• Cost: Ticketed; check family/reduced rates
• Honest note: If your children are very young, you may get more value from the cathedral exterior plus a park stop.

3. Carnegie Library & Cathedral Quarter

The Carnegie Library is a gorgeous Art Deco building beside the cathedral, built after World War I destruction with American support. It is a short stop rather than a major attraction, but the reading room and mosaics are worth a peek if open.

• Age suitability: Best 8+ and quiet kids
• Time needed: 15–30 minutes
• Cost: Usually free to enter public areas
• Pro tip: Treat it as a calm architectural snack between the cathedral and lunch.

4. Cryptoportique and Place du Forum

Under Place du Forum are the remains of a Roman cryptoporticus — covered galleries from ancient Durocortorum, one of Roman Gaul’s important cities. Openings can be seasonal or limited, but even the square works as a good Roman-history anchor.

• Age suitability: Best 7+
• Time needed: 20–45 minutes when open
• Cost: Often free/low-cost depending on access
• Honest note: Check opening before promising it; this is not always a guaranteed walk-in sight.

5. Porte de Mars

A large Roman triumphal arch near the station edge of the centre. It is free, quick and useful with children because you can see the Roman story without a museum commitment.

• Age suitability: All ages
• Time needed: 10–20 minutes
• Cost: Free exterior stop

🔭 Museums, Parks & Kid Resets

6. Planetarium de Reims

The planetarium is one of Reims’ best child-specific stops, especially on wet days or if you need a break from stone buildings. Shows are usually in French, but the dome experience still works for astronomy-curious kids.

• Age suitability: Best 5+
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours
• Cost: Ticketed, generally good value
• Pro tip: Check the programme language and age suitability before building the day around it.

7. Musée Automobile Reims Champagne

A classic car museum with old racing cars, motorbikes, pedal cars and motoring memorabilia. It is not slick and ultra-modern, but vehicle-loving children may enjoy it more than another history museum.

• Age suitability: Best 4–12 for vehicle fans
• Time needed: 1–1.5 hours
• Cost: Ticketed
• Family note: A useful bargaining chip after the cathedral: “kings first, cars after.”

8. Parc de Champagne

A large leafy park on the south-east side of the city, close to several Champagne houses. It gives children space to run after tours or museums and works well as a picnic reset.

• Age suitability: All ages
• Time needed: 45 minutes–2 hours
• Cost: Free
• Pro tip: Combine with Pommery or the Saint-Remi area rather than crossing town twice.

9. Parc de la Patte d’Oie

Central green space close to the station and Place Drouet d’Erlon. It is not a destination park, but it is handy for stroller naps, snacks and a low-pressure pause.

• Age suitability: All ages
• Time needed: 20–60 minutes
• Cost: Free

🍾 Champagne Without Making It Weird With Kids

10. Champagne Pommery

Pommery is one of the better Reims cellar options for families because the estate is visually memorable: grand buildings, deep chalk cellars, long staircases and contemporary art installations underground. The tasting is for adults, obviously, but the cellar setting can feel like an adventure for older children.

• Age suitability: Best 7+; not ideal for toddlers
• Time needed: 1.5–2 hours
• Cost: Ticketed tours; book ahead
• Honest note: Champagne tours are still adult activities. Do one excellent cellar, not three.
• Pro tip: Bring layers — the cellars are cool even in summer.

11. Halles du Boulingrin

Reims’ Art Deco covered market is the easiest food culture stop with kids. Go for picnic supplies, cheese, fruit, bread and a look at local life rather than a formal market lesson.

• Age suitability: All ages
• Time needed: 30–60 minutes
• Cost: Free entry; food extra
• Pro tip: Check opening days. Markets are best in the morning.

12. Maison Fossier biscuit stop

Reims is famous for biscuits roses de Reims — pink biscuits traditionally dipped in Champagne but perfectly acceptable as a child-friendly souvenir without the Champagne. A Fossier shop stop is a simple, memorable local treat.

• Age suitability: All ages
• Time needed: 15–30 minutes
• Cost: Souvenir/snack prices

🍽️ Food Experiences for Families

Reims is a good food city if you keep expectations practical. Around Place Drouet d’Erlon you will find easy brasseries, burgers, crêpes and cafés. Around Boulingrin, food becomes more local and market-driven. Families should aim for lunch as the main proper meal, then use bakeries, market snacks or a simple brasserie dinner if children fade early.

Good family food ideas:

• Halles du Boulingrin for picnic supplies and a low-pressure food wander
• Café du Palais for a characterful central meal near the cathedral
• Brasserie Excelsior for a classic station-side brasserie experience
• Sacré Burger when children need a predictable reset
• Maison Fossier for pink biscuits to take home
• Au Petit Comptoir or L’Alambic for parent-friendly French cooking with older children

Honest note: Reims restaurants can feel adult and wine-focused at dinner. Book early slots, keep one familiar fallback, and do not plan a long tasting-menu meal after a cathedral-and-cellar day.

🌳 Day Trips & Champagne Country

13. Phare de Verzenay

A lighthouse in the vineyards sounds absurd, which is exactly why children remember it. The Verzenay lighthouse has a Champagne/vineyard museum and big views over the Montagne de Reims vines.

• Age suitability: Best 5+
• Time needed: 1–2 hours plus transport
• Cost: Ticketed museum/viewpoint
• Best with: A rental car or private driver

14. Faux de Verzy

A forest of strange twisted dwarf beech trees near Verzy. It is a good outdoor counterweight to Reims’ stone-and-cellar experiences.

• Age suitability: Best 4+
• Time needed: 1–2 hours
• Cost: Free trails
• Family note: Keep to marked paths; the trees are protected.

15. Épernay and Avenue de Champagne

Épernay is the other Champagne heavyweight, about 30 minutes by train or car. The Avenue de Champagne is grand and photogenic, but with kids it works best as a short wander plus lunch, not a second full day of cellar tours.

• Age suitability: All ages for town wandering; tours best 8+
• Time needed: Half day

16. Fort de la Pompelle

A World War I fort and museum outside Reims. It is powerful and worthwhile for families with older children studying the war, but too heavy for a casual toddler day.

• Age suitability: Best 10+
• Time needed: 1–2 hours
• Cost: Ticketed

💡 Practical Tips for Families

• Best length: 1 night / 2 days is ideal. A Paris day trip works, but it can feel rushed with children.
• Do not overdo Champagne houses: One cellar tour is enough for most families.
• Book ahead: Cathedral-adjacent restaurants and cellar tours fill in peak weekends and harvest season.
• Use the station location: Reims Centre station is close enough to walk into town, which makes train trips much easier.
• Pack layers for cellars: Underground Champagne caves stay cool year-round.
• Keep a park reset: Parc de Champagne or Patte d’Oie can save the day after museums.
• Sunday caution: Check restaurant and shop openings carefully; France still has closure surprises.

📋 Quick Reference: Activities at a Glance

✈️ Getting to Reims

There are no practical direct Malta-to-Reims flights. Treat Reims as a Paris-linked trip: fly Malta to Paris CDG or Orly, then take the train to Reims via Paris Gare de l’Est. The Paris–Reims TGV can take around 45 minutes, which makes the city realistic as a Champagne overnight after a few days in Paris.

For families, the smoothest plan is usually: arrive in Paris, sleep in Paris if the flight is late, then take a morning train to Reims. Do cathedral, lunch, Palais du Tau and a park on day one; do a cellar or museum on day two; return to Paris by late afternoon.