Champagne & Parisienne Christmas Markets

We catch the ferry over to Calais and continue to the Mercure Parc des Expositions in Reims.

Champagne & Parisienne Christmas Markets

After breakfast, we make our way to Épernay, the capital of France’s champagne-producing region. We visit the celebrated Mercier cellar for a tour and a tasting, discovering the emblematic blend of the Pinot Noir and Meunier grape varieties. In the afternoon, we rejoin the coach and head to Reims Christmas Market. Set against the backdrop of the magnificent Reims Cathedral, the market features over 140 wooden chalets offering a variety of seasonal treats, crafts and gifts. Wrap up warm and enjoy traditional French delicacies and seasonal treats such as as mulled wine, gingerbread and roasted chestnuts while exploring the charming stalls. There is time to have dinner at your leisure before returning to the hotel.

Champagne & Parisienne Christmas Markets

A special day in the French capital awaits. Paris Christmas Markets are always a magical experience, filled with festive cheer, twinkling lights and many tasty seasonal delights. There’s plenty of free time to soak up the atmosphere, or why not join us on an optional guided city tour to take in all the main sights? We are also treated to a Seine River Cruise, the perfect way to take in the iconic skyline. Later, enjoy an early dinner at your leisure before the coach picks us up to return to the hotel.

Champagne & Parisienne Christmas Markets

We check out of our hotel and head to Calais for our return ferry home, stopping en route in Arras for lunch at your leisure.

Cruise the River Seine for a front-row perspective on Paris. Glide beneath elegant arches past the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, circling the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame as quays and palaces unfurl from the water.

The UNESCO-listed riverbanks reveal Haussmann’s vision and centuries of civic life. Live or recorded commentary enriches the scene while the city’s reflections invite unhurried photographs.

Join a guided panoramic tour linking Paris’s icons into one narrative. Take in the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde and Opéra Garnier, connected by sweeping boulevards and ceremonial vistas.

On the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame, your guide traces medieval roots before continuing to Les Invalides and Montmartre. This experience is at additional cost (approx. £25 per person) and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Discover the Paris Christmas Markets, where garlands, carousels and chalet stalls animate grand squares and gardens. Warm your hands on vin chaud, taste raclette and nougat, and soak up the festive lights near the Tuileries Garden or at the modern esplanade of La Défense.

Artisans showcase toys, leather goods and winter accessories alongside regional treats. Expect landmark views and moments to sample seasonal treats between elegant Haussmann boulevards and riverside promenades.

Immerse yourself in festive Reims as you stroll the wooden chalets clustered by Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims). Sip vin chaud, try gingerbread and pink biscuits of Reims, and browse handcrafted ornaments and regional delicacies amid choirs, light displays and evergreen garlands.

This Gothic landmark — the coronation church of French kings — frames the market with the Smiling Angel and radiant stained glass. Pause for photos and reflection beneath soaring facades before exploring nearby squares and promenades.

Explore Épernay’s elegance as you visit the celebrated Mercier cellar on the Avenue de Champagne. Descend into cool chalk chambers to tour and taste among vaulted galleries. Learn how Pinot Noir and Meunier shape the house style before raising a flute to the region’s finesse.

Founded by Eugène Mercier in 1858, the house popularised Champagne with theatrical flair. UNESCO-listed crayères keep constant temperatures, intensifying aromas of brioche, citrus and orchard fruit during this atmospheric lesson in terroir.