Trip ideas · Champagne and Burgundy wine country
Champagne and Burgundy wine country: a One-Week Road Trip From the Low Countries or Paris
Best in November and December, also good in September and October
From Paris and back: seven nights, 913 km, the longest day about 3 h 55 at the wheel. Driving costs €110–€190 + 3 tolls not priced.
166th Hospices de Beaune wine auction weekend (tastings across Beaune): Third Sunday of November: auction Sunday 15 November 2026; tastings 14–15 November 2026. 2027 not published. Watch for: Paris ZFE inside the A86 (start/end): Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars banned on weekdays; Crit'Air sticker required.
Use this route in my plan Your checklist for France: vignettes, zones, kit and dates.
Day by day
Kilometres and hours are motorway estimates between the cities named, without stops or traffic. Where you sleep in a smaller place nearby, the real place and its distance are given.
Day 1
Paris → Reims 149 km · about 2 h driving
Champagne-house city with the Notre-Dame cathedral; day trip to Épernay's Avenue de Champagne (about 30 km, approx). Source
Day 2
A day out from Reims No long drive
Day 3
Reims → Troyes 143 km · about 1 h 45 driving
Historic Champagne town with the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul cathedral. Source
Day 4
Troyes → Dijon 200 km · about 2 h 20 driving
Burgundy's capital, as its tourist office calls it, with the Saint-Bénigne cathedral and its Romanesque crypt. Source
Day 5
A day out from Dijon No long drive
Day 6
Dijon → Chalon-sur-Saône 76 km · about 1 h 05 driving
Beaune, the town of the Hospices de Beaune wine auction (third Sunday of November). Source The place itself: Beaune, about 30 km from chalon-sur-saone (approx).
Photo: James Lee / Unsplash Day 7
A day for Beaune No long drive
Day 8
Chalon-sur-Saône → Paris 345 km · about 3 h 55 driving, plus the way back from Beaune
Why go in November and December
- 166th Hospices de Beaune wine auction weekend (tastings across Beaune): Third Sunday of November: auction Sunday 15 November 2026; tastings 14–15 November 2026. 2027 not published.. Source
- Habits de Lumière in Épernay: illuminations, video-mapping and champagne bars on the Avenue de Champagne: 11, 12 and 13 December 2026. Source
- Reims Christmas market near the cathedral (about 145 chalets): Late November to late December; 2026 dates not published (official page shows only 2024: 27/11/2024–29/12/2024).. Source
What to watch for
- Paris ZFE inside the A86 (start/end): Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars banned on weekdays; Crit'Air sticker required (Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00 except public holidays; no fines until 31 Dec 2026, 2027 enforcement not stated). Source
- French winter-equipment rule (Loi Montagne): winter tyres or chains, but only in communes listed by each prefect inside mountain massifs. None of the route's stops is a known massif town, but the Côte-d'Or list was not checked. (1 November–31 March). Source
- Hospices auction weekend: events across Beaune; book the Beaune/Chalon nights early (14–15 November 2026). Source
What the week costs to drive
| Item | Cost | Worked out from |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel for 913 km | €101–€173 | Each country's average petrol and diesel price (week of 28 September 2026), 5 to 8 litres per 100 km. Fuel prices |
| Tolls | €13 | Paris–Reims A4 (Sanef, Coutevroult–Thillois) €12.60 Source |
| Driving the week | €110–€190 + 3 tolls not priced | Rounded to €10 |
Not included: Reims–Troyes A26 (Sanef) (operator); Troyes–Dijon A5/A31 (APRR) (operator); Chalon/Beaune–Paris A6 (APRR) (operator); hotels, food and parking. For your own car and exact days, use the trip cost calculator.
The rules on this route
Use this route in my plan to get every vignette, zone, kit rule and deadline for these countries in one checklist, with dates. The speed limits and sign words pages can then show only these countries.
Next on the road
Sources
- 166th Hospices de Beaune wine auction weekend (tastings across Beaune)
- Habits de Lumière in Épernay: illuminations, video-mapping and champagne bars on the Avenue de Champagne
- Reims Christmas market near the cathedral (about 145 chalets)
- Paris ZFE inside the A86 (start/end): Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars banned on weekdays; Crit'Air sticker required
- French winter-equipment rule (Loi Montagne): winter tyres or chains, but only in communes listed by each prefect inside mountain massifs. None of the route's stops is a known massif town, but the Côte-d'Or list was not checked.
- Paris–Reims A4 (Sanef, Coutevroult–Thillois)
- Troyes–Dijon A5/A31 (APRR)
- Champagne-house city with the Notre-Dame cathedral; day trip to Épernay's Avenue de Champagne (about 30 km, approx).
- Historic Champagne town with the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul cathedral.
- Burgundy's capital, as its tourist office calls it, with the Saint-Bénigne cathedral and its Romanesque crypt.
Dates and prices as published when checked. Events move: check the organiser's page before you book.