Getting Around Reims: An Overview
Reims is a compact, largely flat city, and its historic core is easy to explore on foot. For anything beyond the centre — the outlying Champagne houses, the TGV station, or a distant hotel — the city has a modern and reliable public transport network, supplemented by taxis, ride-hailing, and a bike-share scheme. This guide covers the main options a visitor is likely to use.
Walking the City Centre
The heart of Reims is pedestrian-friendly and rewards exploration on foot. The Cathedral, the Palace of Tau, Place Drouet d'Erlon, and the main shopping streets around Rue de Vesle are all within a short walk of one another, and several of these streets are pedestrianised or have wide sidewalks. For most visitors, walking will cover the main sights comfortably.
If you want more structure, the Reims Tourist Office provides free city maps and self-guided itineraries, and runs guided walking tours covering history, Art Deco, and Champagne themes.
Trams
The tram is the backbone of the public transport network, branded Grand Reims Mobilités and operating under the CITURA name. Two modern tram lines, A and B, share a central trunk through the city centre — passing the Opera and Cathedral areas — before diverging at the southern end.
- Line B is the one visitors arriving by high-speed train will most likely use: it connects the out-of-town Champagne-Ardenne TGV station in Bezannes to the city centre in around twenty minutes.
- Trams run frequently during peak daytime hours, with a reduced evening frequency.
- Vehicles are low-floor and accessible, with ramped platform access at stations and spaces for wheelchairs and large bags.
- Most routes converge at Gare Centre, the primary railway station near the pedestrian zone, which serves as the main interchange between trams and buses.
Buses and the CityBus Shuttle
Buses complement the trams and extend coverage to surrounding neighbourhoods, including some of the Champagne houses. The network includes a set of "Lignes Fortes" (Strong Lines) with the most consistent service, and most routes operate from early morning until around 21:00, after which an evening network takes over.
For sightseeing, the CityBus is particularly useful: a small electric shuttle that loops the city centre every ten to fifteen minutes. It connects the Cathedral, Saint-Remi Basilica, the Pommery and Taittinger cellars, Veuve Clicquot, and the Museum of the Surrender, and it can navigate the narrow streets that larger buses cannot enter. It runs daily, with a reduced schedule on Sundays and public holidays, and standard CITURA tickets are valid on board.
There is also a hop-on-hop-off Reims City Tour bus covering the major city sights, and organised day excursions to Champagne vineyards and houses if you prefer a guided option.
Tickets and Passes
Reims uses a single ticketing system across trams, buses, and the CityBus shuttle, which makes transferring straightforward.
- Open payment: you can tap a contactless credit card or smartphone on the validator, which automatically charges a single fare.
- Single ticket: valid for one hour with transfers between tram, bus, and CityBus. You must re-tap on each vehicle you board.
- Day and multi-day passes: a 24-hour pass pays off after roughly three rides, and 48- and 72-hour versions are also available. Passes activate from first validation, not from purchase.
- Carnet: a pack of ten single trips loaded onto one card is the cheapest option for couples or small groups.
- Children under four travel free.
- Tickets must be validated on every boarding, even mid-transfer. Failing to validate can result in a fine.
Ticket machines at tram stops accept cash and cards and also serve bus passengers. Note that bus drivers generally do not sell tickets on board, so you should have a valid pass before boarding. Single tickets can sometimes be bought on the bus, but you will need the exact change. Carnets and passes are also available from bars, tobacco shops, newspaper shops, and CITURA agencies.
Evening and On-Demand Services
Public transport in Reims does not stop entirely at night. The Noctambus runs on specific routes overnight, with stops marked by a moon icon — useful during the Christmas market season. For the wider Grand Reims area, a Transport à la Demande (on-demand shared shuttle) connects designated stops to major transit hubs and must be booked in advance, ideally at least an hour ahead, by app or phone.
Navigation and Accessibility
The official CITURA app offers live arrival times, service alerts, digital ticket purchase, and an interactive map. The Transit app is also integrated with Reims data for step-by-step navigation, and Google Maps gives reliable routing, though it is less accurate for real-time delays and detours. Free Wi-Fi is available at stations, and signage at major hubs includes English translations.
Modern trams have level boarding, and the network works toward accessibility more broadly. Many government buildings and attractions have been renovated for accessibility, though older Champagne cellars can be challenging — it is worth contacting individual houses in advance. The Tourist Office provides accessibility information and resources.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Licensed taxis are identifiable by a roof "Taxi" sign and an interior meter. You cannot hail them on the street; they must be booked in advance or found at designated stands such as Reims Centre station and Place Drouet d'Erlon. This can be awkward if your French is limited, so booking ahead is advisable — particularly for early-morning departures or late-night arrivals when public transport is less frequent. Fares are reasonable, with surcharges for luggage and night rates, and both cash and cards are generally accepted (confirm with the driver). Wheelchair-friendly cabs can be pre-booked through local taxi companies.
Uber and Bolt both operate in Reims, though availability can fluctuate.
Cycling
Reims has a self-service electric bike-share scheme called Zébullo, with docking stations around the city unlocked via an app. There are also marked cycle routes in the city, including the car-free Coulée Verte greenway, and private shops rent bikes by the half-day, full day, or longer — including for vineyard cycling. If you head into the vineyards, watch for tractors and delivery vans on the rural roads.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Reims does not have its own airport, so arrivals come through one of several nearby airports.
- Paris Charles de Gaulle is the most convenient option. It is typically about thirty minutes from Reims by high-speed TGV to the Champagne-Ardenne TGV station, which is then connected to the city centre by tram and local train.
- Paris Beauvais is within driving distance, roughly two hours away.
- Châlons Vatry is also within driving distance, roughly forty-five to sixty minutes away.
Arriving by Train: Which Station?
Reims is well connected by high-speed rail, with links not only to Paris but also to Lille, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Strasbourg, among other cities. Charles de Gaulle Airport is a short TGV ride away and offers good connections from the South-East, including Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice, and Montpellier.
One important practical point: trains from cities other than Paris arrive at the Champagne-Ardenne TGV station, which sits just outside the city in Bezannes. That station is connected to the central station by bus and local train, and the tram brings you into the city centre. When booking, check carefully which station you will arrive at or depart from, as travellers frequently mix them up and miss their train.
Reims Centre station handles regional TER services and direct trains to and from Paris-Est. A day trip to or from Paris by TGV takes about forty-five minutes, but you must book in advance — something you can do in English online. Cheaper tickets are sometimes available on the regular lines with a change in Épernay, but that journey takes over two hours, so a TGV ticket bought a few weeks ahead is often the better deal.
Practical Tips
- Validate your ticket on every boarding to avoid fines.
- A day pass is worthwhile if you plan more than two or three rides in a day.
- Walking plus public transport is usually sufficient for exploring the city; a rental car is mainly useful for touring the wider region.
- For Champagne tours, book private transport or an organised bus tour, or use a bike for flexible vineyard access.
- A physical road map of the Champagne region is useful where GPS signal is weak.
- Take the usual precautions against pickpocketing on public transport, and be cautious in poorly lit areas at night.
- Check for seasonal line closures during local festivals.