Uber’s New Champagne Tour Is A Bubbly Escape From Paris For Only €200
As if you needed another reason to visit France this summer.
Over the past couple of months, nearly every person I follow on Instagram has gone to Europe (mostly because they scored Eras Tour tickets across the Atlantic, but there have definitely been others as well). With the Paris Olympics coming up in July, plus the return of Netflix’s Emily in Paris the following month, it’s only the beginning of IG’s seasonal Euro-fication.
I’m also guilty of this. At the end of May, I traveled to Paris to get a first-hand experience of Uber Bubbles, an all-new day trip excursion to France’s Champagne region that will be bookable to everyone in Paris via the Uber app starting Saturday, June 1. The tours are available every Friday and Saturday, from June 7 to Aug. 17.
The all-inclusive trip includes a ride from Paris to the Champagne region (and back!), plus tastings at two different champagne maisons, or houses: one will include a top-tier lunch at Perrier-Jouët’s Cellier Belle Époque; the other, a cellar tour at Maison G.H. Mumm.
Whether you’re in it for the champagne and food, the gorgeous views of the French countryside, or the brief escape from the chaos of the city — or all three — consider this a cure-all for any jet-lag-induced ennui.
The silver (or gold or bronze) lining: It costs a flat fee of €200 (~$218) total. Since each Uber Bubbles reservation can accommodate a maximum of four people, your grand total could be as low as €50 (~$55) per person. Plus, with Uber Reserve, there’s some flexibility. You can book up to 75 days in advance or opt for a last-minute trip 24 hours ahead of time — as long as there’s still availability.
I Tried The New Uber Bubbles Experience & It’s Luxe
The Uber Bubbles experience starts in Paris, where a Tesla picks you up from your choice location in the morning. (The cars all have huge Uber Bubbles stickers on them, so you can’t miss ‘em.)
Sit back and relax for your two-ish hour journey to the town of Épernay, where you’ll stop at Perrier-Jouët’s Cellier Belle Époque to taste three cuvées and enjoy lunch — and I mean *enjoy*. The menu was full of light bites, paired perfectly with champagne.
My personal favorite was the marinated salmon with cucumber and almond cream, paired with Perrier-Jouët’s Blason Rosé. (JSYK, the seasonal menu will have different offerings for the summer. Fear not, the French know how to cook, summer or spring.)
Épernay is also home to the famous Avenue de Champagne, a street full of gorgeous champagne maisons, perfect for any IG photoshoot. (You’re in France — might as well!) Your driver will be with you the whole day, so you don’t have to stress about leaving your bags in the car or missing a pickup window. In other words, feel free to pose and post to your heart’s content.
Following your lunch, your driver will drive you about 45 minutes to Maison G.H. Mumm in Reims for a cellar tour, where you’ll learn about the champagne-making process and the history of Mumm — plus, their plans to pop champagne in space. (Turns out, bubbles are tricky when there’s no gravity, but they’re working on it.)
The tour is the perfect dose of info to make you feel smart, even when you’re three glasses of champagne deep. It was a bit like an episode of The Magic School Bus, but a 21+ version. For example, did you know that each cork needs to twist six times? Or that the bottles have to be rotated at specific angles for the process to work? Or that the bottles are all stacked like a very shatter-prone game of Jenga? Now you do!
Post-your trip underground, you’ll have a Cordon Rouge tasting, a perfect toast to your day in the Champagne region before your Uber driver takes you back to Paris just in time for watching the sun set over the Seine. You can stay in the region for longer if you prefer (maybe even plan a visit to Reims’ famous cathedral), you just will have to find your own way back to Paris — or wherever you’re headed next.
TLDR; If you’re joining the masses in traveling to France this season, you might as well break up your summer Euro trip with some bubbles and fresh air. More than 15 million people are expected to visit Paris this summer (30% higher than normal), so a tastefully boozy day away from the crowds is ideal.
You Can Book Uber Bubbles All Summer Long
Booking is simple. Just enter the Uber app and click the Uber Bubbles icon. Choose any available date through Aug. 17, enter your pick-up and drop-off preferences, and hit reserve. Once you receive your confirmation email, you should be good to go — just make sure to read the whole thing. Completing a Google form ensures the maisons will be prepped for your visit (especially if you have any dietary restrictions).
Let’s be real, Paris is hard to beat. The architecture, museums, and restaurants are next level. Still, over the course of my six-day trip to France, the best moments (food, drink, photos, and more) happened in the Champagne region — and all my insufferable IG Stories are proof.
