One of the most enjoyable things you can do in Epernay is to take a ride in ‘Le Ballon d’Epernay’. The Epernay Balloon is often referred to locally as “Le Montgolfier”.
A long steel cable tethers The Epernay balloon to the ground by . A balloon pilot controls each flight.
The balloon ticket office is next to the large central carpark in Epernay, the location is easy to spot because of the huge light blue balloon. For an adult a ride costs €12.00 for a 15 minute flight, you can also book on-line to beat the summer queues. You can also pay an additional charge to drink a glass of champagne during the flight.
Once you’ve walked to the balloon, you enter a large circular metal cage attached to the bottom of the balloon. The balloon rises slowly to an impressive 150m above the city and you get truly spectacular views. You can see all the way up the Marne Valley to the west, down the Avenue de Champagne to the East, to the Montagne de Reims and Hautvillers to the north and to the south far into the Côtes des Blancs. The balloon slowly rotates so there is no need to walk about in the cage.
The balloon ride was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and we highly recommend you give it a try when you visit Epernay.