The main shopping district is around the cathedral. Nearby streets to browse are the long rue de Vesle, the cours Langlet, and place Drouet d'Erlon.
You'll want to include champagne on your shopping list. Many people opt to visit one of the major houses in town; others drive along the Routes du Champagne. This is where you'll find the smaller champagne makers. When you're making the rounds, know that most houses prefer that you take the tour and not just stop in the shop. If you do take the tour, you'll at least get a glass of bubbly at the end. Bottles are priced individually, but you can get discounts if you buy three or six bottles. If you're looking for a good deal, you may want to buy at a store in town, such as Le Marché aux Vins, Pérardel, 3 place Léon-Bourgeois (tel. 03-26-40-12-12). It stocks one of the most comprehensive inventories of champagne in Reims, with 150 types of bubbly from more than 100 companies. They include many superb brands for 15€ to 38€ ($22-$55) per bottle, which are virtually never advertised in North America. Excellent, lesser known brands include Deutz, Billecart Salmon, Henriot, Guy Charlemagne, and Erick de Sousa. Staff members speak English.
Another specialty is the light, delicious little pink cookie known as biscuit de Reims. The best place to find this treat is La Maison Fossier/Biscuits Fossier, 25 cours Langlet (tel. 03-26-47-59-84). For chocolate and candied specialties, try La Petite Friande, 15 cours Langlet (tel. 03-26-47-50-44), where you can purchase liqueur-filled chocolate champagne bubbles and corks.
Parc des Expositions (tel. 03-26-84-69-69), route de Châlons-en-Champagne (4km/2 1/2 miles east of Reims), plays host to a flea market the first Sunday of every month except July and August. On the first weekend of April, there's a huge "Euro" flea market, with more than 500 vendors, in the same location. The organization responsible for these events is Artcom/Puces de Reims, 82 rue Jacquart (tel. 03-26-02-04-06).
