Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Valentine did a great job in communicating with us in the mornings (as she is based in France). She picked beautiful boutique hotels with delicious breakfasts. We were very happy with her recommendations for tours and events to make our first visit to France incredibly memorable.

While in France, we felt like we were supported and in good hands if anything went awry (CDG strikes)

Lessons Learned:
- Pick half day excursions if you like to explore on your own. Full day tours are fantastic but although they don't last 12 hours it will fill up your day.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Lorette—Astotel

Paris

Clean rooms but shows its age. Floors are loud and shower is not setup for 2m tall Americans. Breakfast was delicious and front-desk service was incredibly helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

Updated rooms in great area of town. 0.4 miles to beach and 0.2 miles from the shopping/restaurant district. Number of michelin rated restaurants share the building with the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel CitizenM CDG

Roissy

Close proximity to airport! Decent food. Service top-notch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Montmartre Local Gastronomy Tour

Paris

Amazing food tour. History and patisserie cannot be beat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to the Provence area was planned pre-pandemic. Kim Kim worked with us to plan and
delay the trip until September 2022. Initially Stephen was our planner, but Valentine ultimately was our planner for this past year. We liked the detailed itinerary and especially appreciated the variety of experiences we requested : historical visits, art experiences, with a blending of market and food experiences. The balance of busy days with free time worked well for us, as we could be spontaneous too. We will always appreciate our guides - Julian, Sophie, Gilles and Clare! They were very prompt and patient with our questions! All of them took us to markets and explained the various foods to us as we sampled the best of Provence! A real special experience was going to Gilles' lovely home to cook a fantastic meal and of course, enjoy eating together. Our accommodations were excellent and we felt at home especially in St Remy and Ferme de Belugues! Our hosts, Spencer and Karen were the best!

Hotel Reviews

La Ferme des Bélugues

Le Barroux

We had the pleasure of staying at this restored farmhouse! Karen and Spencer greeted us and gave us a tour of the lovely B& B! Our stay of two nights was idyllic and we could have stayed longer! The rooms were cozy and comfortable - spacious as well. There is a dedicated living area for guests with beer and wine available to purchase. Every question was answered in their lovely British accents. Breakfasts were customized to order and were delicious. The pool area was first class lovely! The hotel is in a quaint setting on a road that also may host the Tour de France in certain years. Many bicyclists rode by enjoying the hills and valleys!

Authenticity & Character

The B& B was an actual farmhouse that has been updated!

Location

A quiet setting in a picturesque area!

Staff

Karen and Spencer were the best!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Totally clean and pure comfort in all areas!

Hôtel du Soleil & Spa 3*

St.-Remy-de-Provence

We were able to stay at this hotel right in the heart of St Remy de Provence for five beautiful days! We could walk to town and also to the Van Gogh walk exhibit - the location was perfect for our needs! Our room was small but very comfortable with a large tiled shower! The pool area was so convenient and we found time to relax there most days. The gracious concierge, Doris, answered our many questions! The breakfast area was outstanding with an array of items that varied and could only be described as fabulous!

Authenticity & Character

Charming all around!

Location

In the heart of St Remy!

Staff

Totally helpful and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean towels and room are important!

Activity Reviews

A Taste of Avignon

Avignon

Julian took us on a tour of Avignon market with too many tastings to remember!! He was witty and full of energy as he explained each food item to us. At the end, we had a lovely picnic in a food market with an array of food and wine that was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julian was excellent!

Cooking class, Provencal lunch and local market tour in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This experience included a visit to a winery and a wonderful cooking class with Gilles! He was very attentive and focused on the tour of the market and going to his home to cook was a highlight of our trip! He kept us busy with food preparation and the results were well worth it!

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Already said that Gilles was the guide and driver - super person all around!

Transport

The tour was excellent! But finding a place to park was a challenge!

Food & Market Tour in Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Sophie was prompt and took us all around the town market! It could have been confusing because there were so many vendors - but she took us to the heart of the market. The clothing and variety of items were truly off the charts!

Quality of Experience

This market was unique and all over town - therefore Sophie helped us navigate!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophie was patient and excellent - took time to answer questions!

Transport

She drove us to town and was most gracious!

Art, Architecture & Wine: A Provencal Journey at Chateau la Coste

Aix-en-Provence

This experience was a surprise! We expected to see a vineyard, of course - and that was lovely! The fields were lush with grapes and our tasting at the end was pure joy! The combination of art and architetcure tour was off the charts gorgeous! Chateau la Coste was full of surprises as the tour went into the mountainside and back to the winery.

Quality of Experience

The setting and the many works of art!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful

Lyon Food Tour: Halles Paul Bocuse & Old Town

Lyon

Our guide, Clare, made this experience a treasure! She was full of energy and information that she shared in a fun and meaningful manner! We toured the market area of Old Town and loved how Clare made everything fun. Our final experience at the Halles Paul Bocuse was delightful and could have been boring without Clare!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clare made it a super experience! She gave us an appreciation of Lyon and its' history!

Loved the citi d we visited and all of the tours that were set up. Only thing not great was the dinner pre arranged in Lyon..bad good and not great service. Besides that everything else was awesome!!

Would highly recommend to others

We landed at CDG and were met by our driver and taken to our first hotel. Having a driver lined up takes so much stress off the end of a long flight/ beginning of the vacation!
After an initial day free, we jumped into our first organized event, an e-bike tour called Paris Charms and Secrets. Tour guide Pierre was part artist, part historian and part actor - animated, passionate and interesting! From Paris we headed south on the train for Lyon, a city we loved and want to return to. A highlight of our stay there was the Lyon Traditional Food Tour with guide Semaan that was a foodie’s delight, but also a history lesson and walking tour of old Lyon rolled into one.
From Lyon we headed to Marsaille, again by train, and and a memorable Cassis and Bandol Wine tour. Our guide, Eric, was extremely knowledgeable and personable. We learned so much about wine and winemaking, met the families who owned the 3 vineyards we visited and heard the history of their operations. The countryside was exquisitely beautiful! We had a delicious lunch at a port side restaurant in Cassis, then rode to the top of a National (?) park that overlooked Marsaille. Amazing.
Our tours were all either private (just the two of us) or 8 or less. Perfect for getting around easily and for being able to ask questions and have the attention of the guide.
Our trip included transportation to and from CDG and train tickets for the inner France travel. With this arrangement we would advise making sure you know which train station you need to show up at (many cities have more than one) and (especially in Paris) where you need to be standing to board the train - they are very long and crowded trains and the stops are short: there isn’t time to figure anything out last minute.
Another consideration is transportation to/from train stations and to tours. Cabs are expensive and can add a considerable amount to your trip. The metro systems take a little time to figure out, but are a great way to go if your destination is too far to walk.
We chose to stay at smaller, boutique hotels and they were more than adequate.
Our trip was an abbreviated version of a longer trip planned and postponed due to the Covid pandemic. If we had it to do again, we would not try to pack visits to so many cities into 7 days.
We highly recommend KimKim if you want a tour, but not the “30-people wearing green scarves- following a flag” variety.

We had an incredible honeymoon, due largely to the expert planning and guidance of Valentine. I am an avid traveler and enjoy putting together adventurous itineraries. However, for this once-in-a-lifetime international endeavor, we're very happy we elicited the assistance of KimKim and local expert Valentine. We appreciated the attention to detail, prompt responses, and personalized experience. Over 7 total days, we spent 2 in Paris, took a train to Reims and spent 1 night, transferred back to CDG to hop down to Nice, and spent 2 days touring Cannes and Monaco. We stayed a bit off the beaten path on the Cote d'Azur in Theoule-sur-Mer which was absolutely beautiful, but you had to pay a hefty price to Uber back down to town. It was peaceful, the infinity pool was nearly private, and the hotel was home to a Michelin star restaurant - so it was wonderful for our honeymoon! Our favorite excursions were the bicycle tour in France, the Champagne tour, tasting, lunch, experience in Reims, and guided history tours of Cannes, Antibes, St Paul de Vance, and Monaco. 2 recommendations: First, we booked our own hotel in the 16th in Paris with Hilton points (free!) with a rooftop view of the Eiffel Tower. The general location was perfect for walking to everything. Second, we asked to leave one afternoon completely free of excursions to relax and enjoy each other's time. This turned out to be some of our best memories. Valentine did an exceptional job of listening to our wishes for the other hotel must-haves (balcony and view) and that really helped make the trip and experience feel very special. Of course, not everything always goes according to plan. Valentine provided us with both daytime and off-hours numbers, and we did utilize the off-hours number when our driver forgot to meet us at the train station. We got hold of someone right away and the issue was resolved promptly. Valentine also checked in with me later that day to make sure we were completely satisfied and enjoying our time. Overall, my new husband and I would definitely recommend KimKim and Valentine (local tour expert for France!) if you want help planning a special international vacation. Merci beaucoup Valentine!

Hotel Reviews

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tiara Yaktsa 5* - Relais & Chateaux

Théoule-sur-Mer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Hidden Paris Bicycle Tour

Paris

Aaron from Ireland was our guide and he was outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short day Family Growers & Lunch

Reims

Perrine was an absolute gem and incredibly knowledgeable. She's amazing and made the experience wonderful! Also, lunch was surprisingly comprehensive and delicious! Basically one of the best days ever.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in Reims

Reims

Half-Day Excursion to Cannes, Antibes & St Paul de Vence

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey into the Heart of the French Riviera: Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Tour de Mont Blanc trip we just returned from was really enjoyable.
Julien, who helped us plan the trip was great. Unfortunately he was not available when we replanned the tour after Covid. Julie who took over was initially not on top of the details, like who paid for airport pickups, what hotels we preferred and hiking pole loans. After some emailing back and forth we reached some agreements.
After we arrived in Chamonix Julie and Allibert Trekking responded immediately when we needed assistance. There was a mix up with a hotel reservation. They immediately found another better hotel and sent a Taxi for the transport. One of the hotels was an old **( it was clean and functional)
Some of the hotels were better than we expected. So overall we were satisfied. The MonRoadBook app. was great. We also got lots of written information from them.

Our trip to the south of France would not have been nearly as memorable, exciting, and stress-free had it not been for our local specialist, Lucie. During the planning process, Lucie was attentive to our desires, patient with our questions, and worked diligently to create a trip that was perfect for us. When we were in France, she was very communicative and helpful. She saved the day for us twice - once when we were late for a tour and again when we had a snafu with a hotel. There were many things that she planned for us that we would not have discovered ourselves - via ferrata in Verdon Canyon, a bike trip to one of the region's oldest wineries, and more. We are so grateful to her for creating this experience for us and have already highly recommended her services to friends.

Hotel Reviews

La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

This was a very nice, comfortable hotel in a great area of Nice. Our room was small, but comfortable and well equipped with a very comfortable bed. We loved the small touches, from the toiletries to the fridge in the room. The balcony overlooking the street was also lovely. We would stay here again if we found ourselves in Nice.

Authenticity & Character

It was a very basic hotel, character-wise. Not a lot of personality.

Location

Very walkable to notable places in the city.

Staff

All staff were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

VERY comfortable bed.

La Bastide De Tourtour & Spa Hôtel

Tourtour

This hotel was nothing short of spectacular. We stayed in one of the premier suites overlooking the mountains and it was absolutely worth the extra expense. I could not get enough of the view! The bed was very comfortable and the staff was excellent. We did not get a chance to have dinner in the restaurant, but really enjoyed our breakfasts. The pool was such a treat after a long day hiking through Verdon. The hotel is a short walk from the town, where there were many lovely little restaurants. It was a beautiful stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

This was a lovely little hotel, well located in Aix. Our room was a little dated, but quite comfortable. We enjoyed the breakfasts on the hotel's patio and appreciated the access to private parking. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. A great place to stay while in Aix!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

E-bike tour in Nice's seven hills, with wine tasting

France

This was our favorite experience of the whole trip! Our tour guide, Juan, was very welcoming and warm. We greatly enjoyed the ride up the hills and felt very safe with Juan's direction. The winery was absolutely lovely - we loved learning from the winemaker and experiencing the tasting with him! Finally, the picnic with our group was great fun. I only wish we had bought another bottle of wine. This was an incredible experience in Nice! Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day excursion to Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Nice

This tour was just okay. I believe that our guide was knowledgeable, but it was difficult to hear her commentary in the van with others talking. Also, since we were visiting 3 towns in only 4.5 hours, we really only had 30 minutes to explore each area. The time management seemed to be an issue through the entire experience. Our guide did a nice job, but we would probably skip this tour next time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Via Cordata in the Verdon Canyon

France

An absolutely incredible experience! One of our favorite things from our trip. This experience was challenging in the most fun way - we climbed, hiked, and swung from ropes in one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world. Our guide, Julien, was very fun and made us feel comfortable and safe. We were also very grateful to the team for waiting for us when we were running late. The flexibility was deeply appreciated. If you're on the fence about doing it - GO FOR IT!!! We absolutely loved it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art & architecture visit and wine tour at Château La Coste

France

We enjoyed the wine tasting experience at Chateau La Coste. I have been to many small wineries, but have never seen a facility with such a high level of production. It was interesting to learn about their process.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Market visit and Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This class is one of my favorite things that we did on our entire trip. Mathilde was so knowledgeable about the city's history and culinary culture. We loved learning about the local markets and tricks for knowing the best places to shop for ingredients. After tasting some delicious produce, cheese, and meat at the markets, we headed to her kitchen where we made the most delicious lunch! Our instruction was helpful and the dishes will be easy to recreate at home - we really appreciated the recipe print outs! This was an excellent experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall the trip was memorable and fun. We had many adventures thanks to Valentine, many we planned and many we did not. What was not planned we worked through. We made memories to last a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews

Roi de Sicile Rivoli

Paris

Great location in central Paris. Located in a pedestrian neighbourhood, lively during the day yet quiet at night.

Authenticity & Character

Spacious rooms. Great speak easy.

Location

Walkable to some sites and a short subway ride from others.

Staff

Helpful and courteous.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleanliness and sofa bed was comfortable for a sofa bed.

Hôtel Tardif Noble Guesthouse

Bayeux

Adored the facility and location. Detested the owners, in particular one who was extremely accusatory and aggressive over a misunderstanding that caused my son to cry.

Authenticity & Character

Courtyard in front, garden in back, and the swimming pool.

Location

Not on the Main Street.

Staff

Friendliness, being more welcoming, and relaxed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Saleya Boutique Hôtel

Nice

Great location in the old city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the beach and many restaurants.

Staff

Welcoming and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Paris Roissy Cdg Airport

Roissy-en-France

Authenticity & Character

Location

5 minute train ride to airport or train station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Résidence Nell Paris

Paris

Overall an enjoyable hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Vibrant during the day, loud at night.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

Great guide. Struggled with the theme.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

Paris

Fell in love with French gothic architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Montmartre Local Gastronomy Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided walking tour in the Old Bayeux

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

D-Day beaches - Canadian sector full day tour

France

A very memorable day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We adored Rose. She brought the trip to the next level.

Transport

We really enjoyed our experience planning our trip with KimKim and our rep Simon. We were thrilled with the collaboration to set up the trip and how Simon accomodated our requests and questions especially as it related to suitability for our children. It wasn’t a one time correspondence, but a good back and forth of ideas, suggestions and then a final plan.

Once we arrived it was such a breeze. Everything happened as it should and made our trip so enjoyable. Standout tours were Cedric with Normandy Excursions (he was really amazing keeping our children's attention!), Manuel at the Eiffel Tower, chocolate and pastry tours of Le Marias and Loire Valley wine.

We have already recommended kimkim to friends and will certainly use them again.

We had a wonderful trip, planned by Valentine. The service we received during the trip was superb, and very much appreciated. Our transfers were made on time and with good communication with us. The major contributor to the success of our trip was our wonderful guide, Olivia. Olivia was exceedingly helpful, gracious, flexible and knowledgeable. The heat this summer was an impediment; it was too hot to comfortably or safely do all that was planned. Olivia adapted. Our gite, with a view of Carcassonne was memorable, our unplanned tour of a Baroque church organ was a delight and a surprise, Mirepoix was charming, and the market in Toulouse was both beautiful and appetite satisfying. We were fortunate to have a wonderful cassoulet lunch in a beautiful garden, planned by Olivia. We all have many happy memories. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

La Tour Pinte

CARCASSONNE

What a great spot. Pierre’s place is comfortable and superbly located.

Authenticity & Character

THE VIEW, the neighborhood

Location

Staff

Pierre was helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

AIR CONDITIONING!

Villa du Taur

Toulouse

Authenticity & Character

Loved the protected courtyard

Location

Staff

The staff was informed and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and welcoming

Activity Reviews

Toulouse Bike Tour

Toulouse

It was a great way to unwind from international travel.

Day tour to Medieval Villages : Albi & Cordes sur Ciel

Toulouse

Food Tour in the Belly of Toulouse

Toulouse

Fun, informative and tasty!

Honestly can't say enough about using your services for this family trip! The tour guides were all amazing and so knowledgeable - Fabio in Paris, Ange for Versaille and Giverny, Francis for D-day trip, Auralee for Mont St. Michel, and Marion for Chambord and Chenonceau. Each one added an extra stop which was above and beyond. My husband had a knee injury prior to us going and all helped us get him around and made the trip possible with him needing a cane and knee brace.
Having the limos and taxis all on the spot to get us from trains and planes made the whole trip with 5 people so easy. We had a small glitch when returning to Paris meeting our limo but we communicated by phone and with the help of someone who spoke English and french. Right away someone from kim kim contacted me to make sure we had connected with our driver. Perhaps more specific meeting location at the train station could help.
The hotels selected were all wonderful, historic and comfortable. And the sweets left for us upon our return to Paris was a nice touch. The hotel staff was so excited to let us know we had something special waiting in our room.
I have been recommending your services to anyone I tell about the trip. When we plan another trip, I will definitely look to see if our destination is one that your services are available.

Having never been to the French Alps before, our KimKim specialist helped put together an itinerary that matched our interests and desire to be more active. The mountains of Chamonix are absolutely stunning and we very much enjoyed this mountain town that is easy to walk around for food, shopping, and staging our adventures without a rental car.

The two-day pass for the gondolas allowed us to quickly on day one enjoy the striking beauty of the mountains and how awe-inspiring the views are from high above. We loved seeing para-gliders dot the sky and appreciated the countless views we felt deserved a picture to capture the moment.

We were positively surprised by all the things to do and see at the top of Aiguille du Midi. And getting out to walk around the mid-station was a fantastic complement to being at the top. For my 13 and 15 year old children this part of the trip was one they loved the most.

We mountain biked with e-bikes as a family with four others (brothers) and our guide was very nice and good. It was a bit too long (mileage) for my wife and kids but we enjoyed everything we did and saw. The logistics weren't ideal: our meetup time moved up which we didn't see until it was right upon us (but we acted fast and made it) and the bus ride back from Houches was hot, very crowded and felt like over 30 minutes.

The hike with Yannik was amazing and he was fantastic. He took us a less-traveled way up to the glacial lake and offered a lot of information about the mountains, region and Chamonix. He helped us get extra water, let us borrow his hiking poles, and offered us his picnic food -- I would absolutely recommend him to anyone as a guide and hiking companion. Before the hike we were concerned it might be too ambitious since we aren't frequent hikers. Yannik coordinated with us to make it a little shorter by taking a lift up for the first part. From there it was a beautiful, long hike up to the lake and it was amazing. We hiked down and it ended up taking us to our limit physically getting to the bottom. He was always positive and was terrific. I didn't realize it would be as long of a day and I'd recommend for future hikers surveying them for expected timing, mileage and some way to figure out how to assess where their limits might be. This is an experience to absolutely recommend to others.

Things that went well and above our expectation:
- Meeting our transfer in Geneva: this was very easy and convenient and it was a nice, large vehicle to take us up to Chamonix.
- The hotel breakfast was very nice and a great way to start each day. Great food and service!
- Isabelle had recommended a couple restaurants those were very good.
- The train from Geneva to Paris was great, and Isabelle had set us up in first class so we could sit together. It had a table and was perfect...we played cards and chatted facing each other. So great!
- Overall, we loved everything about Chamonix and would recommend it to anyone!

Things that didn't go as planned:
- The hotel surprisingly didn't have record of our requested early check-in when we arrived. I believe KimKim had made that request on our behalf so I am unsure where the communication within the hotel had broken down. We knew traveling overnight from the U.S. to Geneva and landing at 7:30am had us expecting to be tired and nervous about when our room would be ready. With the early check-in request we felt we could wait until 12:00pm when we thought we'd most likely get into our room (and not need to pay for an entire night prior). As the trip came closer we even asked if we should just purchase the additional night...but there was not availability at the hotel to do so. We knew it wouldn't be exact timing, so when we arrived at the hotel to drop off our bags and check when we could get into our room they said they didn't have any information or request for an early check in and that we should expect a 3:00pm check-in at the very earliest. It was a very distressing moment for my wife at 9:00am who was tired and wasn't sure how she'd make it the additional 3 hours to 3:00pm (or even later). They stored our bags and alerted the cleaning crew to prioritize, but it was a difficult moment to be tired and uncertain of when it would actually be ready. I asked them to call me when it was ready and hoped for the best but was concerning to know this was something we communicated being anxious about, and for the hotel to tell us they didn't have the request. We ended up getting the call that our room was ready at 12:30pm so it worked out to get in a bit early but it was not a great way to start our time in Chamonix.
- Our transfer from Chamonix to Geneva. We were about 10-15 minutes late for getting out of the hotel and downstairs to our transfer on check-out. It was our fault and I felt badly for our driver who was stressed and unhappy we were so late. He said he was trying to call us and that we almost got left. Turns out he had mistakenly thought our pick up was the day prior, so for him it was his second time coming up to Chamonix to get us. He also had another pickup tightly after ours so he was stressed about making it to that next pickup. It was a fast but quiet/tense ride to the train station, of which we arrived WELL ahead of when our train departed (about 45 minutes). It was our fault to be a bit late but it was his next appointment that seemed to trigger his stress. Maybe consider not having the transfer company book trips so tightly together.

All in all, our trip to the French Alps was really spectacular. We loved it. We also appreciated all Isabelle had done to set us up for a great time and for Joel just before we arrived. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Chalet Hotel le Prieure

CHAMONIX MONT BLANC

Great location, great breakfast! Very helpful front desk staff for the most part. Rooms don't have air conditioning so for those in the U.S. it is something to consider.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We could walk to everything

Staff

Helpful, but not having our early check-in request was very stressful and disappointing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Family room was good for our family of four with younger kids

Activity Reviews

Chamonix : to the Aiguille du Midi

France

I put these in my other comments.

Quality of Experience

Electric Mountain Bike in Chamonix

France

I put these in my other comments.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking in the French Alps

France

I put these in my other comments.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a terrific time in France thanks to kimkim!

Isabelle was terrific to work with in the planning phase of the trip, and Joel helped us finalize details and offered us valuable on-the-ground support when we needed it. We loved our stay in Paris at the Baum Hotel that Isabelle recommended. It was in a great location, the breakfasts were delicious, and the staff was tip-top. Our excursions were excellent -- though the heat caused some members of our party to pass on a few of the planned outdoor activities. The catacombs and Louvre were wildly different, but equally intriguing. Everyone appreciated tasting the sweets on our Paris tasting tour. We were especially grateful for evening tickets to visit the Eiffel Tower -- not only because it was cooler, but also because we got to see the magic of the lights of Paris. A few of us braved the heat to see Versailles, and we won the jackpot with our Fat Tire guide, Nick. He was deeply knowledgeable about French history and culture, very clever and entertaining, and his positive energy and enthusiasm kept the group from flagging in the 100+ F temps.

After our stay in Paris, we journeyed south to explore some historic towns and our own family history near Loudon. The place we stayed, Domaine de Roiffe, was a spacious, albeit quirky place with an "old school" country club vibe that took us back at least half a century. The restaurant offered something for everyone, and we enjoyed excellent local wines at our family dinner.

Further south in Bergerac we stayed at an incredible accommodation -- Clos d'Argenson -- for five fabulous nights. Our hosts Francois and Ann Marie were wonderful, the three-story building was beautifully appointed and full of interesting art, we enjoyed spacious common areas to read, play billiards, and eat scrumptious breakfasts with homemade delights on the balcony. The grounds were beautiful and quiet, with a peaceful swimming pool we used each day of our stay. In addition to enjoying the charming city and local village connected with another side of our family tree, we took advantage of the excursions Isabelle recommended: canoeing on the Dordogne with spectacular views of castles and chateaus, visiting the site of the Lasceaux caves, and dining at a Michelin starred-restaurant in St. Émilion. A small group of us even ventured a couple hours away to see a French cyclist win Stage 19 of the Tour de France in Cahors. Worth the 2-hour scenic drive!

Our time in Bordeaux exceeded our expectations -- it's a spectacular city with so much to see and do, and the FOOD was fabulous everywhere we went. Because of road closures due to wildfires, the crew that wanted to visit the Dune of Pilat had to make alternative plans. Our place in Bordeaux, Maison Bordeaux, was in a great location and was quite nice, though my parents encountered a few minor issues that did not get resolved during their stay (e.g. their door did not lock).

It was too sad to say goodbye, so we decided to go with, "See you next time!" Thank you, kimkim, for helping us put together our itinerary, figure out the lodging, arrange for our three separate car rentals, the various transfers, and all the local tours/activities that made our time in France an unforgettable experience. We're proud of our French heritage and connecting with it together as a family was a true gift.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Baume

Paris

We loved our stay in Paris at the Baum Hotel that Isabelle recommended. It was in a great location, the breakfasts were delicious, and the staff was tip-top.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Professional, responsive, friendly, and competent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms were especially bright and sparkling clean.

Domaine de Roiffé

Roiffe

Domaine de Roiffe was a spacious, albeit quirky place with an "old school" country club vibe that took us back at least half a century. The llama and sheep grazing on the property were entertaining, and the horses were beautiful to visit on an early morning walk. The restaurant offered something for everyone, and we enjoyed excellent local wines at our family dinner. The breakfast buffet was also really good, and we enjoyed the outdoor eating option. If we'd had more time, some of our party would have enjoyed playing some golf, but we had to set out for our adventures in the south. The location was really great for us since we went to visit the Maison de l'Acadie in La Chaussée.

Authenticity & Character

The rustic charm was appreciated by many in our group, but others were concerned that we didn't have air conditioning.

Location

Very close to one of our family heritage sites.

Staff

Everyone was really helpful. Wait staff and front desk especially!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Same as above: The rustic charm was appreciated by many in our group, but others were concerned that we didn't have air conditioning.

Clos d'Argenson

Bergerac

We HIGHLY recommend this incredible accommodation. Our hosts Francois and Ann Marie were wonderful, the three-story building was beautifully appointed and full of interesting art, we enjoyed spacious common areas to read, play billiards, and eat scrumptious breakfasts with homemade delights on the balcony. The grounds were beautiful and quiet, with a peaceful swimming pool we used each day of our stay. In addition to enjoying the charming city, a local village connected with another side of our family tree. It was a perfect place for us to stay.

Authenticity & Character

The space and decor was both comfortable and interesting -- very tasteful without being pretentious.

Location

In the heart of the city center, but not noisy.

Staff

Perfect hosts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

The air conditioning was great. The bathrooms were sparkly clean, the linens and towels changed as we requested.

La Maison Bord'eaux

Bordeaux

Maison Bordeaux was in a great location and was quite nice, though my parents encountered a few minor issues that did not get resolved during their stay (e.g. their door did not lock). The parking on the premise was a tad clunky to manage (e.g. needed some help a few times with the gate).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Sweet Side of Paris Food Tour

Paris

We ALL looked forward to this tour. Our guide was really friendly and easy-going, and she took us to some of the best locations for delicious treats. At our first stop, for eclairs, we asked about the history of the eclair and our guide was stumped -- which seemed a bit odd since she has no doubt been there many times. With the help of the internet we looked up the answer to our question. Problem solved. Later on in the tour, our guide had more of a handle on the history of specific sweet delicacies, which made the entire experience more interesting. Because it was a Monday, and nearing the start of the summer holiday for the French, a few places we would have stopped at were closed. It was not a big deal, but if I had been leading the tour, I might have called ahead to the places I planned to go to confirm whether they would be open or not. Despite a few places with locked doors, we got to see and taste a lot of excellent tidbits. The tour provided a wonderful orientation/welcome for our trip to France. And since it was a really hot afternoon, I would recommend including a place for ice cream or sorbet tasting. Lucky for us the tour ended near where we were staying!

Quality of Experience

I liked the fact that it was a private walking tour for our family group. We got to try lots of goodies and everyone was quite pleased.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barbara was easy-going and friendly. And she had great recommendations for what to try.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

We were glad we did this in the evening when the temperature was cooler. Our guide was really good, sharing history of the tower with us as we looked up at it from various vantage points. It was especially useful having him guide us around the different directional sections of the tower pointing out key sites below.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was nice having the option to walk the stairs.

Biking Day Trip Through Historic Versailles

France

This was fabulous!

Quality of Experience

Overall a 10 out of 10!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We won the jackpot with our Fat Tire guide, Nick! He was deeply knowledgeable about French history and culture, very clever and entertaining, and his positive energy and enthusiasm kept the group from flagging in the 100+ F temps. He was also extremely helpful. When a member of our group had difficulty with her bike, he rode it back while we were getting our picnic items and brought her a new one. When the store we were shopping at lost electricity, he helped us get to the best places for alternatives.

Transport

When we got there the train that departs from our meet up location was not operating, so we had to get on the metro for a few stops and take a different regional train. The 3-speed bikes worked well for the flat terrain we had that included some gravel.

Canoeing in Dordogne

France

This was a winning excursion among all members of the family. The biggest surprise to our group was how MANY canoes were on the river at the same time -- it was not as crowded as "bumper cars" but you were never on a stretch of river when you were alone among your party.

Quality of Experience

Stunning scenery. Lovely way to spend a summer day. Three folks in our party of eight dared to jump from the rock ledge after seeing some other people do it without hurting themselves. Very exciting!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff were really helpful at the point of set up and departure. It's just that we were surprised that no one shared more about the history of the river or offered any details about the specific sites we anticipated seeing along the way. It would be handy to have a printed guide with some interesting facts, or a basic orientation -- perhaps akin to what we heard guides sharing on the motorized tour boats along the river -- that would give us a bit more context to the region.

Transport

The equipment was good and the bus rides to the launch and from the end point were excellent. It was helpful that they provided each boat with containers to keep your stuff dry in the event of a capsize.

The Vezere Valley and Lascaux IV

Sarlat

Two of us eight had been to Lascaux II back in 1998, and we were impressed with the improvements afforded by Lascaux IV. Having the audio transmitter/headsets made listening quite easy. And the new space created as a replica to the original cave gives visitors more opportunity to get close to the cave paintings.

Quality of Experience

It's a powerful learning opportunity!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was quite good and the exhibition floor guides were also very knowledgable and friendly.

Transport

Parking was not completely full, but quite crowded. As mentioned above, give yourself time to park and walk from further away than you might have anticipated.

This trip was amazing! Simon did such a great job in knowing exactly what to plan. In Paris, our dinner cruise on the Seine was outstanding -one of our favorite meals by far! Our tour of the Eiffel Tour at sunset was awesome and our tour guide Christina was so interesting, fun and knowledgeable. Our family of 5 became pastry chefs and created delicious macaroons which was so fun, but planning this on Bastille Day made travel to the kitchen a challenge;( Our hotel was great. The staff was so wonderful and the accommodations were superb at Hotel Bourdonnais- we would highly recommend!!!

On to the South of France via train. We wish we were given better insight on how these trains work. Our destination was Aix de Provence-but at the train station we did not know which train was which because this train was traveling to Marsailles and I am not sure how we would know that without speaking to someone that could speak english. Another bit of advise- have your luggage ready to leave the train ahead-the stops are very quick!

Aix de Provence was amazing. Our dinner at Jardin Mazarin was delicious and the restaurant was very pretty! The highlights was our trip with Pierre to all the villages - this was so worth it. Our Chef Giles adventure in picking put ingredients, visiting a winery and preparing and eating a masterpiece was an amazing experience.

J'adore France - Merci mon ami!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Amazing people that work there ! So accommodating and beautiful accommodations. Great breakfast and delicious pastries. We would stay here again for sure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

so close to the Eiffle Tower

Staff

great people that were so helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything was clean all the time;)

Aparthotel Adagio Aix en Provence Centre

Aix-en-Provence

Great location to stay and tour. Offers laundry and great space. I didn't understand a cleaning fee or paying for new towels. I enjoyed the people that worked there. They were very nice;)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Suites Paris CDG Airport

Roissy-en-France

so close to our gate! EASY and very nice lodging to make our flight on time

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles Palace & Gardens Half-day Guided Tour from Paris - small group

Paris

This was not a guided tour- it was a ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

air was not great

Paris Dinner Cruise

Paris

awesome dinner and entertainment! Great service.

Quality of Experience

Food

you will not leave hungry!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Macarons class

Paris

I was excited to learn and enjoyed it! I felt bad we were very late because we had t find a ride and it was far. On Bastille day you can not travel anywhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

(DU) Evening Eiffel Tower Private Tour + tickets

Paris

This was amazing. Our guide Christine was fabulous !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

so close to our hotel we walked.

Luberon Markets and Villages small-group guided tour

Aix-en-Provence

Our guide, Pierre was amazing and so knowledgeable. we will never forget these visits.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

everything

Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

what an amazing experience to learn of an actual day in a life of a resident. Our Chef did amazing in including us, showing us, and creating masterpieces. I loved going to his home and sharing in our creations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Absolutely had a great trip, from the moment we arrived in Paris we were on the move. Paris was great and we got to see everything on our itinerary (Catacombs, Eiffel Tower, Seine Cruise). Seine Cruise was highlight of the first day as we took the boat in the evening and got to see all the local Parisians out on the banks enjoying a chat as well as the restaurants and bars going live. Veronique, our host in the Loire Valley B&B LeMoulin du Bourg, doubled as our tour guide as well, she was an awesome host and the B&B was lovely. We were able to experience a local Bastille Day festival in the town which was a once in a lifetime experience we won’t forget. Mt. St Michele was amazing to see as we made our way to the Normandy Region. The Normandy region was the highlight of our trip, we absolutely loved to countryside there and the horses abound. The Omaha Beach tour from Overland Tours was great, we only did the half day tour but would recommend a full day or even two days as there’s just so much to take in. Sidecar tour on the Cider Road was a fun trip, only thing that would’ve been better would’ve been to have it on a cooler day Lol as it was the hottest day in history. The La Cour Sainte Catherine B&B was a very nice B&B with a great location in Honfleur close to everything and easy to get in and out of town. We were able to do a boat tour to see the Cliffs of Etretat which was beautiful and the beach in Fercamp was a welcome solution to the second day of the heat wave. When we got back to Paris I was most appreciative of the accommodations made to make it easy to get to the hotel, return the car and be able to hop on the train to downtown and to the airport terminal the next day. It made it very easy on the last day, and helped with the trip home. Jose was helpful and very responsive with helping us to book the boat tour on last minutes notice, really appreciated it. Looking forward to our next trip.

We had a great trip! We are home and reflecting on it all. We did a ton in Paris, and it worked out great. We wanted to get out in the countryside, so we did not want to spend too much time in the city, but we fit in The Catacombs, The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, St. Chappelle, and the outside of Notre Dame in a day and a half. We missed the boat tour down the Seine, but that is okay because our hotel was just across the river and our hotel was very centrally located so we could fit a lot in. I would have skipped the guide at St. Chappelle, but we learned some things we would not have otherwise. Our first stop outside of Paris was to Annecy. It is a beautiful city, but our accommodations were not warm and welcoming and hard to find. We stayed for three nights and were there during Bastille day, so it was very crowded. We made a day trip to watch the tour do France and researched the best place to see it, which was a 1.5-hour drive in our rental car to Marie St. Etienne. It was a highlight as we got to see the caravan come by, and we knew two riders from our hometown. Next, we went to Chamonix in our rental car and took the cable car to the top of Mont Blanc. We loved this! Ideally, we would have liked to have spent a night in Chamonix but drove back to Annecy. We shopped and ate in Annecy and got an hour on the lake in a pedal boat. It would have worked best for us to spend two nights and go to Chamonix for the third. It was very HOT and crowded in Annecy. Next, we drove to Moustiers St. Marie and loved our accommodations and the town! The B and B was fantastic, and the proprietors were fabulous! We ate in town each night and shopped. We rented pedal boats on the Verdon Gorges and ate at a restaurant along the way. It was a great town, and we loved spending time there. We were SO glad you could extend our stay another night in Moustiers. Then we drove to St. Remy. We loved the Illuminare light show in St. Remy, and the bike rental was fun. We are glad we only stayed two nights as the forest was closed due to fires, so we were mostly doing town things except for the canoeing down the Sorgue river, which we HIGHLY recommend; it was a highlight! We liked St. Remy but loved our hotel, and Chantal, the owner, was truly fantastic. We appreciate the wine and cheese that Joel arranged for us and loved the pool and atmosphere. The accommodations in St. Remy and Moustiers were top notch though, but we are glad we stayed only two nights in St.Remy after all. Next, we took the train back to Paris. We had a very hard time finding the rental car return and the correct train station in Avignon as we went to the RTV instead of TGV. Our stay back in Paris at the airport was very nice and made our next day of airplane travel much easier. We had a full and wonderful trip and could not have fit so much in without the help of skilled travel agents. All of our friends remarked on what an incredible itinerary we had!

Hotel Reviews

Le Royal 4 Apartment

Annecy

We were in a very hot and hard to find air B and B. Something happened and there was a change that left us all baffled. We were there during Bastille day and we spent 3 nights in a swelteringly hot room that none of us got much sleep in. It took us an hour to find it and get into it with all of the codes and awkward directions. There were no instructions on how to operate anything. No coffee.

Authenticity & Character

it was way too hot. Not a single fan. Ran out of hot water and no coffee or instructions.

Location

It was walking distance to town.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but NOT and a nice apartment, but it was not outfitted for guests. Fans would be helpful!

Citadines Apart'hotel Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris

Paris

Very central and easy to find.

Authenticity & Character

We might have liked something smaller and quainter

Location

perfectly located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable. Free coffee.

La Bastide Du Paradou 2

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Loved this place! Lovely rooms. Beautiful garden and comfortable to stay. The proprietors were fantastic! Breakfast was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous grounds

Location

We walked to town each day up a winding path and went for runs each morning

Staff

Could not have been nice and more accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely all around

Hôtel Le Mas Saint-Joseph 3*

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

The hotel was the best part of St. Remy and Chantal was delightful. The pool and grounds were immaculate. The hotel is a gem!

Authenticity & Character

Room were fabulous and air conditioned. Pool is fantastic. The hotel is very nicely appointed.

Location

It was an 8 minute walk to town

Staff

Chantal is truly magnificent!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Had to pinch myself that I was actually at the Louvre. Lines were not bad at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

Paris

Loved this church. Not sure if we needed the guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice man but it was hard to stay focused on the info. Just seeing it all was enough

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

So much more magnificent then we imagined!

Quality of Experience

we walked to it

Welcome to Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

We loved the biking and the illuminare. I did not see any lavender in St. Remy. I would have liked to have ridden bikes through the area and seen the lavender fields. St. Remy was a bit fancy for us. We loved the canoeing down the Sorgue River!

Quality of Experience

Canoeing on the Sorgue and illuninare light show

Canoeing on the River Sorgue

France

This was a great trip. It was a very hot day so this was perfect!!! The guides were great!

Quality of Experience

It was very fun and well done. Guides were great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we had our own car

Simon had the local experiences perfect. The cooking class, boat tour, and wine tastings were great. Having the train tickets taken care of in advance was needed. If I had to do it again, I would've tried to have an actual call with Simon to discuss some stuff as doing it all over email was a bit difficult at times. We would have probably also figured out that the hotel back in Paris on the last night was probably not the best one to use. But that is made up by the hotel in Marseille! It was great. We had such an awesome view of the Bastille Day activities from our room while looking at the massive crowds below. We had a few minor hiccups with transfers and dinner reservations, but no vacation goes 100% smooth and we all recovered and Simon was quick to fix what he could. Thank you, Simon.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel OFF Paris Seine 4*

Paris

Such a unique hotel! It's literally a floating barge on the river! The staff was great. It is close enough to walk to the TGV train station if you are going to another part of France, but a bit far from the attractions you might want to visit in Paris. But the local metro station is directly across the street to get to those locations. If proximity to the TGV is what you want, this is great. If you want to stay closer to the Paris attractions, you might want to try another place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

One of the few places in Aix that has a pool and it was a great pool! It's still walkable to everything in Aix. The rooms are actually very spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port - MGallery

Marseille

This hotel is right on the Old Port. You can walk to many restaurants and shops. The metro station is right in front as well. The staff was very nice and helpful. They helped us translate some documents! The only complaint would be that this location was sometimes noisy at night given it's location right on a busy part of the Old Port. But this location also allowed us to view the Bastille Day festivities without having to venture into the massive crowds! This will be tradition European size hotel rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Handsome Hotel Paris

Paris

The good is that this hotel is walking distance to some of the Paris attractions you want to see. It is also very close to endless Parisien cafes and shopping. This hotel is TINY even by European standards. The elevator was borderline claustrophobic. I would have been happier paying higher room charges for a better hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chateauneuf du Pape & Gigondas Wine Tour

France

Our guide, Eric was AWESOME! He knew the area and the wine so well. He also knew the general area very well. He took us to some non wine related stops for some nice pictures and history lessons.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eric was the best!

Transport

Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Gilles was an excellent host. We cooked at his house which was a unique experience. We had a fun group. The only thing I wish was for Gilles to involve us more in the shopping experience by showing us how he was picking things at the market, but that is a very minor complaint. He gave everyone their jobs and helped people who needed help during the cooking process. The stop at the winery was a nice stop. The food was delicious as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a little crowded in the transport

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

Eric, the guide, was amazing! He knew the wine and the surrounding regions so well. He was more than a wine guide, he was a tour guide. I would book a tour with him again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Cruise to Calanques National Park - private group

Marseille

This was such an awesome excursion. The boat was comfortable (no bathroom). Caesar was our guide and was incredible. He captained the boat with expertise and provided context to all the places we visited. The area itself is gorgeous!! The blue waters and the unique Calanques were so cool. Caesar even dropped us off at a different location as he made lunch reservations for us at a friend's restaurant which turned out to be amazing! Book this trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

France

On time and big enough for our group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The whole team was very cooperative and great Always got back to me in time to renegotiate certain things I wanted to adjust in the trip (not that there were many) the whole plans were done beautifully. I would definitely work with them again because there’s more to see!!

Thanks again for a lovely time Joel and Isabelle

Truth be told, we took a leap of faith when we engaged KimKim.com for our honeymoon in Southern France, because no one around us had heard of KimKim.com before. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our honeymoon trip, especially since we could not speak French.

Pre-trip wise, it was lovely to work with Joel, and the detailed itinerary he prepared as well as the prompt responses he gave to all our countless enquiries made the preparation so much easier. He gave priority to what we wanted, and was very open to discussing options on how we could fit this trip into our budget, even going the extra mile at times which we appreciated very much.

During the trip, we felt very assured and relaxed since all our accommodation/transport/activities were booked. This helped us to "live in the moment" and experience our trip fully.

What we really liked about the trip:
- We appreciated the pace of the trip, where we had a good balance of sports activities (i.e. hiking, water rafting) and cultural /leisure activities (i.e. food tours, lavender field tours) throughout our 10-day trip.
- The accommodation options that Joel picked for us were really awesome. Each had their own unique charm. I personally loved the College 4 Hotel in Lyon the best while my husband loved the Rivera Hotel in Annecy the most.
- We loved the activities that were planned for us, especially the water rafting experience in Chamonix and the private hiking tour in Annecy by our guide Olivier, and full day trip to Cassi and villages of Luberon by our guide, Ady. It was a good mix of small group and private activities and very apt too, fitting with the nature of the activity.
- Our drivers for the private transfers were really friendly and welcoming too. Special mention to our driver who waited for us at Aix en Provence for a few hours till midnight due to our train delay,. During the trip, we realized how much we would have struggled if we had done this trip on our own as navigating around with language barriers was challenging, especially for transport.

One point that we must highlight would be the responsiveness of Joel and his team. Not only was Joel prompt in responding to our enquiries and couple of changes that needed to be made during the trip itself, we also experienced first-hand the "crisis support" that was provided. We had a security scare at Lyon train station where our train was delayed for slightly more than two hours, and the process was quite anxiety-provoking and nerve-wrecking given that it was already nighttime when this happened and our inability to understand what was going on due to the language barrier. However, thankfully Valentine (Joel's colleague) reached back to us promptly after we tried calling the after-office-hours hotline for support. Her assurance and liaison with the driver who was supposed to pick us up at our destination (Aix en Provence) was immensely helpful and she ensured that she remained contactable to us till we reached our hotel safely in Aix en Provence. We were extremely thankful that we had Kimkim's service to back us up if anything happened in France. :)

There was one aspect which we felt could be improved though. For our train ride from Geneva to Lyon, even though we had First Class tickets, we were unable to get any seats in the First Class cabin likely because it was free seating, and it was full by the time we reached the cabin. It was also quite chaotic and confusing as we did not know where the First Class cabin was in the train and everyone was rushing up the train so it was difficult for us to ask people as well (we almost got onto the wrong end of the train). In the end, we ended up sitting at whatever available seats we could find, which was in the Second Class cabin. We noted that perhaps this was a common occurrence as there were others who were like us, had First Class tickets but there were no more seats in the First Class cabin for them. Additionally, there was also no train conductor to verify if our seats match our tickets. As we were unfamiliar with taking trains in Europe and this was not what we were expecting, it might have been helpful to let us know such situations could occur and tips for us to manage this (E.g. which end of the train that the First Class cabin belonged to). Nevertheless, for the other trains where there were fixed seats and cabins designated for us, it was much easier.

Apart from this however, everything else was perfect. :) We are grateful to have engaged Joel via KimKim and would highly recommend for others to do the same, especially if you are taking tours in a foreign country where you do not speak their native language.

- Lyon and Shan (from Singapore)

Hotel Reviews

Collège Hotel

Lyon

We had a pleasant experience at this hotel. It is cozy and quaint. The staff at the reception are friendly and willing to help. What impressed us most was the dedication of the hotel to being environmentally-friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rivage Hôtel & Spa Annecy

Annecy

This was the most luxurious hotel that we stayed at for our trip. We loved the spaciousness and the balcony which overlooked beautiful views of the sky. Though it is located slightly further away from the city centre, it was nevertheless a good location for those who wanted to enjoy the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Le Refuge des Aiglons

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

We felt that this hotel would be perfect for winter but not so much for summer. For example, there was no aircon and we had to borrow a fan from the reception. The hotel also seemed understaffed as there were a few times where we could not find a staff to talk to and needed to wait for awhile. They also had no dental kits to provide us. Nevertheless, the design of the room and the balcony that overlooked the snowy mountains made up for it, on top of the lovely design of the hotel ground floor. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hôtel Roi René Aix-en-Provence Centre – MGallery

Aix-en-Provence

We loved our stay at this hotel. The location was great and the room was very well-designed, especially the toilet. The breakfast spread was one of the best as well. The room could have been slightly more spacious, if not all would be perfect. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lyon Old Town Food Tour (Small Group)

Lyon

We loved that the guide not only brought us on a food tour, but also gave us a history tour of Lyon. :) However, this tour might not be the best for vegetarians, because there will be some dishes where vegetarians are unable to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cruise and Walk : Plus +Formula

Annecy

As first-time hikers, we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to achieve our hiking goals for the day. It was a good experience, though quite challenging at certain parts and the hot weather certainly didn't make it easier. However, we had a charming and wonderful guide who really helped and cheered us on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafting Chamonix

France

It was unexpectedly awesome, one of the most memorable experiences this trip! :) Definitely worth a try. Rafting down the river of Chamonix was an amazing experience , with the backdrop of the snowy mountains and beautiful scenery. It helped that the guide was witty and humorous, and made it very fun for us. Kudos to him for also speaking in both French and English to cater to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lavender morning tour

France

It was a pity that due to the drought, much of the lavender fields had been harvested already. However, thanks to our guide, we were still able to find some lavender fields, together with sunflower fields to take beautiful pictures. We also enjoyed the tasting session at the lavender shop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cassis & Villages of the Luberon

Aix-en-Provence

Though the full day tour can be tiring, it was fulfilling. We loved Cassis with the cruise and the amazing views, and the different villages of the Luberon were really charming and beautiful. :) We really appreciated the guide who always offered us tidbits of knowledge about Provence and also spoke in French and English to cater to the whole group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentine helped us a wonderful trip to France. She made suggestions for itineraries, tours, hotels--everything. She was responsive and communicative. Kimkim made traveling stress free.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Dieu Intercontinental

Marseille

Nice hotel but larger and more commercial feeling. If you want big and modern inside this hotel is great, but if you are looking for charm, I'd look elsewhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Victoria

Nice

This place was lovely. The outdoor garden was so fantastic and a highlight. The staff was so friendly and helpful. We would go back in a second.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not close to the older part of Nice. We did a lot of walking to get to our hotel

Staff

Mariann was amazing

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mas Valentine 4*

Saint-Rémy de Provence

This hotel is a winner. Beautiful, charming and run by Mariann-who is the best part of the hotel. She is a treasure. We'd go back in an instant.

Authenticity & Character

Just beautiful. Pool is an oasis. Rooms are charming.

Location

Not right in the town but five minute drive away.

Staff

Mariann is a treasure. She was so nice and helpful--all the guests loved her

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Square Louvois 4*

Paris

Well located near the Opera and Place Vendome, this was a very nice hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and chic

Location

Right near a metro stop and easy walk to many wonderful shopping sight seeing areas

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are quite small for the price

Activity Reviews

Cruise in the Calanques - Max 12 people on board

France

Great trip! 3 hours and you see things you couldn't see otherwise. We were helped by great weather-but this is a wonderful way to see Les Callanques

Quality of Experience

H

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art, Architecture & Wine: A Provencal Journey at Chateau la Coste

Aix-en-Provence

Interesting but it was blazing hot, really too hot to be outside, and it's a lot of walking. Beautiful grounds, but not as interesting as I would have thought

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stroll in the Alpilles and visit of the Carrières de Lumières by electric bike

France

Absolutely great way to see this area of France. I'd recommend this to everyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Avignon

Avignon

This was a good tour because we only had the morning to spend in Avignon and Simon was a great tour guide for the area, using food as a starting point for his stories.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

N/A