Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

It was very centrally located and the breakfast was solid, but the room was small, cramped and the hotel didn't have the nicest furnishings, they felt a bit cheap.

Lovely hotel in Chamonix, excellent food and lovely spa/pool area. The room was comfortable, decently sized with a nice balcony and nicely furnished.

The card was nice to have, but we only wound up going to one museum and using the metro once.

The bicycle tour was nice. Our guide was knowledgeable and a good group leader. The food tasting, however was a bit of a joke, they gave us a plate of cheese and a plate of sliced salami. I think the title 'food tasting' was a bit misleading, as there wasn't very much, and no vegetarian options aside from the cheese.

Our guide was wonderful and since we went on a Tuesday, the Palais and castle were closed to the public so we got a private tour of both, which was great because the rest of Annecy was absolutely mobbed with tourists.

The Aiguille du Midi was great, but the Mer de Glace ice cave should definitely be skipped. The glacier has receded so much that you walk for close to an hour down stairs to get to an ice cave they've carved out the remaining ice, which is partly covered with a tarp to keep it from melting further. The whole way down there are markers of the former heights of the glacier going back 30 years. It is important to have the awareness about climate change but we found the whole experience pretty depressing. The path/ice cave was also so clogged with tourists taking selfies that it made for a very slow frustrating walk down and up to the ice cave. I would recommend doing the historic train up but skipping the ice cave.

This hotel was the fanciest of our stays, offering the most amenities. We don't usually prioritize having a pool, but given the heat, we realized it would have been a nice feature to have. It was a great stay overall.

Lisa was a fantastic host(ess). She greeted us and made us feel like returning family members! LOVED our first floor room and the wonderful breakfast space in the back of her great guest house. Our morning breakfast was fresh and tasted great. The walk into town was easy and only a five minute stroll and you were in the heart of the old town of Avignon. We only wish we stayed another few nights (2 for us) as we were both very comfortable and felt right at home.

The Hotel Escaletto was an excellent place from which to explore Aix-en-Provence. Our room was very clean and while a bit on the small side it was completely satisfactory for our visit to Aix. The proximity to the old town was a highlight. It was a pretty easy walk in to the heart of the old town/restaurants/etc. and it was possible to return home for breaks if so desired. The breakfast offered was very good and the staff were very accommodating if you had any needs. An elevator is always an added bonus and the Escaletto did not disappoint. We didn't really make use of the 4th floor patio, but it was a good size and I'm sure was nice for those who chose to sit out.

Flo was an excellent guide. His English skills were excellent and he provided great commentary on our drive through the countryside (the region, History and Architecture of Avignon, etc.) as we made our way to our first winery. We visited two wineries (Chateau Maucoil - in the northwest corner of Chateauneuf du Pape; and Maison Bouachon in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape). The Chateau Maucoil stop was by far the best. We had 6 tastings and the hostess was wonderful taking us through the Chateau's different vintages and discussing the difference in terroir in their various fields. She did a wonderful job sharing information about the appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape and the 13 different grape varietals used in this region of Provence. It was very interesting to learn about the different soil types in CNP as they were much different than in other wine regions we had visited. Highly recommend this stop. Our second stop was a bit disappointing. The hostess at Maison Bouachon was wonderful however this stop was more about 'how to taste wine' and less about the various vintages of this winery. We only had 3 tastings and it was disappointing after the great visit to Chateau Maucoil. It is a great stop for someone who wanted to learn about tasting wine but for anyone who has visited multiple wineries previously it was a bit disappointing in the limited number of tastings. Their winery facility was impeccable but it felt like a showroom visit more than a winery tasting tour. Perhaps if it was our first stop I would not be so critical but it was not nearly as good a stop as CM. Before returning to Avignon Flo (our guide) took us to a wonderful historic monument overlooking of the town and appellation. We had a great view of the Rhone Valley (with Avignon in the distance) and it was fun to stop and take some photos of the Valley and river rolling by.

This was the best!!!! Gilles was an excellent Chef/Host and he made the day a wonderful one. We started with a conversation with Gilles about the kind of Provencal meal we were hoping to make. Gilles provided a few great options and together (with the one other couple) we selected a Sea Bass meal. Gilles then took us to two different markets in Aix, a famous Aix bakery, as well as a quick stop at a local grocer where he picked up a couple of other items for our meal. Prior to arriving at his house (where we were going to cook) we stopped at a local winery so we could taste some wine and choose appropriate wine for our meal!!!! This was both unexpected and fantastic. We had a chance to sample some wines from Chateau Henri Bonnaud and ended up choosing a White and a Rosé to take with us for our meal. Chateau Henri Bonnaud was a great stop. The staff were very clear and provided some great background on the winery, the terroir, and the appellation as a whole. Gilles took us through every aspect of the preparation of our meal. He was patient and a great Chef/Teacher getting us to assist with each and every part of our three course meal. His home was wonderful and provided a spacious place for us to work and learn together. It was a massive success and a true highlight of our week in Provence.

We enjoyed our Cassis half day tour very much. I think it could have been even better if we had a little longer time in Cassis but that is on us and our planning. Our guide Guillaume picked us up and drove us out from Aix to Cassis (about 30 minutes). Guillaume was very nice and answered all of our questions. He wasn't as talkative about the region's history, geography, etc. as we might have liked but he was very pleasant and professional at all times. Our first stop was at Cap Canaille high above Cassis. We were able to jump our and grab some amazing photos with tremendous vistas along the coastline. This stop was between 10 and 15 minutes so don't expect a long hike on the trails but rather a quick stop to enjoy the great views before heading down into Cassis. In Cassis we went directly to the harbour area where we were encouraged to take the 'short boat tour' of the Calanques. This tour was approx. 45 minutes and cost approx. 16 Euros per adult. Thankfully a boat was loading and departing right away so off we went on a small'ish tourist boat (mostly open air with a covered section mid-ship) to exit the harbour. Our time in Cassis would only be approximately 2 hours so it was important (if we wanted to take a boat tour of the Calanques) that we go straight to the ticket office and get on the first possible boat. Our Captain narrated most of the way (in French and in English) telling us that we would visit 3 Calanques along the shoreline. We really like being on the water so it was a great way to see the Calanques without having to exert any excercise whatsoever. After entering and exiting three different Calanques (inlets/skinny harbours surrounded by vertical cliff walls) we worked our way back to the harbour. From there we still had about 60-90 minutes for a walking stroll through Cassis (really just around the harbour and the large square at the harbour). Thankfully there was a great market taking place and so it was fun to compare the market to others we've seen and to browse the many artisan displays. I would say our Half Day in Cassis was really more of a 'Quick Tour of Cassis Harbour and the Calanques'. No doubt you can book a full day and this might be something I'd recommend if you really wanted to check out the small seaside village in more depth. If you're interested in seeing the Calanques from the water (and not hiking them - which may take a number of hours) then this is a great way to accomplish that. Our tour guide was nice and very professional however he was more of a Taxi Driver on this tour. We thought he could have been much more informative during our drive (and he did answer all questions as best he could) and possibly the tour operator could arrange for a more private boat trip as well (cost?) but that might be prohibitive (?). All in all we did have a nice half day. We saw the Calanques and enjoyed a brief visit to Cassis. We were back in Aix by 1:00 pm and were able to have a free afternoon to explore.

While this ended up being a great tour we think it is poorly named. The tour ended up being more of a Historical Tour of Arles (with a Cheese tasting + wine at the end). Our guide - Lucille (?) - was fantastic! When we first met and she outlined the plan for our walking tour we shared our questions (we thought it would be a walking food tour like we had done in other places - tour markets/small shops where we would try local cuisine, etc.) as it seemed we had different ideas about what was expected. Lucille was great - she immediately adjusted her plan and started us off with a short walk to a Patisserie that she really liked. There she gave us a chance to order some local food and she talked about some of her local favourites (including some history of Provencal bread - Fougasse). We proceeded to wander around Arles with the occasional stop along the way (in the Park to finish our coffee and snacks) to see historical monuments/ruins/etc. around the town. Highlights were stopping in to see the Roman Amphitheatre (sadly closed to foot traffic but you got a great look), Coliseum (excellent stop), and a couple of stops at places made famous by Vincent Van Gogh's 2 year stint in Arles (Yellow café and the Hotel Dieu). Throughout our walk we learned about the history and evolution of Arles. We also had a nice stop at a local Nougat shop and tried out a variety of Provencal nougats - they were really good. The culmination of our walk was a stop at Les Fromagères (Women Cheesemakers). There we were treated to a Cheese Tasting of at least six different styles of local Provencal cheese. Naturally we were offered some Provencal wine to accompany this tasting!!! It was fun to try different cheeses from very fresh (soft) options to one that was infused with a Pesto 'sauce'. Yummy!

The hotel itself was amazing as it was a short walk to the park and the buffet breakfast and dinner were wonderful for our family of four. The only thing we didn’t love was that there was a late check in on our first day of arrival - 5pm, so we had to kill several hours before being able to access our room. The restaurants and bar were closed during this time so there wasn’t much to do. Other than that, it was a great experience and we highly recommend visiting Asterix Park and staying at this hotel.

Excellent location, close to everything!

Cute boutique hotel, delicious French breakfasts, helpful English speaking front desk staff.

Nice apartment in the heart of a bustling area of Nice, great for people looking to hit the restaurants and social scene of Nice.

This just seemed "As Paris as you can get". Seeing Paris by night is just wonderful, the food and service was excellent and it really was the perfect way to cap off our trip in Paris.

Great location for walking to all major sites within the walled part of the city. No hotel parking garage provided and a bit of a walk to the public parking garage.

This hotel is in a great location for easy access to all the major restaurants and amenities in Bayeux. It also has one of the best breakfast selections of any hotel we've stayed at. If driving, however, it is a good idea to call ahead to assure a parking slot at the hotel as their space is quite limited.

Great location for the primary shopping mall. Very friendly and helpful staff. Parking a bit of a problem as it is about a 15 minute walk to the garage and space is limited.

Fantastic location on the Mediterranean...great for people watching and many restaurants available. There is also a covered public parking ramp very close in the same block.

Great location on the left bank within easy walking distance to the Rhone river, Museé d'Orsay and the Louvre. The hotel has access to inexpensive tickets for many attractions which saves having to stand in line. Also, great restaurants nearby.

This driving/walking tour felt very rushed. The guide would drop us off and various interest points and tell us we had a very specific time that we had to meet him back at the van for a pick-up. Often these were for very short periods of time, like 15 minutes. He was also very abrupt with accommodating the needs for the tour guests. It would have also been nice to have had some sound amplification in the van so those in the back could hear better.

Our tour guide, Joanne, was very knowledgeable and friendly and provided a great tour. We appreciated the fact that she had a mic and earpieces for us to wear when we were in noisy areas such as St. Chapelle.

Jean Baptiste (J.B.) was super knowledgeable and gave us a lot of info. about Normandy and we visited all the primary sites and gained a lot of insight in being able to physically see where the landings took place. The only downside--and it wasn't his fault--was the bad weather. It was rainy, cold and very windy the days we were there. We ended up totally wet and ruined two umbrellas because of the strong winds.

Fantastic tours with Caroline. She took us shopping for baguettes and cheese, then provided a picnic lunch in a park across for Notre Dame, after which we then walked to pastry shops ending at a wine bar with samples at each place.

It was a very pretty and charming place but located a little far from restaurants.

This was quite an interesting experience and in addition to being introduced to some of the better pastry and chocolate shops, the guide also took us to some of the churches in the area. Sampling the pastries and chocs was also grerat!

The boat was very crowded but we saw the basic highlights of Paris. It was sometimes difficult to follow the audio guide

Amazing views of Paris from the Summit. Also, felt great to reach the top of one of the most famous structures in the world. Guide was also interesting and fun.

Guide was very good and made it interesting for the kids.

Very informative guides and enjoyed the scenic drives!

Great views of the Chenonceau castle and it felt good to do something active

Good audio guide

Great location accessible to restaurants, grocery & transportation! Staff are attentive especially Emily!

Worth doing it! Nicolas was a great guide & photographer!

The tower & view is great. Except that it’s too crowded but it’s August peak season of tourist.

So much to see & learn from history. Guide is very knowledgeable.

Great location, great breakfast included and the staff was great!!

Loved this hotel! Rooms were super nice, breakfast was great, room service and the bar were awesome. Staff was super friendly and you can’t beat the location!

What an incredible property! We had a junior suite that was perfect for our family of four. It was huge! Everything about the hotel is top notch. The views and location cannot be best. The staff was super! We loved every second of our stay there!

THE VIEWS!! Absolutely stunning! The location is perfect. We had a suite that was perfect for our family of four. Everyone had their space. The two bathrooms/showers was awesome. Everything was super nice and newly renovated. The spa is a really nice touch.

Would have been awesome but it was pouring and cold so it was not a great experience.

Loved loved loved this! My kids really enjoyed having the audio guides. It provided us with more appreciation for what we were looking at. And you controlled what pieces you wanted to lean more about. Super easy to use as well.

It was great - we learned so much about the area that we otherwise would not have ever discovered. It’s a really great excursion. Mathias was great!

This was a super fun experience! It was great to get to sample all of the fun foods! My kids loved it!

This tour exceeded our expectations by a lot! Wow - we learned so very much about Teims from an historic context. We visited several amazing churches as well. Rafa knows a lot and was just great to spend the day with!

Wow was this amazing! The weather was perfect, the food was fantastic and Roy was super sweet! He even took my son over so he could jump off a ledge into the water. He had blankets to keep us warm as the sun was setting. It was great!!

EPIC I’m every way! LOVED LOVED LOVES this so much. The weather was perfect, the views were to die for and the getting to experience the hike and see the stuff that we did was like nothing we’d ever done. Alban was the NICEST guy - he was just awesome!

Not super helpful to only receive this a week or two before trip. Should be provided sooner.

It was at such a convenient place. Front desk was helpful in suggesting places to eat.

Very pleasant staff and centrally located. They helped us with restaurant referrals. They were on a quieter street. It was a very quiet place to sleep. They had delicious breakfasts and took orders if we wanted something hot and specially made. We were very happy there. A good place to come and go during the day.

Our guide Raphelle F was marvelous and passionate and had so much information! She beautifully explained the stain glass and very dramatically told us the history of the Conceirgerie. She took her time to answer all questions and was very personal! We loved the dramatic way she told the history. History can be boring but she made it very alive and interesting! She even walked us to a restaurant that she recommended! We adored her!

This is a very historic site and a must see in Paris. Because of the lines and wait, we will only do it once. But it was necessary to do!!

We took the cruise right at sunset before dark and it was perfect! As the cruise came back we saw Paris and bridges lit up! It was a beautiful time to go. As we landed the Eiffel Tower was lit up and blinking.

Mathias was our personal guide and he was wonderful. Very passionate about the food we tasted or saved for a wonderful picnic at Luxembourg Park. We stopped in many food, cheese, wine, candy shops and he gave an excellent history of the process of each food. He helped us be aware of the "palate" of good French food, its history and its process. He was very friendly and passionate and personable to us. He did not rush us in eating or talking.

Raphaelle S. gave us a wonderful, informative personal tour! We loved her and all the information. She knew what and where to take us in such a huge museum. We totally trusted her choices and information. One of our favorite tours. She was very sensitive to us and answered many questions.

I did not go on this tour because of the stairs and amount of walking. Plus it was the last day and at 83 I just didn't have the energy! I hated to miss it and know Mathias did a great job.

The staff at this hotel were so friendly and helpful. They made my stay so enjoyable and comfortable. The location was perfect, close to La Promenade des Anglais. The breakfast was delicious and had a great variety of options. My room was a little small but still incredibly comfortable.

I didn't like it at all. I believe that it was a former dormitory that has been transformed into a hotel. The inside decor was not very inviting. I was extremely disappointed that Mathilde chose this hotel for me, especially given the fact that I was travelling all the way from the United States. My stay here was one of the low point of my vacation in Europe. I would never recommend anyone to stay here.

Exceptional hotel, very clean, with a first rate staff.

This is closer to Les Halles and in a bustling busy area. Room was fine. Food not great. We didn’t love it.

This is a lovely and charming place. Everything was perfect

This hotel is inside the walled city so it’s not easy to get in and out. You have to pay to park outside the walls and get driven up there. Its dark and outdated “medieval” theme could do with an update. We had to switch rooms as the first one was so dark and sad. Not touched since the 90’s. The walled garden is lovely though, and great breakfast.

Not really a hotel, more of a guest house, but so gorgeous. A beautifully restored 13th century house with fabulous rooms and amazing views over the surrounding countryside. The owner showed us around, and was so helpful, kind and knowledgeable. The breakfast was amazing, on the terrace looking over the hills. Loved it!

Nice hotel with an amazing location right by the Musee D’orsay and the seine.

Our guide was great. She tailored her info to interests was very flexible, answered our questions so well, and we learned so much from her about this ancient city.

Excellent accommodations! Clean and vintage fun decor. Friendly staff too. Loved our stay!

Wow is all we can say!

A must see for its gardens alone.

We were not sure if this meal would be worth the investment but we have to say, absolutely! Post Pandemic, a visitor cannot even stand under the base of the tower without a ticket, and the whole place was mobbed. Luckily, with our tickets to lunch and level 1, we were able to go through expedited lines. Must do this if in Paris!