Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Sandra in and around Sarlat and Olivia from Cahors to Carcassone were both absolutely superb: very knowledgeable, flexible in accommodating our interests on just a moment’s notice, and delightful people generally.

We had an amazing 11 day trip to France. Audrey was an enormous help in planning our itinerary. We spent 5 nights in the Normandy Region, which enabled us to visit Lisieux, the D-Day/World War II Memorials & Beaches, Mont Saint Michel, Eteratat and Honfleur. From there we took the train to Paris and spent 5 more nights. With Audrey’s assistance we enjoyed a cruise on the Sienne and wonderful tours of the Louvre, Monet’s Garden, Versailles, the Montmarte District and even a food tour of the San Germain/Latin District. We could not have asked for a more wonderful trip to France and would highly recommend Kim Kim Tours to anyone seeking a highly memorable vacation.

Hotel Review

Grand Hotel du Luxembourg

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Hotel staff was very hospitable and helpful

Location

Within walking distance to everything while staying in Bayeux.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A day at the Mont Saint Michel with a small group

Bayeux

Mont Saint Michel was absolutely my favorite. I found it incredibly unique and so interesting. The guide was very good, and my husband and I both loved it.

Day excursion to Honfleur and Etretat

Bayeux

The day excursion to Honfleur and Etretat was fabulous—spectacular in every way. Our guide Rose was fantastic, making the experience even more enjoyable. I can't say enough good things about this day.

Day trip to Versaille castle, Giverny and Monet’s Garden

Paris

The day trip to Versailles castle, Giverny, and Monet’s Garden was a very nice day. It was very crowded, but that's understandable. Overall, we had a lovely day and enjoyed the sites.

Seine river cruise

Paris

The Seine river cruise booked for us was quite enjoyable. It was a nice activity and added to our overall pleasant experience in Paris.

It was amazing to get to do our 11 day trip to France and not worry about booking anything but dinner! And even then, the KimKim team helped us by calling restaurants we couldn’t book online and speaking to them in French to make our reservation.

Our bike tour in Versailles with Aurora was amazing, she was an amazing guide! Our other favorite part was the fondue dinner and lake cruise in Annecy with Paul. He had fantastic service, was very personable, and taught us a lot of interesting history about the area.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Domaine de Bayeux

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy - Handwritten Collection

Annecy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of everything! So easy to walk around town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

Room was very small and cramped, there was not even enough space to lay out our small carry-on bags. The bathroom shower had tile pieces that were rusted and the hardware had fallen off. We also couldn’t get the room to cool down, but luckily it was nice outside so we slept with our windows open. The highlight was the courtyard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles : Food & Palace Bike Tour - Full Day

France

Loved the bike ride! Such an amazing way to see Versailles. Our favorite part was shopping in the local market and then having our picnic at the lake. It will be a highlight of the trip, for sure! And our guide, Aurora, was Amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Aurora was amazing! Her English was great and she told us so many interesting things about the history.

Transport

Full Day Tour of Omaha and Utah Beaches & Normandy Landings Sites

Bayeux

It was a long day but a good one. Definitely wear good shoes and layers (it was windy and 49 degrees the day we went). Our guide gave us the perfect amount of time at each location and the flow of the tour itself was very intuitive. Overall, it was memorable and very moving.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Discover Giverny along the way

France

Highlight of the trip! It’s a must to if you are in the area in April or May.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Le Louvre Private Tour

Paris

It was a great learning experience, but I probably would have done a shorter tour because it was so busy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private cruise & Cheese Fondue on Annecy Lake

Annecy

If you have the chance to do this, DO IT. The lake is gorgeous, but there is so much more than meets the eye from the shore of Annecy. This was a highlight of our trip! The fondue dinner was fresh and delicious, and our guide provided wine and blankets (we went in May and it got a little chilly).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Paul was an amazing guide! So knowledgeable about all the houses and properties around the lake. He did an amazing job!

Transport

Haut Marais & Canal St Martin Food Tour

Paris

It was a very insightful tour, although it was a bit more like a history tour with food as an accent, verses the other way around. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kind.

Quality of Experience

I wish it had been two hours or in a more condensed area. It was a lot of walking and most of the food was dessert, which was a lot of sweets in a short amount of time. I wish there had been more savory food included as well.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides in Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, and Loire Valley were excellent. The arrangements were first class. Train station in Amsterdam was a little confusing. and all the up escalators from the station to DeGaulle airport were out of service. Hotels were centrally located, and the one in Amboise was very accommodating with its new elevator.
Amandine did a great job of arranging everything

Hotel Reviews

Art'otel Amsterdam, Powered by Radisson Hotels

Amsterdam City Center

Dark corridors, nice bar and restaurant/

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right across from main train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel le Dixseptième

Brussels

Nice sitting area. spacious

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel le Walt - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Wine Pairing

Paris

very relaxing private tour

I was impressed all around. Lucie with Kimkim organized a fantastic itinerary. She was available for all our questions, she even participated in a WhatsApp Group with everyone on the trip and provided the itinerary highlights every day while we were in France. The local tour guides Lucie selected were fantastic. When something didn't go exactly as planned, the local tour guides and Lucie immediately resolved the situation.
We really appreciated Thomas and Julie in Reims, they were both very knowledgeable about the region, champagnes, grapes, and production.
Our local guides in Bayeux who brought us to Mont St Michelle and the Normandy Beaches knew so much WWII and American history. They brought the history to life for each of us.
We had many guides in Paris and they were each wonderful. I enjoyed the walking tours of Montmartre and Saint Germain, it is the best way to see Paris!

Hotel Reviews

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

Classy rooms and great location. Easy to navigate to the Metro, plenty of local restaurants and bars to enjoy near the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Reims

Best breakfast, nice rooms, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Castel & Au Loup

Bayeux

We were in the Au Loup apartments. We loved that each was unique and offered gathering spaces. Breakfast was served at Le Castel, it was a nice 5 minute walk. Some of the drivers got confused about which address they were picking us up at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit of Moet & Chandon Cellars - Signature Tour

France

We arrived late due to a timing miscommunication. Our drivers quickly resolved it and we ended up with a 3rd Champagne House with a small farmer/producer. We got an abbreviated tour of Moet & Chandon which was still amazing - their cellars are not to be missed! We ran out of time to truly enjoy the tasting experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tour of D-Day Sites

France

Our tour guides were amazing and shared so much information. They made the experience meaningful and memorable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

An Immersive Champagne Experience: Cellar Visit, Tasting Class, and Gourmet Lunch

France

We LOVED this experience! We all had so much fun with the tour and activities and the tastings. The spaces were delightful to discover.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Mont-Saint-Michel

France

Beautiful. Amazing history. Loved the stories the guides told. Lunch was a bit chaotic. It was hard to know what to do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Seine river cruise

Paris

This was such a cool experience! Alex our captain was knowledgeable and fun. Loved being on a pontoon while enjoying the sights of Paris.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex made sure we had enough beer and wine for everyone!

Transport

We never would have been able to organize and enjoy as many sites on our Paris trip had it not been for Nathalie's expert organization and knowledge of where we needed to stay and how long certain site visits would take. Nathalie set up 4 tour guides for us and also pre arranged tickets for other events we did on our own. The tours that required we go outside the city were arranged so that the guide met us at our hotel and stayed with us through the metro, through the tour and got us back to the metro. All of the guides, Stephanie for Versailles, Athina for the Louvre, Diane for La Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame and Diane (a different Diane) for Pere Lachaise Cemetery were excellent. We were able to walk straight into all these sites without waiting (well, we had a snafu with Notre Dame but that is because we chose to visit during Easter break - not Diane's fault at all) and had what had to be some of the most knowledgeable guides possible. No question went unanswered.

Hotel Review

Le Derby Alma

Paris

Excellent location. Quiet, easy to walk to shops and especially restaurants. Metro station is only a block or so away and every Uber/Taxi we took knew exactly where to go. The rooms themselves were very comfortable and the staff was kind and accommodating. We had limited French language abilities and they were well versed in English. Room was replenished and cleaned each day allowing us to come back from busy days and "crash" in luxury!

Authenticity & Character

It was very comfortable for an American. Not much on the "French" style, but that wasn't what we were looking for in our hotel room. We had plenty of that when we went out.

Location

Easy walk to restaurants, shops, the Eiffel Tower and the metro

Staff

Greeted us each time we came and went. Housekeeping was on top of everything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were quiet and dark and kept very clean. My only complaint was the open concept shower. I shivered the entire time I showered - I began to dread taking a shower. The amenities are lovely, staff is wonderful, bed was comfortable and the treats in the room were most welcomed. I just don't understand not having a closed shower - they do this often in the US as well thinking it's an impressive design. It's not. We don't have to reinvent the wheel for a shower.

Activity Reviews

Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame walking tour

Paris

We booked a tour of these two locations, Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame, so that we could get some history and architecture lessons on the buildings. The tour wound up being an hour long walk around the island, a brief stop in Sainte Chapelle and no tour of Notre Dame. This was our only disappointing experience. The photos of Sainte Chapelle are so breathtaking that visiting this chapel became almost more important to us that Notre Dame. I envisioned a quiet little jewel that we could sit and contemplate the marvels of architecture and artistic talent that contributed to these stunning windows. There is no doubt the windows were stunning, but we did not know that the chapel is not a current functioning religious church. It had no chairs or pews, and was packed with tourists talking loud and doing selfies. It's is also a small chapel so you basically walk in, do a circle and are right back out. When we finished here was when the guide told us that they would not be taking us to Notre Dame because the wait in line was 2 hours. This was somewhat our fault because we assumed we had timed reservations, but we booked for the week after Easter AND the Pope passed away while we were there so timed reservations were cancelled. We would have much rather waited in line to see Notre Dame than spent an hour walking the island. We did get up early the next morning and walked right into Notre Dame on our own.

Quality of Experience

Perhaps a better explanation of expectations. We did not expect to walk for an hour touring the island before attempting to enter either church.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diane was a sweetheart and extremely professional and informative, we just did not understand the plan and did not get to see the main thing we came to Paris to see - inside Notre Dame.

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

This was a blast. Campy, crowded, fun. The food was better than we expected. We should have arrived about 45 minutes before our seating, but we still got a lovely table even arriving 15 minutes before our seating (in fact, we had easy access to the restrooms by being seated further back).

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Your private visit of Père Lachaise cemetery

Paris

Pere Lachaise is just an unbelievable spot on this earth. It is arranged like it's own city. There are sunny spots and lots of dark, damp and cozy spots. There is every kind of architecture you can imagine in the family crypts and so many stories that you could spend years here and not know them all. Every little path has something fascinating and historical. It is huge so we recommend a map and a plan. We were fortunate enough to have Diane for a guide. She is passionate about this cemetery and knew where to go, the stories to tell and the nuances to point out.

Quality of Experience

It was a cool, dark day and utterly peaceful. We could have stayed hours and hours.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Diane is an expert on Pere Lachaise. She made this efficient and interesting.

Transport

Diane met us at our hotel and walked us through the whole metro process. We would have stayed later in the cemetery on our own but we were nervous about getting the right Metro train back so we left with Diane so she could make sure we were getting the correct train.

Versailles Palace & Gardens Private Tour

Paris

Stephanie was our tour guide and she was simply amazing. She met us at our hotel and taught us how to use the train out to Versailles (different than the metro). She was full of information and tricks to get us straight into the palace. Every room she had a story and would take us right to the front so we could get a great view of the room. She set it up so we could stay later, after she left, and still we were comfortable on the train back to the city. We could not have asked for a better guide.

Quality of Experience

We wish we had done the Palace first, then rented the cart for the gardens

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stephanie, our private tour guide, made this more fun and interesting than we could have imagined.

Transport

Stephanie, our tour guide, handled it all. The train was perfect!

Orsay Museum with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

The museum is not intuitively organized and we wasted a lot of time following the crowd to the "popular" pieces of art that they were all determined to take photos of. That crowd was miserable. Once we figured out the layout we were able to enjoy the museum more. Just be warned, everyone is jammed into the Impressionist area and there are lots of other areas on the first and second floors that hold breathtaking pieces of art that are not jammed packed. We did not get to see all we wanted (we had a lunch reservation) because we wasted time trying to figure out where everything was.

Quality of Experience

Le Louvre Private Tour

Paris

So many reviews complain about the crowds at the Louvre, but because we were not interested in the Mona Lisa, our guide, Athina, was able to take us to works of art and artifacts of history that had, maybe, 3 other people in the room. Athina is an expert on the Louvre and could tell us everything about anything. She was enthusiastic and just as excited to see things the 200th time as we were to see them the first time. She knew the "secret" rooms and paths through the museum and made our experience a lifetime memory.

Quality of Experience

Athina (our guide) made this an amazing, crowd free experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athina (our guide) could not have made this any better. The experience was WAY over our expectation. Perfect.

Overall the trip worked out because I had to stay on top of changes and updates to make things go smoothly. I will walk through each day and what went well and what could be improved. Our trip was with my 80 year old parents, and my 10 year old daughter.

One takeaway that still confuses me is that we had the Siene Dinner Cruise until 11p, and then Versailles at 8a the next day. When I asked to move the Dinner Cruise, I was told it was not an option and non-refundable. But when I called the company, once in Paris - and paying international calling fees - they said it was not a problem but that the company that booked it had to ask to move it. Then it seemed like no problem. It seemed like KimKim just did not even want to try.

Day1 - we arrived in Paris with someone waiting with my name once we got through customs and had our bags. They had the wrong delivery address though and so we hand to figure that out and I had no cash yet to tip them.

Day2 Notre-Dame: We started early (9a) with a tour of the Notre-Dame. It would have been nice to sleep in a bit more and acclimate to the new time zone. Also there was some confusion in that we did not actually have tickets to the Notre-Dame, they just let us get in the very long line with everyone else, even though the title of the event was "Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit".

Day2 Louvre: For it being day1 after long travel, this made it a long day, but we did have a private entrance here. This guide seemed very scattered. The first thing we heard was that we were going to see the Mona Lisa, but we kept getting "distracted". This visit was supposed to be 2h, but it went about an hour over. If we had plans after we would have missed them. They give you a headset so you can hear them as you drift around a bit. Personally, I would rather had the easy entrance and then to just meet in the middle with a map and let us guide the route, and the person can speak to the things we are interested in. There is just so much there, and it was information overload. There are a ton of tour groups at the Louvre, so you need to pay attention to where your guide is.

Day3 Eiffel Tower: This worked out well, in that we got in quickly and had time to ourselves at the top.

Day4 & 5: We had food tours both of these days that had about half of the experience overlapped. Marais Pastry & Chocolate Tasting Experience - was all around sweets, and very interesting, and the guide was very good. The next day we had the "Montmartre Local Food Walk" tour with another very good guide, but they were not that different.

Day5 Siene River Dinner Cruise: This was good. Guidance on a dress code would be good here. There was a mix of folks dressed in full suits, and others in sweatshirts. Also, we do not drink alcohol so the fact that the agency paid for the wine paring for our whole table was a waste. Seeing the Eiffel blink at night was wonderful.

Day6 Shopping Day: This was nice to have a day to walk around and enjoy the city.

Day7 Parfume Making: This was very good, and we highly recommend this experience.
Day7 Baking Class: This was also wonderful and very kid friendly. We came home with so much bread!

Day8 Versaiiles: Taking the private van out to Versailles in the morning was the way to go. Going through the neighborhood of Versailles and visiting the queens grounds was all new to me. The guide here was very good as well.

Overall a very memorable trip.

Our trip to Normandy was amazing - all that we wanted and more! Thanks to Sebastian, we saw all the things we had asked for, as well as had informative and engaging guides for the more important sites. He listened to our request for hotels and locations, and everything on the trip went smoothly. The whole family had a wonderful time and we came home with great memories!

Hotel Reviews

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

This hotel was convenient, quiet and clean - just what we wanted. We were able to easily walk to the Tapestry and Cathedral in Bayeux, as well as the British cemetery. The drive to Mont St. Michel and the D-Day beaches was easy from this centrally located area. Parking was great, as well as the lovely breakfast each morning. The staff were friendly and had good recommendations for us.

Authenticity & Character

Charming!

Location

Centrally located with parking

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Hotel, Rouen Centre

Rouen

Conveniently located for our family with parking. We parked the first day and then walked everywhere in Rouen. Five minutes walk to the restaurants, another 5 mins for the Cathedral and Abbey. It was clean and quiet, and the family suite was great for us four. Breakfast was filling and tasty.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jangle Courtyard by Marriott Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport

Le Mesnil-Amelot

Stayed overnight prior to an early morning departure - convenient and quiet. Only seven minutes from the airport and the shuttle arrived as advertised. Breakfast was great - just what we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Mont-Saint-Michel Day Trip with Entrance Tickets (Rental Car)

France

Because we had a rental car, we could make our own way to Mont St Michel. We arrived in the late morning and spent a couple of hours exploring before our private tour. I liked having time before hand to think of questions, and our guide was great. We walked the causeway both ways - great way to experience the charm of the island!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit of Rouen

Rouen

Our guide, Ludevic, was engaging and entertaining, and we learned so much from our time with him! I appreciated his enthusiasm, especially as both teenagers were listening to him and learning. He covered all the major attractions and easily answered questions we had. His information really enhanced our time in Rouen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour of Monet's house and gardens

Giverny

Veronique was great! Her tour of Monet's garden added to our knowledge and made the place come alive! I appreciated that she engaged both teenagers, and then tailored parts of the tour to what they had mentioned. I'm grateful for her care and attention. I learned so much and came away with even more respect for Monet's work.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lise and Joel went above and beyond while working with us.

Firstly the itinerary was amazing. It was clever to have our time in Paris so active when we first landed, as we enjoyed relaxing more as the trip went out and our destinations become a but quieter. The tours we connected with were all well chosen. This trip for our mother and my recently widowed sister was just what we needed.
Joel's team went above and beyond regarding our family emergency. They handled my miscommunication with grace and helped us out.
This is the second trip I have booked through kimkim, and I believe you have a life long customer for all my future vacation plans.
Thanks again for the amazing memories.

I've never traveled overseas, and KimKim gave me the help and confidence I needed to get past my concerns of traveling internationally (all the unknowns!) in order to make the trip actually happen. Audrey was very helpful and answered many, many questions. I recommend KimKim to first time international travelers especially. There were a couple of minor issues, but Audrey was very prompt with her support.

Hotel Reviews

Apartements du Louvre - Le Marais

Paris

Location was great and the room was nice. The apartment was clean. The balcony was cute and such a nice Parisian touch. The location was near a grocery store and subway station. Had some trouble with the dishwasher and the washing machine had a learning curve (the directions provided didn't match the unit). I would recommend this accommodation.

Authenticity & Character

Parisian balcony!

Location

Close to subway and grocery store. Charming area.

Staff

A little confusion about the prepayment with the travel agent, but everyone was kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and had enough fresh towels.

Vancouver Studio

London

Friendly staff, regular housekeeping, lots of space for the family. Appreciated having a kitchen in the unit as well.

Authenticity & Character

The private garden for our room was a nice touch.

Location

Close to a grocery store and subway.

Staff

Everyone was helpful and we enjoyed the candy dish!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the daily offer of housekeeping in an apartment setting. It was nice to have fresh towels and beds made.

Activity Review

Seine river cruise

Paris

We couldn't find where this tour started. We tried on two different occasions. We spoke with a representative at the address we were given by our travel agent who told us to "walk 15 minutes that way and cross the bridge." We walked for a long time and never found it. It was very disappointing. Never got on a boat. We also couldn't find a schedule to try to time our arrival (not that we could find the boat anyway).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A specific address and time of rides.

Transport

It was a truly memorable trip for all three of us. We especially enjoyed the cooking class with Chef Dominique. He was very informative and great letting us all have a chance to participate. Also special was the view of the Eiffel tower from our room on the 6th floor of our hotel. We watched it lit up every night! Saw the usual iconic landmarks, the tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the cathedral with the beautiful stained glass windows. Some of us saw King Louie's castle and were underwhelmed with the Hall of Mirrors but were really wowed with Claude Monet's home and gardens. All in all a great trip. First time in Paris had to see all the major attractions. Lines were long even though we had timed tickets. Some of the venues (the Eiffel tower in particular) did not have signs to direct you where to go. We were trying to get to the second floor restaurant for lunch and had to walk totally around the building to find the access. Thanks to KimKim for all their help in getting this trip together. Will definitely use your services again if we make another European trip. I don't think we contacted Valentine while we in Paris although she was very receptive to our requests to organize the itinerary.

Hotel Review

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

We stayed in an apartment on the 6th floor and could see the Eiffel Tower from our skylight. What a bonus! Enjoyed the treats in the lobby and the beverages in the room. Breakfast was great,,,plenty to choose from. (Would have liked soft boiled eggs.) Clean establishment with beds made and clean towels every day. Good working elevator which was important to me as I have a breathing problem and do not do stairs well. Would highly recommend this establishment.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to Metro stop and cafes.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

French Cooking Class

Paris

We really enjoyed this activity. Chef Dominique was great in explaining everything and letting all of us have a chance to contribute to the meal. It was delicious. I would recommend this activity to any travelers over the age of 10.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palace of Versailles & Giverny Day Trip

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Working with Kim Kim and Lucie was a real pleasure. This was our first trip to France and having someone to work with to help navigate the area gave our group and our kids back home real piece of mind. Our tour guide Bridgette was an absolute delight! We spent a full day with here for a Lueberon Tour and one day on a great wine tour. When we arrive in Paris, we have a slight glitch at the 9Hotel Opera! The elevator was out of order when we arrived and being on the 5th floor was a tough climb, but we forged ahead. The elevator was repair the next day so it all worked out. The bed was very very comfortable and the staff was very nice. The daily breakfast which was included with our stay was excellent!!!!
We had a wonderful tour of Nortre Dame. Our guide Laurent was the best, very knowledgable and personable. The whole France experience was wonderful!!! Thank you Kim Kim and Lucie

Hotel Review

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

I would have given it 5 stars, but when we arrive the elevator was out of order and we had climb 5 flights (92 stairs) to get to our room the first night. The room was small, but that is unusual for the type of hotel.. Very clean and the beds were very comfortable. Great shower!!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Enchanting Luberon Experience: A Journey Through Provence’s Most Beautiful Villages

France

Fabulous! very enlightening. Great tour guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chateauneuf du Pape & Gigondas Wine Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip planning was easy and Lucie was very prompt with her service and very courteous.
The guide was also excellent. And the hotel chosen was perfect.

The trip to Paris was all we had hoped for when started planning last summer. KimKim provided us with a driver most of the days we were in Paris and this proved very important. Our drivers name was
Mohammed and he greatly enhanced our experiences.
Prompt, courteous, masterful driving of the car in Paris traffic allowed us to relax and see the sights. The only thing that could have been added was that Mohammed spoke a bit more English.
We also toured for 90 minutes by vintage 2CV car. Our guide was Vivian and he was very good. A major part of our time was spent in Montmartre which I really enjoyed. It was first thing in the morning , so no Champagne. It was cold, so had to put top on the car. The old car was not for people our age (in our 70’s)as it was hard to get in and out. Vivian was a charming Frenchman and we enjoyed our time with him.
Our next guide over the next 2 days gave us her nickname SoSo. My wife especially liked her warm and friendly manner. She was especially good at looking out for my wife’s limited mobility. For both of us she was very intelligent and informative and we learned a lot about The Louvre and Versailles and had a good time doing the tour.
To quickly review, our journeys to the Loire Valley and Giverny were a couple of favorite parts of the vacation. The food, wine and flowers and castles makes me want to return in the near future and spend more time there.
Lastly 9Hotel had a great location and good accommodations. Only complaint was only hard wooden chairs in the room. Breakfast was hot and good. The staff was kindly and helpful.
My compliments to Slimane for putting together all the details of this trip. He was patient and helpful during the planning and made everything easy and trouble free.
We would recommend KimKim for any overseas trip and would use their services ourselves in the future.

Mike and Pat Largen

Hotel Review

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

Please see above review

Authenticity & Character

Small French hotel. Just right for that part of town

Location

Newest the center of town. Convenient

Staff

Helpful and accommodating attitude.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds and bathrooms very nice

Activity Reviews

Seine river dinner cruise

Paris

The Seine river dinner cruise was fantastic. We went on the early cruise, which wasn't crowded, and the food was really good. The scenic views along the Seine were very pleasurable and a highlight of our trip.

Romantic tour of Paris by vintage 2CV car, with a bottle of Champagne included

Paris

The romantic tour of Paris by vintage 2CV car was charming but would be better in warmer weather and we ended up asking to put the top down. I recommend doing this is the evening as the champagne included didn't make much sense for a 9 AM tour. The guide was knowledgeable and driving through Montmartre was delightful.

Guided visit of the Louvre museum and its surroundings

Paris

The guided visit of the Louvre museum was wonderful. Our guide was exceptional, able to maneuver through the crowds and enhance our experience immensely. I had a great time and appreciated the warm reception we received.

Versailles Half Day Tour

Paris

The Versailles Half Day Tour was amazing, especially walking through the gardens and seeing the palace. Our guide was very knowledgeable and we ended up renting a golf cart after we parted to better explore the extensive grounds, although just be aware it's a bit pricey.

Loire Valley Private Wine Tour including 8 tastings & lunch

Paris

The Loire Valley Private Wine Tour was terrific. Chambord Castle's grounds were park-like and relaxing. The wine tasting experience in the caves was unique and memorable. We enjoyed it so much we brought a couple of bottles home!

I think my only "complaint" were our hotels in Paris as far as their location to the events that we had planned. Even though it was my responsibility to select the hotels (which were all excellent), I would have appreciated being told about the distance to the events that we were to participate in, especially in the mornings. I may have chosen differently so that we would not have had to get up as early or take a taxi.

Other than that annoyance, we had a fabulous time. Megan's favorites were Les Baux des Provence and Giverney. My most memorable was St. Remy and Amboise.

Of the cooking class, the one in Paris w/ Marthe was our favorite. The one in Aix was not prepared for us (I believe there was information we were to complete to help her in the menu.)

Our Kimkim's arranged trip to southern France was terrific in every way! They were easy to work with and accommodating to our particular requests. The accommodations were convenient and lovely, and the itinerary matched our desire for cultural/museum visits and explorations of small villages. (Unfortunately, after the height of the tourist season in October, many ateliers were closed for renovation.

Due to financial constraints, Kimkim recommended we rent a car to travel between some of our destinations. Unaware of the areas conventions around tolls, etc. driving turned out to be a bit hair-raising.

I've used Kimkim before, also for travel in France. That trip too, was excellently conceived and executed. I highly recommend Kimkim!

Audrey Benezech took all our requests and put together pretty much exactly what we wanted. A nice hotel in Avignon, small group tours each day, all the tour guides were excellent. only small thing that could have helped was when we needed to cancel a tour one day, by the time we figured out to put 011 with the number listed it was a bit late.
Audrey also helped by getting our train tickets for us, so everything was covered.

We had a wonderful family vacation to France in Summer 2024, thanks to the exceptional planning and support from Aline and Bastien at Discovery DMC. They designed a thoughtful and well-paced itinerary that included the highlights of Paris, the historical sites of Normandy, and the beauty of Nice. The mix of guided tours, comfortable accommodations, and seamless travel logistics made the entire trip feel effortless.

What stood out most was their attention to detail and responsiveness—before and during the trip. They tailored the experience to fit our family’s preferences and made sure everything ran smoothly. It was a perfect balance of sightseeing, cultural immersion, and relaxation. We highly recommend Aline, Bastien, and Discovery DMC, and would definitely work with them again for future travel.

> All our guides were phenomenal. Alex at Amboise, Fabian at Bordeaux as well as the guides at Bordeaux for the cheese and wine tour as well as the chocolate and pastry tour guide at Paris.

> All the private transfer pick ups, drop offs, etc. were all really good.

> My only criticism is the train ride. We all couldn't be together from Bordeaux to Paris. As we were traveling with 2 young kids, that was hard. We were able to talk to the people and figure out a solution but this was not ideal.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel du Palais Royal

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Manoir Saint Thomas

Amboise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Burdigala

33000

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Photo Shoot in Paris

Paris

Javier was great. We had 2 young kids and he was very accommodating. We are still waiting for professionally touched pictures but so far they look great.

Quality of Experience

Discover the mythical Loire Valley Châteaux & Hot Air Balloon Flight

France

The Chateaux visits were great. Alex, our guide, was fantastic. Very family friendly and our kids absolutely enjoyed the time. We had to unfortunately miss the hot air balloon since it was cancelled due to poor weather.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet Food & History Walk

Bordeaux

Overall good experience but the guide didn't know that we did not eat meat. There was charcuterie also planned but we skipped it since none of us were meat eaters.

The trip itself was the trip of a lifetime. Thanks to Sebastian’s expertise and planning we didn’t have a single thing to worry about regarding scheduling or transportation. Some of our “small group” tours ended up being private which was a very pleasant surprise, and any time we needed to communicate we always received a very kind and timely response.