Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

The entire trip was wonderful. We were able to see so many things and cover lots of territory in a fairly short amount of time. I really appreciated the lodging options. Each was unique and special. There were a couple that stood out from the rest. At the top of the list was the Bastide de Bellegarde outside of Avignon. AMAZING! The chateau was wonderful. The rooms were spacious and the grounds were beautiful. The owner was lovely and went above and beyond to make us feel at home. We had dinner at the chateau and the food was spectacular. Both dinners were some of the best meals we had the entire trip. The owner gave us a private wine and cheese pairing, which we had done before at other places, but this was the best! So worth the stop! I loved the Christmas markets in Strasbourg and the tour was good as well. Having a rental car was well worth it. It allowed us to see so many unique and interesting sights like the Pont du Gard, wine tasting at Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and visits to Roman ruins in various spots around southern France. Driving was not too difficult. You have to pay attention to the GPS and watch for constant speed limit changes but the freedom a car provides is a nice addition to the trip. I fell in love with France on this trip, thanks to the wonderful planning and special touches KimKim included on the trip. Thanks for everything!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel & Spa Régent Petite France

Strasbourg

Very nice hotel and spa. The location is nice because it is in the old walled city but toward the edge so you don't have to walk very far with your bags. The hotel is beautiful. Very nicely remodeled with well appointed rooms and a very large comfortable lobby. There are interesting things around the hotel as well as it is built on or next to the dam. You can see the water pipes and there is water all around it. There are a couple Christmas markets right outside of the hotel which is convenient and festive. The spa is very nice. Well appointed and they require reservations so it is not crowded.

Authenticity & Character

very nice hotel that is clean and has modern touches in an old building.

Location

In the old walled city but near the edge.

Staff

Very attentive and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were large and very comfortable. Great beds

Hotel Arok

Strasbourg

This hotel was a pleasant surprise. It is very close to the train station so we were not expecting much. However, it was a great hotel! The room was huge and well appointed. The lobby was clean and festive. Everything was well decorated for the holidays at the hotel. It was nice to not have to drag our bags very far from the train station. Everyone was very nice and helpful. They even have a very nice baggage storage room for those that are staying at the hotel that allow you to keep your bags there while you explore town after you check out.

Authenticity & Character

Nice hotel

Location

Very close to train but easy walk into the old town area and Christmas markets.

Staff

Everyone was very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Hôtel Adèle & Jules Paris

Paris

This was a wonderful hotel. Hidden but quiet and off the main streets. In a very fun area of Paris. Small lobby but the rooms were well appointed and nice size.

Authenticity & Character

It was European in feel but not tiny.

Location

Great location in Paris that is easily accessible. The fact it is off a side courtyard off a not busy street keeps it very quiet.

Staff

Everyone was very welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice rooms. Stairs or elevator to the rooms. Only a few rooms per floor. Very quiet.

Maisons du Monde Hôtel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille

Great location right in the heart of the old port. Nice rooms that are fairly good sized. Very nice staff. Safe.

Authenticity & Character

Nice and clean with good amenities.

Location

In the old port across from the port itself. Easily accessed by car, bus, or taxi. Can walk to many things in the area from the hotel.

Staff

Everyone was very kind and welcoming.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very nice rooms with all the amenities you need.

Bastide de Bellegarde

Avignon

AMAZING! This is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in and I have stayed in a lot of places around the world. The chateau itself is very well appointed. The decor is fun and interesting but very classy at the same time. The rooms are large and well appointed. Heated towel racks!!! Love them! The owner, Brian, is the best! So welcoming and friendly. He went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and welcomed. The small touches he ensured were included were so appreciated! One of the best parts was the food!!!! WOW! That is all I can say! Dinner was spectacular. Everything was delicious. Definitely one of the best meals we had on our entire trip. I would stay here again in heart beat! Love this place!

Authenticity & Character

The history of the Chateau and the island it is on is very interesting. The decorations inside the chateau highlight its history.

Location

It was very close to Avignon (you could bike to the center of town) but you are out in the country so you have space to stretch out and take a deep breath. It is so quiet!

Staff

Brian was amazing! So welcoming and kind. He made sure our stay was second to none and he succeeded!

Cleanliness & Comfort

very well appointed rooms and facility. Very nice beds and the bathrooms are very nice.

Activity Review

Photoshoot in the Heart of Paris - Eiffel Tower

Paris

The photographer was great. We had a beautiful day and although it was busy near the tower he was able to take wonderful pictures that highlighted one of the most icon landmarks in Paris. The pictures we ended up with were very well done. A great memory!

Quality of Experience

unique and fun

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was really good and very personable. Fun to be with.

I wanted to specifically mention our transport drivers to and from the airport. On the ride to our hotel, our driver took the time to give us helpful hints for the week, later he messaged us links to places we might want to see and when we arrived at the hotel, he did not leave us until he knew we were safely inside the building. Our driver to the airport was also very helpful and concerned in making sure we knew exactly where to go. I thought they went above and beyond. Our tour guides were all very professional and extremely knowledgeable. Kimkim was wonderful by communicating with us regularly before and during the trip, especially since we had a few hiccups with our arrivals to Paris and one hiccup at the Eiffel Tower looking for the tour guide. We really enjoyed our time in the city of lights. The pastry making and perfume making was such a unique experience! Loved that and loved the river cruise!

Hotel Review

Aparthotel Quartier Libre Saint Georges

Paris

Very clean and comfy. Terrific shower. Great location!! Only complaint was that there usually wasn’t anyone in the lobby working. Had to call a number if needed assistance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Having someone working onsite during stated hours

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Louvre Museum Visit

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Seine River Cruise

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Unlock the Secrets of Perfume-Making!

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private French Pastry Class

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a GREAT trip! KimKim, Aline, and her team listened and planned based on what we wanted. Nothing was preconceived! We had a little hiccup at our last hotel and they hopped on the phone and took care of it immediately. We highly recommend using the car services they planned for us - we felt very taken care of and very safe. Aline and team checked in on us and made sure we had all the contact information we needed. It was truly a great experience and I highly recommend using KimKim's services.

Hotel Reviews

Chateau Hotel & Spa Grand Barrail

Saint-Émilion

Chateau Hotel & Spa Grand Barrail was fabulous, truly a four-star standard. I loved the place and would definitely love to go back. It was close to Saint Emilion, where we spent a good chunk of our time. It was an incredible experience overall.

Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport

Roissy-en-France

The experience at Pullman Paris Roissy CDG Airport was disappointing. The staff was extremely rude, and there was a significant issue with the reservation, which had not been paid for. They left us waiting for an hour and a half to resolve the problem, with no courtesy or helpfulness shown. It's everything people warn about Paris, unlike the wonderful experiences we had elsewhere in France.

Hôtel La Zoologie

Bordeaux

Hôtel La Zoologie was a great place to stay. It was unique, interesting, and very comfortable. The location was perfect, about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the city center, which made it convenient to explore Bordeaux. The staff was fantastic and the whole experience was truly enjoyable.

Activity Reviews

Day Tour : Drive the mythical Citroen 2CV along the Chateau (Private/8Hours)

France

The Day Tour in a Citroen 2CV was an absolute highlight. It was a private tour, and the driver was fantastic, showing us extra little places that really made the experience special and memorable. I would highly recommend this activity.

Lunch OR Dinner Cruise in Bordeaux ! (Small Group/2Hours)

Bordeaux

The Lunch or Dinner Cruise in Bordeaux was just okay. It felt redundant because of a similar daytime cruise we did. In hindsight, doing just one of these would have sufficed as they were quite similar experiences.

It was absolutely wonderful. We learned so much and got to experience a bit of the culture as well. I think we would have preferred to have a little more down time to explore and shop. We never did get to see the Christmas market which would have been fun. The apartment was perfect. Food amazing. It was an incredible experience; one that we will all reflect on for our entire lives.

The whole KimKim team was fantastic. They responded to messages promptly throughout the entire experience and handled a minor cancellation beyond their control extremely quickly. We had a wonderful, well-organized, fabulous trip! We highly recommend using them and will plan to use them in the future.

We loved our trip. We had a great variety of activities and places to visit!

Hotel Review

Chateau St Roux

Le Cannet-des-Maures

Amazing! Would go back in a heartbeat! The staff, the accommodations and wine were all exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a storybook setting!

Location

Beautiful location

Staff

Everyone was friendly and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

A great day- however the day we were meant to see Casis there was a race so we couldn’t get there. We were disappointed. However! The winery we went to was lovely. Our guide was excellent! Very knowledgeable and very easy to enjoy time with

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit and Wine Tasting at Château Saint Roux

France

Loved it! Great wines and experience. Beautiful estate to visit. Staff was very knowledgeable and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Tour in the Luberon Nature Park

Aix-en-Provence

Great tour! The wineries we visited were great. Our guide for the day was wonderful! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We were able to see a ton in one day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver/guide was great!

Transport

Moulin Rouge Cabaret show ticket with Champagne

Paris

We loved it. So much talent from start to finish. Captivating show

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Electric Bike tour of Paris' Hidden Gems - Small-group

Paris

Fun way to explore Paris. Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I want to give Sebastian a great thank you for the places we saw on this trip. The local guides were very helpful in raising both our knowledge and experience of Paris and the two wine regions we visited.

Hello Liz and team mates,
Joan Carson and I wrote the review together that Joan submitted. I joined the planning late when Joan had much of it organized. We made a few changes together after I signed on- fine tuning actually not substantive. I can tell you that I fully share the points made in our full response. We were fine with the arrangements you suggested, lined up and that were so sensitive to our wishes. You informed us promptly about items that needed to be adjusted because of the tour company and we found an alternative that worked out fine. Had we needed more support during the trip, you were right there for us. Thanks so much,
Pat

Hotel Review

Mercure Lyon Centre Saxe Lafayette

Lyon

The pool is lovely and fine for relaxing with the jet massage or short swims. Its not for someone who needs to do laps.

Authenticity & Character

Not sure what you mean by this question. The hotel was definitely a 4 star. We did love the smiling lion at the entrance.

Location

We walked into town across the beautiful bridges. I would not call it a short walk but a short taxi ride if one is not looking for a walk.

Staff

Coped well with our intermediate French skill. Very helpful with information, reservations and suggestions. Staff in the restaurant also great. Fantastic breakfast buffet and all else we ate there. Its great to have a good restaurant and bar option on site at the end of a long day of walking, using the metro and absorbing the culture.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely

Activity Reviews

City Excursion by E-Bike with Food Tasting

Lyon

As we said in our full review, starting off in city traffic means you need to be quite comfortable on an ebike. But alll in all, I enjoyed it- particularly the park and river paths.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruno was very good.

Farmer's Market Day in Lyon - Croix-Rousse

Lyon

the day was rainy and we walked a long way to find the market. Take the metro or taxi. On the positive side, we had made reservations at a great restaurant for that night, and we were definitely ready for that.

Culinary Walk in Lyon Old Town

Lyon

Wonderful way to be introduced to Lyon.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Beaujolais & Burgundy Wine Route Experience

Lyon

You may recall I had some trepidation about Beaujolais area but that first stop (small, family vineyard with intro duction by the young owner) wonderful. Then the chateau with all its history and beauty and charm, the varied wines etc as we edged up toward Bugundy- lovely. Lunch in Macon where we chose a very small new place with local residents and fine dejeurner. And the final more modern looking, large enterprise when the owner's daughter did such a great job of talking about the many chardonnay varieties which were fabulous, ending with a Premier Cru. It was a wonderfull day, a full day and beyond my expectations. I would love to see the areas further north into burgundy but it was about right with the amount of time in the car- more driving would have been difficult.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private War History & Traboules Walk

Lyon

Wonderful, don't miss

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Francois gets 5 stars, he is wonderul

Transport

We walked many steps that day but thoroughly enjoyed. See full report for details.

Liz and the KimKim team did a fabulous job planning our first trip to France. Liz worked with me through several iterations and connected my phone to ensure she was providing the experience we were looking for. She helped develop a very diverse 10-day trip throughout France, ensuring the places we wanted to hit - Nice, Paris, Normandy - where included and then some! Liz was always so responsive - even after our return when I had a question! She even sent some goodies - stickers and a water bottle, after I booked as the trip was a gift. She even sent a hand written thank you card upon our return, such a nice touch especially when things feel so automated or less personalized.
The trip was wonderful. We especially enjoyed Champagne country, Giverny and seeing Monet's breathtaking gardens, paying our respect and learning more about history on the Normandy trip/tour, and really enjoyed the dinner cruise on the Seine. Southern France was great and so different than the north and Paris. We especially enjoyed the private tour guide we had with Lucy to see Antibes, Cannes and more. We're glad one of our day excursions also included Monaco - although that day felt more rushed and more checking in quickly to Ez, Monaco, etc - it was very brief in each area - 1 hour is all. The hotel in Nice as nice as well as Paris; however in hindsight, given where our meeting locations were in Paris for the various excursions, we wish we had a hotel that was closer to the meeting locations - especially when several days called for 6:30/6:45 am meet ups. With our hotel not being near the metro and such early times, we ended up using cabs and probably added another $250 to our trip in all the cab rides - including from the Paris hotel to the airport , which wasn't included in our other transportation. The cost for the Versailles and Giverny excursion was very expensive and wouldn't do it again, but glad we got to see the area. Our favorite excursions was the Champagne country, Normandy, private tour guide in Nice, Antibes and Cannes and the Seine dinner cruise. We were disappointed in the Notre Dame tour - the tour guide was lovely and we learned a lot, but for the money and time, all we did was walk around the exterior....it noted a tour and we were so happy given that Notre Dame had just reopened , then to find out that if we wanted to go inside we'd have to get in line which was wrapping around and a few miles long.
We enjoyed France and found everyone very kind and welcoming. Thank you for helping to create such a memorable experience!

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Beach Day

Nice

we needed a "free day" :)

Quality of Experience

Full Day Exploration of Antibes, St-Paul-de-Vence and Cannes

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lucy was great!!!

Transport

loved having a private excursion - able to customize and really learn more about the area

Grand Riviera Journey: Eze, Monaco, Antibes & Cannes Excursion

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private French Riviera Sunset Electric Cruise (with private transfer)

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Tour from Paris: D-Day Beaches Exploration

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giverny & Palace of Versailles: Art, Royalty & Gardens

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was more of a driver and didn't go into too much until we got to Versailles

Transport

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Quality of Experience

Transport

Really a neat experience!

Private Notre-Dame & Sainte-Chapelle Visit with Priority Access

Paris

Expected a bit more - travel guide was wonderful and enjoyed Sainte Chapelle, but Notre Dame was underwhelming and disapointing to not see anything but the outside (not a lot of value as we could have just walked there and saw it on our own and saved hundreds of dollars, frankly).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

None and had to navigate on our own, not horrible

Louvre Murders & Mysteries Experience

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jet lagged and new to Paris, would have been preferred to have a cab or transport lined up for ease and to reduce some stress - the hotel staff was helpful and helped us secure a cab

Champagne Region Day Trip with Tastings

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Justine put together a perfect trip. It was well organized and very detailed. No hiccups in the planning
Joel was extremely helpful whenever there was any type of emergency
Thanks

Sebastian had only a short time to create an itinerary for our trip and he did an amazing job. Each hotel was unique and comfortable and in a good location. The guides he booked were friendly and knowledgeable and helped us know more about French culture and history. The wine tours gave us new appreciation for French wines and opened a new avenue for us to grow in our knowledge of their unique style.
We believe Sebastian did remarkable work and we look to working with him again on our next journey to France.

Activity Reviews

Cruise on a tradition boat and wine tasting in a vineyard (full-day)

France

Our guide had years of experience in the area and she did a wonderful job of talking about the unique nature of the Loire Valley. Having lunch and a wine tasting on a river boat was so relaxing and informative. This is an experience not to be missed!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Dordogne from Bordeaux - private

France

Rodolfo was a special guide. Warm and welcoming and funny. He made the day special. This was the best guided tour of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Odyssey Wine Tour

Amboise

We enjoyed the opportunity to see the village of St. Emillion and to explore the Medoc region.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly, filled with information and knowledge of the region

Transport

Overall, the arrangements were excellent. The hotel was lovely and as long as folks are walkers like us, it’s well located. Otherwise, folks would be taking taxi or Metro which is fine too if they are comfortable with that.

Tours:
• Saturday - Walking/eating tour. Nathan was very personable, knowledgeable, with good sense of humor, coped well with our request to speak in French and we enjoyed the tour. Good introduction to the city. Food stops were great. Just two other people with us on that tour, a local French couple who don’t come into the big city too often and were delightful company.

• Sunday- we were on our own and walked and walked trying to find the market which turned out to be a long, uphill walk. The market was colorful and full of fresh veggies/fruits mostly. There was a large portion of the area that was dedicated to carnival rides, attractions and fair food. Because it was Sunday the area was full of young families enjoying the day. It was interesting, we saw a lot of the city but we probably needed to do more research to focus our day.

• Monday- E-bike, 4-hour tour. Bruno, our guide, was wonderful. He does need to know when to stop talking about politics but otherwise, sensitive to our needs, knowledgeable about the city and its history, architecture and best views. Despite the separate bike and pedestrian paths, construction and vehicle barriers and city traffic made navigating on an unfamiliar bike challenging. We would say that one needs more than a passing level of skill with an E-bike. The beautiful park Tete D’Or with bike avenues was much easier. The choices were either 2- or 4-hr tours and only 3 of us chose the 4-hour tour. We did the food stop, warmed up (it was cold and rainy); then Bruno suggested we take the funicular to the Basilica due to rain (ponchos included with the bike) and the steep climb; the rest of the tour was on foot. Bruno showed us the gorgeous church upstairs and down providing lots of details about the history. Our tour ended up being a total of six hours. Though we loved the tour, we were flagging by the end and had to walk the whole way down because the funicular was closed for repairs.

Our guide Francois
One common denominator of our last two tours, both of which were private, was the outstanding skill of our guide, Francois. He bore up so well under our fledgling efforts to speak French, he shared his passion of the subject(s) and he shared immense amounts of history, culture, architecture as well as knowledge and appreciation for French local wines. Those last two days in Lyon were so valuable and enjoyable because of his gentlemanly manner and broad knowledge.

• Tuesday - French Resistance Tour 4-hour private tour.(it was reported in our itinerary to be a 3-hour tour though we were happy to spend four hours on the subject) This is a “don’t miss” tour because the history of the war years, the valor of the French citizens who sought to defy their occupiers and the cause of the French republic is a Lyon story that we all should know.

• Wednesday - Beaujolais and Burgundy wine tour. Previously we did not have a good impression of Beaujolais wine, perhaps because of drinking only Beaujolais Nouveau in the past. We’ll look for Beaujolais now that we’ve tasted wonderful examples. As we drove further north, the wines were more interesting to us, Chateau Pierreclos was fabulous, for the chateau itself and, of course, the wines. Our last stop was Burgundy white wines that were fabulous. The variety of wineries- small, family run with the tasting led by the owner, the chateau with its wonderful buildings and welcoming staff (red and white wines) and the more modern looking Nadine Ferrand -Le vin au feminin, with the tasting led by the owner’s daughter and ending with its Premier Cru white wine - was excellent and a totally enjoyable day.

We had a wonderful 17 days in France - Paris 4 days, Aix-en-Provence 4 days, Avignon 3 Days and back to Paris for another 6 days. Still may have wanted another day in Paris! Mostly met our expectations for the budget we provided. Private drivers and tour guides were all VERY timely (and if going to be even a minute late - they called to let us know.) Accommodations were mostly good - certainly clean and functional - but locations could have been better. But these are things one learns from going to these new places. After this trip we know the arrondissements to stay in next time.
Our best tour with A la Francaise (Aix and Avignon) was the e-bike adventure through the Luberon Valley - highly recommend. Don't miss seeing Pont du Gard, and the Calanques (from Cassis). We also left the south of France with a much better appreciation of Rhone valley wines.
Our best tour guide was Stefane from our Food and Culture tour in Paris - ask for Stefane, he is a fountain of information and a fun guy. We had this tour on the fourth day in Paris - really wanted it on the first day - that much useful infomation! The Seine River Dinner Cruise was a little campy but really well done, and the sights at night - beautiful.
Paris still has much in store for us . The entire city is basically an art museum - with a great subway system to get you around (only sane way to go). Traditional French cooking is amazing and have duck as often as you can (even had a duck burger!)

Hotel Reviews

Aparthotel Adagio Paris Montmartre

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Modern decor - no real charm

Location

Montmartre is great to visit - but staying there has it's drawbacks.

Staff

Helped us when needed

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Authenticity & Character

Upon asking we discovered a quaint "living room" where we were able to dine in with our good from the La Halles !

Location

Definitely in the heart of the city - lots going on around us.

Staff

Throughout France we find that staff doesn't tell us much about what is available in the hotel. Of course if we spoke French we would probably get more information.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aparthotel Adagio

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

It's new construction -

Location

Near the edge of old city - just felt too far away

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Laundry available which was requested

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Nice hotel tucked into a side street in a busy area.

Location

Lots going on - good Metro access.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Split living - stairs up to the bedroom and tub access could be an issue for some people.

Activity Reviews

Moulin Rouge Evening Performance

Paris

It was a production - Las Vegas show I cannot understand. We thought it would be a more retro show - but I guess they have to compete with everybody else and offer something spectacular. Hundred costume changes - good feats of strength (contortionist freaked us out!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked there

Self Guided Tour of the Palace of Versailles (Tickets are not included)

Paris

Did not do this - but went to Musee des Artes et Metiers instead. Very cool museum dedicated to vintage science and technology - as only the French can do it. Beautiful housing and displays.

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

As I said in the summary review - campy and touristy - but you should do it. The the lit bridges and buildings were beautiful from the water. Also getting a peek at the party and private boats along the water - seeing how the Monied party in Paris. Singer was great, food very good, service passable. But you do this for the sightseeing at night.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Les Puces - Flea Market in Paris

Paris

Wasn't worth the effort to get there. Lots of transient vendors selling the same old junk - not sure anybody was buying. Found the brick and mortar antique shops in the area - nice stuff - but no deals.

At leisure: The Covered Passages of Paris

Paris

Interesting area and shops. Also an amazing restaurant (again with the duck burger.)

The Richelieu Library at Your Own Pace

Paris

Beautiful facility and museum. Museum has great explanations of how they acquired the holdings - some of which are extremely rare. A quite way to spend an few hours before lunch.

Private Camargue Day: Flamingos, Bulls & Beyond

France

Our guide from Avignon - Emile - was very pleasant, and the bird sanctuary was very interesting - but there was a lot of driving involved. The jeep tour from Aigues-Mortes was OK - but it is primarily ag land - we see a lot of that at home! The city (Aigues-Mortes) is completely walled and in good shape. Neat town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jeep was rough - for what we saw, not quite worth the effort.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Afternoon Wine Tour

Avignon

We did learn much about wine in the Rhone river valley - ChatduPape being the star. Both houses different approach to the same product. Interesting

Montmartre

Paris

Sunday afternoon - cra cra. People everywhere. Monday morning - pleasant walk about till around 11:00 when the buses started arriving.

Afternoon Saint-Rémy, Les Baux & Pont du Gard Experience

Avignon

Pont du Gard - amazing. Saint Remy - meh Les Baux - had a nice Aperol spritz -

Luberon E-Bike Adventure: Hilltop Villages

Aix-en-Provence

A beautiful and vibrant valley in rural France - with may hilltop villages. E-bikes were the way to go.

Quality of Experience

Getting into rural France - biking is such a great way to experience the scenery and see these small towns.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thomas was very nice - I do wish we could have gone a bit slower though. With everyone on E-bikes, if I stopped to look at something I might have lost the group.

Transport

Bikes operated very well, Thomas' driving very calm

Cassis Day Trip with Calanques Boat Cruise (Ticket not included)

Aix-en-Provence

Mostly a drive to a seaside village - but the boat trip is a must if you go.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain Gourmet Food Walk

Paris

This was our favorite guide - Stephane. Really provided us a great introduction to Paris and French food and French culture. Well thought out organization of the tour, and we were taken to some seriously legit food purveyors (candies, pastries, bread, cheese, and meats.) Additionally - we've been on food tours before where the guide promises to send all the information on where we went and what we ate - Stefane followed through and actually did it.

Quality of Experience

The guides unending knowledge about food and cuture.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

His enthusiasm, excellent English, and love of French food.

Transport

We were walking - Guide was on time to the meeting location.

Champagne Region Day Trip with Tastings

Paris

Good tour - lots of time in the car driving to Reims and back to Paris. But tour guide did take us to two distinctly different champagne houses in the area: one producing 15000 bottles/year - and one 10000 bottle a DAY. If you like champagne both places are worth seeing. Our guide Enzo shared his Paris dining guide (Google Map) and this is how I found out about duck burgers!

Quality of Experience

We love champagne - do seeing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really nice guy. Drove like a maniac, but he had to - just to keep up with the rest of Paris drivers.

Transport

Didn't like the traffic jam! But outside the city, it was great.

Musée de l'Orangerie: Entrance tickets & Audioguides

Paris

Really a lovely museum with some really impressive works of art. But be ready for a hundred Instagram posers looking for that perfect shot in front of the Monet. It gets annoying - try to find a really really slow day to go!

Audrey was easy to work with, prompt in her responses and adaptable to our needs. Our private tour in the Camargue was a highlight of the trip. Alex was enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable. Le Negresco in Nice was extraordinary and worth the extra expense. Our private driver from Arles to Nîmes was so kind. He gave us a tour of Nîmes, the Jardin du Fountain, while we waited to pick up our rental car. The flexibility in our itinerary allowed for lots of exploring on our own which was important to us.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Negresco

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Request room off street.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and bathroom were not clean. Live mouse in breakfast area.

La Maison Volver

13200

Authenticity & Character

Lovely staff, good breakfast, clean spacious rooms.

Location

The location is good for walking the town but too loud for sleeping.

Staff

Very helpful and kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean room, comfortable bed. Just loud due to location on main street

Activity Review

Self-guided exploration of Aigues-Mortes and Safari in Camargue

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall Mathilde did a great job of planning our intinerary to france/ paris. Reflecting back, I think we would use mathilde and her team again but in a limited way. A few notes on why not a perfect score:
- I wish she asked further on our preference for smaller items such as "what is your preferred time for train travel", or "please note some unique details on your itinerary like it says "welcome to paris enjoy a free day in paris" but please note that we have put you on a night time train so there will not be a free day in paris. however, I also should have read the very small details in the area of the schedule that says "click here for more details". but we made the assumption of hiring a travel agent, and paying the higher price for the convience of them working through the details and communicating with us on small items like this. We now know for next time, or we just wouldnt use them for items like that.
- we did ask for the last day to be open and we will plan on our own as we booked 2 private appointments for dress shopping and a different private appoitment for a shopping and a specialized reservation, however mathilde and her team completed ignored this on two occasions and just scheduled over and did not ask us what time we would want them to book a train etc to accomodate our time. we also reminded them of these pre booked items and to check in with us but they never did. However, when they did double book us, they were accomodating to try to rebook which was nice.
- lastly, mathilde reccomended 2.5 days in the small village reims, in hind sight we wish we only did a day trip as it is really limited what to do in the smaller towns. Now that is kind of a shame on us as we should have trusted less and done our own research and insisted a revised schedule. As well, we currenlty live in a big city with much to do so that may have jaded our view of the town. But overall they were accomodating when we asked to change things.

Great hotels and restaurant recommendations! We didn’t partake in many of the recommended activities or attractions, but we had a great time in Cote D’Azur!

Activity Review

Welcome to Nice

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My Wife and I spent 7 days in France with the help of Liz, our Travel Specialist, and the Operations Team. We were very happy with KimKim and our trip. Liz had several great ideas on how to organize and improve our agenda. The contractors hired by KimKim to transport us and guide us were top-notch. In the south, we spent a day with a guide visiting Eze and Monaco as well as the Rothschild Ville. Theo, our Guide, was excellent in his knowledge, affability, and well-connected to get us in places and reservations for lunch, etc.. His knowledge of the area was excellent, and he was very patient with our questions.

Later, we traveled without hick-up to Paris on the TGV trains. Once again pick-up service was flawless, and we started the Paris portion of our trip with a dinner cruise on the Seine River. We had KimKim hire guides for a tour of Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle. We were again extremely pleased with the guide and his knowledge. These guides are worth every penny as they make the experience so much richer. No way we could have had half the experience without their local knowledge and historical context.

My only minor correction or suggestion was the seating assignments on the river cruise. The seats were a little tight and would have preffered a better spot on the boat.

Thanks again to Liz and the Ops Team for taking such good care of us.

The App we used, as well as the personalized Tips Video of our Trip, and all the care and attention during our trip were spot on. Not over or underdone.

Best Regards,
David Faber

I recently returned from a trip to France. Our local specialist, Sebastian, was quite helpful and understanding in planning our trip. He was sensitive to our interests and helped to maximize our days given what we wanted to see and do. His hotel recommendations were all centrally located providing easy access to walking and public transportation within the cities. The small group tours he chose were great and the local guides in each case were knowledgeable and made the experience that much better. This was the second time I have used KimKim and will definitely use them again.

My husband and I travelled with another over 70’s couple to the south of France (Côte d’Azur)
using Nice as our main home base. We wanted to focus on art and great food and suggested
several ideas to Kimkim who ran with our requests. They did an outstanding job coordinating
our drivers for each adventure as well as our hotels and walking and boat tours in all of the
towns we visited. Kimkim’s timing for each activity was perfectly orchestrated without a hitch.
Their team responded immediately all during the trip if we had questions or concerns.
Our 3 central hubs were Nice, Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Of the 3 hotels we stayed in
during the 10 day trip, the Aquabella Hotel and Spa in Aix-en-Provence was by far our favorite.
Each hotel was centrally located per our request.
On several days we were driven to various nearby hill towns such as Eze (Fragonard factory),
Monaco (stunning Ephrussi de Rothchild Mansion and gardens), St. Tropez and Cassis (not to be
missed!). We requested an extra side trip to Saint-Paul-de-Vence to visit the Maeght Gallery
which was one of the highlights of our trip. We even had one day when our driver, Donato
realized there was a triathalon in St. Tropez and that it would have been impossible to get to
the town. Kimkim changed our itinerary so that we wouldn't miss St. Tropez.
One highlight was our day with Rosa the chef at Les Petits Farcis cooking school, who first led us
on a tour of the local market and then guided us through cooking all aspects of a meal. Frankly,
the meal we cooked with her was one of our best of the entire trip and that is saying a lot since
the food all during the trip was quite good.
All of our guides from A la Francais were equally charming and informative: Mohamed who paid
careful attention to the late arrival of our planes in Nice, Brigitte who toured us brilliantly
through the history of old Nice, and Donato, with whom we spent the most time touring many
hill towns. Donato spoke in depth about all that we were experiencing as he drove us to special
small villages including in the Luberon. All of his recommendations were perfect for us. He
even surprised us with some special views of Mont Saint Victoire as he drove us from Aix-en-
Provence to Marseille.
Other highlights in Nice were the Chagall Museum and the Matisse Museum which featured all
the preparatory drawings for the Stations of the Cross which we then saw at the Matisse Chapel
when we visited Vence. Our sunset electric cruise was relaxing and beautiful as we learned
about the new electric boat kits. Kimkim arranged this for us as well as the boat tour of the
Calanques National Park (think fijords). We'd never heard of this magnificent place and were
thrilled to have experienced it by boat.
In short, Kimkim did an outstanding job arranging our trip. They were also available and
responsive during the trip, including some last minute scheduling changes. We really enjoyed
the experiences they recommended. They were a pleasure to work with, and their "platform"
was easy to use and quite helpful.

Our France adventure was beyond what we asked! Not only did we fulfill our desire to explore French wine and wine regions, we had guides who made every tour more fun and more meaningful - starting with Ann in Champagne, then Raphael, Mel, Sandra, Bruno and a few others! We loved having all the transportation and hotels taken care of so we could enjoy our trip even more. Thank you Justine!!

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu London Heathrow

London

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Madeleine Hotel & Spa

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved the sauna!!

Hôtel de Sèze

Bordeaux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Authenticity & Character

Loved the view from our room and the location

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Phénix Hôtel

Lyon

The room and bathroom seemed especially small and no view out of the window

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Philippe Le Bon

Dijon

Authenticity & Character

Loved the courtyard

Location

Perfect for walking everywhere

Staff

Staff was so friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Parc Saint Séverin

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Latin quarter

Staff

Everyone so helpful when we had questions or needed reservations

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Travel back in prehistory at Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, Les Eyzies

Sarlat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villages of Dordogne - Domme, La Roque-Gageac and Beynac

France

Quality of Experience

Fascinating history

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Historical walking tour of Sarlat

Sarlat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bruno was amazing

Visit of the town of Bergerac and wine tasting

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sandra was very personable and knowledgeable

Transport

Gourmet and History Tour of Bordeaux

Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved Melodie our guide

2 wine regions within a day: St-Emilion & Médoc

Bordeaux

We had an awesome guide - Dorian

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dorian was so entertaining and knowledgeable!! He was very personable

Transport

Cité du Vin

Bordeaux

We were surprised how excellent the whole experience was - the interactive exhibits are so fun and offer great learning experiences

Quality of Experience

Châteauneuf du Pape Tour & Wine Tasting

France

Learned so much!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Remy, les Baux de Provence and Pont du Gard

Avignon

Quality of Experience

Our guide and the amazing window to bistory

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover Villages in Luberon

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Beaujolais 100% Wine

Lyon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lyon Old Town Food Tour

Lyon

The places we visited were very special and the owners took great pride in what they shared with us

Quality of Experience

Great guide and very fun small group

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Villages of the Burgundy countryside

France

Raphael our guide was fun and so knowledgable!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He loves his job as a guide! Contagious!

Transport

Full day in Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short day-trip to Champagne: Family Growers & traditional Lunch

France

Our guide was so friendly and knowledgable, and we enjoyed her fun relationship with the growers!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sainte Chapelle and Notre-Dame

Paris

Our guide was so personable and knowledgable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport