Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Joel was outstanding both in helping us plan and all that he planned for us

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel de l'Univers

Saint-Malo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clos de la Commanderie B&B

Amboise

Tebow was an excellent host. The property was a great plac to stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Bordeaux Centre 3*

Bordeaux

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Jardins du Porche Apartments

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Relais & Châteaux Georges Blanc Parc & Spa

Vonnas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jeanne D'Arc Le Marais

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Cour Sainte Catherine B & B

Honfleur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Castel & Au Loup

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Pays d'Auge and Cote Fleurie

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Mont Saint Michel (Self Drive)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day private tour Dinan and St-Suliac

Saint-Malo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided visit of Le Chateau Clos Lucé

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villandry, Azay-Le-Rideau & Vouvray wine tour - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Landmarks of Bordeaux - Private Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine in the City (Private Tour)

Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint-Emilion Afternoon Wine Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lise did a wonderful job of creating a Paris adventure that has been totally fabulous! Our hotel, LeSix, was perfect in every way - friendly staff, wonderful breakfast, and comfortable room located close to everything we wanted in the 6tharr. Thomas, our pickup & delivery to the airport was polite, friendly and truly an expert driver!

We were more than pleased to discover we had personal tours on four occasions - the Sainte Chapel and Notre Dame (David), the Louvre (Ellen), the Gourmet Food Tour (Barbara) and our drive out to Monet’s home & gardens (Jean) were ALL BEYOND AMAZING. Each and every guide was personable and very knowledgeable.

We actually had a second tour with Ellen, Covered Passages, where there were only four in our group. What made all of these adventures EXTRA SPECIAL is the fact that each tour became totally unique to our expectations. WE LOVED EACH AND EVERY ONE!

Our trip out to Versailles was fun but, quite honestly, after so much individualized attention earlier in the week - we were spoiled and the large weekend crowds were a bit off-putting even though our particular group only had 15. The day was still memorable!

Our culminating adventure was a dinner cruise on the Seine. THIS was the perfect way to wrap up our first trip to Paris. The cruise included a window view, delicious food, a variety of champagne and wines, impeccable service all with lovely tunes provided by talented musicians and a singer. While we did not, dancing was enjoyed by many.

Would we use Kim-Kim services again? ABSOLUTELY, without a doubt. We had never used any such services on our previous travels and I was a bit reluctant to move in this direction of unknown waters (for us) BUT Lise with Kim-Kim did a fabulous job of tending to even the smallest of details, checking in at various points and insuring things were proceeding as planned.

Eight days of great fun - ALL without a hitch, no cancellations, no mix ups, no changes! We had a most memorable FIRST experience in Paris and look forward to making more travel adventures in the future with Kim-Kim assisting. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Hotel Le Six

Paris

Friendly staff, wonderful breakfast spread and comfy, clean room - with easy access to all our activities. THIS was a WIN-WIN on all counts!

Authenticity & Character

CLEAN, friendly & comfy!

Location

Easy access to attractions and a variety of cafes for dining.

Staff

ALWAYS polite, friendly and helpful on all counts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

PERFECTION!

Activity Reviews

Cheese and wine tasting in a Parisian cellar in the Marais

Paris

WOW! We thoroughly enjoyed this activity. Agate (Agatha) did a wonderful job of explaining the variety of cheeses, their regions and processes gif production. She also brought in a wonderful assortment of wines for pairing. Terrific! My hubby actually now enjoys wine a bit more than before.

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was friendly, polite, personable and the drivers all showed a special expertise that helped us arrive SAFELY and on time!

Transport

EXPERT driving skills were quite evident and appreciated!

Latin Quarter Gourmet Tour

Paris

This experience was good and we’d do it again BUT, if done in the future, we’d put a couple days between the wine/cheese pairing with this tour because much of the food tour was focused on wine & cheeses so it pretty much repeated what we had done the night before. We still enjoyed all the knowledge shared by Barbara!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

Paris

David was a wealth of information. We loved every bit of our time together!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

WOW! Ellen certainly knew the history and made this experience more like a grand story telling session…bringing with it the depths of history. She was very well versed in all the historic details!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Covered Passages of Paris

Paris

Unique experience with an interesting story behind it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Paris

For a bus trip, this was a good day…well organized and paced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

Moulin Rouge is a unique experience but they pack you in like sardines do comfort was NOT a concern to the proprietor - it was tight, stuffy and NOT friendly for an easy exit. Dancers were talented…lighting was quite a glare & somewhat blinding for the audience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wait staff was efficient considering their working conditions.

We asked for an active trip and our specialist delivered. We had several zoom calls to set up the framework for our trip. She put together exactly what we asked for. We had great hikes and visits to Albi, Carcasonne and Mirapoix with our guide Olivia. Our tasting tour with Jessica was fun and informative and our bike ride around Toulouse was fun. Definitely a great trip.

Incorporated motorsports interest that I had with a rental car experience + a circuit experience at Paul Ricard.
All places that were mentioned of interest were incorporated into the trip plan.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Lorette—Astotel

Paris

Safe, clean, decent breakfast, good location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residhome Nice Promenade

Nice

Large space, good location a street away from beach.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Circuit Experience : Ferrari F8 Tributo (6 laps)

Nice

A little short, but good. Was mistaken that it was the big circuit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great cars and instructors

Monaco | Monte-Carlo | Eze | La Turbie

France

A little short for time in Monaco.

I typically love to research and plan trips, but I felt overwhelmed with Paris/Burgundy. KimKim connected us with Stephen and Valentine of Objectif France and they were a boon in advising, organizing and setting up our itinerary. This trip had to be post-poned in April 2020 to Oct 2022 due to pandemic. It was worth the wait. We enjoyed Fabio's walking tour of Montemarte, the Eiffel Tower at night, a personal tour of the Louvre (forgot the guide's name but she was very knowledgeable and allowed us to hit the highlights within 2 hours), a half-day trip to Versaille (Corinne is a great guide), and a splendid trip on train to Beaune (Burgundy) for a wine tour and 2 nights in that old, quaint, country town (Alexi from Safari Tours was a delight and very informative). We have many fond memories thanks to these fine folks.

Thank you to Josee (and Joel and Valentine) for the amazing trip to Paris! Josee was very receptive to our wants and responsive to all questions. She was also able to maintain our budget without any sacrifices. The trip went off without a hitch, thanks to Josee and kimkim!

Hotel Review

Hotel Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel

Paris

Beautiful 4 star hotel very near the Eiffel Tower (some rooms have a view of the Tower). Modern and clean, attentive staff and lovely bar/restaurant. Rooms was not huge, but it was well-appointed (could have used a dresser, but we made do).

Authenticity & Character

It was a modern hotel so not a lot of authenticity

Location

so close to the tower and several cafes.

Staff

receptive and friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

hotel was very clean, but room lacked a dresser or any drawers whatsoever

Activity Reviews

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

I wasn't sure I could stomach going all the way to the summit, but I did and it was lovely. We went at night and the view was incredible. Dress warm!

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

Paris

Our timed tickets were for 10:00; I suggest going either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. We didn't really use the audioguide.

Dinner show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

Fun show, good food, attentive staff

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Food was excellent, staff was attentive, entertainment was good, view was amazing

Our two week trip to Paris, Bayeux, St Remy de Provence and Nice France was wonderful thanks to our local specialists Valentine and Sophie. Our trip was delayed 2 years due to covid but was worth the wait. All of our tours and guides were very good and easy to understand. Our D-Day, US beaches tour guide, Lucy was especially good at making us feel what it was like for our soldiers on the beaches.

Overall, everything went very smoothly and according to our very detailed daily agenda. There were a few very minor glitches mainly caused by miscommunication. When I contacted Valentine she quickly responded and resolved the issues. The four of us travelling together agreed that Valentine made sure our trip was memorable. We highly recommend Kimkim for their attention to detail and communication with us during our trip when needed.

We had a great time. The hotels were great,wonderful breakfasts, super tours with warm and informative guides, the drivers were on time and added so much to our knowledge of the different areas we toured. Andy, Margaret Palko

Hotel Review

The Basile Hotel

Paris

Wonderful staff and management that made us feel like a part of their family. The breakfast was delicious, the rooms were great, and their advice so helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Versailles Palace and Gardens private tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre Local Gastronomy Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Quality of Experience

Villages and Markets of the Luberon

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel Full day Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided walking tour in the Old Bayeux

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Quality of Experience

Le Louvre Private Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very positive experience. Glad we stayed in Honfleur. Accommodations were overall very good. One quirky place in St. Malo. The hosts in each place were welcoming.
Several places had very narrow spiral stairs so it wouldn’t fit for those less agile as you needed to carry your own suitcase. Sedric was our guide for Normandy. He was full of knowledge, patient and kind. He kept us on schedule to hear taps at the American cemetery. Visit to the vineyard and wine tasting was delightful. Jean Pierre was very knowledgeable and outgoing. The Sixt car rental went smoothly and nice driving Peugeot.

Hotel Reviews

Maison Angelus

Saint-Malo

This was the most difficult place we stayed. The husband of Christina’s, Julio, greeted us in his very cluttered entryway with many do nots. With their items on the narrow stairs, managing the suitcases was difficult. Julio would complain we shut the doors too loudly and with his room next to our friends, their “white noise” to sleep led him to lecture us the next t morning that she had used her hairdryer all night. Christina was very friendly. Breakfast was the most modest of any place we stayed. I will say the location was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Claustrophobic

Location

Near good restaurants and the beach walk to old town.

Staff

See above

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above

Le Domaine de Bayeux

Bayeux

This was a beautiful place near town but not right in the tourist traffic. The old hotel made for a cozy place for breakfast. We stayed in the newer very modern rooms with porch. Loved it.

Authenticity & Character

See above

Location

Near but not in town.

Staff

All very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above

La Villa Garenne

Vannes

Very best breakfast that we had anywhere

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful rooms decorated with themes.

Location

Right on the edge of the old town.

Staff

Very willing to chat with you

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day Tour of D-Day Sites

Bayeux

See my notes at the beginning of this survey

Quality of Experience

See my notes at the beginning of this

Transport

Safe driver

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

France

Because our plane to Montreal left was rescheduled to a later time we wanted a later transport to the airport. It took four days, two texts and one phone call to get an answer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Audrey and I planned this trip together over a period of a couple of months. She was responsive to my questions and requests in a timely and intelligent manner.
All arrivals and departures were handled with lovely attentive drivers.
We were traveling for 11 days in Barcelona and Marseilles with a 1 day stop in Sete, France.
In Barcelona we went on a tour of Montserrat with Vincent. He was a wonderful tour guide. Friendly , personable attentive, aware of the differences in his group of people. We had a wonderful day with a group of people from many different places because Vincent made it enjoyable and informative.
In Sete we met Marc for a private food tour. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Marc was knowledgeable, informative and extremely personable.
On the whole this trip worked for two older women exploring 2cities in Europe.
We thank Audrey for assisting us in this adventure.

Audrey did a phenomenal job planning our week in France. We were concerned that attempting to do Paris and the Provence region would be too ambitious, but it was not! Audrey truly listened to our desires and managed to plan a trip that was the perfect mix of seeing all the major landmarks, to small intimate tours that really captured the culture and flavor of Paris and Marseille. We had plenty of time to sit at cafes sipping some lovely French wine and taking it all in!
Another perk of doing travel this way was having all of our tickets in hand. No waiting to go to the summit of the Eiffel Tower, into the Louvre, or the Palace of Versailles. It was apparent that many spent hours in line at these key sights.
All of our travel guides were timely, professional, fluent in English and SO knowledgeable about the history of the areas we visited. A special thank you to Florence and LuLu who made our time in Marseille so perfect and customized! The food and wines we sampled, along with the breathtaking sights will never be forgotten!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Jardin de Cluny

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maisons du Monde Hôtel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discovery tour of Paris by vintage car

Paris

Such a fun way to see the major landmarks, however our guide was not fluent in English and struggled to relay much information or history of what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dinner at the Ciel de Paris restaurant

Paris

Quality of Experience

G

Food

Transport

Seine river cruise

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food tour in Montmartre

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marseille food tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

Marseille

Cassis was so charming! We had a wonderful tasting experience at two wineries!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Florence is so knowledgeable about the region.

Transport

Visit of Luberon & the hilltop villages

France

Each village was so unique and so beautiful. We truly felt like we understood how people have lives and worked in these villages for centuries. Amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Florence is top notch! She truly got to know us and customized the experience for us!

Transport

Our experience of using KimKim was excellent from start to finish. Everything was planned according to what we wanted. There are things that we have learnt from the experience and would ask for differently when we plan a holiday using KimKim again (which will most definitely do).
Thomas was always on hand and responded positively.
Le Clos des Pommiers Guest House - this was a beautiful guest house and ideal for our first night's stay. Although the hosts spoke little English they were extremely welcoming and went out of their way to secure us a reservation for dinner.
Hotel Le Relais Saint Michel - although not the best hotel we can understand why it was chosen with its vicinity to Mont Saint Michel. Mont Saint Michel was certainly an experience not to be missed, if a bit touristy! The guided tour with Samuel was informative and he was extremely knowledgeable about the area. (It would have been useful to know that you needed a pin number to gain access to the hotel).
Hotel Le Sozo - this was a quirky hotel close to the centre of Nantes, which was a lovely town.
Hotel Anne d'Anjou - this was a lovely hotel in an excellent location. Saumur was an interesting town. The tour of the vineyards with Amelie was fascinating and it was definitely worth doing.
Le Folie Saint Julien Guest House - this was a lovely guest house and the hosts were welcoming, although the location was not ideal as going anywhere involved driving. The tour of the vineyards was not as interesting as the previous one, it felt more like an opportunity for selling wine.
Chateau Tour - this was one of the highlights of our tour. The tour guide Nicolas really made the tour come alive, he was one of the best tour guides I have ever come across.
Hotel Le Pommerais - this was the least favourite of our stays. The hotel wasn't great and nowhere near anywhere to either eat or have a stroll. Although the Le Folie Saint Julien wasn't in the best location, the charm of the accommodation made it worth it, Le Pommerais didn't have this. Also we visited Le Mans on a Monday and virtually everything was shut (not KimKim's fault as this is typical of French regional towns).
Grand Hotel Luxembourg - a great hotel in a perfect location. The tour of the Omaha Beach was inspirational, our only criticism was that it was geared towards Americans, but nonetheless we certainly learned a lot.
Overall this was an experience not to missed, ,the travel plan met what we had asked for (which was sketchy). In the future we will know to be more specific about our requirements.

Activity Review

Loire Valley: Châteaus de Chambord & Chenonceau

Amboise

The was the highlight of our tour of the Loire Valley. Our guide Nicolas really made the tour come alive. He was the best tour guide we have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enthusiasm and knowledge of his subject

Transport

Josee and Joel were incredibly helpful and organized. They always responded promptly when I had a question. I was very happy with the service and their recommendations. I would definitely use their service again in the future.

Activity Reviews

Private Tour in the Medoc Wine Region

France

Excellent tour with A very knowledgeable guide. All of the Chateaux we visited were top notch.

Quality of Experience

Great choices of Chateaux

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide Bogdan was amazing!

Transport

Landmarks of Bordeaux - Private Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Very nice tour of the landmarks of Bordeaux. Tour guide was knowledgeable abd friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Wine Tour in Saint-Emilion

France

Lovely choices of Chateaux- tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, and flexible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Laura was great!

Transport

We loved this trip. The planning was excellent. We got to stay in places and do things we never could have done on our own. Our guides Julian , Gilles, Sophie and Claire were fun and very knowledgeable about the places and food. We only experienced one problem on our trip. The driver to take us from Lyon to the train didn’t show and we weren’t able to contact Valentine for assistance. We did appreciate the refund we received We would recommend kimkim to everyone.

I have so many great adjectives that I could use to describe this phenomenal trip. But smooth is probably the best one. Everything went smoothly; like clockwork. Every driver was prompt and on time to take us to our activities and to airports and train stations. Every guide that we had for our tours was amazing. Our bike tour with Marie was our favorite. It was a Marseille. The Full day tour of Nice with Hedgewig was also interesting and beautiful. . It was just so reassuring to know that all of the details had been taken care of before our arrival in a foreign country. It was just a mother-daughter trip to a part of Europe that neither were familiar with. We felt safe knowing that all of our lodging, tours, transportation, and travel was taken care of in advance. Kim Kim is the only way to go when booking trips!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Les Bords de Mer

Marseille

This hotel is iconic and absolutely breathtaking. The view was pristine. We were right on the water! You can’t get a better location for a beach vacation. The hotel staff went way above and beyond to communicate with us in English and to accommodate our every need. The Buffet breakfast each morning was superior and such a nice way to start each day. We would definitely stay in this hotel again.

Authenticity & Character

Very cool and historic iconic hotel. Lots of history there.

Location

This hotel was right on the ocean! I mean right on the ocean. Plus, it was far enough away from the busy port hub to be removed and quiet. But easily within walking distance of many great Marseilles locations.

Staff

The staff went way above and beyond to make us comfortable. They were so kind and patient with us and our poor French language skills.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Housekeeping kept the rooms absolutely immaculate. They were prompt and discreet. The air conditioning worked amazingly well! We were so comfortable. The beds were comfortable.

Hotel West End

Nice

This is an old hotel. Therefore, air-conditioning and Wi-Fi will be an issue. If you don’t care about that, this historic hotel is super cool and in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Historic and iconic.

Location

Right on the promenade. Right on the water.

Staff

The staff went above and beyond to make us comfortable. We had to make a room switch in the middle of our stay. They made that happen in a smooth manner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Air conditioning was a bust. That was kind of hard. Wi-Fi was also a bust. That was kind of hard. And the blow dryers were very unexpected. Like old 60s style with a hose hook to the wall and everything. Kind of a good history lesson I guess.

Activity Review

EBike Food Tour in Marseille

France

We loved this ebike tour. Our guide, Marie, was so authentic and informative. I loved her pride and enthusiasm about her beloved Marseille. She gave us so many great tips. She was patient with us in the beginning, as we were uncertain and inexperienced on E bikes. She was such a kind person and really connected with us on a personal level. She’s highly recommended!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

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

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

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Lorette—Astotel

Paris

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel CitizenM CDG

Roissy

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Montmartre Local Gastronomy Tour

Paris

Amazing food tour. History and patisserie cannot be beat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Hotel Reviews

La Ferme des Bélugues

Le Barroux

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

Authenticity & Character

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

Location

A quiet setting in a picturesque area!

Staff

Karen and Spencer were the best!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Totally clean and pure comfort in all areas!

Hôtel du Soleil & Spa 3*

St.-Remy-de-Provence

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

Authenticity & Character

Charming all around!

Location

In the heart of St Remy!

Staff

Totally helpful and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean towels and room are important!

Activity Reviews

A Taste of Avignon

Avignon

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julian was excellent!

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

Aix-en-Provence

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

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

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

Food & Market Tour in Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

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

Quality of Experience

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

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Transport

She drove us to town and was most gracious!

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

Aix-en-Provence

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

Quality of Experience

The setting and the many works of art!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful

Lyon Food Tour: Halles Paul Bocuse & Old Town

Lyon

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

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

Would highly recommend to others

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

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

Hotel Reviews

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Tiara Yaktsa 5* - Relais & Chateaux

Théoule-sur-Mer

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Paris

Quality of Experience

Hidden Paris Bicycle Tour

Paris

Aaron from Ireland was our guide and he was outstanding!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short day Family Growers & Lunch

Reims

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in Reims

Reims

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

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport