Kimkim Trip Reviews for Switzerland

We loved our trip to Switzerland! The country is beautiful and the people are very welcoming. We visited Lucerne, Grindlewald, Zermatt, Zurich and Interlaken. Our travel was completely by public transportation, trains, boats and busses. The Swiss Travel Pass worked perfectly! We loved not having to stress about making a train at a certain time. My KimKim app worked perfectly also. We had every detail of our trip right at our fingertips and could send messages to our KimKim representative if we ran into a snag. Mathilde, our KimKim rep was a wonderful help in planning a perfect dream trip! Thank you Mathilde. One of our favorite things during the trip was the E-bike ride!! So fun and absolutely beautiful. Our guide, George from Czechoslovakia, was GREAT! This is our second KimKim trip and were planning another one for next year.

Hotel Reviews

Ameron Luzern Hotel Flora

Luzern

Beautiful room. Very convenient to everything. Very walkable to most attractions and close the bridge.

Authenticity & Character

Felt like a vintage find!

Location

Close to the river and bridge

Staff

Only thing was the restaurant staff were not the best.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Belvedere Swiss Quality Hotel Grindelwald

Grindelwald

Beautiful location. Great view of the mountains from the large room. Loved the patio. It was really expensive tho, the restaurant was sooo expensive and not that good honestly. The fondue was not something I would redo.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Really close to the train station and has a beautiful view.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice bed, shower and patio

Hotel National

Zermatt

Beautiful historic hotel. The room was big and had nice furnishings. Really close to the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They accidentally damaged one of our luggage pieces and came forward about it. The actually paid us for a new one! Amazing manager staff. The bartender, from Portugal, was very good.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Glockenhof

Zürich

Weird room. Had a shower with glass walls that looked into the bedroom. Kinda like being on TV display for anyone in the bedroom or other parts of the room. The air conditioning did not work well. Nice to have coffee and tea available in the room. Had a nice area with a desk. It was quite a walk from the train station. We took a hotel van to the airport to avoid that walk again. We were not told the hotel "shuttle" would cost us $80, and were surprised to find that out at the airport by the driver who asked us to pay him.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far walk from the train station. Nice for other things, like the lake and shopping/dining.

Staff

Pretty cold staff at the front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean and the bed was okay

Activity Reviews

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

Absolutely loved this adventure. It was perfect. Beautiful, fun and engaging. Our guide, George, was perfect.

Quality of Experience

Food

The Swiss picnic was perfect. Fresh cheeses, sausage and tomatoes.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

George was very helpful, knowledgeable and fun.

Transport

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

This was a great tour! We really enjoyed the beautiful lake. The guides were fun and engaging. We were provided wetsuits to wear over our shorts. The water was COLD! It was September and perfect weather, but the water is fed from a glacier so.... At first I had no intention of getting in the water, but I am sooo glad I did. I mean, when are you giong to be able to do this again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

This was a beautiful train ride. The train car was comfortable and we could see everything well. We were happy to have the priority boarding tickets as there were lots of people clamoring to get the best seats. The train stopped along the way so you could get off and check things out then continue.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

This is a MUST HAVE! Worked perfectly. We were able to get on any train, bus or boat with this pass. We only had to show our pass a few times. We took trains in Italy and had to be on time for the train we paid for. Very stressful. This Swiss Pass allowed for you to take whatever train fit your schedule. So if you missed one train, simply wait for the next one. It was GREAT to have the pass in our KimKim app. So convenient and easy. The trains are very punctual. We had one train that needed to have some kind of repair and we had to change trains only one time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fondue Gondola (To book in advance & to pay on-site)

Switzerland

This was neat, but not a must-do. The little gondola was super cute and it was fun to be out there all by ourselves in the little thing. The fondue was just okay. Staff was slow to provide service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Round-trip Tickets)

Zermatt

Wow! What a view and to be INSIDE a glacier was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Night Watchman Walk in Lucerne (private tour)

Lucerne

Super fun experience. We loved being the only ones on the tour. The guide was great and very knowledgeable local.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caroline our specialist was always knowledgeable, available, helpful and kind. I was unable to make the trip because my cat became quite ill a couple of days before our departure. Caroline helped my husband have an enjoyable trip on his own and we appreciate her. I learned a lot even though I couldn’t travel. I can now use What’s App and Google Translate and Instagram. Thank you Caroline!

The trip was wonderful. Emilie did a great job in booking our hotels and tours! She explained the train system and how to use the Swiss Rail Pass. The hotels for the most part were in great locations, close to the train stations, restaurants and sites to see. The trips she planned to Mount Pilatus and Gornergrat were filled with beautiful scenery of the Alps! Our Kayak tour on Lake Brienz with Hightide Kayaks and Ben, our guide was great. It couldn’t have been more peaceful and serene and Ben got some great photos for us. Our E-bike tour through Grindelwald was filled with amazing views of waterfalls and quaint towns. Marceau, our guide was informative and provided us with hi-lites of the area, photos and a perfect picnic lunch.

We did have one glitch, with The Galcier Express running almost three hours longer than scheduled. We heard rumors that there was a train issue with another Glacier Express train. By the time we got to one of the more scenic areas, it was too dark to see any sites. Checking into our hotel at around 9 pm and leaving before 9 am the next morning seemed like such a loss of time. Granted this is no fault on KimKim’s part, it was just a matter of unforseen circumstances. We only caught a glimpse of St Moritz on the bus ride back to the train station. Emile is aware and has started a process for a refund of some sort.

Overall I would highly recommend Emilie and the KimKim group to friends that seek assistance with travel plans. This is our second trip KimKim assisted us with travel plans.

Hotel Reviews

Waldstätterhof Swiss Quality Hotel

Luzern

This hotel was conveniently right across the street from the train stations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Short walking distance from shops and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Derby Swiss Quality Hotel

Grindelwald

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Butterfly, BW Signature Collection

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arte

St. Moritz

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexander

Zurich

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mount Pilatus, Silver Round Trip (Tickets)

Lucerne

Amazing views once you get to the top. Trains, gondolas and buses all very efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A total stranger who lives in the area took it upon herself to be our guide, she was fantastic!

Transport

Easy access to go up then down the mountain, it was a very organized trip!

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

The lake was beautiful. High tide Kayak School was great! They made sure we were comfortably dressed in a neoprene suit that kept us dry and warm. Ben, our guide was laid back and provided interesting tips about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

Wonderful tour through the Valley. Waterfall stops were lovely. Marceau, our guide was informative and provided us with a perfect spot for a picnic lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

The views from the top were amazing! Layers upon layers of mountain peaks were breathtaking!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Train system is extremely prompt and very efficient!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time at Lake Brienz

Switzerland

Walked thru town and shops

Quality of Experience

J

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food Tours: Zurich

Zürich

Cancelled tour n/a

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife worked with Caroline for months before our planned trip to Switzerland in October. Caroline was very good about getting all the hotels, trains, drivers set up and vouchers and tickets for when we’d need them. Months before our trip she would check in with new developments or we would write her with questions and possibilities for changing the itinerary. She made every effort to make our trip unique and specific to what we were looking for.
As we got closer to leaving, we got more frequent up dates and developments. She sent us PDFs of everything we needed, vouchers, tickets, etc. and an amended itinerary.
Then, literally, the weekend before our trip our old Siamese cat became sick. My wife felt she could not leave our sick cat with a cat sitter. Caroline notified all the entities that would be affected and managed to recoup some of the charges that had already been set up.
She let them know that I would be traveling alone and would not need two rooms, seats, tickets, etc. She also let me know that she would be available anytime (night or day) for a phone call if I need assistance.
Midway through the trip I started getting confused about which trains needed tickets and which ones needed the Swiss Travel Pass. I contacted her…. And she wrote back listing everything coming up and what I could expect and what I needed each time in a check off fashion. It was very helpful to have a simple list and not be flipping through vouchers or reading the itinerary to see if I had missed something.
There were many different trains and a need to switch between them at times to take a different train and/or direction.
Juggling platforms and finding the right cars was challenging when not speaking German, but Caroline’s instructions made it much easier.
We have nothing but good things to say about Caroline as she went way beyond the necessary to provide for excellent care for any contingencies that could come up on the trip. She also checked in regularly with my wife as to how she and our sick cat were doing. Kudos to Caroline, travel agent extrodiaire.

We have used kimkim for two trips to Europe - one in 2024 and one a few weeks ago. We love the details. Every evening, we would check what we were scheduled for the following day, and enjoy. The top of Europe in Grindewald was a favorite. We had no idea. And an ice palace under the mountain. Kimkim told us to leave our hotel at 8:15 and walk to the train station, then get off at the next stop, and follow the signs to Top of Europe, had tickets for 9:43 for the gondola and it was spot on. Waited maybe 5 minutes or so. Great great detail and directions.
Hotels were great. Asked for hotels with breakfast and a view if possible. They were great. Ate a full breakfast each morning and then a dinner out somewhere. Lucerne was a favorite. Dinner at la barca on the riverfront was so beautiful. We were able to walk and enjoy the shops, the chocolate :), and just the tranquility of the culture there. Kimkim accomodated our son meeting up with us as well for a few days. They just handle details for us so well.
Zermatt was a really neat swiss town in the middle of the mountains - and no cars, just little taxi carts all over town. We enjoyed the Matterhorn and the ice palace there was even better. We had a great trip. Thank you Kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Spadari al Duomo

Milan

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cascada Boutique Hotel

Lucerne

Authenticity & Character

Location

We were about 3 min from the train station and about 5-10 min walk to shops, etc. Great location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eiger Mountain and Soul Resort

Grindelwald

This hotel had the best view off of our porch. We could watch people in the street below and the mountains were indescribable. Just breathtaking. The bathroom was really really small, but clean. The sink was a stone sink and ok, but it just needs renovated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was great!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chesa Valese

ZERMATT

Authenticity & Character

A real chalet but renovated on the inside. Very nice.

Location

We were able to walk to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Steffani

St. Moritz

This hotel is spacious. Probably the best we stayed in. Large room and bathroom. Marble everywhere. Balconies. However, it was cold and rainy, so we didn't get to take in the best of this town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We had to take a taxi from the train station because we couldn't get them to answer the phone for a shuttle.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hotel Helmhaus

Zürich

Very nice and clean but very tiny. Great breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cheese Tuk-tuk tour

Lucerne

We thought this was a tour of different cheese shops. It was an open tuk tuk with a cheese fondue in the middle. Was very fun, just not what we expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mathilde from Kimkim put together an incredible itinerary for our scenic trip to Switzerland from the suggestions we made. Smooth plane to train transfers in Zurich to picturesque Lucern, ease in finding our hotels (beautiful accommodations), details getting to outstanding scenic hike in Stoos (with up close encounters with dairy cows collectively sounding their bells), unique cogwheel train ride to Mt Rigi, great restaurant recommendations, free time suggestions (that we followed), Jungfraujoch experience, Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach Falls, Glacier Canyon, charming Grindelwald, enjoyable resort town of Zermatt and indescribable views of the Matterhorn. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we topped it off with the Glacier Express Panoramic train ride from Zermatt to St Moritz. Switzerland now ranks among the top most beautiful places we’ve ever been! Thank you, Mathilde and KimKim, for a trip of a lifetime! Pictures will never do it justice, but the memories will! The Swiss Rail Pass was a perfect way to navigate city to city. And the SBB Train schedule remarkably efficient. Switzerland! You are a hidden gem!

Activity Reviews

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Round-trip Tickets)

Zermatt

The opportunity to go to the altitude right next to the Matterhorn made it feel like I could reach out and touch it! And the technology in the gondola and lift systems was superior!!!! The Swiss are so smart!!!!

Quality of Experience

Views exceeded our expectations!!!!

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

This day as a self guided activity was so fun. Navigating the paddlewheel boat schedule, riding the cogwheel train, leisurely spending time at the top of Mt Rigi and listening to the self guided QR plaques, and finding a local pizza place in Vitznau built our travel confidence.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

Transport

**A Swiss Trip Handled Perfectly**

We traveled through Switzerland with Kimkim and were completely satisfied. Hotels, train tickets, car and van transfers, and tours all went exactly as planned, and every leg connected smoothly. We'd recommend Kimkim without hesitation and would gladly use them again.

— Mark Schuering

I became very frustrated with the KimKim process to not provide cost exposure throughout the planning process. I do not have any idea what costs were except for the total overall cost at the end. I still have no clue what costs for hotels and activities, or anything you guys booked were. This made the planning process very frustrating and I will most likely not use you again for this reason.

I suggest you share cost as part of the decision making process when working with your customer on planning a trip.

I do ask if you can send me an itemization of my cost items for learning purposes.

Clothide was wonderful to work with. She was always prompt, professional and friendly in her communications. I enjoyed putting a face to a name in the Zoom call she arranged. We enjoyed her recommended itinerary and her recommendations for our accommodations (which we found ideally located for our self exploration). She was particularly helpful in assisting me in exploring the various hiking opportunities during our travel.
Gersende was likewise prompt, thorough and helpful in her follow up after taking over for Clothide. She provided just what I needed in terms of finally deciding on the Stoos Ridge hike option, which was one of the highlights for me of our trip.
Nathalie as well was prompt, professional and friendly in all our communications when she took over for Gersende.
One glitch we had was not realizing that the transportation from Lugano train station to Lucerne train station, involved the interim ferry from Fluelen train station to Lucerne. It was clearly described in the details of the itinerary. Unfortunately all of us glossed over those details and focused on the general description of train station departure and train station pickup. Our attention and focus on our self guided travel in Puglia, Italy prior to beginning our trip in n Switzerland, probably contributed to our missing this detail.
We didn’t realize we had the ferry excursion until the attendant on the train station platform in Lugano explained that we were not taking the train all the way to Lurcene.😊
It all worked out and we all enjoyed the 2 plus hour cruise on Lake Lucerne on a beautiful day.
As a suggestion, it would have been helpful if the general description of our transfer from Lugano to Lucerne had mentioned the ferry leg of the trip. Frankly, based on that excursion (which was lovely and we enjoyed) we would not have booked the catamaran cruise the following day. I was going to miss the cruise due to my all day hike, but the others opted out of the cruise too, based on cruising Lake Lucerne the day before. We thought Clothide might have mentioned this when we booked the catamaran tour. All in all it was not that big an issue and I was very happy with all my dealings with Clothide. Again, maybe a useful suggestion for future travelers following the same route.
One other issue was the train from Lucerne to Zurich. As noted in a prior chat the designated train IR2628 was never posted on the departure board and we, at the last minute, boarded what we hoped was a train that would get us to the Zurich train station (although it appeared from the board it was destined for the Zurich Airport). Again, IR70 turned out to be the right train, but it all was a little unnerving at the time for four 70 plus year old travelers.😊 Not sure how KIM KIM team could have assisted under the circumstances or if there was some mix up?
All in all our experience with KIMKIM and your team was very positive. We would recommend your services and use them again in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Cascada Boutique Hotel

Lucerne

The staff was welcoming and helpful. The room was roomy and comfortably furnished. The included breakfast was very good. We dined at the onsite restaurant was excellent. Cascada Boutique Hotel was also an ideal location for exploring Lucerne.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

PESTALOZZI LUGANO HOTEL

Lugano

The room was modest, but comfortable with efficient amenities. Its small size and location were perfect for our exploration of Lugano. The included breakfast was good. The onsite restaurant was convenient after a long day of travel and the food was unremarkable, but good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorell Hotel Rütli

Zürich

The room was adequate. Shower door was off its track and a dirty towel was left in the bathroom. The check in clerk was efficient but not really welcoming. Our overall perception was probably clouded by the street construction immediately below our room. The staff was unable to accommodate our request for a room away from the street. The included breakfast was good and staff friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lucerne Stoos Ridge Guided Day Hike !

Lucerne

It was one of the highlights of our Switzerland tour for me. Guide David seamlessly led me through the trains, bus, funicular and chair lift modes of transportation to the trailhead. The trail was congested, but it was a beautiful day and the views and vistas were spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide David was a wonderful hiking companion and guide. He was very knowledgeable about what we were seeing and the region generally. I enjoyed his insights on Swiss history and culture.

Transport

It all was very smooth and efficient.

Burgenstock Catamaran Cruise!

Lucerne

The the low rating is not intended, but your review sight had no option of “no opinion”. We really have no opinion and no basis for rating this excursion since none of us ended up going on it. As explained in the general review, we wouldn’t have booked this tour if we had realized we were going to enjoy a 2 plus hour cruise from Fluelen to Lurcene in order to reach Lurcene the day before our booking.

The itinerary that Clo prepared for us was exactly what we wanted and the hotels she booked for us were great.
We had a wonderful trip !

KimKim was recommended to use by an acquaintance who used their services in the past. I submitted my ideas. Rashi, my specialist did a nice job of putting my ideas into a workable, reasonable itinerary. Rashi - thank you for suggesting we stay at the Faulhorn Hut rather than the Webber Hut. It was in the most remarkable location. Loved it! Also the suggested Jungfrau Pass worked great for our needs. I would not have know which pass would have been most beneficial for our trip. The hotels you chose were each a short distance from the train station. The luggage transports worked out great. The GPS hotel locator was helpful and the hikes monitored on my phone again through GPS was comforting and useful. Probably the least helpful were the maps in the book. A relative gave us a hiking book and the simple but easy to understand maps were actually more helpful. The weather cooperated and our hiking was magical. We loved our trip and would use KimKim again.

Our trip planner, Caroline, was fantastic to work with! She was patient, responsive and recommended fabulous experiences. She found amazing local guides and tours. The Last Supper was incredible to see during our fabulous Milan City Tour with guide Lara. Our favorite day at Lake Como was a guided hike with lovely and knowledgeable Maria ended with a picnic high in the mountains overlooking the Lake. Taking the Bernina express through the Alps gave us hours of magical beauty. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Neuschwanstein castle that was lead by a local boy, Alessandro, who was amazing and enjoyable to be with. And finally we ended the trip in Munich to enjoy OctoberFest and a few major WWII sites. Incredible and memorable trip! Thanks to Caroline and the KimKim team!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel dei Cavalieri Milano Duomo

Milano

Very comfortable with a beautiful rooftop bar and within walking distance to old Milano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to duomo

Staff

Concierge was helpful in reserving a table at an authentic Northern Italian restaurant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal Victoria

Varenna

Attentive and courteous staff and comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Overlooking the lake and yet out of the busy crowds

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Centrale, BW Signature Collection

TIRANO

Front desk team very helpful in finding a place to eat authentic food and sample local wines.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Astoria Lucerne

Lucerne

Close to train station and central to tourist sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Adina Apartment Hotel Munich

München

Located in a trendy, and developing area of Munich close to Ostbahbhof making it a convenient place for making day trips by train.

Authenticity & Character

Modern high rise hotel with frog, washer/dryer in each unit.

Location

Near train station so we could get everywhere we wanted

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Milan Last Supper Tour with City Highlights & Duomo | Semi-Private

Milan

Our guide Lara was amazing! She was so energetic and personable. The sights came alive with her teaching.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

As we arrived at the top of Mt Rigi, the fog arrived and shrouded the entire mountain. In spite of that we enjoyed taking a ferry across the Lake and riding the cogwheel tram to the top. We enjoyed the company of a new friend on the journey.

Welcome to Munich

Munich

Arrived in Munich in mid afternoon so we had just enough time to visit Dachau. Sobering but essential to experience.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Take the S Bahn while in Munich!

Emile was responsive and patient in planning the trip and with questions during the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Steinenschanze Charming City & Garden Hotel

Basel

Great location. Next to train station

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Derby

Zermatt

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Arte

St. Moritz

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Corte dei Greci

Venice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

St. Mark’s Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge’s Palace | Semi-Private Tour

Venice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Water Taxi Transfer from Hotel to Marco Polo Airport

Venice

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

Lo

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not as spacious as other trains

Switzerland has outstanding scenery, did not realize how many lakes are there. Our favorite locations were Lucerne, Lugano, Zermatt and Grindelwald. Our e-bike tour at St. Moritz was great; Alex was a wonderful guide.

Hotel Reviews

Eastwest Hotel

Geneva

Location close to Lake Geneva is nice. No elevator access at street/lobby level. We were stuck in a room with a view of neighbors' laundry.

Authenticity & Character

There is no access to the building without steps, and even more steps to access the elevator.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mona Montreux Hotel

Montreux

Room was a bit small and cramped, but we enjoyed the balcony. Cannot enter the lobby without pulling luggage up stairs. Getting from the train station to the hotel was arduous with luggage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lobby access.

Hotel Alpenhof

Zermatt

Amazing view of the Matterhorn from our room. The rooms, the amenities were all first-rate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Art Boutique Hotel Monopol

St. Moritz

Location is central, but access is hard. Wish we had known there was a shuttle available from the station. Reception is up a flight of stairs from the entrance, or you have to know to enter through the lower-level restaurant to access the elevator.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lobby access. Hard to recommend this facility in August, no air conditioning.

LUGANODANTE - We like you

Lugano

Tricky to find, rooms are small. Awkward entrance porch. It is convenient to the incline up to the train station. Close enough to the lakefront to make the walk enjoyable.

Hotel Spinne Grindelwald

Grindelwald

Showing its age, but the location is excellent. A bit of a maze to reach our room, but a beautiful view of the Eiger.

Ameron Luzern Hotel Flora

Luzern

Good location, modern rooms and facility. Need lobby access without steps.

Central Plaza Hotel

Zürich

Good proximity to train station. Room was so small there was no place for luggage. Adjacent construction and road work did not help conditions.

Activity Reviews

Geneva Food Tour

Geneva

A good experience. The best fondue we had on the whole trip. Truly enjoyed Geneva Old Town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine tasting with Swiss Cheese & Charcuterie in Chexbres Lavaux vineyards domain (30min by train from Montreux)

Switzerland

Enjoyed seeing and learning about the barrels. The "tour" and demonstration were completed in a short time. Maybe not the best experience for a party of two. Other, larger groups seemed to get more attention/activities.

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Great experience. Priority boarding is a must.

Private hike & picnic (Summer)

St. Moritz

A beautiful bike ride and lunch. Alex is a fascinating person and excellent guide.

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Quality of Experience

Swiss train system is outstanding. Only negative is the process to reserve lunch on the Glacier Express. It should be simple to have a process that acknowledges and confirms a meal reservation/order.

Cruise and Cook - Lugano

Lugano

Loved the location, the experience and the people. They did not speak English and we did not speak Italian, but we made it work. The meal was outstanding, one of our best.

Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (tickets and seat reservation)

Switzerland

The only negative was the weather. Worst day of the trip, there was no visibility at the top. The Discovery tour was excellent in the mountain, walking inside the glacier was awesome.

Night Watchman Walk in Lucerne (private tour)

Lucerne

We enjoyed the presentation and the tour. The stories and history were excellent.

Chillon Castle (Entrance tickets)

Switzerland

Beautiful castle and well-organized tour.

Summer Kayak Tour Lake Brienz

Switzerland

Enjoyed kayaking, but the trip time before and after made the day more of a chore than an adventure.

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

We decided to pivot to Mt. Pilatus instead.

Valentine was very detailed and helped us along the way when we had questions. She planned an amazing trip and made our lives easier!

This is our second KimKim trip. We requested a train tour through the Swiss Alps, and that is exactly what we got — “in spades”! 👍👍 The itinerary was well organized, very detailed, and all vouchers were included. We also received guidance during the trip when needed. The train schedule was easy to follow, alpine sites were beautiful, accommodations were very, very nice, and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Special thanks to Emilie and all the staff at Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Tralala Hotel Montreux

Montreux

Excellent staff and a very convenient location to the train station. There are a few food options, but since they don’t have their own kitchen, it’s better to go to an actual restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff is very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jägerhof

Zermatt

The location and overall ambience of this hotel is very nice. The view is a fantastic and it’s an extremely convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

There was a lovely balcony

Location

Beautiful view of Matterhorn. The hotel offers a shuttle from the train station upon arrival and departure.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Parkhotel Schoenegg

Grindelwald

A lovely hotel with a balcony and view of the mountains. There is a shuttle that will deliver to the train station upon departure, it will probably pick you up as well if requested. We walked through town so we could get the lay of the land.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Central Luzern

Luzern

Modern hotel that is VERY convenient for train travel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Only five Minutes to the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine tasting with Swiss Cheese & Charcuterie in Chexbres Lavaux vineyards domain (30min by train from Montreux)

Switzerland

This was quite enjoyable. They provided a large charcuterie board along with six wine tastings. It was easy to get there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Round-trip Tickets)

Zermatt

This was our favorite activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lucerne Private Guided Walking Tour

Lucerne

Beatrice was lovely.

Quality of Experience

A lot was covered in 1.5 hours.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent communication and knowledge of Luzerne

Transport

An easy walk around the city.

Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (tickets and seat reservation)

Switzerland

Thank goodness for the detailed write-up for all the transport to the top!

Quality of Experience

A fantastic day. (We didn’t think it was worth the trip to Lauterbrunnen. It was very busy and not especially scenic.)

Transport

It’s a little confusing about which ticket to scan for access to the various gondolas but we just kept them all handy and scanned until we got to the right one.

Swiss Travel Pass

Switzerland

Essential to have!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zurich:
Hotel Central Plaza was a great choice. It was not only well-appointed, but it was the perfect location. Access to the amazing Hauptbahnhof made it extra fun.
Vanessa was an excellent guide. We wish we had booked more time - it was that good.
The suggestions were very helpful - museums etc. helped on a rainy day.

Trains: We cannot say enough about the itinerary planning, timing, and guidance on connections. We LOVED them..

Colmar: Great choice for our Alsace stop.
Hotel Turenne was lovely, new, fresh, great service, and very well located.
Louie, our Epicurean guide was excellent, friendly, and very attentive. The amount of cycling (15 miles) was perfect for us, and itinerary was well curated.

Lucerne: (not feedback for KimKim) My nostalgic choice of a key stop. In retrospect, now knowing all of the Alps we were going to experience - would now probably skip Lucerne.
Hotel Wilden Mann was a great location, and in retrospect was very well-managed for an ancient and historic building.
The guide Sarjon (sp?) for our tour was knowledgable, but very soft-spoken, did not make sure that we could both hear, and did not volunteer information while walking from information point to point. He would answer question in a low conversational way with Maria, and I could not hear at all. It was a difficult, and bad experience.

Locarno: The trip to Locarno was beautiful, and a lovely experience on its own.
Hotel Lago Maggiore was perhaps the best hotel throughout our trip. Location was superb; room and balcony fresh, spacious and beautiful. Breakfast service was the best. Service people excellent.
Rafaella, our guide was phenomenal. Could have spent the entire day with her. Great suggestions as well.
Valentine's suggestions for restaurants and hikes etc. were very helpful.

Zermatt: Wonderful trip through the Centovalli to Domodossola and on to Zermatt - based on Rafaella's suggestion.
Hotel Julen was a cute hotel, nice view, AC, and an amazing restaurant, the Schaferstube. The staff was unfriendly, and their breakfast service staff was uneven, from OK to terrible.
Valentine's suggestions for other activities were as always excellent.
We enjoyed all of our time in Zermatt, and were literally sad to leave so soon.

Montreux:
Hotel Golf Rene Cape was a beautiful location with spectacular views, access to the promenade, and transportation. The staff was lovely, the service excellent, but the accommodations were sub-par, especially the bathroom. It was also hot due to no air conditioning. We realized that our late change from Glion to Montreux put Valentine in a difficult situation trying to find us a hotel in town - and she did well considering.
E-Bike tour in the Lavaux vineyards: Our guide Yves was just terrific. He was super-knowledgeable. He rode a bit ahead of us, not realizing that when we get on bikes, we do not want an easy ride. We are seeking not only a tour, but a good work-out as well - and he never quite "read the room" on that. So, we didn't feel connected in a way that we could carry on a conversation, and ask questions while pedaling. When we stopped, he inundated us (almost overloaded) with amazing geological, agricultural, and historical information. (We would rather have too much, than not enough.) We were a bit surprised that the entire riding portion of the tour was only 56 minutes total. We expected 2-3 hours, like the Alsace tour. The vineyards and the visit to Chapuis vineyard was magical, and tasty. We realized after that we could have contracted Yves for as long as we wanted. That perhaps should be a question to be asked prior to booking.
We so wanted to spend more time on bikes that the next day we traveled to Chatel St Denis to rent bikes from Alexandre at E-Bike Plaisir, (who Yves contracts with). He provided us a custom itinerary based on our request for 40+ Km, and we had a delightful afternoon that took us through farm country, Mt Pellerin, the Lavaux vineyards etc. We got our fix.
Loved our time in Montreux - the people were friendly and welcoming, the Freddy Mercury Days vibe was fun. It lived up the its reputation as the Swiss Riviera.

Grindelwald: The Golden Pass trip was a lovely experience. We had no idea what to expect in Grindelwald, but it was awe inspiring, in the spectacle, the infrastructure, the options, everything.
Sunstar Hotel: Crazy beautiful view, modern, fresh, well-appointed. Only down-side was dealing with the multitudes of bus tours pouring in, and constant navigating through crowds. The room was warm, again no air conditioning - and buggy. We had to get bug spray to handle it. No screens as always.
The bike tour out of Interlaken was an early morning - but the tour was excellent, actually amazing - and Marceau our guide was delightful and knowledgeable.
Valentine's suggestion to change from Wengen to Grindelwald was a great decision. We visited Wengen, and it was a bit too sleepy for us. Her Grindelwald suggestions were perfect as always.
We could have spent more time there - it was that good.

Zurich:
Central Plaza Hotel - again, would not hesitate to stay there if we return. The rooms, the staff and the breakfast service were excellent.

Car Transfers: Probably did not need the transfers from central Plaza to the Hauptbahnhof They were unnecessary.
Luggage Transfers: We hated them - then loved them. For our situation using only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack - it made it quite difficult because everything we needed for the morning rituals went in our suitcases. They were (necessarily) too early for that reason - it forced 5:30 wake-up - not ideal when on vacation. That's when we hated them. BUT, when navigating stairs at the train stations and making connections - we loved them, because even a carry-on fully-packed suitcase is heavy - and we were able to avoid any potential for a fall or injury amidst the throngs of people dragging their huge bags down and up flights of stairs. Would we do it again? Yes - just for the safety factor at our ages.

We loved having lovingly pre-planned excursions (bike trips, tours) as well as days when we could choose what to do. On those days Valentine gave us detailed and amazing suggestions, most of which we happily did!

Valentine was available to us day and night 7 days a week during this trip, answering questions and helping us navigate any uncertain parts. We've never had a travel company provide such on-the-ground assistance at a moment's notice. Valentine gave her heart and soul to us and shared her knowledge of this beautiful area so generously. We are already recommending her and KimKim without reservation to our friends!

Hotel Reviews

Central Plaza Hotel

Zürich

Perfect location, small rooms, good air conditioning, excellent staff

Hotel Turenne

Colmar

Chic, walking distance to Little Venice and the Old Village area, responsive staff, great breakfast.

Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann

Lucerne

Great job managing such an old building. The air conditioning was wonky, loud. Great location, kind and thoughtful staff.

Hotel Lago Maggiore

Locarno-Muralto

You won't believe the views. Wonderful breakfast, fitness center, perfect location.

Hotel Golf René Capt

Montreux

Amazing view. Restaurant was ridiculously expensive. No air conditioning, hot sweaty nights. Bathroom rather inconvenient, a lovely garden area in the back yard: we had several evenings there relaxing. Right on the walking promenade which takes you into the center of town, as well as to the Castle.

Tradition Julen Hotel

Zermatt

AMAZING view of Mt Matterhorn! Excellent restaurant downstairs for authentic and local food. The staff ranged from inattentive to rude, with one exception Coco who was extremely helpful.

Sunstar Hotel & SPA Grindelwald

Grindelwald

The view was exceptional. No air conditioning which meant leaving the door with no screens open all night, resulting in bugs coming in and crawling all over us all night. The staff gave us a can of bug spray which seemed to help. This hotel hosts bus groups of 40 coming and going at all times, so busy. We liked the restaurant quite a bit! Staff was very helpful

Activity Reviews

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

We loved our guide Marceau and the other travelers who were on this tour (8 of us in all). The cycling was through forests and small villages and delightful! (about 22 miles). This is NOT a beginner bike ride, as some of the gravel paths are very steep and have sharp turns. The lunch our guide prepared was absolutely delightful, and the waterfalls were amazing. Highly recommend.

Mount Pilatus, Silver Round Trip (Tickets)

Lucerne

Wow! Cog wheel train, gondola, chairlift, AND restaurants at the top! A singing group was performing when we arrived and we felt like we were in a movie. We hiked at the top for a couple of hours: strenuous and wonderful. Also fun to watch the paragliders take off up close.

Chillon Castle (Entrance tickets)

Switzerland

Way more interesting than we thought it would be!! We got the audio tour receivers and this made all the difference (6 ch).

Private Walking Tour - History & Mystery of Zurich

Zürich

Vanessa was amazing! We had a rainy day walk with her and we were sad when the tour was over. She recommended local restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

At Leisure : Stein Am Rhein

Switzerland

super crowded.

E-bike: The Epicurean Tour

Colmar

We loved our guide Louie for this private bike and winery tour. Lunch was okay, not much choice. The wine tasting at Cattin was fantastic!

Locarno walking tour and panoramic boat ride

Locarno

Rafaella was a fantastic guide for us, gave us so many ideas and suggestions. She was a delight and we wished we had more time with her!

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Awe inspiring, everything worked like clockwork. For some reason we had a hard time finding the train station for this particular train, but locals helped us out! We hiked up toward the top as well and this was literally breathtaking!

E-bike tour in the UNESCO Lavaux vineyards

Montreux

The views on this ride were life-changing. We wished we could have had more time mainly because we wanted more bike time to actually work out. Yves' knowledge of the history and geology of the vineyards and of the wine was amazing. The wine tasting was personal and fun! We learned a lot!!

Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (tickets and seat reservation)

Switzerland

Unbelievable views, very crowded. We chose to hike down and leave from another train station, which really gave us a feel for the area.

Zürich City Card (72h) : the whole city with one card!

Zürich

Helpful

Guided City Tour of Lucerne

Lucerne

Not great, only due to our guide not being a skilled communicator. We were glad to see the sights we saw, but couldn't hear him very well (there were only 2 of us) and we had to continually ask questions to get him to talk.

Valentine was a pleasure to work with. The itinerary she curated for us was well planned with thoughtful touches. Her communication before and during the trip was prompt and knowledgeable—she answered all of our questions and helped us make some changes on the fly which made our trip feel seamless. We really couldn’t have asked for a better family vacation—the accommodations, activities, and recommendations for things to do were all nicely tailored to ensure our young kids had a great time. Because of Valentine’s efforts, we were able to just kick back, relax, and focus on having a great time in Switzerland!

Caroline couldn’t be easier or more responsive to work with. We planned our trip only 2 weeks ahead, and Caroline and the Kimkim team got right on the task and made sure we were satisfied at every stage. She was very easy to work with and — I hesitate to disclose this —she was more than willing to communicate at off hours and on weekends. Ultimately, we were able to book the trip with confidence that we were going to be able to stay where we wanted and follow an itinerary that suited our traveling style. Overall, we couldn’t have been happier.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern

Lucerne

Great hotel and staff, very convenient to train station which is crucial for day trips in Switzerland. Only drawback was super firm mattresses.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Royal St Georges Interlaken MGallery Collection

Interlaken

“Modern” rooms in newer wing comfortable and quiet with balcony looking into quiet yard. junior suite was a little small than suggested by “suite” but modern comforts like a/c and stall shower made up for it. Quiet section of hotel, too. Overall very convenient location to train and middle of town but not in the thick of it. Breakfast buffet was the low point of the hotel. — plenty of selection but very middle range quality. You could also a l carte things like hot egg dishes but this was only after we asked. They make no effort to let you know.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far but not too close to Interlaken Ost.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

E bikes seemed good quality and were really easy to operate. Guide was super approachable and informed. Scenery spectacular. The visit to trummelbach definitely made the tour more special.

We used Kim Kim to plan our trip to Switzerland (Montreux, Bern, Interlaken, Lucerne, and Zurich) and couldn’t have asked for better support. Our planners, Karol and Kamilla, were very responsive before we left, helped us sort out logistics along the way, and checked in even after we got home. Everything felt well thought out, and it was a relief to have someone we could reach out to at any point in the trip. Highly recommend if you want a stress-free, well-organized international trip.