Audrey Benezech

Our trip to France and Italy was expertly organized by Audrey. All hotels and transfers were set up and we didn't have to worry about a thing. The tours she picked along with the tour guides we had at each location (Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Portofino, Vernazza, and Florence) were very knowledgeable and fun.

Hotel Reviews

Globe et Cecil Hôtel

Lyon

We had a great corner room on the street, clean hotel and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maisons du Monde Hôtel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille

Our room was great facing the port. They also have a the most amazing breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel West End

Nice

Wow! A balcony room overlooking the French Riviera - yes please!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Piccolo Portofino

Portofino

We loved this hotel also overlooking the water and just around the corner from the port.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ventegà Sea View Apartment

Vernazza

Great apartment in Vernazza. Not many places to choose from here so this is a find!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alfieri Signature Suites

Florence

What a great place - good location right on the river and beautiful rooms!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lyon Gourmand

Lyon

Claire was a great tour guide and this was something fun to do when we first arrived to get to know the city and the local food.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Burgundy tour

Lyon

Loved the wineries we went to and our driver was knowledgeable about wine too. Learned a lot about Burgundy which was cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Semi-private Calanques Cruise - Afternoon

Marseille

What a treat! This boat ride to the Calanques was unexpectedly awesome. And we got to swim in the cave!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lubéron markets and villages

France

Our tour guide was great and villages were cute.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Van was good, but drive was long and lots of traffic.

Excursion to Arles, Les Baux and Saint-Remy de Provence

France

See below.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit of Saint Paul de Vence from Nice and lunch at La Colombe d'Or

Nice

LOVED THIS! Saint Paul de Vence is really the best village. Everyone should try to eat at La Colombe D'or!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Georgi was the best!

Transport

Half-day excursion to Monaco, Monte-Carlo and Eze

Nice

Would have liked to know more about what this trip entailed and spent more time in Motne-Carlo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Nice

France

This was on our own - great beach city!

Portofino boat tour

Portofino

Brian our skipper was awesome! Totally recommend this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Cruise from Vernazza

France

This got cancelled.

La Spezia Cinque Terre gastronomic tour

France

We had already sampled the food that she introduced us to but it was fun to eat at local establishments.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Florence Walking Tour and Accademia Visit

Florence

Great to get a walking tour of Florence but this was our last day and it would have been nice to have more free time since this tour went for 5 hours, not 3 as expected. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable but it was too long for our last day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audrey is an excellent collaborator, planner and overseer throughout the process. She is always available for the glitches that happened during our tour.

I am not as pleased with the accommodations chosen. Particularly the one in Marseille. Because of the unreliability of the flat owner, we had to be moved to another flat that was far, inconvenient in location, and sub-par amenities like no wi-fi and cable TV. We came out spending more in transportation because of its location that was far from the central location of the city.

The food tour by Oriane of Oai not Marseille is a must! So is the one by Laure of Paris A Dream where we discovered the Saint Germain des Pres area.

The cooking experience by Gilles while in Aix de Provence is a highlight of the trip.

I really appreciated the efficiency and thoughtfulness of the recommendations for our family of 4. We were traveling with our young boys ages 8 and 11 and Audrey and team helped with booking tickets to sites, lunch and transfer.

Activity Reviews

Rodin museum

Paris

A must see for its gardens alone.

Quality of Experience

Lunch at Madame Brasserie Eiffel Tower with Paris view

Paris

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audrey was awesome to work with! She was extremely responsive and helped us adapt plans when needed while in France. Maca’rong in Paris was a delicious experience. I strongly recommend for anyone looking for a baking experience especially if you have kids. We spent 2 amazing days with Manon in Normandy. I thought the kids (6 & 8) would not be very interested in the D-day tour. She explained things directly to them in a way they would understand and got them engaged. Both girls still talk about Manon and touring the bunkers is in both of their top 3 things they did in France. Our tour with Laurianne was cut short due to the riots in Marseille. However, we appreciated that instead of cancelling she took us to local shops and made sure we had food to eat before everything closed down. We wouldn’t have known what was going on if it wasn’t for her. Inés was very friendly and knowledgeable. She took us to multiple spots, a highlight being a local farmers market where we purchased delicious local goods. Maria was great, she took us to Monaco and made sure we were able to experience the changing of the guards. Overall, I was very pleased with our entire experience and look forward to planning another trip with KimKim.

We had a wonderful time traveling through France on a jam-packed itinerary. We are itching to do so again.

Some thoughts on our 7 night trip:
Day 1) The first day in Paris was great with a museum because we had some time to relax after the flight and get recuperated. We finished the evening with some local friends at a bar which was nice to catch up after many years apart.
Day 2) The walking tour of Montmarte was amazing. Our guide, Sonali, was really kind and helpful. We wished it was about an hour longer so we could see and sample a few of the best cafes but we spent some time afterwards sitting down with a cappuccino. We enjoyed the free time in the afternoon and night to explore and meet up with friends.
Day 3) The train was simple and went on without a hitch. We were lucky enough that our hotel was ready when we arrived an hour or so early. We loved having the afternoon to explore Aix-en-Provence and the hotel was in a great location that made it very easy for us.
Day 4) This was my favorite day in France. Gilles was an amazing guide and we had such a good time. Our cooking class ended up being about 7 hours. We toured two markets in Aix, plus got to stop at the fish monger, bakery, and butcher, where he showed us what to look for in all the specialty items. The wine tasting was also great, especially since we got to pick out the wine we shared during the meal. The cooking was amazing being in his home in the hills. Such an amazing experience and I would 100% recommend everyone do it. We were slightly full for dinner, but it worked out as we could eat a little less but still be fully satisfied.
Day 5) The train was good, if possible, I would book on the opposite side of where we sat so you have ocean views. Kind of tough since the train turns around after leaving Aix. Hotel was nice but we had to wait to check in, so we dropped off our bags and walked the city.
Day 6) The van tour was good to get out, but there were issues with communications between the company and Kim Kim. It was ultimately resolved so no big deal. The tour guide Alex was a bit mean to some of the people on the tour, and it was a little tense to start. The locations were great and we liked seeing the different areas nearby.
Day 7) Nothing too eventful. We were able to do an hour late checkout so we could go to the beach in the morning and freshen up for the afternoon.
Day 8) Another amazing walking tour with Faye. The food was really great! The wine was really great, and the small group made it really fun. Timing was a bit tight with our departing flights but everything worked out really well.

So things that weren't the best:
- Our driver in Paris, Thanusan, sent other drivers a few times with not super nice cars. It was kind of odd, especially on the last day.
- The van tour in Nice had a few hiccups, but turned out okay.
- My fault, but I would probably do a town other than Nice. We really enjoyed the city but it was a bit touristy for our taste (even if the tourists were mainly from Paris).

Overall, we had a great first time in France and learned a lot about what we should do in the future! Thanks Kim Kim team for helping set everything up and we can't wait to be back!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

It was a cute hotel and in a great location. The beds were uncomfortable but everything else was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Rotonde

Aix-en-Provence

Great hotel with a good breakfast. Perfect location for Aix. Beware that the A/C sometimes doesn't work.

Authenticity & Character

This is not really what I would consider an authentic French hotel in my opinion.

Location

5 minutes from the main square, but in a quiet location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

Really great location, 5 minute from the beach, 10 from Old Town. Free beach towels. Good A/C and dehumidifier in the room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Jardins Eiffel 3*

Paris

This was a great little hotel. The location is quiet, although we would have liked more things to do in the neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy beds!

Activity Reviews

Full-day excursion to Cannes, Antibes and Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Nice

It was great to go to the other towns, we enjoyed being able to get out and explore. The guide, Alex, was a little bit cranky and it made for some awkward engagements, especially at the beginning of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Provençal Market visit and Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was our favorite experience and we 100% recommend it for everybody. It is about 6-7 hours long. Includes visits to the markets and local shops to pick up fresh food and ingredients. Then a visit to the winery for a tasting and purchasing a few bottles for the lunch. Finally you travel to the chef's home and cook for 2 hours and finally get to eat and drink wine with your new friends. Gilles is an amazing host and so friendly, we will be back.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cheese and wine tour in Le Marais

Paris

Our guide, Faye, was fantastic. The shops we visited were some of our favorites in Paris. The Boulangerie was amazing and we are still dreaming of the baugettes. The wine shop and tasting was the best part, and we had a lot of fun with our new friends and eating the cheese and charcuterie while sipping on French wines. A perfect way to end the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audrey was amazing in keeping up with all our trip activities. Always responding right away when we had questions. She was amazing using her resources and other colleagues like Lucie when our driver forgot to pick us up and we missed our train. Made a stressful morning into and nice day.

All the hotels were well located to the activities that we had planned.

Second but not last experience with Kimkim

Activity Reviews

Dinner at the Ciel de Paris restaurant

Paris

Dinner and service was wonderful. The view was breathtaking

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything lol

Guides, Drivers and Staff

All our guides and drivers were amazing. The two that stand out most was the young lady in Aix en Provence for our vineyard tours. She was very informative and very easy to talk to. Michael in Monaco was also very friend and funny. Very informative and a great driver

Transport

Overall was excellent except for the one who didn’t show up to take us to the train station and we missed our train.

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Our guide was very informative and enthusiastic about the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tour in Cézanne Countryside

Aix-en-Provence

Was very delicious

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was amazing and informative

Transport

Lavender tour

Aix-en-Provence

Everything and more Loved the private farm. We felt like the fields were just for us

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He was very informative and really knew his way around the crowds

Transport

Sunset cruise

France

Was very relaxing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day tour of Monaco, Eze and La Turbie

France

Was amazing and beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michael was funny and very informative. Great driver on those winding roads

Transport

Our family decided to take a trip together: my husband and myself, 2 sons and significant others. We spun our wheels trying to make decisions about where to go, where to stay and what to do and who would drive. Fortunately we ended up on kimkim.com and within 24 hours had a full itinerary planned. We went back and forth a few times with Audrey until we had a plan that covered all our wishes. She helped us out a few times during the trip as well with some minor things. Rather than rent a car, we hired drivers for travel between cities and for private tours. That was a great decision that saved us fights, parking, navigation, and as a bonus included a lot of local knowledge. We stayed in 5 hotels (****) in Nice, Cannes, Marseille, Arles and Avignon. Highlights of the trip included: Monaco & Eze, Roussillioin's Ochre hills which we hiked, the market in Arles on Saturday morning (the most authentic market we visited), St Paul de Vence, Grasses (interesting tour of the perfume factory and town), our boat cruise with Captain Renauld in Nice, olive oil factory & tasting at l'Angandau in Le Beau de Provence and swimming in the gorgeous waters in Cannes and Nice. All our drivers were great: Cathy, Arnaud, Thierry, Peggy. We kept in touch via WhatsApp when they would drop us off so we could do our thing and then they'd circle back to pick us up. Parking was challenging in most cities so we were very happy to not have to deal with that. I have since recommended kimkim to several friends. It saved us hours of work and certainly some arguments since the planning was done by the local pros! Will definitely use them again.

Hotel Review

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Great location in Avignon. It was recently renovated so nice and clean inside and modern. Staff was friendly and helpful. The room doesn't have a fridge but they provided one to us upon request. A nice breakfast was included with very good staff, and there was an additional modern lounge nearby where we could do some work. Wifi was good. The only challenge is there are some stairs that you have to get your luggage up. I'm sure the staff would help if required.

Authenticity & Character

New clean and modern inside...fresh smelling

Location

Within the walled city of Avignon. Easy to walk anywhere. Not noisy...windows blocked noise.

Staff

Breakfast staff and front desk staff all very nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Decent sized room with queen bed. Safe in closet. Received a mini fridge upon request.

Activity Review

Sunset cruise

France

Our flight to Nice was cancelled so this trip was delayed one day, but they were able to accommodate us with no problem. Captain Renauld was very fun, experienced, and knowledgeable about the area. We felt very confident with him. He took us to a cove where we were able to snorkel for a short time. The water was very fresh and he enticed some fish to us, with some food. Champagne was served. One of our group gets motion sick and he was considerate and helpful. It was a calm cruise for most of the time until he gave us a bit of a thrill ride with lots of splashing and soaking which added to our adventure. Highly recommended. A nice way to kick off your vacation upon arrival.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Audrey has changed the way I will plan trips for every. Audrey organized a trips for my extended family of 6. Each with different expectation, ages, etc. Miraculously within a few days working with us, she created an itinerary that pleased everyone! I couldn't even do that. Audrey saved us so much time and so many discussions. Audrey was patient and very knowledgeable about the area. She made us discover some of her secret destinations that only the locals would know. Once we confirmed the itinerary, Audrey made all the bookings and reservations. On top of that Audrey continued to inform us of the next event, transportation, etc during the trip. She handled changes, issues, etc as well.

I just cannot say enough good things about Audrey and KimKim.

Everything was great. We loved the tours we went on, all the people who were the guides were so personable and knowledgeable! We did not love one of our hotels and let Audrey know and she was able to find us another much better accommodation. Audrey was very responsive when we had questions. We were disappointed one day when their was a National protest and we did get to see Versailles or use our tickets up to the Eiffel Tour. We were able to book a few other things however.

!. Dinner cruise on the Seine - relaxing and beautiful.
2. Culinary tour in the 7th district (where we were staying).
3. Monet's Garden and House - very worthwhile. It was more beautiful than I imagined. Walked around the city of Paris
on our return. The area around the Eiffel Tower was full of people selling trinkets and wine, and seemed kind of
trashy. Notre Dame had a high fence around the renovation, but had lots of information about the project.
4. Normandy Beaches & American Cemetary - excellant guide, cold and very windy, lots of walking so wear good shoes.
5. Train to Loire valley - Be ready to get off quick, we missed our stop. Wine tasting and touring the vineyards. Stayed in
Sancerre, VERY hilly.
6. Went to a goat cheese manufacturing plant, learned about the process and tasted cheese. I do not like goat cheese,
but the cheese was delicious. Maybe because the French don't pasteurize their cheese. More wine tasting. Guide
was very knowledgeable.
7. Back to Paris to fly to Nice. A beautiful city on the French Riviera. Picture postcard perfect! We shopped, ate, drank
our way across the city. We were fortunate to get a sailboat cruise on the Mediteranean. We ate at a restaurant in
the town of Ese, or EZE. Did not get into the main restaurant , reservations have to be made 6 weeks in advance. The
drive and view were worth it. Spectacular!!!!!

I loved France. It is beautiful, historic. I was prepared to meet people who didn't care for the loud, brash Americans, but everyone was so helpful and nice to us. I would definitely like to go back! I struggled with swollen ankles and blisters from all the walking, but it was worth it.