Caroline Serling

France's WWII Legacy
From the time we landed in Paris till we left 10 days later, everything we needed was planned. All of our guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. From Augustine (Monet's Garden), Florent (Paris walking tour), Marie Noelle (Bayeux city tour), Stephen (2 day Normandy tour) all were excellent. Our drivers were always on time (or early) and having our tickets ready to view on our phones was so easy. Even the city maps provided by the website were updated.
Most of all, the communication between KimKim and us was timely, keeping us informed on current situations. We have used KimKim for several trips (5 or more) and have never been disappointed. Thank you for the great service!

The trip was planned well and we had a lot of input throughout the process. Caroline, Kate, and Diliana were quick to respond to our questions before, during, and after the trip. When we had an issue they were able to help resolve it quickly and with little friction.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Byakko Nice

Nice

Odd layout made getting around a bit tough. Older hotel with some sewage issues in parts of the hotel

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to get everywhere with reasonable walk times

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sewage issues with some smelly areas

Escale Oceania Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Not the best location, but clean and friendly

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very far from where most of the activities are in this area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Central Hotel

Avignon

Great location, but older hotel with some issues. Lots of stairs, can be buggy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location with easy access to most activities in the area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A bit buggy and poor room layout

Hotel Duette Paris

Paris

Nice hotel, clean, solid amenities and great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Although not as close to many of the activities we had, it was close to the metro and made getting around very easy

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Provençal Market Visit & Cooking Workshop

Aix-en-Provence

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Morning in Antibes & Cap d’Antibes

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nice Old Town Food Walk

Nice

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cassis Village, Calanques Boat Ride & Provence Wines Day Trip

Aix-en-Provence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided NIGHT Experience of the Louvre Museum (Entrance Tickets Included)

Paris

Still very packed and hard to get into certain areas, even in the evening

Quality of Experience

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

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Roman Highlights: Nîmes, Orange & Pont du Gard

Avignon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Afternoon Wine Tour

Avignon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

7th District Gourmet Food Walk

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful and memorable trip to France thanks to the Kim Kim staff. We appreciated all our tour guides along our route in Paris, Amboise, Aix, and Cassis. Standout drivers were Phillip and stand out tour guides were Henri and Greg. We loved it all and would do it again.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Palm - Astotel

Paris

Of all the hotels, this hotel had a wonderful selection of breakfast items, had drinks and snacks available all day, ability to do custom orders, and the top tasting yogurt of them all. The bed was comfortable and we were in a lively part of the city with access to almost everything. The hotel was pretty basic, but staff were great.

Authenticity & Character

It was a more modern style with emphasis on unique newness and simplicity.

Authenticity & Character

It was a more modern style with emphasis on unique newness and simplicity.

Location

I loved the location. We walked to the Sacre Cour and I took several runs around the area and down to the Seine for amazing sights.

Location

Staff

Wonderful staff. They were almost always available.

Staff

Wonderful staff. They were almost always available.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable. Room was a tad bit small.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable. Room was a tad bit small.

La Maison Rabelais

Amboise

This was obviously a very nice hotel. The staff were especially nice and accommodating. The breakfast was pretty decent but was billed separately. The yogurt was OK, not as good as the Paris hotel. I’m not sure if one could order a cooked to order item, but I didn’t pursue it. The general fruit selection were very good as was bread and bakery items were especially good here.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice plush hotel. The room was vast compared to our prior hotel and we felt like royalty.

Location

The hotel was in an great location in Amboise. We were within close walking distance to all the attractions.

Staff

Great staff! Friendly and cheerful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Excellent cleanliness and comfort.

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

This hotel was very nice and comfortable. The view out of our window was very nice with a view of a tall plane tree and a courtyard. The staff were very helpful and accommodating, helping to store our luggage until check-in and keeping our wine chilled. The breakfasts were very nice and staff checked on each table to take custom coffee orders. They might have been able to make custom breakfast orders, but I didn’t ask. The variety is fruits, bakery items and other oatmeal & muesli items was a step beyond other breakfasts. Unfortunately the yogurts offered were just a basic well known brand we have in the US and not that special or unique.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel had very appealing character and style.

Location

We loved our location. We were close to the market and all the nice restaurants, shops, and main attractions. I enjoyed a very nice run around the area.

Staff

The staff were quite friendly and helpful. They called us to let us know our driver had arrived.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was a bit smaller than our previous room, but was quite comfortable. This is a very nice hotel and deserves its 4 star rating. The only issue was the bathroom door would not close all the way and had to stay partly open.

Hôtel de la Plage Mahogany

Cassis

This was a very nice hotel and had a ‘beachy’ feel. The staff were friendly and helpful. They stowed our luggage until we could check in and even let us check in early. We didn’t get to experience breakfast due to an early departure.

Authenticity & Character

The character of the hotel was simple and not super updated or stylish, but was very comfortable and had a perfect view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Location

Amazing location! right next to best beach in the area! We were within walking distance to the town center and boat docks.

Staff

Very friendly, but had had a minimal interaction with the staff. They did provide coffee all day long.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very quiet and comfortable room. It was a smaller area but had a very nice seating area on the balcony overlooking the sea.

Activity Reviews

Musée de l'Orangerie: Entrance tickets & Audioguides

Paris

One of my favorite all time museums. I enjoyed all the detailed narration of all the paintings and availability in English. I could visit there each time I go to Paris.

Quality of Experience

I just enjoyed seeing Monet’s Picasso’s and the other artists’ paintings. I also enjoyed seeing a video of Monet painting while in his advanced years.

Luberon Hilltop Villages Afternoon Trip

Aix-en-Provence

The Luberon Hilltop Villages Afternoon Trip was amazing. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided complete information. The scenery was spectacular, with beautiful views of the little villages. We enjoyed walking around most of the villages, which made the experience really fun and memorable.

Private Sidecar Ride from Amboise to Vouvray

Amboise

The Private Sidecar Ride from Amboise to Vouvray was a unique and enjoyable experience. The sidecar was like a motorcycle with a sidecar, able to drive on freeways and even sidewalks, which gave us great maneuverability. Although it was a bit chilly due to the speed and weather, the ride was exciting and memorable.

I'd do it again!!! And again!!! When it comes to trip planning, you guys shine and Caroline is the star. From the time my wife starting to plan this trip and with the help of our other travel partner, Kim Kim gave us options in so many ways. What's a comfortable cost for lodging, what type of day trips, how filled do you want your days and so on. Caroline was always very timely with her responses to our questions, very thorough with her explanation of things and was ready to help!! There is always going to be some things that don't smoothly click, but the whole team at KimKim helped with whatever problems that might came up. The app makes it so incredibly easy to work your vacation; locations, tickets downloaded, transfers, meet up locations, all right in your hand....super easy!!! We look to do some travel next Spring, KimKim will be the first place we go.

We had often talked about taking a trip to the France’s wine country but never acted on it. The whole idea of planning a self guided 10-day excursion was overwhelming. That’s when we looked into KimKim. It was an excellent choice for us. From the day we first interacted with Caroline and Diliana to dropping off our rental car, both were very attentive to our needs and our interests. Our 6 night stay at Grand Hotel Francais in Bordeaux and 4 nights in Bayeux gave us the opportunity to learn, taste and experience the Bordeaux region as well as the Normandie region.

Caroline was fantastic in working with us and providing a once in a lifetime experience. I proposed to my girlfriend on the trip and Caroline and the team were wonderful in helping make sure the whole experience went smoothly. We saw and experienced things I would have never thought of, I highly recommend them.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Beautiful hotel with a view of the Eiffel tower. It is a great central location that made getting around the city easy. Also, they had AC which was a god send during the heat wave.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Westminster Hotel & Spa

Nice

Great location right across from the beach. Beautiful amenities and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self Guided Experience of the Louvre Museum (Entrance Tickets Included)

Paris

It's the Louvre

Quality of Experience

Private French Riviera Sunset Electric Cruise

Nice

Such a beautiful way to end our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Pastry & Chocolate Walk

Paris

We enjoyed the experience of walking around with RT our guide. She was knowledgeable and made walking around the city fun and interesting. It was a looooot of chocolate that ended up going to waste a little bit because we were so full by the end.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sea Life Secrets: Snorkel the French Riviera

Nice

Snorkeling in the french riviera was a dream. We saw a bunch of fish and a few jelly fish but just being there and relaxing in one of the most beautiful parts of nice was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste of Old Nice: Market Stroll, Local Bites & Seaside Picnic

Nice

A great way to see old Nice. The food was awesome.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Cooking, Culture & Coastal Wines

Nice

This was probably the coolest experience we had. It was so much fun going to the market picking out our food and then cooking it together with one of the best views in Nice.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moulin Rouge Evening Performance

Paris

The show was incredible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Antibes Heritage & Cannes Highlights Afternoon Adventure

Nice

Antibes was absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, we really didn't have much time to see Cannes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide seemed a little uninterested and disengaged

Transport

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

A beautiful view of Paris and the food was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Yesterday, still jetlagged, I began to write a very detailed review of this trip, but got sicktracked. When I went back this morning to complete it, I found it was not saved! So now you're getting the abbreviated version!

1. Flight over, and car pickup went smoothly. Got to Giverny, where you had no connections, but I think it's too bad you
didn't suggest I make reservations for Monet's house and gardens. Luckily, that occurred to me on my own , or we
would have been very disappointed to get there to find the size of the crowds. Likewise, you had no relationships
with hotels in that area, but I was able to find a very nice hotel in nearby Vernon and it worked out well.
2. Caroline had suggested driving directly to Bayeux but I chose, instead, to take a stop-off in Honfleur, which I had read
was one of the most beautiful little towns in France. If there hadn't been a circus and market day in town that day it
would have worked out better, but we at least had a brief opportunity to drive through the town, even if we couldn't
find a place to park and explore.
3. Upon reaching Bayeux, we parked and went to our hotel. Le Castel was a very nice place, but more of a guest house
than a hotel! We arrived on Saturday in time for 3:00 check-in only to find a sign on the door saying check-in was at
5:00! The place was locked up tight! We managed to spend a couple of hours finding lunch and wandering through
the cathedral but it was a surprise and disappointment to not have a place to cool off and relax. Bayeux is a terrific
town, and on day 3 we had a great guided tour of the town, but unfortunately I don't remember the name of the
wonderful woman in the green hat and scarf! She was very knowledgeable and we learned many new
things, and got a healthy dose of humor from her! By now the heatwave was fully upon us, so it was not much of a
relief to go back to our room! We understood that France does not offer much air conditioning but the temperatures
were WAY beyond anything we expected. The really fun thing about Sunday evening was that it was Fete de la
Musique! That was quite the unexpected bonus, and we enjoyed it very much.
4, Monday was our D-Day experience and it was everything, and more, than we expected. Our tour guide Lucas, and
driver Estephe were very professional and Lucas's presentations, with photos to support what he was telling us,
were top-notch! The group was a good size, about 12, and it made asking questions, and keeping up very manageable.
A huge bonus was at the American Cemetery, where, after Lucas' explanation and instructions of when and where to
meet, we walked the cemetery on our own. Suddenly we heard the national anthem, followed by taps. That was
extremely moving and Lucas told us later that that is an infrequent occurrence, when family of someone buried
there visits. My only criticism of the day was that where Lucas told us to meet ("back at the van") was pretty vague
and it made it hard to figure out which van was ours. It would have better had he had us meet back where we started
IN the cemetery, so no one was wandering the parking lot!
5. Tuesday was our full day trip to le Mont St-Michel. Our driver/guide Lu/Lou was just fantastic! She had a great
personality and was very outgoing. It was a long drive, but there were only 7 of us, plus Lou, and so conversation
flowed, and we really enjoyed our time together. Lou was very mindful of our age, and was very conscientious about
stopping for short breaks as we made our way up all those steps to the Abbey itself. Her tour was excellent and she
was very clear about using our free time for lunch and shopping and what time to be making our way back to the
welcome center for the trip back. Perhaps it was because we had more time with her, but I felt that Lou was the
outstanding guide of all!
6. Wednesday was the day I was most worried about, as Caroline's estimation of how long it would take to drive from
Bayeux to Versailles was different from what Google maps estimated. It turned out that Caroline's time frame was
better, as we opted not to take any Autoroutes, sticking instead to secondary highways. We were worried about
parking at Versailles, expecting be forced to park far away, but we were pleasantly surprised to find parking was easy
and very close to the gates. We did have some trouble figuring out where to meet our group but we managed in
plenty of time. Again, I don't know our guide's name - even with headsets it was hard to hear everything she said with
the crowds. The crowds and the heat really made the day less than it could have been but overall it was good to
finally see a place I have so longed to visit. The temperatures of 100+ made us reconsider the gardens, but
otherwise it was good. The car return and train into Paris were fine, and the cab ride to our hotel was short and
painless.
7. Thank God for cell phones! Diliana texted and called about the change of meeting time for the tour of Notre Dame,
and offered us options if we wanted, of either the Latin Quarter, or the Musee d'Orsay. We had not seen Notre Dame
for 28 years so we were anxious to see how it looked after the fire. We were worried about exactly where and how
we would meet up with Sylvanie but she found us, and she did a wonderful job of showing us both outside and in. It
was a terrific tour, and she, too, was very knowledgeable.
8. Le Jardin de Brea was just great - AC was SOOOO welcome by then, and the staff in the lobby was fantastic, friendly,
and ready with recommendations for nearby restaurants! I know it was not your original recommendation, but it
was perfect! The half hour walk to Notre Dame from the hotel, through Luxembourg Gardens would normally be
easy, were if not for the 104 temps!
9. Our driver to CDG on Friday morning was excellent, and he had bottles of water waiting for us in the back seat. He
got us there in 50 minutes, which should have been plenty, and it was, except that due to the heat passport control
was down, and the lines were exceptional as each passenger had to be processed manually, rather than electronically.
That was the most stressful part of the week, except that we were all in the same boat, and the plane was delayed.

Final thoughts: I think there were a couple of things that could be tightened up, with regard to suggestions, meeting places, etc, but overall it was a wonderful trip and Kimkim took good care of us. Diliana did say that due to our not being able to see Sainte Chappelle we would receive a cost adjustment so I will look forward to more information from you on that. Overall the trip was a very successful one and were we to need travel services again Kimkim would be our choice.

Hotel Reviews

Le Castel & Au Loup

Bayeux

The hotel was very nice, the breakfast was good, the cleaning of the room from day to day was minimal, but Fred, our host was wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

A beautiful building!

Location

Within walking distance of everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Changed the towels but that was all

Hôtel Jardin le Bréa

Paris

Great hotel, excellent staff, clean, good location

Authenticity & Character

Charming

Location

A half hour walk to Notre Dame through Luxembourg Gardens. Lots of restaurants nearby!

Staff

The desk staff were very friendly, and had good recommendations for restaurants nearby

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely room, clean, great AC.

Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes

Paris

This hotel was closed for renovations so this does not apply.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC was wonderful, breakfast was wonderful! This is a great hotel I would recommend you add to your list of recommendations

Activity Reviews

Palace of Versailles Day Trip with Priority Access – Half-Day Tour

Paris

It was simply too hot and to crowded to fully appreciate!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Day in Le Marais: Cheese Shop, Museums, & Market

Paris

Did not do this due to weather

Quality of Experience

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

Paris

I only give this 4 stars because we were not able to visit Sainte Chappelle

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sylvanie rushed to get back from another toup to give us a private tour!

Monet's Giverny House & Gardens self-guided day Trip (Tickets are not included)

France

I felt that Kimkim gave us nothing on this! We figured out that we needed reservations, we needed to find our own hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guided Walking Tour of Historic Bayeux

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Omaha Beach & American Cemetery War History Day Trip

Bayeux

Even better than I could imagine it to be!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont Saint Michel & The Abbey : The Enchanted Island

Bayeux

In spite of the heat, and all the steps, this is an amazing place!

Quality of Experience

Our guide was fantastic!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Exploration of Bayeux

Bayeux

The cathedral was gorgeous and we enjoyed visiting it. The high point there was going down into the crypt and encountering a quartet of what we can only assume were music students singing a cappella. That was exquisite!

Quality of Experience

We truly enjoyed the locations we visited with our favorite location being Provence. The choice of hotels was wonderful as they were all very quaint and memorable boutique places. The guides were very good with our favorites being Ocean and Coco.

Hotel Reviews

La Pérouse 4*

Nice

This was a unique hotel. Upon check in there was an issue with our original room so they put us in the best suite with the most amazing balcony/patio with an almost 360 view of the ocean and the city of Nice. The location is quiet and perfectly situated and the staff are very friendly.

Authenticity & Character

This is an old hotel that has such a unique character that we truly enjoyed and would certainly stay there again.

Location

It’s quiet and has the most amazing view of the ocean.

Staff

The staff were very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

The hotel itself is beautiful and the grounds are lovely and they have the most amazing garden. Our room, however, was strange. We were supposed to have a garden view suite but they gave us a weird 2 bedroom room that had to bedrooms, one that was always very cold, and three bathroom rooms. It would have been nicer to have had a sitting area instead of two bedrooms since it was only the two of us.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is beautiful and very close to the town. The garden is lovely.

Staff

The staff were helpful but didn’t seem overly friendly but could have been that we didn’t get there until late in the evening.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The room was clean but one of the bedrooms was very cold no matter how much we turned up the heat. We had to just keep that door closed so it wouldn’t cool down the rest of the rooms.

Hôtel d’Europe

Avignon

This hotel has an amazing location right in the old town so it’s easy walking to the city. It’s very quiet and the staff were friendly and helpful. We had dinner in the gastronomic restaurant and it was very good and since it was a very small room it was more quiet and romantic and the food was very good.

Authenticity & Character

This hotel has the old world quaint boutique hotel.

Location

The location is right in the old city and so it’s an easy walk into the town.

Staff

They were very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full Day Exploration of St Remy and Arles

Avignon

We enjoyed our day with the guide exploring Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Quality of Experience

The tour allowed us to get a good overview of Arles, Saint Remy and Orange.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Matilda was an excellent guide. We wanted to see a town that was not on the original itinerary and she accommodated that and she was knowledgeable and very sweet.

Transport

Private Roman Highlights: Nîmes, Orange & Pont du Gard

Avignon

This was a nice tour of Avignon and Pont du Gard. Pont du Gard is a must see!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jeremy was a great guide. He was knowledgeable and easy to understand and very personable.

Transport

Our guide was our driver which is what we prefer

Private City Walk Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a great overview of the city and a very pleasant tour.

Quality of Experience

I recommend this tour as it gives a nice overview of Aix.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Erin was a wonderful guide. She is very pleasant and is originally from the U.S. so we got a different perspective of the area. She is extremely pleasant and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so no need for transport

Gourmet Stroll in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This was a nice tour to get a taste of the specialties in the Aix with the stories behind them. Coco was knowledgeable, personable and accommodating. This day was market day so we were able to experience which was fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Coco was a great guide. She’s very personable and knowledgeable.

Transport

It was a walking tour so transport was walking, which we enjoyed.

Private Wine Tour in the Hilltops of Nice

Nice

We enjoyed this wine tour but what added to it was that our driver/guide was so fun and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ocean was a great guide/driver. She added a stop in the village of St. Paul de Vence and also stopped at a winery that we we really wanted to visit.

Transport

Ocean was our driver and guide and did a great job.

We had been wanting to visit the Loire for years and to have the whole trip organised for us was so much easier.
All the chateaux visited were excellent and the interpretations offered by our guides Alex and Chloe offered insights and history we had no idea about. These professional guides were essential. The wine tastings were an entertaining, informative and a relaxing way to end the day. Some light snacks with the tastings would have been appreciated.
Thanks to Caroline and her colleagues for quick and positive responses to our queries and requests. We would certainly consider using KikKim for future trip.
Bernie from Hong Kong 🇭🇰