Justine Edelin

Our family of four (kids aged 14 and 12) had a great time on our trip to France, which Kimkim planned. We enjoyed each activity they had planned for us. We had multiple private tours scheduled, and each guide was exceptional. All respected all of our wants and needs to the utmost degree. All of the transfers worked very smoothly as well. The travel specialists listened to all of our requests and delivered.
Only two minor gripes, which downgrade my review to 4 stars instead of 5. The travel specialists changed multiple times during the planning, and it would have been nice to have this be more consistent, as I feel the trip could have been a little more personalized if rapport had been built with one specialist. The other small detail was that our trip documents were not released to us until very close to the trip, so some of the details were unknown until that time, which led to a small amount of anxiety.
That being said, neither of these things impacted how we enjoyed the logistics and events that were laid out for us. We did have a fantastic trip!

Hotel Reviews

Le Meridien Nice

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Negrecoste Hotel and Spa

Aix en Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hôtel Le Tourville Paris

Paris

Our family of four stayed in the family suite (1 king and two twin beds) on the top (sixth) floor for five nights. We truly enjoyed our stay. The suite fit us very well. As expected in Paris, it was a little small, but we made do. The closet and bathroom were nice and large. This is a boutique hotel, and as such, it does not offer some of the amenities that larger hotels typically provide, such as a pool or spa. That being said, the staff were charming and helpful, and the breakfast options were plentiful.

Authenticity & Character

They have a French writing theme, which is unique

Location

It is very close to a Metro stop and easily within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower and the Seine.

Staff

Always available and attentive.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was cleaned daily and no signs of any distress in the rest of the hotel.

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

Tour in the Alpilles, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, and Les Baux de Provence with Wine Tastings

France

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greg, from A la Francaise, was an amazing guide.

Villages and Markets of the Luberon

France

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Greg was a fantastic guide from A la francaise.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Louvre Late Opening Private tour

Paris

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Sweet Side Food Tour of Paris

Paris

Family Bicycle Tour of Paris

Paris

Our family left the Le Peloton Cafe in Le Marais for a private tour. Cedric was our guide, and he provided us with very informative insights. We covered a fair territory on the bike for a total of 5-6 miles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

This was the kids favorite part of our time in France.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Justine was amazing...terrific, flexible and easy to work with. There were some issues with prepayments that we encountered but Justine took care of those for us. I think it would be helpful to have one zoom prior to the start of the trip to understand all of the bookings. We had an issue with Hertz that was due to not understanding what was booked. I'm sure it was in writing somewhere but there was a lot of verbage to go through...sometimes it is easier to discuss the info. Overall, just great!

My wife and I had a wonderful trip! There's always trepidation placing an experience (and investment!) like this in the hands of a company you've never heard of nor dealt with. I can't say enough good things about how smoothly everything went. From the taxi drivers to-and-from the train station to the staff at our amazing hotel (couldn't have asked for better accommodations with proximity to everything we wanted in Amboise) to our skilled and fun tour guides, Alex (who we were lucky enough to have for two straight days) and Cecelia (for our all-day private tour) to Justine, our local specialist, who promptly replied to our every concern or question leading up to the trip, everything was better than we could have hoped for. It was an impressively organized effort. Thanks to everyone involved! We wouldn't hesitate to book with Kimkim again.

Hotel Review

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Charming chateau with amazing staff, highly rated restaurant and location, location, location. Wouldn't think of staying anywhere else in Amboise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided tour to Chaumont-sur-Loire & Blois

Amboise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cecelia was a perfect private guide. Thoroughly knowledgeable and fun! It was a pleasure to spend the whole day with her.

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was everything you'd want in a guide: youthful energy, knowledge and loads of fun!

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

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Alex was everything you'd want in a guide: youthful energy, knowledge and loads of fun!

Transport

Justine was great to work with. After several changes during the initial planning it was finally time for the trip. There were a few minor hiccups that occurred during the trip however we rolled with it and KimKim did not hesitate in reimbursing us for the inconveniences. Even if slightly disappointed during those speed bumps, the trip will truly be unforgettable. Justine and her team were available immediately and even made some final additions to assure our trip was an amazingly memorable experience. I am not a paid sponsor and so the 5 stars I gave are legitimate to my personal experience. I would highly recommend Justine and KimKim. They can cater a memorable experience to whatever your budget may be. T.

Justine and the KimKim Team did a fabulous job with our two week France trip! The hotels, the restaurant recommendations, the tours, it was exactly what we were looking for. It was my husband's first trip to France, and my first in 30 years so we wanted to hit all the typical tourist spots. The guided tour of Medieval France (Saint Chapelle, Ile de Cite, Notre Dame) was really amazing and fun with tour guide Athina!

All the hotels Justine picked were in great locations, small boutique hotels that were exactly what we were looking for! I highly recommend Hotel Mansart in Paris, Maison No in Lyon, Splendid Hotel in Annecy, and definitely Hotel West End in Nice where we were overlooking the Mediterranean. So lovely!

Our stop in Chamonix/Mt. Blanc was a highlight - it was great to get out of the cities and breath the fresh mountain air!

We truly loved it all and can't wait to go back! We'll definitely use KimKim again for our travels!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel West End

Nice

Fabulous hotel situated right across the street from the Mediterranean Sea. Location can't be beat! Sweet outdoor restaurant with delicious breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy - Handwritten Collection

Annecy

Nice hotel with pleasantly furnished rooms. Staff were very helpful. Great breakfasts! Location was fantastic, about half a block from the lake and centrally located near lots of restaurants and nightlife!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Maison Nô

Lyon

Very nice hotel in a great part of town near restaurants and nightlife and walking distance to all the sights. Great breakfasts on the rooftop of the building!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Mansart

Paris

Very sweet boutique hotel. Wonderful customer service, friendly staff, delicious breakfasts and great location. Close to the Opera and Place de Vendome and shopping around Rue Rivoli.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

super friendly staff!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Tremblay-en-France

hotel is right outside the airport so it's a great location if you have any early morning flight!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

Nice tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cannes, Antibes and St Paul de Vence Small Group Tour (Full day)

France

This was a wonderful day and we loved exploring these three towns on the Riviera!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aiguille du Midi, balcony hiking and Mer de Glace

France

We weren't feeling well so didn't go all the way to the top but had a fabulous visit to the midway point, a wonderful picnic and great guide who shared so much information. A wonderful day in the mountains!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Jeremy, was fantastic!

Lyon Old Town Food Tour

Lyon

A great way to taste some of the great food in Lyon. We visited a shop with amazing cured meats, a cheese shop, a dessert shop, and then gelato! Fun to walk through the older neighborhoods of Lyon and learn about the town's history!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

This private tour of the Louvre was a great way to see and learn about some of the amazing in the museum. It was so helpful to have a guide rather than wandering aimlessly through the crowds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was good but sometimes hard to understand and the crowds made it hard to hear!

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

Our tour guide Athina was amazing! We learned so much and has so much fun touring Medieval Paris with her. It was a great walking tour and wonderful way to start our time in Paris!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Athina was so knowledgeable and a lot of fun!

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Very nice dinner and beautiful nighttime tour of Paris!

Quality of Experience

Food

Our guides for each of the planned events we fantastic, knowledgeable and very personable. We saw some amazing sites in France. My wife's favourite was Chateau Chambord and mine was the food tour we did in Paris.

The arrangement of transfers to and from hotels, railway stations and airports made the entire logistical experience fantastic. We were fortunate enough to have the same driver multiple times in Paris and he went above and beyond to help me when I left my mobile phone in his car on departure day.

Justine did an amazing job of planning and advising and was responsive and helpful throughout the journey with the few hiccups we had

Hotel Reviews

Le Marquis by Inwood Hotels

Paris

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Hôtel du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées - Esprit de France

Paris

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Provence : Chateauneuf du Pape and Luberon

France

Saint Remy, les Baux de Provence, Pont du Gard

France

Louvre Museum Private Tour

Paris

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

unfortunately we missed this activity as my wife was unwell. We were not able to reschedule it

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

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

France

We couldn't be more pleased with the planning, organizing, booking and follow-up from Justine. Ours was a 3-week trip in France covering the areas of Normandy, Bordeaux, the Dordogne area, French Riviera and Paris. Justine set up all of our hotel locations in the best access for all the sights we wanted to see. Also, the hotels themselves were very nice with helpful and friendly staff. All of our guides in the different cities were very knowledgeable. It was especially nice to have all vouchers established with the hotels, car rental, tours, and driver pick up and delivery where needed. We particularly were so grateful for the 1st class booking on the train from Nice to Paris. After seeing the crowds at the ticket windows for the train, it would have been very nerve-wracking to have had to get the tickets ourselves.
During the planning process for the trip, Justine was very accommodating to our requests and even made a last minute change for us on our car rental with ease. All of our guides and drivers texted us within 24 hours before any upcoming event which gave us comfort in not being concerned about time, location, etc.
This is the second time we've used Kimkim (traveled to Colombia before) and have been so impressed with the quality and detail to all aspects of their planning. The local specialists have also been super-fantastic.
One small suggestion we would make is that, if driving, some hotels have limited dedicated parking which fills up fast. We often couldn't get a parking slot for 1 or 2 nights. If we would have known this ahead of time, we could have called the hotel(s) in advance to reserve a spot for us. This info may be worth passing on to future clients.
We will definitely use Kimkim again should we plan another international trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Great location for walking to all major sites within the walled part of the city. No hotel parking garage provided and a bit of a walk to the public parking garage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel d'Orsay

Paris

Great location on the left bank within easy walking distance to the Rhone river, Museé d'Orsay and the Louvre. The hotel has access to inexpensive tickets for many attractions which saves having to stand in line. Also, great restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They provided us with clear directions on how to use the Metro which was very helpful and also informed us that they had entrance tickets to the Museé d'Orsay for our use.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel West End

Nice

Fantastic location on the Mediterranean...great for people watching and many restaurants available. There is also a covered public parking ramp very close in the same block.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Madeleine Hotel & Spa

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Great location for the primary shopping mall. Very friendly and helpful staff. Parking a bit of a problem as it is about a 15 minute walk to the garage and space is limited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Lion d'Or et restaurant la Table du Lion

Bayeux

This hotel is in a great location for easy access to all the major restaurants and amenities in Bayeux. It also has one of the best breakfast selections of any hotel we've stayed at. If driving, however, it is a good idea to call ahead to assure a parking slot at the hotel as their space is quite limited.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Fantastic tours with Caroline. She took us shopping for baguettes and cheese, then provided a picnic lunch in a park across for Notre Dame, after which we then walked to pastry shops ending at a wine bar with samples at each place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

Bayeux

Jean Baptiste (J.B.) was super knowledgeable and gave us a lot of info. about Normandy and we visited all the primary sites and gained a lot of insight in being able to physically see where the landings took place. The only downside--and it wasn't his fault--was the bad weather. It was rainy, cold and very windy the days we were there. We ended up totally wet and ruined two umbrellas because of the strong winds.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The transport van was adequate but the sound system had an echo which, at times, made the comments from the tour guide hard to understand.

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

Our tour guide, Joanne, was very knowledgeable and friendly and provided a great tour. We appreciated the fact that she had a mic and earpieces for us to wear when we were in noisy areas such as St. Chapelle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

This driving/walking tour felt very rushed. The guide would drop us off and various interest points and tell us we had a very specific time that we had to meet him back at the van for a pick-up. Often these were for very short periods of time, like 15 minutes. He was also very abrupt with accommodating the needs for the tour guests. It would have also been nice to have had some sound amplification in the van so those in the back could hear better.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport