Lucie Rousseau

Lucie was instrumental in setting up a fun and realistic itinerary for our trip to France. She was very responsive to all of our inquiries both before and during the trip and managed many important details for us. Chloe was great on our walking tour of Aix en Provence. Greg was an informative guide for our trip to the Luberon Villages. Thank you for your support and would definitely use your service again.

We worked with Lucie for a custom vacation in France. During the planning process, we split the trip adding additional days in England. Lucie was very patient, figuring out how to incorporate our varied requests. Our 9 day, 8 night trip was split between Paris and London with custom add-ons at each location. Lucie added transfers to/from each hotel and also coordinated train tickets between Paris and London. In Paris, we started off with an authentic sidecar tour with Retro Tour Paris. Though the weather didn't fully cooperate, the experience was amazing and something we would have never thought of. They asked us what we've seen and what we wanted to see and crafted a custom tour route based on our feedback--fantastic. We ended the day with an awesome dinner Seine River cruise with Bateau-Pariseans. My family agrees that the river cruise was a major highlight. Day 2 we had a long trip out to Mont Saint-Michel with Blue Fox Tours. Was well worth the long ride there and back (~3.5 hour) if you haven't been before. Day 3 we had a gourmet food tour in Saint Germain des Pres which was pretty cool. It was in the same neighborhood as our really cool hotel (Hotel Baume) so we really enjoyed the sights (and tastes). Speaking of the Hotel Baume=winner! Boutique hotel in great location. Day 4 we had another long day taking a tour of the D-Day beaches in Normandy. Again, with Blue Fox Tours. Both day tours with Blue Fox were great and would highly recommend them. Day 5 we travelled the Eurostar (premium) from Paris to London and hit the ground running with a visit to the Bukingham Palace Kings Gallery exhibit of Elizabeth II's wardrobe-was really interesting though geared toward those with a love of fashion. On day 6 we had a 1/2 day trip out to Windsor Castle with Anderson's Tours--was really well done and worth doing. We had free time in the afternoon so we added on a visit to the Tower of London. We scheduled that on our own and Anderson Tours dropped us off there right after returning from Windsor. Day 7 started off with a visit to Churchill War Rooms and Westminster Abbey. Since we had an evening free, we added a Soho viewing of The Devil Wears Prada. Again, we coordinated that on our own but a great addition to our trip. On day 8 we wanted to take a day trip out to see Clarkson's Farm but turn out there were not specific tours to get there and would have to get there on our own, not necessarily easy from London. So, we turned to Viator and booked a Cotswold Day tour going to three separate quintessential English villages conducted by Evans & Evans Tours---well worth it and would recommend it. Regarding out hotel in London, it was at the Park Plaza Victoria--a great hotel at great location. Both hotels were excellent and both in convenient locations with transportation, food, and shopping nearby. What I am not reviewing in any detail are the gaps in our schedule--filled with visits to shops and cafes which was as much of a highlight as any of the formal tours. Taking the metro in Paris and Tube in London is part of the experience. Lucie was available anytime we needed her to answer any questions and was great from start to finish.

Hotel Reviews

Park Plaza Victoria London

London

Mid-sized hotel with large hotel amenities but small hotel intimacy. Rooms are spacious and quiet and the breakfast buffet is really good. Convenient to Victoria Station for ease of catching the tube around London. Lots of stores and restaurants nearby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Baume

Paris

Boutique Hotel in heart of Saint Germain. Stylish, quiet, and intimate. No gym, laundry facilities or fridge/microwave in room but you have an awesome hotel in a super convenient location. The onsite breakfast is excellent and the service is top-notch.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Excursion to Windsor Castle

London

A must see for anyone interested in the British royals. Was great to learn that Windsor Castle is surrounded by an actual town with lots of shops and restaurants to explore. The castle itself was good but expect crowds and bottlenecks as you navigate through. The tour was conducted by Anderson's Tour and the guide was amazing (Megan). She provided a lot of information on the bus ride out but was not allowed to walk through Windsor with us. She was great and even dropped us off and walked us to the Tower of London after for a separate tour (not through Anderson Tour).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-day excursion from Paris of D-day beaches - U.S. sector

Paris

A must see for any WWII history buffs or for anyone interested in seeing where history was changed. Tour was conducted by Blue Fox Tours and they did a great job from start to finish. Our guide did a great job providing context at each stop and allowed sufficient time to explore on our own. Lunch was at an amazing restaurant near Omaha Beach. The stop at the American cemetery was really special and helps provide a visual of the costs of D-Day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Unveiling Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum

Paris

We were provided tickets with a report time of 3:30pm to the Louvre. Because we know it's a busy museum, we thought about using the Carousel entrance to avoid the rain and really large crowds outside--good choice. As the largest museum in the world, spending just a few hours there will not scratch the surface so we focused on areas we didn't see on our last trip more than a decade ago. We saw what we could in the few hours we walked around but needed to leave when the group got hungry. I think we would have rather visited in the morning when they first open to enjoy the sights with "maybe" smaller crowds initially but also when we weren't tired already from a busy day of sightseeing. The tickets came with admission only, no guide or help inside unless we paid for something more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took the metro there, no issues

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

One of our favorite tours on the whole trip. We had 2 guides, 1 in training and a senior guide. Both were really good as they walked us through the streets of Saint Germain. The stops were coordinated and samples were made ready when we arrived. At one of their stops, they provided a small plate style lunch at L'Avant Comptoir du Marché which was really good. History, food, and views--a really cool experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport provided by our own two feet so wear comfortable shoes

Day excursion to Mont Saint-Michel

Paris

Tour was through Blue Fox and they did a great job. It's a long drive out to Mont Saint-Michel but they have a stop around 2 hours down the road. Expect crowds at the sight but still worth the visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vans were cozy and good for average sized adults but tall or large people may struggle to find comfort in the van.

Seine river dinner cruise

Paris

Great food, wine, and view--there is no better way to see Paris from the Seine.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure aboard an authentic sidecar to uncover Paris

Paris

This might be the coolest way to tour Paris.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

so many great experiences. I will review in the next section,

Hotel Review

Hotel La Perle

Paris

The hotel was very quaint, exceptional staff that were kind and helpful, very clean rooms and daily Freshen up. We had some miscommunication with the room and bed set up but that was more a language and word barrier than anyone’s fault. We wanted to have 3 beds all seperate , not just 2 inches. But all was fine and we adapted. The rooms were small but we rarely spent time there except to sleep and prepare for the day. Breakfast was ok but not one day of variety for the 6 days. Nothing like fresh fruit ( canned /frozen) . Service was excellent and they always asked what we needed. Just no variations. Staff were so knowledgeable , nice, spoke English , gave suggestions and always were available to answer questions or help. I felt safe and relaxed. Super quiet. The location was ok . Not really near any tourist things but maybe that is a good thing. Quiet, little traffic. We easily could walk or uber,

Authenticity & Character

Nothing to compare it to. We only went in another big hotel for drinks.

Location

maybe near some of the popular sites and on other side of river on East? Not sure for budget

Staff

they are great. Keep it up.

Cleanliness & Comfort

All clean

Activity Reviews

Starry Dinner on the Seine River

Paris

Hard to find. We needed better directions. Label on the pier? It was very nice ride. The food was ok, Scenery was amazing and at dark even better.

Quality of Experience

Food

new menu or just improve what you have. Bland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

wait staff nice . English was not always available but fine

Transport

boat smooth and nice. Waves not present

Cooking class with a Chef

Paris

The highlight of the trip and favorite

Quality of Experience

Food

All of it we made and purchased. Just a perfect day . She is helpful to explain how to do and why.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She made it wonderful. Her knowledge, ability, kind, beautiful and her home. Classy ! French lovely

Transport

we walked

Guided visit of Montmartre

Paris

We arrived early that day and took our own walk around. When we met up with our guide we were already somewhat tired. This tour has a lot of hills and elevation.

Quality of Experience

Could have seen it in a car with same eperience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

English was great but her accent made be really have to listen carefully . Knowledgeable but kinda boring

Transport

We have walked all over Paris and it was just a long day.

Guided visit of the Louvre museum

Paris

Tour guide Sonali made it amazing. It was crowded and we expected that. Wore earpieces and that is a must.

Quality of Experience

she knew were to stand and have a great view and out of the large mass of people. Head set was helpful so much to explain and be able to move along.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonali again took us to the places we wanted and her recommendations.

Transport

Walked

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

The guide was ok . She was hard to not compare with Sonali the day before, We began with chocolate . I would have preferred a coffee and croissant or similar. These were never part of tour. This chocolate place was ok but I have been on similar tours and the owner of place at least talks or appreciates your coming. Not so at these places except one or 2. The chocolate is early in the morning to begin. They also sold there many macaroons , but not offered unless you bought one. I thought that would be given and talked about. The other food stops were jams, spreads and we did have cheese. Those were ok but again not much. The best was the hot food at a restaurant that we could select 3-4 for us. Those were good and we didn’t know much about what we were eating. Guide was somewhat flat .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide

Transport

We walked so not sure of question

Guided tour of covered passages of Paris

Paris

This was our first guided tour and what a special guide of Sonali for us. She is amazing and I would like to have all tours with her. She was a certified guide, which we learned is quite an honor and distinction to achieve. She is so intelligent, funny, kind, knowledgeable and has a complete confidence in her role and ease with the place touring. The passage way was very interesting and gave us several areas we would not have seen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonali as I stated above

Transport

Not sure what this means since we walked

Good morning......... Planning with Lucie was easy. She was helpful from start to finish. Our hotel was satisfactory. The staff was excellent. The 2 tours we took with Sonali Harshe were outstanding. She was a wealth of knowledge and her presentation was great. Our food tour was fair. I think the choices of food should have been better. Our guide in Montmartre was great. Our guide was knowledgeable. The entire trip was great. I would use KimKim again.
Karen Glosa

Hotel Review

Hotel La Perle

Paris

The hotel accommodations were good. The staff was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Starry Dinner on the Seine River

Paris

It was a beautiful trip on the river.

Cooking class with a Chef

Paris

This was my favorite activity. The chef took us to the market where we purchased our fresh food to use while cooking. She was delightful and knowledgeable. Her home was the perfect space to prepare and eat. I would highly recommend this to anyone who would enjoy cooking in Paris.

Guided visit of Montmartre

Paris

Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Guided visit of the Louvre museum

Paris

Sonali Harshe was an excellent guide.

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Would have liked different food choices

Guided tour of covered passages of Paris

Paris

Our tour guide Sonali Harshe was outstanding. I would recommend her for any tour.

Transport

Lucie planned an incredible and unforgettable trip to France for my family: 2 adults and 2 children, 11 and 9. She listened to what we were looking for and took time to find the right accommodations to make us most comfortable abroad. The best part of this trip were the outstanding guides and tours that were private/small group allowing easy travel through the sights. What stands out most: Sidecar tour in Paris! Must do! Amazing way to see the sights. Normandy American Cemetery and tour and visiting and biking through Honfluer. Scavenger hunt in the Louvre was a great way to avoid lines and crowds and engage young children. Loved working with Lucie as she was local and able to communicate in real time while we were there.

Hotel Reviews

Renaissance Paris Nobel Tour Eiffel Hotel

Paris

Beautiful hotel in a great neighborhood! Very spacious rooms for Europe!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Castel & Au Loup

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador

75009

Fabulous hotel in beautiful neighborhood! Quick walk to Eiffel Tower. Many room options for families and great breakfat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Visit of the Eiffel Tower with Access to the Summit (Entrance Tickets included)

Paris

Very easy to navigate into the tower and a great experience!

Quality of Experience

A day at the Mont Saint Michel with a small group

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day excursion to Honfleur and Deauville, from Bayeux

Bayeux

Beautifully and personally tailored excursion day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jeremy was an amazing guide!

Transport

Half-day visit of D-day beaches afternoon - U.S. sector (group tour)

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lucie was an incredible guide!

Transport

Half-day trip to Giverny and Monet’s Garden

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

French Croissant Baking Class

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Treasure Hunt

Paris

Amazingly engaging for children. Great to be able to skip line to the museum and get right in!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adventure aboard an authentic sidecar to uncover Paris

Paris

Best experience ever! Perfect tour for anyone!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide the first day was very good and responsive to our requests, however she said that we could not go to Sacre Coeur as it was too far out for that tour. She did help us buy our passes for public transportation that day which was helpful and took us to a very nice ice cream place near Notre Dame for scrumptious ice cream before heading out to our hotel. The luncheon cruise on the Seine was very nice. The later visit to the Eiffel Tour was set for 6:30 pm and probably could have been made for an earlier time as the luncheon cruise was over about 3:30 pm. We were not allowed to enter the tower until our time, and it was cold and windy that day with not many options for waiting inside in a warmer place. We did not spend much time at the tower once it was our turn to go up. Wednesday was a tour to Giverny and Versailles with lunch included. I do not know much about what might be available to book from where we were staying at the Marriott Village Disney, but it seems it would have made more sense to book us a tour that left from near our hotel rather than one leaving from Paris at 8:15 am requesting us to be there 15 minutes early. We decided we needed a driver to pick us up at 6 am from our hotel rather than using the public transportation to get there on time. He got us there in plenty of time. We even had time to go to a nearby cafe and have a drink and some food. The booking place was not too impressive. No one was there even after our cafe visit, and we had to stand around on the sidewalk until someone got there who unlocked the door. There were several people also waiting, and each group was given a different color card to designate what van they would take. Our driver was OK, but we encountered a detour that went quite a bit out of the way, so we were late to the restaurant for lunch, and the food (chicken) was very dry. Then the van did not start right away after lunch, but he got it going and we headed to Versailles. The tour of the palace was OK but lots of other tourists and crowded. He told us some things different from what our tour guide three years ago told us. The afternoon was rainy and cold, so we did not go into the gardens. There was not much of a place to get a warm drink and wait out the time until we were to meet at the van. Then we got back to the booking company (Paris Trip, I think was the name. It was located in a small store front.) and no driver to take us back to our hotel was waiting. We had thought we had booked a driver for to and from the hotel, but evidently that is not what Lucie had understood, so my niece got us an Uber which was 100 Euros. Thankfully he was close and got there quickly. Overall, it seemed that Lucie and her colleagues were not as responsive to our needs as the KimKim representative we had 3 years ago was when my sister and I visited Paris.

The pleasures of Provence are legendary, and the Kimkim team was instrumental in helping us to delight in them. Our guides were interesting people in their own right, affable, informed, humorous, efficient and invariably reliable. I’m quite old and I have my share of infirmities—but the guides, Adie and Greg, were alert to these and truly helpful in accommodating my needs. To Lucie we owe the wonderful idea of cooking a meal in a chef’s kitchen, for me the high point of the trip, including as it did a trip to the market for the ingredients of our meal. (Special praise is due to the chef, who said, after our trip to the market, “For this afternoon, my kitchen is your home.”) Lucie also accommodated us when we needed to make changes in our arrangements and was, from the first, always accessible. The drivers from and to the airport in Nice were on time and very helpful, though there was some confusion about the dropoff in Nice, which I attribute to the hotel. I couldn’t have made this trip without the Kimkim team.

Hotel Review

Grand Hôtel Roi René Aix-en-Provence Centre – MGallery

Aix-en-Provence

Entirely comfortable and adequate, though the open shower was a bit hard to manage. Breakfasts were quite ample and quite good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A bit distant from the center of activity in Aix, but not a problem for a good walker.

Staff

Very pleasant and helpful, but could do better in helping us to change large Euros

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean, beds very comfortable, shower a bit hard to manage

Activity Reviews

Private Provençale Cooking Class & Lunch

Aix-en-Provence

I have commented on this in my written review. It was, for me, the high point of the trip, and Emma, the chef, was wonderful: I’ll never forget her welcome to her kitchen and the pleasure of shopping for, cooking and eating a meal with her.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan

Aix-en-Provence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

ignore—we had no Kimkim driver or fuide for this event

Transport

ignore—we furnished our own transport