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active 3 hours ago

Marianna Leccese

An Italian girl living in France. I'm the " pecora nera " of my family since I'm the one always moving. I've always loved to organise trips for myself and doing it as a job it's the best way to combine passion and work.
I love the road trips, I enjoy the view and the long conversations during the trip to reach the other destination.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I'm specialized in the Côte d'Azur, the South of France. It's the place where we can not distinguish if it's winter or summer. It's always sunny as the people living in. It's not only beaches but much more, you can easily be the morning on the beach and the afternoon on the mountains hiking. It can be lively but also relaxing. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"I started travelling with my family since I was a child, I went for 6 month in Germany to learn the language ( it didn't work that much) but it helped me to discover myself and the beauty of the world. I traveled a lot in Europe : England, Ireland, France, Germany,Scotland . My travels are a mix of everything: nature, visits , hikes and relax,(if there's enough time for it)"

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I'll never forget to be stuck in the traffic line, with a rented car during a snowstorm in Turkey. 6 cities in 8 days and the first balloon experience in Kapadokya.
"

Top itineraries and travel advice

Favorite experiences

Mediterranean Sunset Cruise from Nice

No visit to the French Riviera is complete without a legendary sunset, so why not take a cruise along the Mediterranean coast to make it even more special? Nice and its coastal neighbors offer beautiful postcard landscapes, enhanced by the unique colors of sunset. Combine the experience with a...

Visit Monaco, Monte Carlo, & Medieval Eze

In the morning, make your way to Monaco, a 12-mile (20 km) drive from Nice, for a guided tour. Monaco is one of the world's smallest countries and is considered a city-state. Visit the famous Monte Carlo district with its legendary casino, see Prince Rainier's car collection, and continue to the...

Val D’ Orcia Wine Tasting in Tuscany

Enjoy a wine-tasting tour in the Tuscan countryside, vising the picturesque hilltop town of Montalcino. You’ll also taste local Nobile wines in historical cellars in Montepulciano and savor a full farm-to-table lunch near Pienza.You’ll start by touring the cellars and tasting the wines at a...

Recent trip reviews for Marianna

our advisor Marianna was absolutely fantastic...
England | Jul 20 - Jul 27, 2025

Lori
Lori K.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jul 28, 2025
our advisor Marianna was absolutely fantastic! She assisted us all the way through from beginning to end of trip! The tours were fabulous and our guides for excursions were very knowledgeable and friendly. 5 star all the way!! Read more

our advisor Marianna was absolutely fantastic! She assisted us all the way through from beginning to end of trip! The tours were fabulous and our guides for excursions were very knowledgeable and friendly. 5 star all the way!!

Hotel Reviews
Wellington Hotel by Blue Orchid
London

The Wellington is located within walking distance to West Minster Abbey and the Eye and so many incredible things!!! And also close to the Victoria Station tube. The staff were very friendly.

Authenticity & Character
beautiful grounds and architecture
Location
walking distance to everything!!!!
Staff
very friendly!!
Cleanliness & Comfort
The Independent Hotel
Rome

The location is very close to the main bus terminal so makes it easy to get around! We enjoyed our balcony views and the breakfast in the morning is very delicious! I would've given it 5 stars if the bathroom would've had counter space...our bathroom only had a pedestal sink so it made it much more difficult to do daily routine bath things. Other than that it was really good.

Authenticity & Character
Location
close to public transportation
Staff
They were all friendly and helpful and bilingual
Cleanliness & Comfort
Just needed more bathroom counter space
Activity Reviews
Private transfer in Rome
Private transfer in Rome
Rome

Private transport to and from the airport is a must! They are super prompt and friendly.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
our guides and drivers were excellent!
Transport
Private transfer to your destination
Private transfer to your destination
England
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Rome with Golf Cart at Night with Pizza & Ice Cream
Rome with Golf Cart at Night with Pizza & Ice Cream
Rome

This was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Our guide took us to so many places!!! our tour ended up being 4 hours long!! That did include dinner and dessert, but she covered almost every square inch of the city for us. To see the coliseum at night was amazing!!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our tour guide's name was Flavia and she was amazing!! I highly recommend requesting her!
Transport
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Rome

The Colosseum tour is a MUST!!!! We had our own private tour with Rosanna (??) (Roxi) and she was a treasury of knowledge!!! The tour is a must

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class in Piazza Navona
Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class in Piazza Navona
Rome

SO MUCH FUN!!!! and we met such a great couple from Italy! and you get to eat the food you make! ;)

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
we took public transport to this activity and my only suggestion is to make sure to give yourself about an hour+ before the class starts cause the bus stops often!! whew!!
Transport
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Jul 29, 2025

Hi Lori,

Thank you so much for your kind words! My team and I are thrilled to hear you had a wonderful trip. We really appreciate your detailed review, feedback like this helps us keep improving and doing our best. I'm glad you enjoyed the tour and had a great time with our trusted guides.

Looking forward to planning your next adventure together! 😊

Best,
Marianna

Truly Custom Travel
France | Jun 28 - Jul 11, 2025

Jeri
Jeri F.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Jul 15, 2025
We’ve had the good fortune to have had several bespoke vacations, and, to be honest, most custom travel consists of cobbling together common experiences for a particular itinerary. KimKim created a truly individualized plan for our very complicated trip to France and I couldn’t have orchestrated this trip without them. Our trip focused on traveling to France for Megavalanche, a mountain bike race in Alp d’huez so we were transporting a large mountain bike. We had days in Paris prior to... Read more

We’ve had the good fortune to have had several bespoke vacations, and, to be honest, most custom travel consists of cobbling together common experiences for a particular itinerary. KimKim created a truly individualized plan for our very complicated trip to France and I couldn’t have orchestrated this trip without them. Our trip focused on traveling to France for Megavalanche, a mountain bike race in Alp d’huez so we were transporting a large mountain bike. We had days in Paris prior to heading to the mountains. We had excellent guides for Paris and Versailles and our hotel was in a great location and had bike storage. We had some issues with the hotel charges and the KimKim team assured use they would address them. KimKim arranged all of our transportation, which necessitated having a private vehicle sufficiently large enough to hold our luggage and the bike and train compartments with bike holds. They arranged a rental van for us in Grenoble; I wouldn’t have been able to easily do this as the online rental options didn’t offer vehicles big enough for the bike and luggage. We had difficulty navigating the unfamiliar train stations and systems. We missed our train from Lyon to Paris and I couldn’t figure out how to operate the ticket kiosks to purchase another ticket. I was able to call KimKim and they secured tickets for us online and sent those to us within minutes. They also called us to check and see how we were doing. I really appreciated the immediate support. We also had a few missed connections with our driver upon arriving at some of the stations, as we came out of different exits than our driver was expecting. I was able to easily contact the KimKim team and we were able to meet the driver who in each case, was waiting for us at the station. Typically, I’ve never had to contact the travel agency for support and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the responsiveness of the team. We spent our last few days in France in Normandy and had excellent guides there as well. We had chosen to have a private guide drive us to Normandy so we could stop at Rouen and Etretat. As part of our trip, we wanted to spend a day at the Tour de France and it was quite a challenge for our driver to locate a route from Bayeux to Vire that didn’t involve road closures. Despite his frustration, our driver remained calm, tried his best, unsuccessfully, to sweet talk the police, and ultimately found other roads to Vire. This was our first time using KimKim and I wasn’t sure what to expect. We received the highest level of assistance in planning and organizing the trip prior to arriving in France and fantastic support while in the country. This was an overall excellent group to work with and we have nothing but the highest praise for them.

Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Jul 18, 2025
Hi Jeri, Thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful time. As you mentioned, this was a complex trip to organize, but I’m so happy everything went smoothly ! It’s great to know you enjoyed all the different locations— from Alpe d’Huez to Paris, Versailles, and beautiful Normandy, with the final touch of the Tour de France. I’m especially glad that our support helped keep the stress away and that our team could get everything... Read more

Hi Jeri,

Thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful time. As you mentioned, this was a complex trip to organize, but I’m so happy everything went smoothly !

It’s great to know you enjoyed all the different locations— from Alpe d’Huez to Paris, Versailles, and beautiful Normandy, with the final touch of the Tour de France. I’m especially glad that our support helped keep the stress away and that our team could get everything organized quickly for you.

Thank you again! I’m truly happy you enjoyed your trip, and I hope we’ll have the chance to work together again on another destination!

Best,
Marianna

Mobility Limited People Beware
Italy | Jun 26 - Jul 8, 2025

Peter
Peter B.
Minneapolis, MN | Reviewed on Jul 09, 2025
Overall we had a good experience, but there were highs and extreme lows (good excursions and they tried and customer service, but logistics and transportation was a nightmare). I go with travel agents when there is a logistically challenging trip I need assistance on to ensure low stress and efficient trips. I can honestly say this was the MOST STRESSFUL trip experience I have ever taken, and we have traveled with 3 generations of family in and out of the USA before. The Bad:
-We had...
Read more

Overall we had a good experience, but there were highs and extreme lows (good excursions and they tried and customer service, but logistics and transportation was a nightmare). I go with travel agents when there is a logistically challenging trip I need assistance on to ensure low stress and efficient trips. I can honestly say this was the MOST STRESSFUL trip experience I have ever taken, and we have traveled with 3 generations of family in and out of the USA before.

The Bad:
-We had several logistical issues small, medium, and large. I was very clear that we had an 80 year old with double knee replacements and I am limited to about 10,000 steps max. My steps were mostly spent chasing cabs down in our recurring transportation issues. The travel agent was made aware of this, did not ask the appropriate questions and thus did NOT accommodate properly for this. We had so much stress and wasted time fixing everything.
-Our stadium tour was not booked on the day planned and had to be updated days before the trip.
-Our cooking class was great, but was changed the night before to a town not close to where we were staying. we had a mad scramble to and hours spent figure this out for the next morning. Kim Kim luckily set up a transfer but the address was wrong on the building so we had to walk to each building buzzing the owners until we found them.
-Both of our hotels were in nice historical areas but we could not get a van taxi for 5 people to drop or pick us up at the locations. We had to walk/run to various different places and had several Uber cancelations.
-Several locations we could not get picked up. Two time we had walk to a gas station for a taxi since there were none around and Uber would not pick us up (AS Roma Stadium and Ostia Antica).
-Our Bari rickshaw trip (good once figured out) got scheduled for a walking tour so yet another scramble and wasted time changing that up.
-Our speed boat tour of the caves near Bari was the absolutely wrong location link, yet another mad dash but at this point I had no confidence in our travel logistics and showed up two hours early at the supposed meeting location.
-We needed to get a train from Bari to Rome since we flew out of Rome the morning after so we asked Kim Kim to set up one to make sure we did not miss the train. The driver was told by someone to go to the airport, so once we noticed we were going to the wrong place we got to the train station running with our luggage and my 80yr old mother with two knee replacement to get on the train as the doors closed.
-There were other discrepancies in the itinerary in addition to the location and scheduling conflicts, like one area said breakfast was included and another did not.
-A medium issues was the in the hotel rooms: we had a window that would not close in 100F degree heat that was not fixed, a sink the leaked, a shower drain that would not drain, got put in separate buildings. We would have chose a less historic area if we knew about all of these issues.
-Steps up to the bathroom on 2 of the 3 rooms we stayed, which may mother tripped on at least once...I can't believe no one even asked about steps, safety bars, or anything having to do with all the mobility concerns we told them about...I could not imagine if someone used a walker or wheelchair!
-I HIGHLY recommend setting up more set transportation ahead of time on the itinerary so a lot of the issues would be prevented.

The Good:
-Our travel agent was pleasant to work with and had good excursion recommendations.
-The excursions were good to excellent.
-The travel agency made a good effort to resolve the issues.

Activity Reviews
Polignano a Mare: Speedboat Cruise to Caves with Aperitif
Polignano a Mare: Speedboat Cruise to Caves with Aperitif
Bari
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bari by boat
Bari by boat
Bari
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
 Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at a Local's Home
Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at a Local's Home
Bari
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Full Day Tour to Alberobello, Monopoli and Locorotondo from Bari
Full Day Tour to Alberobello, Monopoli and Locorotondo from Bari
Italy
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Discover the "Sassi" of Matera and all the traditiones
Discover the "Sassi" of Matera and all the traditiones
Italy
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guided tour of Bari and the old city with street food tasting - By Rickshaw
Guided tour of Bari and the old city with street food tasting - By Rickshaw
Bari
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Vatican Highlights Tour: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Vatican Highlights Tour: Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
 Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este Half-Day Tour from Rome
Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este Half-Day Tour from Rome
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
 Golf Cart Tour of Rome
Golf Cart Tour of Rome
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Ostia Antica Tour |  Half Day Trip
Ostia Antica Tour | Half Day Trip
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Rome
Welcome to Rome
Rome
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Jul 15, 2025
Hi Peter,
This is my worst ever review in stars, yet you said you enjoyed it an overall sense, so I am a little disappointed. I am a bit shocked after the time we spent working on this beforehand, and during the trip.
However, first of all, THANK YOU for taking the time to share your thoughts on the trip. We truly value all feedback—both positive and negative—as it helps us improve and better understand where changes are needed. Stephen really appreciated that you talked with him and... Read more

Hi Peter,
This is my worst ever review in stars, yet you said you enjoyed it an overall sense, so I am a little disappointed. I am a bit shocked after the time we spent working on this beforehand, and during the trip.

However, first of all, THANK YOU for taking the time to share your thoughts on the trip. We truly value all feedback—both positive and negative—as it helps us improve and better understand where changes are needed. Stephen really appreciated that you talked with him and explained a few things about what happened, and how you detailed your mobility concerns.
In your case, I understand how the experience was far from smooth. Your itinerary took you from Rome—often described as Italy’s most chaotic city—to Bari, a region where local life heavily relies on private transportation. The last-minute changes you requested, meant meeting points and transport certainly didn’t always work seamlessly in these old cities, and this did not help you feel at ease, and I completely agree that this disrupted the flow of your trip. Unfortunately, some changes were also made directly by our supplier, and we’re currently in touch with them to fully understand what went wrong. We apologise to you for this mixup, and we’ll let you know if the supplier gives us more of an explanation.
Regarding the pick-ups in Bari, I know it was frustrating that the large van couldn’t reach your accommodation directly. I chose the historic centre because it's the heart of the city—full of character, tradition, and local life—and now I recognise that accessibility can be a challenge in these preserved, older towns. Bari and Puglia (my home region) is quite different from northern, more modernized regions like Milan, and that contrast can be unexpected for a traveler.
That said, I was glad to read that you still enjoyed the cooking class and that you loved the tours and the guides—that brought a small smile to my face. I hope that, despite the stress and especially with your daughter feeling unwell, you were still able to take in some of the beauty and richness of the region.We’re always available to discuss this in more detail, and schedule a call to discuss things further if you prefer.

Warm regards,
Marianna

Great Experience with KimKim
England | Mar 22 - Mar 31, 2025

Tina
Tina T.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Apr 06, 2025
This was our first experience with KimKim. We worked with Marianna for months planning our trip to Europe. We ended up going only to Italy. Marianna was very responsive every time we had questions or wanted to make changes. She helped us secure private and semi private tours that were absolutely perfect. The guides were knowledgeable and helpful. Allessandro was our guide for the Vatican tour and he was outstanding. Raphaella was also wonderful for our tour through Tuscany. Brenda was... Read more

This was our first experience with KimKim. We worked with Marianna for months planning our trip to Europe. We ended up going only to Italy. Marianna was very responsive every time we had questions or wanted to make changes. She helped us secure private and semi private tours that were absolutely perfect. The guides were knowledgeable and helpful. Allessandro was our guide for the Vatican tour and he was outstanding. Raphaella was also wonderful for our tour through Tuscany. Brenda was our tour guide for the Uffizi, while Ishmael took us on a walking tour of Florence. Both were so knowledgeable and kind. Our evening golf cart tour was great and really hit the highlights of Rome.

In addition to the tours, all our train tickets were perfect and ground transportation companies were on time and most pleasant.

Activity Reviews
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Skip-the-Line Tour
Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Skip-the-Line Tour
Rome

Alessandro was our tour guide for this activity. It was the most important thing to us on our trip to Italy. We could not have asked for a more informative, enjoyable, organized tour guide. He created this tour so that we felt like we almost had the Vatican to ourselves. He had visual guides with his iPad that really explained what we were seeing and the history behind all. His English was perfect - he was just amazing!

Quality of Experience
Alessandro!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Alessandro!
Transport
Florence Walking Tour City Highlights with David & Duomo | Semi-Private
Florence Walking Tour City Highlights with David & Duomo | Semi-Private
Florence

This was a great tour and tour guide. Our only comment was that it was about 3-4 hours long without any breaks. For example, when walking through the market area, it would have been great to have some time to explore there instead of stopping at so many sites that were somewhat forgettable.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Siena & San Gimignano Day Trip with Lunch & Wine
Siena & San Gimignano Day Trip with Lunch & Wine
Florence

We didn't realize we would have a driver and tour guide. This was so helpful because parking was difficult and it really helped our guide, Raphaella, to be able to concentrate on the tour itself.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Masterpieces of the Renaissance: Uffizi Gallery Tour | Semi-Private
Masterpieces of the Renaissance: Uffizi Gallery Tour | Semi-Private
Florence

Brenda was wonderful, informative and kind.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Rome
Welcome to Rome
Rome

Our guide was not waiting for us in the airport but I guess waiting until we were actually done and instead trying to connect via the What's App. It was right as we came into Rome and created a bit of stress thinking he/she forgot us. If he would have at least been waiting in the airport with a sign with our name, it would have been appreciated, but instead he was waiting in his car and we worried that we had been forgotten. In addition, our understanding was that the driver would give us a bit of history and overview of Rome. Unfortunately, he did not speak really any English. This was the only part of the trip that was disappointing.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
He/She really should have at least been waiting for us in the airport with a sign with our name. It took at least 10 minutes or longer until we finally made a connection with him via What's App., and he spoke very little English. It was hard to communicate with him, but he was kind.
Rome with Golf Cart at Night with Pizza & Ice Cream
Rome with Golf Cart at Night with Pizza & Ice Cream
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private transfer in Rome
Private transfer in Rome
Rome
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private transfer
Private transfer
England
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Apr 07, 2025

Hi Tina,

I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Italy! I’m thrilled that you had the chance to fully experience the Vatican—as it truly was one of the highlights. I’m also happy to hear that all the guides were knowledgeable. Thank you so much for your detailed feedback! We’ll definitely take your comments into consideration as they help us continually improve and offer the best service to our clients.

I look forward to working with you again, whether in Italy or another destination! 😊

Everything was great, from the hotel stays, h...
Spain | Dec 20 - Dec 30, 2024

R
Richa M.
San Diego, CA | Reviewed on Jan 10, 2025
Everything was great, from the hotel stays, hotel locations pickup, and all the small local tours…everything was smooth. Couldn't ask better. Our only concerns pertain to the two planned day trips, which held significant anticipation, particularly for the girls given the rich historical context. So, trip to Cardoba/ Carmona from seveille was not what we were expecting, even though we paid extra for a private tour for comfort and convenience. The driver got a very small car; we were... Read more

Everything was great, from the hotel stays, hotel locations pickup, and all the small local tours…everything was smooth. Couldn't ask better.

Our only concerns pertain to the two planned day trips, which held significant anticipation, particularly for the girls given the rich historical context.

So, trip to Cardoba/ Carmona from seveille was not what we were expecting, even though we paid extra for a private tour for comfort and convenience. The driver got a very small car; we were all seated cramped for the long drive. No hotel pick up and drop off provided even though thats what our local representative told us thats irs part of private tour.Then, the mosque was closing soon, so we spent only half an hour there, although the expected time was a little more than an hour. In fact, our local guide told the driver to arrive half an hour early so that she could show the mosque property, but he refused, and he did the same for Carmona; he didn't show much interest.when i asked him in the car after my chat with Marine

Segovia and Toledo were total chaos, with 50 people on a large bus. Though it was supposed to be small grp,and on top it's was bilingual group We were just rushing through things; there were no proper restroom or food breaks. The restrooms were overly dirty, and when we declined the food place from tour guide choice because there was only one vegetarian salad option.AND it was more of BAR with overly crowded and lots of cigarettes smoke and alcohol, we wanted a family lunch place not a BAR so we told her that we will look ourselves for other options to eat in town, She became angry and started talking loudly, ugly words, which was very insulting, but she behaved similarly toward others on other occasions..so basically she had a really bad attitude towards tourists even though it's all paid, nothing free
So we will appreciate if you take care of those kind of suppliers in future because we all put lot of trust in you guys and money to make our lifetime memories . Hope you all will understand my point.
Thanks

Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Jan 13, 2025

Hi Richa & all the family,

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Spain, it was a two weeks trip to experience most of Spain, a wonderful country ! I’m happy that you had a wonderful time with your family, and thank you so much for your detailed feedback. We will definitely take all your comments into account, as they always help us improve and provide better service to our clients.

Looking forward to working with you again!😊

Wonderfully Planned and Executed Central Europe Trip
Italy | Oct 13 - Oct 27, 2024

Jeremy
Jeremy P.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 28, 2024
I would highly recommend KimKim for planning any sort of vacation where you want a more 'local' experience! From the beginning stages of planning my trip and explaining to Marianna what I wanted to do and see, I was impressed with the level of care and attention she gave to helping create the greatest experience. She helped tailor it to myself and what I wanted to see and do and within the budget I had allocated. Not only that, she had great suggestions for excursions and touring central... Read more

I would highly recommend KimKim for planning any sort of vacation where you want a more 'local' experience!

From the beginning stages of planning my trip and explaining to Marianna what I wanted to do and see, I was impressed with the level of care and attention she gave to helping create the greatest experience. She helped tailor it to myself and what I wanted to see and do and within the budget I had allocated. Not only that, she had great suggestions for excursions and touring central Europe and Italy like a local - suggestions I would have never found and made my experience so much more rich and robust then simply staying on the tourist track.

I was very impressed with my itinerary, the quality and location of the hotels of which I stayed, and the range of excursions and items that were planned for me on this trip - it was a lot! The service from Marianna and the KimKim team before my trip was excellent and they were available and outstanding for a couple minor items that came up during the trip as well.

They were courteous, professional and did everything to help make this dream trip outstanding and exceptional. I will definitely be using them again for my next travel adventure. Thank you!!

Hotel Reviews
The Resident Kensington
London

Service here was excellent! From check-in to check-out the staff were attentive, knowledgeable and went above and beyond to serve including providing a snack and coffee while waiting to check-in. Room was charming, clean and very quiet. Halloween decorations were also a nice touch! Hotel is very close to the metro line making going to and from the hotel very easy. Plenty of great pubs and coffee shops in the area and a few blocks from the hotel as well. Would definitely recommend and will definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Outstanding - professional and courteous
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Jeanne D'Arc Le Marais
Paris

Loved this hotel - the location was great and very close to the metro. Plenty of shops, fine dining and cafes in the area close to the hotel. The staff were excellent, friendly and more than willing to help offer suggestions for food choices in the area. The room was clean, quiet and easy to find. Was very charming.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Le Phénix Hôtel
Lyon

Fantastic location in the old city in Lyon. Hotel is quiet, clean and charming and the hotel staff were exceptional! The room was spacious and clean and easy to find. Breakfast was also very good with a good variety while also staying very French, including a variety of delicious pastries and bread. Staff were excellent on check-in and check-out.

Authenticity & Character
Very charming and unique.
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Gran Duca Di York Milan
Milan

Fantastic location for being close to all the action in Milan. Located close to the main Square for shopping and of course the impressive Duomo! The Hotel staff were exceptional - friendly, attentive and the room was beautiful, spacious and clean. Walk-able and easy to find. Ideally located and close to many of the main attractions and had a great breakfast selection and impeccable service.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff were so friendly and great to deal with.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean, spacious and comfortable bed. Bathroom was spacious as well.
Davanzati Hotel Florence
Florence

Amazing location for being close to all the action in Florence. Located right by the main Piazza and market so all of the main attractions are minutes away. Hotel staff was exceptional - friendly, hospitable and made for such an enjoyable stay. Walk-able and easy to find. Clean, quiet and friendly hotel staff and a great breakfast made this an ideal location for a trip into Florence. Breakfast was also exceptional with lots of good options and phenomenal service.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Staff were all amazing!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Al Manthia Hotel
Rome

Great location for being close to all the action in Rome. Walk-able and easy to find. Clean, quiet and friendly hotel staff and a great breakfast made this an ideal location for a trip into Rome. Restaurants and cafes close by. Would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Centrally located and close to all of the main attractions in Rome.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Historical Pub Walking Tour of London
Historical Pub Walking Tour of London
London

This was a great way to finish off my full itinerary by walking through the streets of London with Adam, our guide, and getting some fun stories and then having a pint in each of the places we visited. It was a fun tour, light hearted but full of interesting facts and history and some embellished stories along the way. The pubs were very English and obviously have been there quite a while and was also fun to mingle with the locals in those pubs. Guide was great, fun, funny and had some great recommendations for choice of beverage at each place we stopped.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Adam was a great guide and clearly loves what he does.
Small group discovery of the Catacombs
Small group discovery of the Catacombs
Paris

This was simply the highlight of Paris for me. Seeing the catacombs, understanding why they were built is a very humbling experience and very spiritual. You are looking and walking among the dead - bones of real people and even though it is an attraction, the tour is carried out with dignity and respect for those whose bones lay there. It is an incredible place full of mystery and wonder and our guide was really great. He was knowledgeable and was very passionate about the history. I learned things I didn't know about Paris, the cemeteries and the catacombs. Would definitely recommend doing this especially in a tour group as we got access to 'Group' only areas that normal single tickets don't. Worth it!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Timed tickets to Le Louvre
Timed tickets to Le Louvre
Paris

Let me say this - a few hours is not enough time to fully explore everything this museum has to offer. I was very happy to have a ticket for the opening time as it allowed me to get in right away and beat the crowd to see the Mona Lisa. There were maybe 20 people in total there when it first opened and by the time I left, the line to see it was very large. Aside from that there is the Crown Jewels, many paintings, statues and other wonderful works to see - could easily spend a day or two there because there is so much to see. Navigation of the museum is easy and I would highly recommend adding the audio tour to your musuem tour as it does help navigate and provides a nice way to walk through and see everything. Also was impressive to see what the Royal Palace looked like and it is impressive for sure!.

Quality of Experience
Moulin Rouge - Big Night Out - Tickets only
Moulin Rouge - Big Night Out - Tickets only
Paris

This was a great event and a lot of fun. The show itself was very well done and the champagne was a nice touch as well. Was a great evening and I chose to walk from my hotel to the Moulin Rouge (took about 45 minutes) so I could experience more of Paris and see what a typical Thursday evening looks like in that area. This was a classy act and a great way to experience some authentic cabaret culture in Paris. Would recommend this as an activity if you are visiting Paris!

Quality of Experience
Private transfer in town
Private transfer in town
Italy

This was a great adventure. I did not realize that I would have a private car take me to Pisa and then Lucca so it was a wonderful way to see some of the country well also visit with my lovely driver and learn more about the culture and people in Florence and the Tuscan region. She dropped me very close to the tower of Pisa and I had ample time to explore that area, climb the tower and even get a bit of local food from a street vendor. Then off to Lucca, which was a very under-rated and beautiful city. I loved it there. She also provided me with a few places to see while roaming Lucca and made an excellent restaurant recommendation, which I took her up on and it did not disappoint. This was a great excursion and I loved the one-to-one aspect of having a private car and driver who were friendly and knowledgeable about the area. This was one of my favorite events.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Driver was excellent. Friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and her English was very good!
Transport
Private car - clean, quiet and a great way to see more of the country side with no stress of driving myself.
Lake Como Day Trip to Como, Bellagio & Varenna
Lake Como Day Trip to Como, Bellagio & Varenna
Milan

Lake Como is stunning and did not disappoint. Our guide was amazing from start to finish and we had such beautiful weather. The area is breathtaking and taking the ferry up the lake allows for so many stunning photos and is a great way to see a large portion of the lake. Bellagio was a lovely town, but Varenna was definitely a highlight. It has a lot of beautiful flowers and fun walkways and stairs to explore and some great places to eat. Neither of these places felt 'touristy' or as busy as other major cities. Train on the way back was a great way to end the day and relax as well.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was fantastic. Very informative especially on the ferry. Great food recommendations as well.
Transport
Evening Aperitivo Street Food Tour
Evening Aperitivo Street Food Tour
Milan

This was another great local experience as I had one-on-one time with my two guides - Franceso and Alessandro as we walked the streets of Milan and ate some delicious food. They had arranged some great places to eat and drink to showcase the local cuisine in Milan. They also provided a lot of history about local food culture and how Milan differs from the other food culture of Italy and it was really informative. We stopped at some great little places along the way and it was fun enjoying the local history tour, additional aspects about Milan and Italian culture in general. Milan is a very walk-able city and again, walking around with locals and hearing some stories while stopping to eat some great food is such an enjoyable way to see the city more like a local. Would highly recommend this!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The guys were amazing and great guides!
Transport
Evening Wine Tasting and Dinner
Evening Wine Tasting and Dinner
Florence

This was a fantastic evening! The food was delicious and really showcased Tuscan cuisine. The winery (Diadema) was lovely as well, including all of the staff we encountered. The event was a small group event and we were first given a tasting of their wine and locally produced olive oil. We're also fortunate enough to watch the olive oil press process as they had recently harvested and were making a fresh batch and that was a fun process to watch and enjoy the wonderful smell and sights of that. At one point we went into our own little part of the cellar to do a bit of a blind tasting and were given a complimentary bottle of wine to commemorate the evening. It was a mix we each got to create, so that was a really nice takeaway from the winery. Would highly recommend this tour as it was small and intimate and our local guide was really great. Loved this small wine tour.

Quality of Experience
Food
Food was outstanding as was the service.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
DOME - GUIDED TOUR
DOME - GUIDED TOUR
Florence

This was a highlight of the trip as it has been something I have always wanted to do and it did not disappoint. They were right on time with letting us in and up and away we went. View was incredibly worth it - the top of the dome looking at the city and the inside of the dome on the way up as you stop to look at the massive paintings within the dome - incredible works of art and architecture. I personally did not find the climb hard but there were certainly some in my group who struggled through it as there are quite a few steps and some steep sections. Not for those who are claustrophobic for sure. Was a great way to see the city and you get about 15 minutes up there to take in the views and your photos - which is a healthy amount of time considering all the people at the top.

Quality of Experience
Tuscany Day Trip to Lucca and Pisa
Tuscany Day Trip to Lucca and Pisa
Florence

This was an incredible day as I had a private car take me to Pisa and then onto Lucca and the day was perfect. Was a lovely beautiful drive and my driver was incredibly knowledgeable as she was local to Florence. She gave me some suggestions for walking Lucca; like an amazing local place to eat and provided me with some additional information on Pisa that was very helpful. Was a great solo day out and allowed me to venture out at my own pace and was very impressed with both cities and the overall tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Friendly and hotel pick up and drop off service. Was excellent and very knowledgeable.
Transport
Private car - nice way to travel.
Tuscany Day Trip: Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, & Chianti
Tuscany Day Trip: Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, & Chianti
Florence

Going to these 3 places has been a dream of mine for years so to see them all in one day was absolutely incredible. And to end it off with a wine tour was perfect. The drive was beautiful and scenic on an air conditioned tour bus. We first stopped in Monteriggioni and it was magnificent to explore the town as it only takes 20 minutes as it is quite small and lovely. Walking along the wall was a definite highlight and I'd recommend that. Siena was a gem and absolutely stunning. A beautiful and walk-able city with plenty to see and do and quite an amazing step back in time. Easily could spend a whole day there as it is quite large and there are some great places to eat, drink coffee and of course find gelato. Worth taking time to walk and find yourself in some interesting places like the Porta Romana, which was fascinating and equally beautiful. San Gimignano was also incredible and I enjoyed the time we had there to walk the streets and check out the stunning views of Tuscany from the many, many vantage points that over look the area. Feels magical and historic but also quaint and quite a friendly city. The winery was also amazing and had some of the best wine I have had as well as really good Balsamic Vinegar they make as well. It was a wonderful way to cap off the day and was a definite highlight of the day.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Staff and driver were excellent and plenty of time given at each stop along the way.
Transport
Private Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence
Private Renaissance Walking Tour of Florence
Florence

Such an informative tour! Having a private walking tour around a city like Florence gives so much history, backstory, tales and stories that one likely won't get just walking around on their own. I learned stories about some of the artwork, the sculptors and the painters one would not receive just walking into a church to view the art and sculptures. It was a great way to get familiar with the city and the main sites and to learn about lesser known ones. My guide, Janella was informative, very knowledgeable and she provided me a lot of information about the works in the Academia and of course, the David, which was as phenomenal and breath-taking as she said it would be. Was a very good tour and an excellent way to explore the city and of course with a local who knows the ins and outs and some great places to eat like a true Florentine.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Welcome to Rome
Welcome to Rome
Rome

This activity turned out to be a simple transfer from the airport directly to the hotel. Driver drove but did not say much and there wasn't really any sort of introductory tour or welcome to Rome.

Quality of Experience
Driver could have talked a bit and explained about the city but it was simply a transfer.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Driver not talkative or all that friendly actually.
Transport
Quality of transport good, clean, quick and air conditioned.
From Rome: Full-Day Pompeii and its Ruins
From Rome: Full-Day Pompeii and its Ruins
Rome

Pompeii was excellent. A bit of a long day as it is quite a ways from Rome but so worth it. It was a much bigger area than I had anticipated and could have easily spent an extra day there exploring the ruins and how vast they really are. Local guide was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of color and historical depth on the tour. We did move fairly quickly through the some of the areas but we had ample free time at the end to explore further. An afternoon is not nearly enough but an incredible place nonetheless. Tour through Naples was also very nice and had some stops along the way for photos and enjoying a bit of Naples.

Quality of Experience
Food
Food was authentic and was delicious with great service.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Air conditioned bus and it was needed as it was quite warm in that area.
Transport
TOUR OF ESOTERIC ROME
TOUR OF ESOTERIC ROME
Rome

This was a one-on-one tour of Rome for 3 hours and it was fantastic. Marco was incredibly knowledgeable of the area (having grown up in Rome) and took me to places I never knew existed and provided a great history experience. This tour provided new insights and history of Rome that I was not aware of in addition to showcasing other gems of Rome that most tourists might miss. Another great thing about this tour was having someone local who also knew of the best place for pizza, the best place for espresso and of course, a hidden away bakery well away from the tourist areas - all of which were a nice added bonus as we walked the city and covered off Esoteric Rome. Very interesting and would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Colosseum Underground Tour with Arena, Palatine Hill & Roman Forum
Rome

What an experience and the guide was incredible. Was a nice small group (5 person) tour that gave us plenty of time in the Colosseum; plenty of history and understanding of what it was, what it wasn't and lots of interesting information along the way. The Forum was incredible as well and again, lots of great historic information one might not get if not using a guide. This was a definite highlight of Rome and it is a busy site with lots of people taking it in, but totally worth it to have a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. Gives a very authentic and informative experience.

Quality of Experience
Quality of tour and the information - ease of access as well.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was excellent - so good.
Transport
Rome: Catacombs and Capuchin Crypt Guided Tour with Transfer
Rome: Catacombs and Capuchin Crypt Guided Tour with Transfer
Rome

Was a very interesting tour and certainly not something on the normal tourist track. Had some beautiful paintings and an excellent overview of the Capuchin Monks and why they created the crypts. Very informative and a good start to seeing the city of Rome.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Staff were knowledgeable and provided additional insight to the location and history.
Transport
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Oct 28, 2024

Ciao Jeremy!

Grazie mille for your detailed feedback! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed your journey and returned home with unforgettable memories from three incredible countries. It was such a pleasure to introduce you to my home country, and the countries I've lived in! Thank you for your feedback, it heps us to always improve! I hope you tasted all the amazing food we have to offer I look forward to working with you again on more adventures!

Responsive and Adaptable!
France | Sep 29 - Oct 12, 2024

Jody
Jody R.
Canada | Reviewed on Oct 14, 2024
Marianna was responsive and adaptable, she helped us plan a wonderful trip and revised it a few times based on our requests. The trip was well thought out an well planned. We enjoyed the culture, food, tours and accommodations Marianna recommended. There were a couple of requests that we made which were not addressed, but overall it was a wonderful experience. Read more

Marianna was responsive and adaptable, she helped us plan a wonderful trip and revised it a few times based on our requests. The trip was well thought out an well planned. We enjoyed the culture, food, tours and accommodations Marianna recommended. There were a couple of requests that we made which were not addressed, but overall it was a wonderful experience.

Hotel Reviews
Trebovir Hotel
Kensington, London

This hotel is in a convenient location to the underground and had very helpful staff. The breakfast was very crowded and did not have many options. Hard boiled eggs, yogurt, toast and cereal. The hotel is older so the rooms are smaller, but suited our needs while we were there.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Bastille Spéria
Paris

We only had one night here, but the hotel is beautiful, the rooms are a little tight, but well appointed and comfortable. The breakfast was so good though! The staff was really friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Oceania Saint Malo 4*
Saint Malo

This hotel is beautiful, newly renovated and clean. The beds were comfortable, the bathrooms were crowded, but nice. The breakfast was a challenge, it was set up as a continental breakfast buffet, but they were always out of plates, cups and coffee mugs. The eggs were also undercooked.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Belle Normandy
Bayeux

We could not have loved this hotel more, the room was very comfortable and spacious. The hotel staff were so accommodating and friendly. The homemade breakfast, pastries, jams and quiche were such a treat!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hôtel Lorette - Astotel
Paris

Great hotel for a family, it a good location, close to the metro. Nice breakfast in the morning. The coffee and snacks in the afternoon were also handy!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
London  Borough Market  Doughnut Tour
London Borough Market Doughnut Tour
London

Our guide, Oscar, was excellent! he really taught us a lot about borough market and some cool history of London. He was excellent with our kids and kept them laughing and entertained for a couple of hours as we strolled through the market and tasted some rather delicious doughnuts!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Changing of the Guard Guided Tour
Changing of the Guard Guided Tour
London

Our guide was knowledgeable and adaptable. She had prepared the group that the tour experience would change depending on the crowds and she was able to navigate us around some very busy streets to see some unique aspects of the Changing of the Guard.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea
London

Cool idea and very friendly staff but very expensive for what you get. The food was ok, but nothing really unique. The tea is located in a basement so you can't enjoy any of London's scenery... We found an afternoon tea beside Tower Bridge that was better quality and price with a wonderful view!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Kid-Friendly Tour of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge with Tickets included
Kid-Friendly Tour of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge with Tickets included
London

Our guide Lucy was incredible, she is a talented and animated storyteller who can really take you back in time through the history of the Tower. If you go, ask for Lucy!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Harry Potter Studio Tour from London (with transport)
Harry Potter Studio Tour from London (with transport)
London

The tour itself was really cool, although we wish we would have had more time. The busses ran a tight schedule, so we couldn't enjoy the entire tour at our own pace.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
The busses were not comfortable and the screens were not working.
Tickets to the evening show of Hamilton (or another Westend show)
Tickets to the evening show of Hamilton (or another Westend show)
London

Our whole family enjoyed this, our 9+12 year old daughters are still singing the songs around the house! Great performance

Quality of Experience
Discover the Mont-Saint-Michel & Cancale with a local
Discover the Mont-Saint-Michel & Cancale with a local
France

Love this day! We didn't even have Mont-Saint Michel on our list of experiences we were seeking, our agent suggested and booked this for us and we were sure happy she did!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Discovering American D-Day Sites in Normandy
Discovering American D-Day Sites in Normandy
Bayeux

Our guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our tour with her. We had hoped to see a few other beaches so a more detailed description of what each tour offers would have been helpful as we would have selected a different tour. We had specifically requested to see Juno beach through KimKim, but were advised that we could just tell this to our guide and they would adjust the tour. This is a group tour so the guide was unable to accommodate and changes to the tour itinerary (understandable)

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Bayeux
Welcome to Bayeux
Bayeux

Adorable little town with very friendly people! We loved Bayeux and the shops, restaurants and history.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cruise on the Seine
Cruise on the Seine
Paris

It was a beautiful way to see parts of the city and learn more about Paris. The tour guide was not super engaging and there were long periods of just sitting and taking in the scenery. It would have been nice to hear more about Paris.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Louvre Treasure Hunt - Kids & Family Tour
Louvre Treasure Hunt - Kids & Family Tour
Paris

We were unfortunately late to start this tour as we had a cooking class prior that ran a little long. Despite us being late, our guide took the time to provide us with a fun, action packed and informative tour that our 12 + 9 year old daughters really enjoyed and were very engaged in!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
French market and cooking class
French market and cooking class
Paris

We had such a great day with Dury, we learnt a lot and made some delicious food!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus through Paris
Hop-on, Hop-off Bus through Paris
Paris

We bought tickets for this, but the busses didn't come to any of the stops after we had waiting for 20+ minutes at a couple of stops. We found it faster to just walk between the sites we wanted to see. We were never able to use our tickets and 2 weeks later are still waiting to hear back regarding a refund. I wouldn't recommend this tour option

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Oct 22, 2024

Hi Jody,

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to London and Paris! I’m happy that you had a wonderful time with your family, and thank you so much for your detailed feedback. We will definitely take all your comments into account, as they always help us improve and provide better service to our clients.

Looking forward to working with you again!😊

Amazing two weeks in Burgundy and Bordeaux France!
France | Sep 22 - Oct 1, 2024

Judy
Judy J.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Oct 09, 2024
We have just returned from an amazing two week trip to the wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux in France. Marianna arranged the perfect trip for us. From wine tastings at chateau's to visiting the Dordogne region and viewing the prehistoric cave paintings in the Vezere Valley (Lascaux 4), we had a wonderful time! In addition to the above, highlights of our trip were
- Private Wine Tour in a vintage car from Bordeaux (Pessac - Leognan)
- Full-day trip including Château de la...
Read more

We have just returned from an amazing two week trip to the wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux in France. Marianna arranged the perfect trip for us. From wine tastings at chateau's to visiting the Dordogne region and viewing the prehistoric cave paintings in the Vezere Valley (Lascaux 4), we had a wonderful time!

In addition to the above, highlights of our trip were
- Private Wine Tour in a vintage car from Bordeaux (Pessac - Leognan)
- Full-day trip including Château de la Brède and Bazas village
- Visit of The "Hospice de Beaune", and an afternoon in Côte de Nuits
- Visit at La Cité du Vin (wine museum in Bordeaux)

Marianna provided us detailed information and tickets for our trains between cities, and and who, when and where we would meet our guides. Our guides on these tours (Rodolphe, Galaad, Kaio and Julian), were all very knowledgeable and fun to be with.

Marianna suggested we stay at the Residhome Bordeaux which worked out very well. It's located right on Tram line B which took us within a short walk to meet our tour guides, for less than 2 euros. Any private tours we went on we were picked up directly from our hotel!!

We highly recommend KimKim for your travel needs, and in fact, we are looking forward to working with them on upcoming trips to Costa Rica and Japan!!

Hotel Review
Residhome Bordeaux
Bordeaux

The rooms are a bit small if you get a studio. We opted for a 1 bedroom which was just perfect for us. Best part of this hotel was it's location in the city. We thought it would be difficult to be outside the city center, but with the tram being so close, it was not a problem at all! We did not have breakfast at the hotel. It looked wonderful, but we opted to grab something from the local bakery. There were many good restaurants in the area.

Authenticity & Character
It's a long term stay hotel (we spent 6 nights there), so not a lot of character...
Location
Access to tram lines, good restaurants
Staff
All the staff at the front desk were helpful.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The room was clean and the bed was comfortable.
Activity Reviews
Visit at La Cité du Vin (tickets)
Visit at La Cité du Vin (tickets)
Bordeaux

The visit to La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux was interesting but a bit too much. We stayed for about an hour and enjoyed the wine tastings and the beautifully presented exhibits, but it exceeded our level of interest quite quickly.

Full Private Day of Dordogne and Sarlat Exploration
Full Private Day of Dordogne and Sarlat Exploration
Bordeaux

The full private day of exploration in Dordogne and Sarlat was a fantastic experience. We had a great guide, Rudy, who took us to the West Coast and a quaint village. He was charming and knowledgeable, enhancing our trip significantly as we explored the beautiful area. Having a guide made the long day far more insightful and enjoyable.

Pyla sand dune & Arcachon Oyster - Full day Tour
Pyla sand dune & Arcachon Oyster - Full day Tour
France

The tour to the Pyla sand dunes and Arcachon oysters was really great. Our guide, Kyle, who was Brazilian, was knowledgeable and engaging, making the experience delightful despite some unfortunate weather. Although I'm not a huge seafood fan, the tour itself was incredibly well-organized and worth the trip.

Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Oct 10, 2024

Merci beaucoup, Judy! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m thrilled you enjoyed our beautiful country and had the chance to experience so much of these two regions. Thanks again, and I look forward to your next adventure with us! 😊

We decided to work with kim kim, to plan and ...
France | Jun 4 - Jun 12, 2024

M
Michelle S.
Singapore | Reviewed on Aug 06, 2024
We decided to work with kim kim, to plan and organize travels through the riviera using a private driver (come guide). They then appointed a local agent, HighPoint Holidays, in the riviera, to execute the itinerary. Day 1 in nice:
Our driver was not a guide and drove us from one destination to another, leaving us on our own to figure out what we wanted to see and do. There was zero guidance from him. Even worst was the level of his driving. My message to the agent was “the driver was...
Read more

We decided to work with kim kim, to plan and organize travels through the riviera using a private driver (come guide). They then appointed a local agent, HighPoint Holidays, in the riviera, to execute the itinerary.

Day 1 in nice:
Our driver was not a guide and drove us from one destination to another, leaving us on our own to figure out what we wanted to see and do. There was zero guidance from him. Even worst was the level of his driving. My message to the agent was “the driver was a maniac on the road, almost ran into road barriers and multiple people (multiple times). We repeatedly asked him to slow down but he did not listen. The end the day, when we were ready to leave our last destination, the driver was no where to be found. We called his phone numerous times, there was no response and we ended up waiting for him for 45 mins!”

Day 2:
Went according to plans with no hiccups to report or complain about

Day 3:
We were ready and waiting to be picked up at 9am. The driver was late, we made numerous calls to kim kim, who in turn made numerous calls to high point. They had no reason or excuse for the driver not showing up and kept asking us to wait whilst they figure things out. We waited till 10:30am at which point i called a taxi to drive us around and cancelled the tour with the travel agent

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Thereafter we agreed that i engage a taxi to drive us around for the next couple of days, as their unreliability left a bad taste in my mouth

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Day 7:
We had planned a private boat trips the agent mentioned the weather forecast was not looking in our favor and they would advise the night before and the morning of. The night before, as the weather was not looking favorable, i asked if it might be better that we cancel the boating trip. The agent and captain agreed

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Day 8:
We had planned a private drive to san reno and the italian riviera. We were informed at the last minute that we would need to join other people as they did not have enough resources. I decided to cancel this and go on our own

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

At the end of the travels, we summarized everything for kim kim, they responded and said they would they would honor the changes and refund accordingly. After weeks of writing repeatedly to them, they responded and offer a total of USD1,400.00 less some hotel incidentals which we highlighted is our cost, the net refund of only US$1038.00 which is only a small fraction of the cost we paid of USD17,278;

Due to our experiences, I cannot suggest or recommend these to groups. There was no explanation. They have simply gone radio silent, ignoring us and simply disappeared. Not cool!

Hotel Review
AC Hotel by Marriott Nice
Nice
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Private boat 2 hours excursion
Private boat 2 hours excursion
France
The Italian Riviera: Full-Day Tour discovering Menton & Sanremo
The Italian Riviera: Full-Day Tour discovering Menton & Sanremo
Nice
Saint tropez on your way to the French Riviera with a private driver
Saint tropez on your way to the French Riviera with a private driver
France
Guided tour of the Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence
Guided tour of the Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence
Saint Paul de Vence
PRIVATE FULL-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL
PRIVATE FULL-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL
France
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Gorge du Verdon & Lavender fields
Gorge du Verdon & Lavender fields
France
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Half Day Trip to Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo (Morning or Afternoon)
Half Day Trip to Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo (Morning or Afternoon)
France
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
PRIVATE HALF-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL
PRIVATE HALF-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL
France
Welcome to the French Riviera
Welcome to the French Riviera
France
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on Aug 23, 2024
Hi Michelle,

We think it’s not cool (!) that you exaggerate and take the situation out of context. Your CAPITAL LETTERS and statements do hurt us, and so we want to take a moment to put the record straight.
First up, I want to say thanks for travelling with us, and choosing us as your partner in France. We have learnt from your experience, and we want to recognise that here in this reply. We are sorry that you had some hiccups. Secondly, I think it is good to state that we spent weeks... Read more

Hi Michelle,

We think it’s not cool (!) that you exaggerate and take the situation out of context. Your CAPITAL LETTERS and statements do hurt us, and so we want to take a moment to put the record straight.

First up, I want to say thanks for travelling with us, and choosing us as your partner in France. We have learnt from your experience, and we want to recognise that here in this reply. We are sorry that you had some hiccups.

Secondly, I think it is good to state that we spent weeks and weeks liaising with your hard-working personal assistants to create four different tailormade proposals for your trip, each time responding to your input and request to make the trip cheaper and cheaper. We replied with commercial gestures and modified activities as this process went along. There is the possibility that you didn’t notice all of these changes happening.

When it comes to the driver in the French Riviera, we are disappointed with the experience you had with the driver. We have taken note of your comments and ‘blacklisted’ this driver for our tours in the future. We can understand your surprise at seeing drivers driving on the right side of the road. I understand that your home country has strict enforcement of traffic laws, including heavy fines. In contrast, driving in France is on the right side of the road, with less stringent enforcement of speed limits and traffic regulations. The driving culture in your home country is generally more disciplined compared to the more relaxed approach often seen here in France.

On day two, as s we mentioned at the time we are truly sorry for this error, that occurred during booking. We do appreciate that this was not a comfortable situation and we hope that you still managed to enjoy the day despite this hiccup. We did our best to rectify the situation at the time, and please note that we have a 24-hour telephone always being monitored. Please note that we have ALREADY REFUNDED YOU 100 % for the tour on day three. This refund has been processed FOUR WEEKS AGO, on the 2nd of July.

On day 7, the weather was out of our control and we have ALREADY REFUNDED YOU 100% of this, on the 12th of July.

On day 8, you seem disappointed about the small group tour, but the trip plan had already mentioned that it was a small group, and you or your assistants had accepted this in this version of the trip plan. We didn’t refund you here because we delivered what had been planned.

We have not gone radio silent at all, we have sent the reimbursements four weeks ago we had only heard from you about a . We never actually knew who we were talking with as most of these messages were managed by your assistants. We did our job, and our Nice-based staff are really proud of the work they do.

We are though Michelle sorry that you had some poor experiences, and we have taken note of everything you have said. We are now more aware of some driver failings, and we have quickly weeded out this bad element.

Sincerely,
Marianna, Stephen and the team at High Point Holidays.
Nous sommes 100% francophones et connaissons la Côte d’Azur comme notre poche !

The trip was amazing and we had the best time...
England | May 1 - May 10, 2024

Valencia
Valencia T.
Hueytown, AL | Reviewed on May 30, 2024
The trip was amazing and we had the best time. Marvin and I got lost in Paris, but we flagged down a police officers and they took us back to our hotel. Overall Marisnna did an amazing job and I will refer Kimkim to my friends. Thanks
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The trip was amazing and we had the best time. Marvin and I got lost in Paris, but we flagged down a police officers and they took us back to our hotel. Overall Marisnna did an amazing job and I will refer Kimkim to my friends. Thanks

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Local specialist: Marianna Leccese
Marianna
Marianna Leccese
Local specialist in Nice | Replied on May 30, 2024

Hi Valencia,

Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm delighted to hear you had an amazing time in Europe, and the pictures are stunning. I can't wait to share them with the teams! You are such a wonderful family, and I'd love to work with you all again!😊