Valentine Julien

We had a wonderful time making the journey along the Mediterranean coast. Starting in Barcelona we were able to visit the newly opened Sagrada de Familia with a wonderful guide - one of the highlights our trip. We had an early entry so the crowds were easily managed and we were able to enjoy both inside and out. The next day we had another great guide who showed us the Jewish history and historical presence in Barcelona. After Barcelona, we went to Girona, which was a wonderful surprise. We stayed at a lovely hotel in the old town that was a converted palace. Our tour here of the old town focusing on Jewish history was incredible. The next day we had an all day small group tour of Dali's house and museum - both well worth the travel including the incredible views along the Costa Brava. Travelling by car along the southern coast of France was relatively easily finding great things to see - Pone du Gard, Baux de Provence town and castle, St. Paul de Vence and finally Nice. An electric bike ride in Nice was also wonderful.

Hotel Review

Hotel Palau Fugit

Girona

If you are going to Girona, you have to stay here. A bit of luxury right in the middle of the old town next to all the great spots to eat and drink. Very luxurious rooms. Felt like a castle.

Authenticity & Character

Newly renovated castle - still feels like a castle or medieval home but with modern everything else.

Location

Right in the middle of the old town area of Girona. One block from the river and across the bridges from the hot spot of the new town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Highlights of Sagrada Familia Tour

Barcelona

Our guide was great and very enthusiastic. Very knowledgeable about the history and construction - and excellent English language skills. She had great stories and kept us involved.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great!!

Barcelona Highlights Jewish Tour

Barcelona

Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew the town's history as well as the history of the Jewish people . She was open to our questions about the current Jewish experience in Barcelona. She covered a good amount of territory - both physical and historical time frame.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Montserrat Tour with Monastery Entrance Small Group Half Day Tour from Barcelona

Barcelona

While a beautiful drive to the monastery and exceptional views, there was little historical information shared.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

For us, our "guide" functioned more like only a driver.

Girona Jewish quarter and Museum

Girona

We were truly impressed at what this City had to offer - much more interesting than what we had expected. This may be due to our exceptional guide who went out of the way to show us the history and interest of Girona.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Riviera Highlights: Nice, Monaco, Monte-Carlo & Èze

Nice

Nice is a great location to explore other surrounding areas but Nice itself is very populated and seems to have lost it's charm. Our guide to Monaco was very knowledgeable on the history of the area and we appreciated that he is a local. He was very good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dali, Cadaqués and Cabo de Creus

Girona

Out guide was amazing and share stories of Dali's life and influences. His appreciation of the artist was contagious.

Quality of Experience

our guide was engaging and a wonderful story teller

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to Barcelona

Barcelona

Very manageable city. Great food. wonderful architecture.

Sunset e-bike tour in Nice

Nice

spunky guide kept a good pace. Had pop culture info to share.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentine was very detailed and helped us along the way when we had questions. She planned an amazing trip and made our lives easier!

Zurich:
Hotel Central Plaza was a great choice. It was not only well-appointed, but it was the perfect location. Access to the amazing Hauptbahnhof made it extra fun.
Vanessa was an excellent guide. We wish we had booked more time - it was that good.
The suggestions were very helpful - museums etc. helped on a rainy day.

Trains: We cannot say enough about the itinerary planning, timing, and guidance on connections. We LOVED them..

Colmar: Great choice for our Alsace stop.
Hotel Turenne was lovely, new, fresh, great service, and very well located.
Louie, our Epicurean guide was excellent, friendly, and very attentive. The amount of cycling (15 miles) was perfect for us, and itinerary was well curated.

Lucerne: (not feedback for KimKim) My nostalgic choice of a key stop. In retrospect, now knowing all of the Alps we were going to experience - would now probably skip Lucerne.
Hotel Wilden Mann was a great location, and in retrospect was very well-managed for an ancient and historic building.
The guide Sarjon (sp?) for our tour was knowledgable, but very soft-spoken, did not make sure that we could both hear, and did not volunteer information while walking from information point to point. He would answer question in a low conversational way with Maria, and I could not hear at all. It was a difficult, and bad experience.

Locarno: The trip to Locarno was beautiful, and a lovely experience on its own.
Hotel Lago Maggiore was perhaps the best hotel throughout our trip. Location was superb; room and balcony fresh, spacious and beautiful. Breakfast service was the best. Service people excellent.
Rafaella, our guide was phenomenal. Could have spent the entire day with her. Great suggestions as well.
Valentine's suggestions for restaurants and hikes etc. were very helpful.

Zermatt: Wonderful trip through the Centovalli to Domodossola and on to Zermatt - based on Rafaella's suggestion.
Hotel Julen was a cute hotel, nice view, AC, and an amazing restaurant, the Schaferstube. The staff was unfriendly, and their breakfast service staff was uneven, from OK to terrible.
Valentine's suggestions for other activities were as always excellent.
We enjoyed all of our time in Zermatt, and were literally sad to leave so soon.

Montreux:
Hotel Golf Rene Cape was a beautiful location with spectacular views, access to the promenade, and transportation. The staff was lovely, the service excellent, but the accommodations were sub-par, especially the bathroom. It was also hot due to no air conditioning. We realized that our late change from Glion to Montreux put Valentine in a difficult situation trying to find us a hotel in town - and she did well considering.
E-Bike tour in the Lavaux vineyards: Our guide Yves was just terrific. He was super-knowledgeable. He rode a bit ahead of us, not realizing that when we get on bikes, we do not want an easy ride. We are seeking not only a tour, but a good work-out as well - and he never quite "read the room" on that. So, we didn't feel connected in a way that we could carry on a conversation, and ask questions while pedaling. When we stopped, he inundated us (almost overloaded) with amazing geological, agricultural, and historical information. (We would rather have too much, than not enough.) We were a bit surprised that the entire riding portion of the tour was only 56 minutes total. We expected 2-3 hours, like the Alsace tour. The vineyards and the visit to Chapuis vineyard was magical, and tasty. We realized after that we could have contracted Yves for as long as we wanted. That perhaps should be a question to be asked prior to booking.
We so wanted to spend more time on bikes that the next day we traveled to Chatel St Denis to rent bikes from Alexandre at E-Bike Plaisir, (who Yves contracts with). He provided us a custom itinerary based on our request for 40+ Km, and we had a delightful afternoon that took us through farm country, Mt Pellerin, the Lavaux vineyards etc. We got our fix.
Loved our time in Montreux - the people were friendly and welcoming, the Freddy Mercury Days vibe was fun. It lived up the its reputation as the Swiss Riviera.

Grindelwald: The Golden Pass trip was a lovely experience. We had no idea what to expect in Grindelwald, but it was awe inspiring, in the spectacle, the infrastructure, the options, everything.
Sunstar Hotel: Crazy beautiful view, modern, fresh, well-appointed. Only down-side was dealing with the multitudes of bus tours pouring in, and constant navigating through crowds. The room was warm, again no air conditioning - and buggy. We had to get bug spray to handle it. No screens as always.
The bike tour out of Interlaken was an early morning - but the tour was excellent, actually amazing - and Marceau our guide was delightful and knowledgeable.
Valentine's suggestion to change from Wengen to Grindelwald was a great decision. We visited Wengen, and it was a bit too sleepy for us. Her Grindelwald suggestions were perfect as always.
We could have spent more time there - it was that good.

Zurich:
Central Plaza Hotel - again, would not hesitate to stay there if we return. The rooms, the staff and the breakfast service were excellent.

Car Transfers: Probably did not need the transfers from central Plaza to the Hauptbahnhof They were unnecessary.
Luggage Transfers: We hated them - then loved them. For our situation using only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack - it made it quite difficult because everything we needed for the morning rituals went in our suitcases. They were (necessarily) too early for that reason - it forced 5:30 wake-up - not ideal when on vacation. That's when we hated them. BUT, when navigating stairs at the train stations and making connections - we loved them, because even a carry-on fully-packed suitcase is heavy - and we were able to avoid any potential for a fall or injury amidst the throngs of people dragging their huge bags down and up flights of stairs. Would we do it again? Yes - just for the safety factor at our ages.

We loved having lovingly pre-planned excursions (bike trips, tours) as well as days when we could choose what to do. On those days Valentine gave us detailed and amazing suggestions, most of which we happily did!

Valentine was available to us day and night 7 days a week during this trip, answering questions and helping us navigate any uncertain parts. We've never had a travel company provide such on-the-ground assistance at a moment's notice. Valentine gave her heart and soul to us and shared her knowledge of this beautiful area so generously. We are already recommending her and KimKim without reservation to our friends!

Hotel Reviews

Central Plaza Hotel

Zürich

Perfect location, small rooms, good air conditioning, excellent staff

Hotel Turenne

Colmar

Chic, walking distance to Little Venice and the Old Village area, responsive staff, great breakfast.

Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann

Lucerne

Great job managing such an old building. The air conditioning was wonky, loud. Great location, kind and thoughtful staff.

Hotel Lago Maggiore

Locarno-Muralto

You won't believe the views. Wonderful breakfast, fitness center, perfect location.

Hotel Golf René Capt

Montreux

Amazing view. Restaurant was ridiculously expensive. No air conditioning, hot sweaty nights. Bathroom rather inconvenient, a lovely garden area in the back yard: we had several evenings there relaxing. Right on the walking promenade which takes you into the center of town, as well as to the Castle.

Tradition Julen Hotel

Zermatt

AMAZING view of Mt Matterhorn! Excellent restaurant downstairs for authentic and local food. The staff ranged from inattentive to rude, with one exception Coco who was extremely helpful.

Sunstar Hotel & SPA Grindelwald

Grindelwald

The view was exceptional. No air conditioning which meant leaving the door with no screens open all night, resulting in bugs coming in and crawling all over us all night. The staff gave us a can of bug spray which seemed to help. This hotel hosts bus groups of 40 coming and going at all times, so busy. We liked the restaurant quite a bit! Staff was very helpful

Activity Reviews

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

We loved our guide Marceau and the other travelers who were on this tour (8 of us in all). The cycling was through forests and small villages and delightful! (about 22 miles). This is NOT a beginner bike ride, as some of the gravel paths are very steep and have sharp turns. The lunch our guide prepared was absolutely delightful, and the waterfalls were amazing. Highly recommend.

Mount Pilatus, Silver Round Trip (Tickets)

Lucerne

Wow! Cog wheel train, gondola, chairlift, AND restaurants at the top! A singing group was performing when we arrived and we felt like we were in a movie. We hiked at the top for a couple of hours: strenuous and wonderful. Also fun to watch the paragliders take off up close.

Chillon Castle (Entrance tickets)

Switzerland

Way more interesting than we thought it would be!! We got the audio tour receivers and this made all the difference (6 ch).

Private Walking Tour - History & Mystery of Zurich

Zürich

Vanessa was amazing! We had a rainy day walk with her and we were sad when the tour was over. She recommended local restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

At Leisure : Stein Am Rhein

Switzerland

super crowded.

E-bike: The Epicurean Tour

Colmar

We loved our guide Louie for this private bike and winery tour. Lunch was okay, not much choice. The wine tasting at Cattin was fantastic!

Locarno walking tour and panoramic boat ride

Locarno

Rafaella was a fantastic guide for us, gave us so many ideas and suggestions. She was a delight and we wished we had more time with her!

Gornergrat panoramic train (return day-ticket & Priority boarding)

Switzerland

Awe inspiring, everything worked like clockwork. For some reason we had a hard time finding the train station for this particular train, but locals helped us out! We hiked up toward the top as well and this was literally breathtaking!

E-bike tour in the UNESCO Lavaux vineyards

Montreux

The views on this ride were life-changing. We wished we could have had more time mainly because we wanted more bike time to actually work out. Yves' knowledge of the history and geology of the vineyards and of the wine was amazing. The wine tasting was personal and fun! We learned a lot!!

Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (tickets and seat reservation)

Switzerland

Unbelievable views, very crowded. We chose to hike down and leave from another train station, which really gave us a feel for the area.

Zürich City Card (72h) : the whole city with one card!

Zürich

Helpful

Guided City Tour of Lucerne

Lucerne

Not great, only due to our guide not being a skilled communicator. We were glad to see the sights we saw, but couldn't hear him very well (there were only 2 of us) and we had to continually ask questions to get him to talk.

Valentine was a pleasure to work with. The itinerary she curated for us was well planned with thoughtful touches. Her communication before and during the trip was prompt and knowledgeable—she answered all of our questions and helped us make some changes on the fly which made our trip feel seamless. We really couldn’t have asked for a better family vacation—the accommodations, activities, and recommendations for things to do were all nicely tailored to ensure our young kids had a great time. Because of Valentine’s efforts, we were able to just kick back, relax, and focus on having a great time in Switzerland!

Our trip to Spain and France began with planning approximately nine months in advance. The initial KimKim representative was responsive, conducted a video call, and worked through several changes with us. Natalia was also helpful, though we did experience occasional language misunderstandings. Later, we were switched to another representative, Valentine, whose slower response times created challenges and left us at a disadvantage during the planning process.

One of the most concerning aspects was the lack of transparency around excursion costs and activity details. We were repeatedly told that this information would not be provided, which made planning difficult and raised concerns.

Regarding accommodations, most hotels were very good. However, Hotel Eden in Paris did not meet the expected four‑star standard. We experienced issues with basic amenities, including a nonfunctional refrigerator and unreliable Wi‑Fi, and the location was not ideal. In contrast, the Grand Hotel in Aix was excellent and perfectly situated.

Our tour of Versailles was a highlight — Alexandria was an outstanding guide, especially with four children in our group. Unfortunately, our Louvre “family treasure hunt” tour was not communicated correctly from KimKim to the guide, who arrived unprepared. As a result, the tour was cut short to only 90 minutes. This error was reflected in the final itinerary, which we received just two days before departure instead of the promised 14 days.

We also encountered multiple transportation issues. While traveling with ten people can be complex, one incident was significant enough that we had to hire a taxi FOR 8 hours to ensure part of our group could continue with planned activities in Girona. KimKim has stated they will reimburse this cost.

I also believed we would have a dedicated guide accompanying us throughout the trip to assist with troubleshooting and logistics. Either I misunderstood or this expectation was not clearly addressed, but we ultimately had no on‑the‑ground support and had to manage all issues ourselves. We sent multiple hours planning once in France due to activities which did not play out as itinerary stated. I requested compensation for our time but got an apology. KIMKIM did reimburse for some of the activities that they failed to complete. I expect a refund any day on event that did not get completed as itinerary indicated.

Regretfully, based on our experience and feedback from others we encountered on our trip, I cannot recommend KimKim at this time.

JRS

Hotel Reviews

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

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Catalonia Plaza Catalunya

Barcelona

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

they have a medical doctor come to hotel if needed which we did for one of our kids. Great service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Eden

Paris

refrigerator did not work, reported but fixed. requested Kleenex never got it No hotel bar Location fair Not a 4-

Location

not much around and staff not helpful

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Medieval Girona and Costa Brava Private Day Tour

Barcelona

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

javier was very informative but speaks why to loud

Transport

booked for 10 but he could only take 6 we had to rent a taxi for 8 hours

Entrance Tickets: Disneyland Paris (1 day/2 parks)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Versailles palace and gardens tour for families

Paris

tour guide was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

alexandria was our guide we had 10 of us. 4 kids 3,6,8,13 and she was terrific with them all

Transport

Seine River Cruise with Audio Guide

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cassis Village Tour, Calanques Boat Ride & Cosquer Cave visit

Aix-en-Provence

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

AD was our driver he was informative and friendly. We learned a lot.

Transport

Private Highlights of Barcelona Tour | Half Day Experience

Barcelona

not everyone could participate in the Sagrada tour because the 3-year-old was not allowed. So, 2 people had to stay back but the tour guides did not inform us we were stopped by Sagrada staff Were told by our guide that we did not have transportation from the mosiac park that we would need to find our own so we did not get to go there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Paris

Paris

this was the day cancelled that we had to figure out things to do. KIMKIM said we would have a driver for 8 hours that did not happen only 4 with no activities planned we had to come up with things. If was our first day so we knew nothing about Paris.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Museum Treasure Hunt

Paris

guide did not have microphones for us. You could not hear her. She had no idea it was supposed to be a treasure hunt with 4 kids so she was not prepared. we had to abandon after 90 minutes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

she would have been good if she had been given the right booking

Transport

Welcome to Barcelona

Barcelona

breakdown in information guide to guide and with transportation. we did not get to go to places planned

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

informed we had no transportation from mosaic park to hotel

Skip-the-Line Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

cancel due to heat Paris was experiencing. we did figure out how to go up after speaking with other people but KIMKIM was of no help

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Multi-risk Travel Insurance

France

My friend and I were planning a girls trip to take a break from our mommy duties and experience Switzerland, and working with KimKim made the entire process seamless from start to finish. My friend initially booked through KimKim, and we were connected with Valentine, who helped us plan an absolutely incredible trip.

I can’t emphasize enough how easy and stress-free the entire experience was. Valentine took all of our ideas—everything we wanted to do, the places we hoped to visit, and the budget we had in mind—and turned it into a truly magical itinerary. Every detail was thoughtfully planned, allowing us to fully enjoy our trip without worrying about logistics.

Honestly, I’m not sure how we would have been able to coordinate all of the activities and hotels on our own. Thanks to Valentine, everything flowed perfectly. It was such a smooth, enjoyable process with an unforgettable result.

I would highly recommend using KimKim for anyone looking to plan a trip like this in the future.

Valentine was awesome! She definitely exceeded our expectations for our girls trip! Switzerland was absolutely beautiful! We had so many highlights with our trip— paragliding, E-bike tour, Park hotel!

Hotel Review

Park Hotel Vitznau

Vitznau

This was one of our favorite hotels!! The service was outstanding and the spa and grounds were so beautiful! We will definitely be back!

Authenticity & Character

Right on the water, every room is unique

Location

Not far from Stoos

Staff

Helpful, outstanding, exceptional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

E-bike tour Lauterbrunnen & Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Switzerland

This tour was a highlight on our trip! It was a perfect mix of adventure and sightseeing! Our tour guide Marceau was very attentive and knowledgeable!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hot Tub boat for rent (from December to March)

Switzerland

This was a unique experience! Perfect for relaxing after a long day of activities. The lake water was chilly, but refreshing. We were able to quickly warm up with the hot tub! The Bluetooth audio was an added bonus!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Paragliding in Interlaken

Switzerland

Awesome views and instructors that made you feel comfortable and confident! Once I landed I wanted to do it again! Thrilling experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided day to Mount Rigi, the Queen of Mountains

Lucerne

It was beautiful! Good for sightseeing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in Lake Como

Switzerland

Lake Como - Private boat tour - 2 hours

Switzerland

Awesome way to see Lake Como! Our guide Fabio was very knowledgeable and showed us beautiful homes!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flawless doesn't begin to describe our first experience working with Valentine and the Kim Kim team! Absolutely EVERYTHING was perfect! Every hotel, guide, transport, hotel, included meal was a 10/10! We have been on several trips organized by a professional and this one will forever stand out. Our trip was by no means "cookie cutter". We found something similar (we visited the Swiss Alps and Italian Lake district) but through perfect and extremely timely communication with Valentine, she was able to customize our adventure to put continuous smiles on our faces (there were four of us) for the entire 2 weeks.

From E-bike tours to our personalized / private cooking class in Bellagio to our lake tour(s) and grotto lunch, Kim Kim and Valentine have given us brilliant memories that will last a lifetime! Thank you Kim Kim! We WILL be back!