France By Locals

We absolutely enjoyed planning with our Kimkim team. Lisa for Holland & Belgium and Sebastian for France. Easy, enjoyable & they both know how to avoid crowds etc. our person tours were top notch and we were so glad to not be with the group tours!

Loved the hotel and its location to really cool places in France! The pickups were also great and weather was beautiful!

A few suggestions for others:

The walk to Tower from Latin quarter was more like 1hr-30 minutes, we took uber back. We’re in great physical shape to do it except we almost missed our scheduled time slot.

Also, meet up with our guide for Luve tour was a miss and could’ve been improved. Another tour-guide saved the day and got on the phone to help us get to proper location.

We did not get to tour the steps up to Notre Dame towers, this could’ve been arranged if we had been more informed of our options.

Perfect hotel, perfect location, more casual “local” restaurants recommendations next time. We loved ARTABAN restaurant just steps away from hotel.

The City Tour was the highlight of our trip- we loved it! Finally, the drivers from train station and to Airport were excellent!

We will use Kimkim again!

Thank You,
Mike/Cathy

I cannot imagine a better series of memorable adventures than the ones planned for us by KimKim/France by Locals and our consultant Amandine ... nor can I imagine that I could have had the same results trying to plan on my own. I selected the town of St Jean PIed de Port just based on having seen a Rick Steves video about it, but their choice of Hotel des Pyrenees was ideally located, exceptionally appointed and comfortable, and featured a Michelin Guide restaurant where, on a rainy night, we enjoyed the best meal of our lives as the only guests. Yannick was our maitre'd, our waiter for dinner and breakfasts, and our guide to travel around the area. When we arrived on Saturday night, Sondrien helped us to find the parking garage and came out in the rain to assist with luggage. The hotel looks like a place Cervantes might have visited, but the rooms have all been redone and are modern, spacious and comfortable with wonderful baths.

I have a vivid imagination, but when I asked for a Bordeaux vineyard experience I could not have adequately envisioned the magical medieval town of St. Emilion, rising up in the middle of vineyards dotted with magnificent chateaux, nor that we would be staying in a former chateau turned comfortable and welcoming B&B LaGomerie, with host Jean-Francois and Jessica and the sweet beagle Paco to greet us and see to our every comfort. From there we walked through newly blooming vineyards to the town, enjoyed two fantastic dinners in restaurants there, but the real highlight was our 5-hour e-bike tour of the vineyards and wine tasting at two chateaux with Rustic Vines. Our guide, Pauline, a trained sommelier, became a friend as she led us on a sunny day I hope I'll never forget and tutored us in everything from vines to wines, answering our thousand questions with patience and charm. The picnic under the trees at Chateau Moncet was a pinnacle experience.

Then, Brittany! The whole point of returning to France was to see St. Malo and Mont St-Michele, and Amandine wisely lodged us in the magnificent Royal Emeraude Hotel in Dinard, just across the bay from St. Malo. We were steps to the sandy ocean beach, the fantastic shops, the market and restaurants, and a quick drive to St. Malo (or you can take a boat across). We loved St Malo, but agreed that Dinard was the better choice for exploring the region, and I would not have known that, but Amandine did.

I read the reviews from people who thought it was expensive to use local experts, but I disagree. I would have used up hours exploring the plethora of choices on the internet, and I would never have known to select the locations, or the properties, that made for a perfect experience. And once we landed we had support every step of the way, via text, whatsapp, and phone (and I used all 3). I had one chance to see the south and west of France, and I am so glad I found KimKim, and they found France by Locals. Merci beau coup, Amandine! A bientot!

Activity Review

Half-day wine and bike guided tour

Saint Emilion

We loved the bike ride in Aix. The guide and her intern on the guided hike in Antibes was amazing and knowledgeable. The - Mimosa Festival was great except it started seventy minutes late.
- Hotels - All three hotels had great service.
- The Winery Hotel and Tour didn't suit us. It seemed too early in their season for guests. If we had kids or grandkids it would have been spot on. We know it was a family-friendly venue. It seemed they were still in their "training phrase" with staff, and it showed.
- Nice Carnival - we wish we had been informed and were given information to purchase tickets for the amazing carnival that was centered six blocks from our hotel.
- The Citron Carnival was incredible!
- The guide for the Food Tour in Nice was the best. A visitor/guest could not ask for a better experience with a persoable and knowledable guide. She was just amazing!
- Rental Car - once we were in Nice, we did not need the rental car. It was much, much better and easier for us to Uber to locations or take the train, especially with the large events we attended.

Activity Reviews

Food tour Nice - Apero time

Nice

She was a well-known local and was extremely knowledgeable. She took us to a small local business that gave us information about food and wines. She told us about local traditions for food and shared pastries that were available only a this time of year.

Sunset Hike & Aperitif in the Esterel Massif

France

This wasn't the location were expecting to go to, however the guide was amazing. We were given incredible information about he region, as well as her personal climbing experience, knowledge about nature, and she shared snacks and told us about the seasonal traditions for food.

E-Bike Tour Along Cezanne's Route

Aix-en-Provence

This was a lot for a beginner biker, but our guide spent time with each of the riders in the group to know their capabilities. He as a great guide. We're pretty sure he owned the business. A great experience overall!

Visit and Wine Tasting at Château Saint Roux

France

The intern guide gave us the tour and wine tasting. He was amazing and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, he was also taking care of the counter. Many people came in and he was the only staff available to answer questions, so the time with us (the tour) was interrupted often. Our guide felt bad and apologized, then continued on professionally and graciously.

Enjoy the Chateau Saint-Roux

France

The hotel was terrific. We loved the two rooms. I would suggest you have more guest-friendly way to get bags to the rooms. Dragging our bags over the cobblestone walk was not fun and not good for the luggage wheels. I mentioned earlier that this seemed very early season as it was obvious there were staff still in training.

I really enjoyed all of the guides very much.
They were knowledgeable and friendly and made our tours very engaging and entertaining.
My favourite place and guide was Carcassonne (Natalie) as it felt like a lengthy conversation with great scenery 😊

Hotel Reviews

Aragon

Carcassonne

Off season requires more direction and help than what was provided by the front desk

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very close to the fortress

Staff

Offers to help find open places to eat during the day and for dinner. We were left to wander around

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Beautiful room in the centre of everything!

Authenticity & Character

Classy and comfortable

Location

On the main drag, so easy to find dining and attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Florence Nice

Nice

Centrally located and a pillow menu!

Authenticity & Character

Focus on eco friendly solutions

Location

Not far from the sea, old town, dining

Staff

Front desk worked hard to ensure our comfort Breakfast area was very crowded, despite being there in the quiet season. Staff worked hard to keep the area clean and stocked

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nice Evening Food Tour

France

Every stop allowed us to sample (and purchase if we wished)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leo was quiet but very friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

N/A foot tour

Guided tour of Carassonne

France

The site is incredible. I definitely recommend having a guide as there is so much to see and learn about

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natalie was very informative and allowed us to ask questions nonstop

Transport

It was a foot tour (an N/A would have worked best here)

Châteauneuf du Pape wine tour

Avignon

The two wineries were so different! They both provided an interesting perspective on wine making in the region

Quality of Experience

Seeing the oldest winery was very interesting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emile’s family experience in the wine industry made this tour very informative

Transport

Safe comfortable travel

Full-day excursion to Monaco, Monte-Carlo & Eze

France

So many different experiences on this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As a local resident he provided us with historical information as well as personal anecdotes. Very informative!

Transport

All of our excursions and guides were amazing. The hotels were well situated for the sites we were seeing. Having all the train tickets booked in advance was fantastic and their timings were great. The only negative on our trip was the night hotel staff at the Aragon hotel in Carcassonne. During our tour of the walled city we noticed that only a couple of stores / cafes were actually open even though the internet listed large numbers of restaurants as open. For this reason we asked the lady at the hotel reception desk if she could assist in calling some nearby restaurants to see if any were actually open for dinner. The lady declined to assist and said you’ll just need to go by yourself to see if they are open. Without phone service or transportation we couldn’t easily get to these places to see if they were actually open. This level of customer service sucks. Hotels being booked though Kim Kim should be prepared to assist travelers staying with them and have a list of open restaurants or make calls to verify if a place is actually open for dinner.

Hotel Reviews

Aragon

Carcassonne

Hotel was clean but night desk person was not helpful. She would not assist us in calling some restaurants to see if they were actually open given it was the off season. Instead she said you’ll need to go to them to see if they are open. The internet showed all restaurants as open but in reality very few actually were. Without phone service or transportation it was not possible to just go by places to see if they were open. In all of my travels this is the only hotel that I’ve been to where they wouldn’t assist us in finding a place to eat. Poor customer service!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Florence Nice

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided tour of Carassonne

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Was a walking tour so no transport needed

Châteauneuf du Pape wine tour

Avignon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nice Evening Food Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Foot tour no transport needed

Full-day excursion to Monaco, Monte-Carlo & Eze

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I cannot say enough good about my experience planning and executing a once in a lifetime trip to Paris and neighboring locations with Kimkim (France Local) and our local specialist, Sebastian. Sebastian helped us plan a very workable itinerary that covered all the important locals in Paris, Chartres, Bayeux, Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy (Point du Hoc and Omaha Beach, Rheims, and Versailles - in a week and a half. He prepared a wonderful guided trip in a cute little car through Paris, and, our guide was VERY informative. We picked up a wonderful car in Amboise, and could drive ourselves through the French country side. We had lovely tours of the Chateaux de Chambord and Chenonceau. We drove to Chartres for a view of town and Cathedral. We then moved to Mont Saint Michel, where Sebastian arranged for us to stay in the wonderful L'Auberge de la Mere Poulard. We were SO happy, because friends had told us not to miss eating at their restaurant. I have had a lifelong wish to visit the Abbey, so, it was an amazing treat to climb all the way up there! Sebastian provided us with a wonderful guide for Point du Hoc and Omaha Beach. That guide timed our tour so that we could see the lowering of the U.S. flag on Omaha Beach. Very moving. Back in Paris, we visited Versailles, then set off to see the Reims Cathedral, and, of course, to sample Champagne.

All of our tickets were available, easy to organize, easy to print, and easy to use at the cite. Given the complexity of our arrangements, we lost no time, trying to make arrangements, or walking across town to pick up tickets or loosing time "fixing" arrangements during our trip.

However, the absolute most extraordinary thing about Sebastian's service, was that he was available to us during the trip. We had a couple instances where we misunderstood directions and couldn't find our guide. Especially, when we tried to meet our guide for the Normandy beach trip, we found ourselves waiting at the meeting point, with no guide. We notified Sebastian and he was at his desk, and, within a minute, he was in touch with our guide, who was waiting for us around the corner. If Sebastian had not been available and responsive at that very minute, we would have totally missed a very important part of our trip.

So, in sum, visiting Paris and environs has been a long-time wish of mine, and Sebastian made a busy and complicated schedule easy, doable, enjoyable, worry free - and wondrous. For that, I will be eternally grateful!