Our Paris trip was the trip of a lifetime!
France | Dec 26 - Jan 6, 2026

Lucia
Lucia M.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Jan 13, 2026

Our Paris trip was the trip of a lifetime! We couldn’t have managed without your planning, careful attentiveness, and fast communication. Our Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle guide, Manny, was uniquely able to engage with my 8 year old grandson. He was extraordinary.
Our photographer, Kouss, was the sweetest guy, and gave us “forever images” of our time at the Tour Eiffel.
Lourdes, our guide for the Louvre is a true scholar. Our treasure hunt felt way too complicated for us so she graciously agreed to slow the pace. We still managed to see all three wings and the highlights we asked for.
We got lost and missed our bus to Mont Saint-Michel. We rescheduled the trip for the penultimate day, but we were exhausted, so we cancelled again. We’ll catch it in the future.
Versailles was a mob scene. We hadn’t realized that the “self-guided tour” was simply an app. Even if we had known to bring earbuds, the deafening din and the press of the crowd, many of whom were loudly making their own videos and podcasts, would have made it a useless endeavor. The app itself was way too mysterious to manœuvre at my age.
There was a misalignment of dates on day 1 and 2 that kept us from our first tour. I also wanted to check in about our last night at Chantilly. I don’t remember if we had paid in advance, but I was charged for the night.
Great castles tours, too.
Thank you all, and Liz and Diliana, for making these memories possible. We’ll never really be the same!
Lucia May and family

Hotel Reviews
Citadines Bastille Marais Paris
Paris

Very attentive and pleasant staff. Fantastic breakfasts. The hotel itself is a bit dated, but very clean. You use an app to do your laundry(!).

Authenticity & Character
Not important
Location
Short walk to Metro
Staff
Always helpful and pleasant staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Bed linens very comfortable. Kitchenette was modern and clean.
InterContinental Chantilly Chateau Mont Royal, an IHG Hotel
La Chapelle-en-Serval

Pure luxury!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Versailles Half-Day Essentials by Bus
Versailles Half-Day Essentials by Bus
Paris

The Versailles Half-Day Essentials by Bus was underwhelming. I expected guidance and commentary during the bus ride, but it was merely transportation. Once there, the self-guided tour was challenging to follow amidst the crowds, and the app provided was inaudible. Overall, it lacked the historical context I was hoping for.

Louvre Museum Treasure Hunt
Louvre Museum Treasure Hunt
Paris

The Louvre Museum Treasure Hunt was a bit sophisticated for our family, especially with an eight-year-old in tow. The guide, Lourdes, was fantastic and flexible, allowing us to go at our own pace despite the content being above our level.

Local specialist: Liz Chreist
Liz
Liz Chreist
Local specialist in Kimkim HQ | Replied on May 06, 2026
Hi Lucia, Reading your message truly made my day. Thank you for taking the time to share such heartfelt reflections — it means more than you know. I’m so glad to hear how much your family connected with the guides and experiences. Manny engaging so beautifully with your grandson, Kouss capturing those “forever images,” and Lourdes adapting the Louvre treasure hunt so thoughtfully — these are exactly the kinds of moments we hope will stay with travelers long after the trip ends. I also... Read more

Hi Lucia,

Reading your message truly made my day. Thank you for taking the time to share such heartfelt reflections — it means more than you know.

I’m so glad to hear how much your family connected with the guides and experiences. Manny engaging so beautifully with your grandson, Kouss capturing those “forever images,” and Lourdes adapting the Louvre treasure hunt so thoughtfully — these are exactly the kinds of moments we hope will stay with travelers long after the trip ends.

I also appreciate your honesty about the challenges. Versailles has become increasingly crowded in recent years, and your experience reflects what many travelers are feeling. I’m sorry the self‑guided format wasn’t what you expected — that’s incredibly helpful feedback, and I’ll make sure our team reviews how we present that option so it’s clearer and more comfortable for future travelers.
I’m also looking into the date misalignment at the start of your trip and the Chantilly charge so we can make sure everything is properly reconciled. Thank you for flagging both.

And Mont Saint‑Michel will be waiting for you — some places are meant for “next time,” and I love that you’re already thinking ahead.

What touched me most was your line: *“We’ll never really be the same.”*
That’s the magic of travel — the way it expands us, bonds us, and leaves us with stories that become part of our family history. It was a joy to help create those memories for you.

Looking ahead, I wanted to share something exciting: this summer I’m expanding my specialist offerings to include England and Scotland, two destinations filled with history, castles, dramatic coastlines, and incredible family‑friendly experiences. If those ever spark your imagination, I would love to help you plan a journey there.

And of course, if your heart is pulling you somewhere else — Italy, Portugal, Iceland, Spain, or anywhere beyond — I’m always here to connect you with the perfect expert and make the planning feel effortless.

Thank you again, truly, for your warmth and trust. It was an honor to be part of your Paris adventure, and I’d be delighted to help you create the next chapter whenever the time feels right.

Warmly,
Liz