First time using KimKim
England | Apr 4 - Apr 12, 2025

M
Mary M.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Apr 13, 2025

My husband and I are new to using a travel agent. We are used to doing it by ourselves, but we are getting older. Alexandra was very helpful and flexible throughout the entire process and helped us maneuver when we added our daughter to the trip. I would’ve preferred a little bit more transparency about the breakdown in cost. What was your commission rate? Is breakfast always included? Are the tips included or not? Didn’t want to double pay. It’s hard to optimize the price of the trip not knowing where you can improve on pricing. Having used KimKim for the first time, I’ll probably have better questions next time.

Dillon was our tour guide in the Cotswold’s However he was from Wales and I would’ve preferred more local information and history. He was more or less a driver for us for the day as opposed to a guide. He wanted to accommodate us where we wanted to go, but in a lot of cases, we didn’t know where to go.

Alex was very timely in all our transports. We were going to use him on our last free day to give him the business but he said it was going to be $60 an hour for his services plus waiting and an Uber we found out and used was $14. Could that have been an option for us through our entire trip?

The hotels were just as I asked for. Thank you.

Hotel Review
The Clermont London, Charing Cross
London

Very centrally located. Iconic.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus
Hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus
London

Could we have booked this ourselves? They were all over the place. That type of information would’ve been helpful.

Bridgerton Walking Tour
Bridgerton Walking Tour
England

He was a bit of a curmudgeon. Maybe he did this tour too many times and he was over it. The tour was not 2 1/2 hours but two hours. He wanted to stick completely to the Bridgerton highlights and no other questions were welcome. He didn’t seem too happy when he was touring us around

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Shakespeare's Stratford and Cotswolds Private Tour
Shakespeare's Stratford and Cotswolds Private Tour
England

See my comments

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on May 04, 2025
Dear Mary, Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments—I truly appreciate the time you took to share them. I’m happy to clarify a few points. Please know that I completely understand your concerns, and throughout the entire planning process I endeavored to provide as much information as possible and remain fully transparent. At the outset of our work on your trip plan, I shared our typical rate structure and explained that our commission varies depending on the activities you choose and... Read more

Dear Mary,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments—I truly appreciate the time you took to share them.

I’m happy to clarify a few points. Please know that I completely understand your concerns, and throughout the entire planning process I endeavored to provide as much information as possible and remain fully transparent. At the outset of our work on your trip plan, I shared our typical rate structure and explained that our commission varies depending on the activities you choose and the total trip cost. Because our system calculates prices automatically, it can be challenging to pull out a detailed line‑by‑line breakdown, but I’m always here to help interpret any part of it.

Regarding meals, they are not always included—when they are, we make a clear note of it, since each property offers different meal packages. Likewise, tips are never built into our pricing; they remain entirely at your discretion, much as they are in restaurants.

You’re absolutely right that Uber can be a convenient way to get around. In many destinations it works seamlessly, but in a few places it’s either unavailable or occasionally unreliable—even when booked in advance. That’s why we also recommend local taxi or shuttle services as alternatives.

Thank you, too, for your sincere feedback about the guides. I’ll be sure to share your thoughts with our team as we continue to improve our service.

Above all, I hope that despite a few unclear moments, you found joy in your journey and brought home many warm memories. It was truly my pleasure to assist you!
Kimkim is always here whenever you’re ready to plan your next adventure.
Wishing you wonderful travels ahead!

With warmest regards,
Aleksandra