Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Overall, the trip was wonderful. We fully enjoyed our excursion to Arcachon from Bordeaux and the wine region as well. The days spend in the Loire Vally were amazing, we could not have asked for more. The time spent in Paris was also exactly what we were looking for. We did have some issues with being taken to the wrong train station by an arranged driver for a day trip to Normandy. Although, Audrey was able to help us regroup and got us there the next day for an abbreviated trip, It took additional arranging on our part also. The next time we would like a few more specific details about where to find drivers so we don't spend time looking and miss. The only other thing we would have liked is to have dinner reservations made for us , instead of spending time figuring that out. We did not make them in advance so we were relying on hotel conceirge and found some to be booked.

Fantastic planning assistance from Audrey. She helped put together a custom itinerary that was exactly what we wanted and none of what we didn't want. She patiently worked with us as we explored different options for different days even when we changed our minds, made recommendations when asked, carefully planned out logistics and timing, and then executed all of our bookings. Polite, professional and friendly. Only constructive feedback I'd say is for days where our itinerary is known to start before a hotel serves breakfast, to not include breakfast with the hotel booking on those days.

We had an exceptional experience with this company. Our travel planning consultant, Matilde, was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and reponsive. Our itinerary was exactly what we wanted for our time in France and was HIGHLY personlized. The arrangement of transfers was wonderful and seemless. Even "special" requests were easily attained. Unfortunately I experienced a medical situation on our trip and our travel consultant and the emergency contact for Kimkim were helpful, kind and responsive. I will definintely use this agency again and highly recommend for an exceptional travel experience!!

Amazing!

Justine was a pleasure to work with. She helped to set up a well organized and balanced itinerary with everything we were looking for.

She recommended a B&B that we never would have found on our own and was possibly the highlight of the trip.

I love the questionnaire at the beginning and about 2 days later having an agenda! Sebastian picked some great experiences and exceeded my expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Lorette - Astotel

Paris

Beautiful part of town. Lovely hotel. Only note, our room was tiny! No place to store luggage but we were only there one night.

Authenticity & Character

In an historic building

Location

Close to Printemps!

Staff

Very friendly, great English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless!

Hotel Belle Normandy

Bayeux

We had 3 days here at this beautiful school turned hotel! They had a great breakfast and helpful staff. Our room was family sized!

Authenticity & Character

In an historic building

Location

I’m walking distance to the heart of Bayeau

Staff

Super helpful, great English!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless!

Domaine de la Tortinière

Veigne

Such an amazing experience to stay in an actual castle! So charming!!!

Authenticity & Character

Kept lots of the original charm while adding modern amenities!

Location

Off the beaten path in Tours

Staff

Friendly and helpful, great English

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless!

Courtyard by Marriott Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport

Le Mesnil-Amelot

So convenient at the airport! More of a resort feel. Room was large!

Authenticity & Character

True Marriott

Location

Perfect for catching a flight the next day!

Staff

Friendly, helpful but English needs work😉

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Reviews

Full-day Tour of D-Day Sites

Bayeux

I would give this only 3 stars but it’s because of the weather! It was rainy, windy and bitterly cold. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and even added an extra stop!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Warm and dry!

Full-day guided tour from Bayeux to the Mont-Saint-Michel

France

Was not a guided tour, just a shuttle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vouvray & Montlouis Wine tour

Tours

We had a private tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable about all processes of wine making! She brought along some meat and cheeses for pairing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent experience with Kim Kim. Audrey was always responsive in a timely manner, and we worked together to plan a great trip to Paris. She listened to my needs and planned the trip accordingly, My granddaughter loved the experiences , It was perfect! Our guide , Solene, was excellent and flexible to our needs. We all enjoyed our time with her. I will use Kim Kim again and refer my friends.

Activity Reviews

Full day guided visit of Paris

Paris

It was very helpful having our guide meet us at our apartment in the Marais. Solene was frienfly, knowledgeable , on-time, and professional. We enjoyed her company and was very helpful snd flexible to meet our needs,

Quality of Experience

Communication was exellent with Audrey, our guide Solene, and the drivers. Everyone was professional and approachable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

High level of communication and professionalism.

Transport

Good communication with emergency numbets. Drivers were in contact with me snd were very reliable.

Visit of the Eiffel Tower with access to the summit

Paris

Cabaret show at the Moulin Rouge

Paris

Such a fun evening. Kimkim! A mistake was made with tge cate of tge fessrvstion, but Audrey handled fhat immediately.

Notre-Dame de Paris

Paris

Visit of Arc de Triomphe

Paris

Visit of Orsay Museum with audioguide

Paris

Visit of Sainte-Chapelle

Paris

Afternoon tea at Mariage Frères

Paris

Very expensive for what we received , would go back there gor fhe gift shop but not have tea there again..

France was stunning! The Eiffel Tower at night is an absolute must! Going to Normandy and having a private tour with John to take us back into such a historic day was unreal! Bayeux was such a cute little town with everything nearby! Saint Malo and the boardwalk to get to the center was stunning! We had so much fun walking around! There was the most stunning church inside Saint malo with all amazing statues of the virgin mother and the most beautiful stain glass windows you will ever see!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel de Turin

Paris

Paris is a very very large city with all different little nooks! We were about 20min Uber ride from the Eiffel Tower! The room was nothing special but it worked for sleeping! The girls working at the front desk were soooo nice! Helped recommend food nearby for us to go eat! The only thing I thought was weird is we stayed there two separate times on the trip and the second time we went to leave the room for the day and they asked us for the key until we got back even though all our things were in the room! I didn’t like this, nothing happened but it was not mentioned and only one man working there ever gave us this issue!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would have liked to be a little closer to the Eiffel Tower!

Staff

The girls at the front were great!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathrooms are nothing special but no issues with the beds! Room rather small but was what we needed for the time!

Hôtel Les Charmettes

Saint-Malo

Stunning view!!!! The back of the hotel was on the boardwalk and it was so peaceful! Only negative was no lift so we had to carry all our bags up multiple stairs!!! Location was stunning though and worth it!

Authenticity & Character

The room had a giant window to open and listen to the ocean with the perfect breeze!

Location

We walked into the center of Saint malo and it took roughly 15min!

Staff

So nice!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was good and bathroom clean!

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Perfect location! The staff was SO helpful we had our rental car die and the man at the front desk helped with speaking French where I couldn’t! Our room was huge! So much room for our luggage and bunk beds which my daughter loved!! Right around the corner from all restaurants and there was even a market open one of the days that was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

It wasn’t wicked fancy but the staff made it feel very welcoming

Location

Close to everything we needed!

Staff

10/10 staff!!! So helpful! Spoke great English and weren’t rude!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds weren’t the most comfortable or the pillows!

Activity Reviews

Commented Cruise on the Seine River (Group Boat/1Hour)

Paris

Wicked cool! Very relaxing! A nice way to see the most without being overwhelmed!

Quality of Experience

We had been traveling for awhile now so I nice boat tour was perfect!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Weren’t very helpful! Barely saw staff!

Transport

It was raining so we kept going in and out of the boat but it was nice to have the option! Very relaxed! Learned a lot!

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

An evening Eiffel Tower tour is a MUST! I just wouldn’t use a private tour like we did! Just go and buy the tickets and do it yourself! Seeing the tower at night is a must and having the experience of going all the way up was incredible! Our guide was an hour and a half late and it just seemed very unorganized! She was so nice but didn’t seem worth the wait!

Quality of Experience

Going up for the tour was unreal! Self-guided would have been better!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I was traveling with a 3 year old and the guide was 1 1/2 late and then very unorganized. Felt like just a friend was with us because she was so nice but not very informative especially for the wait!

Transport

The Eiffel Tower elevator is very crammed so travel light! But the experience was so cool!

From Bayeux to Normandy D-Day U.S Sector & Omaha Beach (Private/4Hours)

Bayeux

MUST DO! If history is even remotely interesting to you this is an absolute! One of the best days in my entire trip! John our guide was unbelievable! So knowledgeable and took us to the places that he knew the big tour buses wouldn’t be starting at to get us some quiet time! Gave us so much information and it was just truly chilling being there and reminiscing on history!

Quality of Experience

Unreal! Definitely do the private tour with John! Totally worth being private to have this experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cannot say enough amazing things about John! Answered all our questions and really brought us back in time with things we would have never known!

Transport

John picked us right up at the hotel and even had a car seat for my daughter! Great driver and made the day amazing! Also on the way back he drove us down an area to show us great food! So nice and highly highly recommend!

The two highlights were the accommodations, food and town of Avignon similar. I was pleased with the former in Sete as well was very charming.

Hotel Review

Hotel Le Cloitre St Louis

Avignon

A beautiful historic building. Probably the best meal I had in France was in their dining room. I was lucky to walk into a watercolor exhibit in the same building. Avignon was magical.

Authenticity & Character

Historical and beautiful

Location

Within steps of the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bathroom was not entirely clean

Activity Review

Guided visit of the Medieval city of Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Wonderful and very informative super interesting. The private tour was so nice after having done a tour with 24 people.

Quality of Experience

Guide was well-versed in the history of Carcassonne.

Loved our guide when we visited Louvre!

Our Kimkim agent selected 2 hotels, one of which we were very pleased with. The activities he chose were very enjoyable and informative. However, the final itinerary still contained frustrating errors - despite requests to correct it. Plus, I had to remind the agent to send it to me - despite earlier communications about our eagerness to see final details. In addition, the process of planning the trip was not transparent (especially the costs).

A great trip to Paris and area

All of our drivers were excellent! Beautiful, clean vehicles, water provided, etc. Thomas in particular provided some interesting information about Paris upon our arrival. Christian when above and beyond by stopping in our hotel in Paris when we realized we left our passports and wallet. The assistance with making sure we got in the correct trains was very much appreciated.

All of the accommodations were in good locations and provided nice breakfasts. When we got stuck in the elevator in Hotel Monsiuer They were very attentive to be sure we were okay. In Hotel Belle Normandy they opened their kitchen early so we could have some breakfast before our departure.

Our food tour in Paris was excellent! Christina, was knowledgeable, intelligent, entertaining and provided such a great variety of experiences and accommodated our preferences! Ending at the little wine spot with our charcuterie was such a lively way to end our tour. She also recommended a place to go to for great views of the city upon the end of our tour.

Our tour of Versailles was very well done. Tobias was also very interesting and informative. We loved the clear explanations of the history and his perspective of the environment etc We had great conversations!

Montmartre & Sacré Coeur Walking Tour -Was a huge disappointment! Florencia, was anything but entertaining or enthusiastic. We left the tour after 20 minutes.

The Juno Beach tour was very good. Guide was knowledgeable of the Winnipeg participation in the war and so much more. He took the group to a great spot for lunch which provided a nice opportunity to chat with fellow guests as well as enjoy some great food. Between the guide and the fellow travellers we went to a couple of great restaurants before leaving the area of Normandy.

Our food tour in Boudreaux was very underwhelming. Astrid was not familiar with the tour for this company, so it felt like we were just wandering. The amount of food was almost non existent. Paying $50 euros extra for the tiny bit our kids had was ridiculous.

So in closing , Natalie was great to work with she tried hard to figure out what we would enjoy. The drivers and travel was super seamless and excellent drivers. The hotels met our expectations of clean, good location, and good breakfasts. The tours really ranged in quality. The combination of both private and group tours was a perfect mix.

Deanna

Activity Reviews

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

The description of which boat was not made clear. The number of people on the boat was overwhelming, but it was nice to see the city from the water. We were glad we waited for a nicer day. So the flexibility of the tickets was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joel planned our trip which included Paris, St Malo, Loire Valley, Bordeau, Hossegor, and Biarritz. He arranged our hotels, rental car, hotels, and local tours. I was stressed out planning my trip until Joel came on the scene. I would highly recommend Joel & KimKim for any trip to France.

My daughter and three year old granddaughter arrived in France on 9/5/24 and were picked up and brought to our Hotel in Paris. We stayed at the Grand Hotel DeTurin, triple room with breakfast included. The staff were very kind and spoke English which was very helpful. We arrived quite early and changed into new outfits and checked our bags so we could go out and about in the City. It was nice not having to drive, we took taxi’s and UBER’s to get around. We started at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at Port De La Bourdonnais to take a pontoon down the Seine River on the Bateaux Parisiens. The one hour cruise took us past the mini Statue of Liberty, Notre Dame and many other sites on the River . Notre Dame was spectacular, you can see the scaffolding where they are repairing it after the devastating fire. It was a little rainy but we had our rain gear. We then strolled the area near the Eiffel Tower and had lunch in a lovely Cafe’. The chocolate with crème fouettés (whipped cream) was to die for! I felt like I was in a movie.
We visited shops and made our way back to the Eiffel Tower for a private night tour. Ayla woke up a half hour before the tour and had chips and a drink to hold her until dinner. We took the lift to the second story and could see all of the city quarters, the Special Olympics was still going on and we could see the stadium. Our guide gave us the history of the city and the building of the Eiffel tower. Then up to the top on a second lift. I would not recommend a private tour guide for the Eiffel Tower. She was one and half hours late to meet us and that interfered with feeding my granddaughter, you can only go so long without feeding a three year old. The guide seemed annoyed when I rushed the tour so we could go eat. If she arrived on time that evening may have been different.
Took some great photo’s of the Tower at night. Taxi to our hotel and off to bed. magnifique journée.
The
Great night sleep, the Hotel was fine, breakfast was average. We took a taxi to get our car rental to drive to Saint Malo, Long ride, 4 hours, my daughter did the driving in France.... Thankfully they drive on the same side as we do! We stopped in the small town of Combray half way through our ride for lunch; Sadly they were not very welcoming, the restaurant we had planned told us “take away” when we asked if they spoke English! So we left and found a little pizza shop. Pizza shop was welcoming, we ordered pizza from the pictures on the menu…. big mistake the one that looked like a white pizza was in fact all cheese but it had goat cheese and not ricotta as expected. My daughter hates goat cheese so we immediately found the word in French for goat cheese so we don’t make that mistake again! Du fromage de chèvre.
Back on the road for 2 more hours and we arrived at our Hotel Les Charmottes in St. Malo, lovely property right on the ocean. No lift to the second floor made it difficult with our luggage but once we up there the room was great . We settled into our room then went for dinner at the Hotel’s restaurant which was right on the board walk with the ocean view. I enjoyed the meal very much…spectaculaire. . We all showered and went off to bed.
I woke early and went to breakfast, beautiful view of the ocean with my coffee and croissant, great breakfast. The girls sleep in until 10am, the little one had her breakfast in the room, something new…banana and peanut butter! LOL! We then packed up the stroller and headed down the board walk to the center of town, St. Vincent Gate, about 2.5 miles. The weather was perfect and we stopped for for my daughter to have breakfast. The little one and I sang and danced on our journey. Beautiful Villa’s , Cafe’s and Hotels along the boardwalk. When we arrived to La porte Saint-Vincent (Saint-Vincent gate) there were beautiful gardens and a Carousal. We had a ride before entering the interior of the old town. Inside has been renovated with up scale shopping and all sorts of food and sweets. We walked and window shopped until lunch. Sunny and beautiful, great strolling. Inside the walls of the old town is the CATHÉDRALE SAINT VINCENT; it is known for their stain glass windows and since it was so sunny the interior was magnificent. The main theme was “The Blessed Mother and Child” it brought both my daughter and I a feeling of great peace and joy. The little one lit candles at each Blessed Mother statue. We sat and took in the beauty and thanked God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Wonderful end to our visit to the old town. We did take one additional ride on the Carousel before our walk home. The dark clouds were approaching from behind us but we made it back with just a few sprinkles. McDonald’s for dinner because it was raining and the easiest option and they had a drive thru ….the little one was very happy with our choice! On our ride back there was a double rainbow and the sun setting behind a building that was awesome. We ate in the room and relaxed until bed time.
Breakfast then we drove to Dinan pouring rain! we hoped to have lunch but all cafe’s close from 2pm and reopen at 7pm… heading back to Malo and going to the Aquarium. Then McDonalds for Ayla and a nice Cafe for Bailey and I to have lunch. Not bad that we have gotten to day 21 and only had to cancel our plans due to rain once. We found that on Sunday’s most places are closed so no Aquarium, we found a bakery on our ride back to the hotel and had decadent pastries and a latte’. Yum…. We all took a nap and went to dinner. We depart St. Malo and head towards Normandy tomorrow.
St. Malo to St. Michel, Sadly another rainy windy day here in France. We packed up after breakfast and are heading to La Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, hoping the rain will have stopped by the time we arrive! Forty minute ride and it is a steady drizzle, 30 minute walk out to the best viewing area. We decided not to go out to the Abbey due to weather and the little princess napping.
Back on the highway to head to Bayeux another 50 minutes to our hotel. Ahhh! Low tire pressure comes on in the car, oh no! Thankful it is not a flat, time to find a Petrol Station!!!
We fill the tires and figure out how to reset the pressure and back on the road. Lovely ride into Bayeux, gateway to the D-day beaches. We are doing a private tour tomorrow of Normandy and the beaches….so excited, I have been waiting for this experience since we got to France. 🇺🇸
Unpacked and settled into the room at Hotel Le Bayeux. The staff were friendly and accommodating; the little one loved the room it had bunk beds. She picked the top bunk of course and invited me to stay in the bottom!
Still raining so we are rested while we wait to go to dinner at 7pm. Most shops and restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday’s here, plan ahead and make your dinner reservations the day before you arrive. The rain has stopped and we see some blue sky, right on time to walk to dinner.
Breakfast was average at Hotel Le Bayeux. The CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX is one block from our hotel. The cathedral - which was consecrated in 1077 by Bishop Odo de Conteville, the half-brother of William the Conqueror - was the original showcase for the Bayeux Tapestry. Revealing the Romanesque and Gothic splendour of the church, which includes access to the Treasury and Chapter Room. We plan to visit tomorrow morning after breakfast.
Breakfast and off to the CATHÉDRALE DE BAYEUX, beautiful architecture and Chapel’s throughout. I did my morning prayer and meditation in the Cathedral, so peaceful, great start to my day. I then visited a few shops and went back to the hotel to go to lunch with the girls. We tried a Galettes, which is buck wheat crepe. We chose the ham, cheese and eggs. Très délicieux!
Back to the Hotel to get ready for our tour of Normandy and the D-Day Beaches. No sun and very windy so we layer and wear our rain gear! Our guide John, who was so great, met us at the Hotel….we started our tour at Pointe Du Hoc-Pointe du Hoc was a strategic site in the German fortifications on the Normandy coast that was attacked by Colonel Rudder's 2º Ranger Battalion on the morning of 6 June 1944. The site stands 98 feet above the sea with remnants of the German artillery battery. It is a seven mile span between Omaha and Utah beach, this was the mid point between the two. Fascinating to see the holes in the landscape from the American bombing.
Then off to Omaha Beach! The sea side has been rebuilt with summer homes. Prior to D-Day the Germans destroyed all but one home below the 60-80 foot natural barge of the land scape. The one house that remained was for the German Officers to sleep. The American Soldiers were being fired on from above once they entered the beach, the amphibious tanks that were deployed to protect them prior to hitting the beach all sank due to the 6 feet swells. They were made to sustain 1 foot or maximum 2 foot waves, they all sank. It took most of the morning to identify a plan to get the soldiers off the beach. Very sad to think about how afraid they must have been with no cover from the German’s. Now stands the Monument for Freedom, Fraternity and Hope. Our final stop was Normandy, for 12 years our soldiers were buried at La Cambre, In 1956 all American bodies were moved to Normandy. La Cambre is now the burial site of the 21,300 German Soldiers who died during the D-Day invasion.
The Cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach, 9387 soldiers who fell during the Normandy campaign rest in peace here. The Chapel Memorial and wall of the Missing honor their memory. (4 woman are buried here, three died when their jeep went off the road while delivering mail to the soldiers and one was an American Red Cross Worker one of three "girls" who were assigned to a Clubmobile that provided coffee, freshly made doughnuts, chewing gum, cigarettes, magazines, newspapers, and records to GIs while they were in the field. But perhaps more importantly, the girls' primary responsibilities were to bolster the spirits and the morale of the battle weary soldiers by chatting with them. For as Elizabeth wrote to her parents, "If you only knew what combat does to these boys--not in the physical sense, although that's bad enough--but mentally.") She died in a Plane Crash going from La Havre to Paris.
Quite an emotional day but well worth the visit. 🇺🇸🙏🏻
Touring the Tapestry, Street Markets and Bayeux D-Day Museum.
Sun was shining that morning, breakfast in the room. Visiting two museums in Bayeux today. LA TAPISSERIE OF BAYEUX -THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY OR THE STORY OF A CONQUEST
is a masterpiece of 11th century Romanesque art, which was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William the Conqueror’s half-brother, to embellish his newly-built cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. The Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England by the Duke of Normandy. The story told by the Bayeux Tapestry begins in 1064, when Edward the Confessor, King of England, instructs his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson to travel to Normandy in order to offer his cousin William the succession to the English throne. Although the end of the embroidery is missing, the story ends with the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066…. Interesting but not a favorite!
We then strolled the open Markets and bought fresh kiwi and supplies for the little one’s PBJ’s…. Lunch in a Cafe’ and back to the Hotel for rest time. later in the afternoon we went to the Museum of the battle of Normandy, this was a great visit that explained the entire invasion and ended with a 20 minute video of the entire Battle of Normandy. Bayeux was never bombed so their town remains as it was back in 1944. They were very grateful to the British and American troops for their freedom from the Germans. Highly recommend Bayeux.
Left Bayeux headed back to Paris.
Up early to head back to Paris. 8am…Car is packed we depart onto the street and the Car dies, battery alert message! Ahhhh! The entire car shuts down! Thankfully we were right across the street from the Hotel. We got in touch with our KimKim representative and he contacts the car rental for road side assistance….40 minutes until they arrive. The Hotel clerk was kind enough to type up a sign to put in the vehicle window and we went back in for breakfast while waiting. Got a new vehicle for our ride back to Paris but sadly we did not make our reservation at the Louvre! sorry Mona Lisa !!
Did not arrive in Paris until 6:30pm, checked back into Grand Hotel DeTyrin and ventured off to dinner. Long Day!
Off to The Palace of Versailles then back to the City.
Up early for our visit to the Palace of Versailles, about 40 minutes outside of Paris. 8:15 am departure! The Palace was extraordinary and the Gardens magnificent, we had 2 hours to tour and could have spent the entire day. The Palace: Soon after taking the throne in July 1830, King Louis-Philippe I decided to restore the Palace of Versailles, transforming it into a museum of French history known as the "Historic Galleries of Versailles".
He called on architect Frédéric Nepeu to convert the apartments on the upper floors of the South Wing into a vast gallery chronicling the main military battles that shaped the history of France.
Drawing inspiration from the Grande Galerie of the Louvre Museum designed by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine under the imperial regime, the Gallery of Battles features a metallic framework concealed by wood panelling and stucco, with glass ceilings providing natural light. The battles, ranging from Tolbiac in 496 to Wagram in 1809, are depicted in thirty-three monumental paintings, while eighty busts celebrate heroic officers killed in combat over the centuries.
Works began in 1833 and was completed shortly before the inauguration of the museum, dedicated "to all the glories of France", on 10 June 1837.
The Musical Gardens: Has 600 water features, 55 pools & fountains with a team of 13 fountain engineers. The Groves: 15 groves open, 77 acres of formal French gardens in an 850 acre park. 700 topiaries and 300,000 flowers planted each year, 155 statues and 235 vases. Magnificent art and gardens.
Back to Paris to go to a fabulous Cafe’ Carette known for its fresh berries and Crème fouettée (whipped cream) as well as their hot chocolate. That gave us the energy we needed to head to the Louvre, we could not get tickets but walked the grounds on the beautiful sunny day.
We then visited the Officine Universelle Buly founded in 1803 by Jean Vincent Buly and it is still open today. They are known for brushes and combs made especially for curly hair, and we all have natural curly hair. My daughter wantef to get one engraved with her name to remember her trip to Paris. There was a que to get in to the store, once we got in we found they did not have the comb or brush she wanted! ☹️ She purchased a lip balm case with her initials.
Back to the hotel, ordering Japanese take out so we could eat in the room.

The little one’s day - Disney in Paris! The Tinker Bell brigade.
First time in Disney we arrived at 11am and departed at 8:30pm, long but wonderful day with our little Tinker Bell 🧚
Her favorite ride: Walt Disney Studios Park - Worlds of Pixar “Cars Quatre Roues Rallye” like a teacup ride but with “Cars” it spun great and Ayla loved it
Favorite moment: Toy Story Playland where she met Woody: Woody was so impressed with her that he brought her over to meet Jesse! Jesse and Woody thought she was the real Tinker Bell 🧚 Highly recommend if traveling with children.
We departed early the next morning 9/15/24 for Sicily.
Trip of a lifetime being able to have 3 generations travel together…from 63 to 3.
Thank you to the KimKim Team, your hotel selections and destination suggestions were fabulous.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel de Turin

Paris

Staff were great, a little far from where all the sites we visited were. Room was tight with two queen beds and our luggage. Neighborhood was great to stroll around. Breakfast was not the best.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from most visited attractions.

Staff

Friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean but a little tight walking around in the room.

Hôtel Les Charmettes

Saint-Malo

Great location and views.

Authenticity & Character

The views were great and the room was very comfortable. No lift to the second floor but once we got all our luggage up the stairs it was great.

Location

Right on the boardwalk.

Staff

Breakfast staff were fabulous, dinner staff not so friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Bayeux

Bayeux

Great size room and we were on the ground level. The staff were friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Cute pictures of American Soldiers on the windows.

Location

Righ near the Cathedral and center of town.

Staff

So helpful and friendly. Best staff of all the hotels we were in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and plenty of room.

Activity Reviews

Evening Eiffel Tower Tour

Paris

Enjoyed the Eiffel Tower but the tour guide was 1.5 hours late.

Quality of Experience

Great experience, seeing sites I have only seen on TV.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was late.

Transport

From Bayeux to Normandy D-Day U.S Sector & Omaha Beach (Private/4Hours)

Bayeux

This had always been on my bucket list. Unforgettable and John our tour guide was fabulous.

Quality of Experience

Very touching.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was amazing, knowledgeable and spoke perfect English.

Transport

On time and drove safely.

Commented Cruise on the Seine River (Group Boat/1Hour)

Paris

Perfect Amount of time, one hour, and saw fabulous sites from the river. Head phones to describe all the sites as you passed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clothilde provided a very good itinerary based on our input for a foodie culture tour of Spain and France. Great balance of activities including biking, cooking, tours and activities balanced with free time etc.

Good selection of hotels based on budget feedback

Amazing tour guides and scheduled rides

At times I didn't feel like she had intimate knowledge of the experience scheduled. The river cruise on the Seine was a herd and the ticket process failed - it was listed as a small tour - 500 people is not small

Hotel Reviews

Barcelo Sants Hotel

Barcelona

Pretty centrally located over central train station - which created some strange and congestion around the hotel Very nice breakfast Room was efficient but not luxury Hotel staff very helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Burdigala

33000

Room great - plenty of space near bar and lobby for private gathering Concierge - fantastic Location great

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Villa Romantic & SPA

PARIS

Room was very good - hallways a bit narrow and dark Spa - steam room and sauna and small gym nice bonus location good Problem with room keys - wouldn't give us two keys on check-in- had to manage key inventory - keys didn't;t work several times - Front desk staff ok

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bike & Brunch: The Best of Versailles in Half a Day

France

Tour guide amazing - she guided us through travel logistics, e-biking in a heavy tourist area - kept us on schedule

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sailing Trip with Winery Visit & Tasting

Barcelona

very nice sailing to the winery - long enough to experience sailing on a perfect day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sagrada Familia Private Tour

Barcelona

Our tour guide was amazing - very knowledgeable - pointed out items not well known to casual observer

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gràcia Food Tour

Barcelona

Our tour guide tried his hardest to get us into his favorite tapas bars - we couldn't get into the very good ones - we ended up doing way too much walking Being a Monday - seems some of the tapas bars were closed and the good ones too crowded to get into

Quality of Experience

getting into the best tapas bars - the ones we got into were very unimpressive

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour guide tried very hard !! but we got worn our trying - can't reserve a tapas bas

Transport

way too much walking trying to find a good tapas bar

Local Market Visit & Cooking Class

Barcelona

Food market visit and Paella cooking with veggies and desert was amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine Tasting & Aperitive Cruise in Bordeaux

Bordeaux

cruise was fine on a rainy night - very few customers - staff conversed mainly with French visitors - not English speaking Appetizers and wine - mediocre Reception in the rain was confusing - waiting for another staff member to show up before we could board the cruise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day tour to Dune du Pilat & Arcachon

France

Our tour guide was amazing - the visit to the largest sand dune was amazing - our tour guide gave great local insights - stories and recommendations where we could experience the best oysters ever back in Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tour in the Medoc Wine tour

Bordeaux

We had the same tour guide for our wine tours and Archanon Sand dune visit - he is a local and the best tour guide ever experienced

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day E-Bike guided Tour, Saint-Emilion Vineyards (with lunch)

France

Same tour guide with local experience and expert knowledge of wine Simply an amazing experience e-biking in the Saint-Emilon area Great lunch and wine Simply a great experience !!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

French cooking class with market visit

Paris

This was a truly amazing experience in the home of the chef Marthe - we made duck, salad and chocolate desert that were just amazing - she took us to the market and pointed out vendors where we bought items of high quality and low cost She is a reference openly for future questions and receipes Amazing experience

Quality of Experience

Not enough stars to give Marthe a high five rating

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Louvre Late Opening Private tour

Paris

Tour guide was amazing - very knowledgeable customized tour to our interests in greek and renaissance eras Early closing rushed us at the end - caught tour guide off guard a bit - but still got most of interesting items reviewed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

As expected - this was a heavy tourist experience - guide just dropped us off at expedited entrance and left without much guidance - not much expected

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

Expected a small tour experience - per our itinerary on Kim Kim 500 people scrambling for best seats not a pleasurable experience We spent over an hour trying to get tickets and directions to correct pier - this is a Kim Kim error - We shouldn't have had to experience such a bad experience to get our tickets - the ticket office gave us tickets out of piety since our confirmation was for an expired previous year dinner cruise - so much confusion and anxiety Once we were situated - we enjoyed the river cruise at night -

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

The tour guide was amazing - we weren't sure what to expect on this tour since Notre Dame was not open yet He customized it a bit and gave us great perspective of the beginnings of Paris and the Latin Quarter A very nice tour of the Church and Concierge

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a wonderful trip to Amboise, Bordeaux and Paris. It was a perfect mix of small town, mid-sized city and big city. Booking through Kimkim made all our travel so easy and allowed us to focus on enjoying ourselves rather than figuring everything out each day. Our specialist Amadine was incredibly helpful when we needed assistance negotiating an unexpected situation (totally an individual issue/not related to France). We appreciated her regular communication as well as from Margaux. I have already recommended kimkim to a number of my friends.

Our honeymoon to France was an amazing trip and we are thankful for Lise’s help and support in the planning and while we were on the trip. We wished that we had spent more time in the last city on our trip, as it was key to our goal/desire for our trip, which was to eat and drink our way through France. It would have been helpful to have less of a gap between our arrival at a new destination and our check-in time at each hotel/venue, as we wanted to rest. However, despite those hiccups, we had an amazing time and Lise was readily available to assist us when there were issues. We will certainly use KimKim in the future!

Activity Review

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My wife and I are retired teachers, we love to travel and experience new adventures. Two years ago we spent three weeks driving around Ireland. We didn't do a lot of planning and sort of played everything by ear as we went along. we had a great trip. That trip empowered us to try and do the same thing in France. Neither I or my wife had ever been to France. As I started to research things to do and places to go on the web I came across Kim Kim. I was curious to what it was about. So I clicked on it and started going through the process (which was really easy). I figured if they asked for my credit card I would click off the site. To my amazement they didn't ask for money. The next day I received a 21 day itinerary that included so much, I was astonished. The instructions said to set up a phone interview with the local specialist Mathilde (who is amazing). We did we altered and tweaked the itinerary to the way we wanted it and viola' we had a three week trip planned. We asked if they could rent us a car. They did. We asked to change dates, bookings, tours. Whatever we asked Mathilde accommodated us. We traveled around 1,500 miles and eight different cities. During a travel day Mathilde called me and said that we would be really close to where Kim Kim is located and would we like to get together for coffee. We agreed to meet and for an hour had a wonderful conversation with a really lovely young lady. We experienced Paris (all the highlights), The Alps, The Riviera, Medieval mountain towns, Normandy (D-Day tour was exceptional). The itinerary included 3 bike tours, 3 walking tours, 2 private tours, tickets to the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Mount Blanc, Chenonceau Castle, Palace of Versailles, Dinner cruise on the Siene, Mont St. Michel, D-Day tour, Monet's Gardens and so much more. All of our hotels booked. Things that I would have never thought of Mathilde and Kim Kim did. And all this at a price that we could afford. We are preparing to go to Italy for three weeks next year, I will definitely be calling Kim Kim and Mathilde . Thank you for a great experience that my wife and I will never forget.

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Chamonix

Chamonix

Quality of Experience

Skip the line Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Versailles Bike & Palace Day Trip

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seine River Gourmet Dinner Cruise with Live Music

Paris

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City Excursion by E-Bike with Food Tasting

Lyon

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Omaha & Utah Beach War History Day Trip

Bayeux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey - Entrance tickets

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Luberon E-Bike Adventure

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to France to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary was nothing short of magical. Our expert trip planner, Josée, helped to fill each day with special experiences that created memories we will cherish forever, and we had enough free time to make discoveries and plans of our own. In every step of the planning process, Josée was responsive, resourceful, professional, and unfailingly helpful. We have recommended KimKim, and Josée in particular, to several people already and will continue to do so for years to come. We are certain to return to the company ourselves when planning future trips abroad.

Hotel Review

Hôtel A la Villa des Artistes

Paris

Josée secured us accommodations in a boutique hotel where I’d stayed before, Villa des Artistes in the 6th arrondissement. She had offered other, fancier places since this was an anniversary trip, but we opted for this 3-star hotel since we planned to have many outings throughout our stay and wanted to save some money for special dinners and other activities. The hotel was just as I remembered: charming, clean, and comfortable, with a supremely helpful front-desk staff, generous continental breakfast. When we arrived in France, our friendly driver, Michael, met us at the airport and brought us to the hotel, where we were delighted to be able to check in early after our red-eye flight. We immediately went out to eat delicious crêpes at La Crêperie de Josselin on a nearby side street of Rue Montparnasse, which I believe is part of what is known as “Le Petit Bréton” of Paris.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, charming, with artistic touches and a nice outdoor courtyard. While a dresser to store clothes, and robes, a tub, and washcloths in the bathrooms would have been nice, we were not disappointed since we knew this was a 3-star hotel.

Location

An ideal location for accessing public transportation and taking walks to places such as Le Jardin du Luxembourg, with many wonderful restaurants nearby. One night when we had nothing official on our KimKim agenda, I booked dinner reservations ahead of time at La Closerie de Lilas, right up the street from our hotel. Our meal was fabulous, the service outstanding, and the nearly 4-hour, multicourse dinner we enjoyed allowed us to reflect back on our beautiful day in Chartres. Though it’s 3,500+ miles away from our home, we now think of this restaurant as “our place,” on par with the restaurant in our home state where we got engaged.

Staff

So kind and helpful, particularly with arranging cabs for us. The kitchen staff and housekeepers were also very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

We took a cab to the meeting site to go to La Tour Eiffel. Our guide met the small group scheduled to visit the tower, and after making our way through two rounds of security checks, we went all the way to the top! The views were spectacular, and the audio guide (while a bit hokey!) helped us orient ourselves to the city. We are grateful that Josée scheduled this as our first formal experience of the trip—it was the perfect start! We decided to walk back to our hotel so that we could explore the city on foot. This was a choice we made several times throughout our stay in Paris, carrying umbrellas with us in case of rain. On this first night, we did get caught in a cloudburst just before reaching our hotel, but we scurried into a lovely restaurant, Le Dôme, where we enjoyed a beautiful seafood platter paired with excellent wine. (As an aside, although the forecast was gloomy for the 6 days we were in France, we felt very lucky that this was the only time we got caught in the rain. Quelle bonne chance!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very clear in her instructions and guidance through security.

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

The next morning after a lovely breakfast in the small outside courtyard of the hotel, our guide, Agathe, met us at our hotel to take us by metro for a visit to Sainte Chapelle, La Conciergerie, and the surrounding area. She was warm, knowledgeable, and sensitive, teaching us a great deal about the sites we visited. Sainte Chapelle was breathtakingly beautiful, and we were impressed by the multimedia guides that let us see how Paris (and Île de la Cité, in particular) changed and grew over time. Agathe was careful to point out key features of the architecture, and she sought out more information when we posed questions, seeking specific bible stories in the stained-glass windows. As an aside, Agathe was also able to provide some more recent Parisian history when we encountered police blockades in several areas. She explained that this day of our visit, October 17, was the anniversary of the terrible Paris Massacre of 1961, and she provided context for us, also pointing out street art depicting the late Tunisian-French attorney and feminist heroine Gisèle Halimi, and then connecting her legacy to the bravery of Gisèle Pelicot, the survivor at the heart of the current devastating rape trial. As we walked to La Conciergerie, we stopped to buy cappuccinos at Les Deux Palais, and as we enjoyed them, Agathe oriented us to the sites we’d seen on the video in Sainte Chapelle, pointing out places on the Seine and drawing our attention to various statues. I was very glad we got to go into La Conciergerie, which had been unexpectedly closed the last time I was in Paris. Once again, we were impressed by the multimedia tools at this historic site, which let us see what the interior of the building (including the great hall and the kitchens, in addition to the holding cells) looked like centuries ago. We were also glad to see a beautiful exhibit of artwork from Benin, where we lingered a bit before heading out. Since we’d stayed a bit longer than expected at La Conciergerie, we said goodbye to Agathe and headed out on our own to the marché aux fleurs, where we made a few purchases before going to the viewing stand outside Notre Dame. It’s a shame we couldn’t go inside since construction is still underway, but we decided that’s just another reason to return to Paris again someday! Then, we made our way to Shakespeare & Co., where we happily browsed the shelves, bought a small fraction of the many books we wanted to buy due to luggage space. We walked along the Seine, stopping at a street vendor to buy an antique print, and then had an excellent lunch on the terrace of Les Antiquaires.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Agathe was a gem!

Transport

Agathe showed us the ropes of using the metro, and we ended up using it more on our own later in our trip.

Orsay Museum with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

We walked to Musée d’Orsay. Neither of us had ever been there, and it is now one of our favorite places on Earth! The collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work is just astounding, and the audio guide was user-friendly and very enjoyable. We learned so much about familiar art and were thrilled to discover new artists. We could’ve spent many days there, happily exploring the galleries and marveling at the architecture itself. We will certainly return! And next time we will certainly add Musée de l'Orangerie to our agenda.

Quality of Experience

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

We walked to the launching site for our dinner cruise on the Seine. This was a beautiful, romantic night, and the food and wine were delicious. We loved taking in the sites of the city all lit up, and the servers were gracious and eager to make sure we had fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was not KimKim's fault, but advice on finding our way back without getting overcharged would be a good idea for future travellers.

Gourmet Food Tour in Central Paris - Les Halles/Montorgueil

Paris

On Saturday we started with a gourmet food tour of Paris. We skipped breakfast and met our guide at the meeting site. Carole was a delight! Passionate about slow food, cooking, and food history, she shared a tremendous amount of knowledge and the many images she had collected on her iPad enhanced the history she shared. She showed us around various kitchenware shops, specialty food stores, and brasseries as we wended our way to Rue de Nil, where she planned to make food purchases. We worked up an appetite and were fairly desperate for coffee, having misunderstood that we would not be eating throughout the tour, but purchasing items to eat all together at lunchtime. About an hour into our tour, Carole did lead us to a good coffee shop where we bought cappuccinos, and we had the best croissants we’d ever had before going to other shops, where she bought a baguette, cheeses, butter, and meats to enjoy as a lunch paired with wine. In retrospect, we wished we’d personally bought fresh fruits, mustards, cornichons/gherkins, and olives to add to the meal, but we weren’t sure if that would have been OK. Also, my husband doesn’t drink alcohol, and his drink options were limited at the restaurant where we had our meal, but these issues were only minor detractions from an otherwise wonderful experience with an expert guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Carole was the epitome of Parisian style, grace, and passion for good food. We loved learning from her and just being in her presence.

1 Hour Photo Shoot

Paris

I wish I could give a whole constellations of stars to this experience, never mind 5. Before our photographer, Sabine, met us at the hotel, we stopped at a florist across the street, Bouquets Montparnasse. The shopkeeper made up a bouquet for me and a boutonniere for my husband on the spot! Then, we got dressed and our driver, Michael, picked us up with Sabine and we went off to Île de la Cité for our photo shoot and picnic. I hardly know how to express my gratitude to Sabine for her beautiful work. She was professional, patient, accommodating, generous, and above all, an artist in all she did for us that afternoon. The nearly 300 photos she took have given us a priceless record of our milestone anniversary, and they will be precious heirlooms for our family. After taking photos on two bridges, and then photographing our vow renewal, including a handfasting ritual, she took care to photograph various special details—the headpiece my late-mother-in-law made that I wore in her honor, our rings, the handfasting cord, etc.—and I think she stayed much longer than she’d planned. She left us to enjoy our picnic and then returned to bring us to our driver and to pick up the picnic items for the company that set up the meal. We are so very, very appreciative of her time and talents and hope you will convey our thanks to her. She truly went above and beyond, and we could not be happier with the photographs. And, I must also say that the picnic was a delight! In some ways it was an encore of the meal we had with Carole, but it also included a beautiful bouquet, fresh fruit, a lovely Normandy cider for my husband, and tasty desserts. As we enjoyed our meal and reflected on the vows we’d shared, we took time to call our family, and the entire experience left us feeling profoundly happy and grateful. Additional: After our driver brought us back to our hotel, we packed everything so that we would be ready to leave Paris the next day, and then we decided to take the advice of a cab driver we’d met earlier in the week and make our way to the Latin Quarter for some jazz music. I’d mentioned to him that I wanted to find a jazz club for our last night in Paris, and he immediately recommended Le Caveau de la Huchette. So, we walked there from our hotel, stood in a line that wrapped round the corner to enter, and ended up having one of the most fun nights out of our lives! The music was amazing, the energy of the crowd joyful and exuberant, and we even managed to score some seats in the packed room. We wished we could’ve stayed longer until the place shut down at 2 a.m., but we decided to head back to our hotel at midnight since we had to be up and ready to leave for the airport the next morning. Day 6 As it turned out, we had one more delight in store. We got up early enough to take our coffee and breakfast from the hotel to go, and we walked to Le Jardin du Luxembourg for a sunrise breakfast just as the park opened at 8 a.m.. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I’d been sad at the prospect of throwing away the flowers from our vow renewal, and then I was inspired to bring them to our little breakfast picnic. As we left the park, we passed by a statue of George Sand, and we decided to leave toss the bouquets at the base, recalling her famous words, “Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé,” (“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sabine! She is amazing. Full stop.

Transport

We were so grateful that our driver made this beautiful day so easy for us.

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur Walking Tour

Paris

On our last full day in Paris, we went to Montmartre, a part of the city we’d never visited. (We ended up regretting taking a cab since several Seine River crossings were closed due to a road race, but we made it just in time after a half-hour drive that should’ve taken much less time.) We are so grateful that Josée scheduled this for our final morning—the juxtaposition of this part of the city with the other areas we’d been in was just incredible. Our tour guide, Florencia, was a last-minute substitute since the person who was supposed to be our guide had to cancel due to a family emergency. Florencia was nervous since this was the first-ever tour she’d led independently, but she did a wonderful job! She was knowledgeable, passionate about history, and very warm and friendly. We had just rewatched the film Amelie on the big screen a month or so ago in our hometown, so it was a special treat to see sites from that movie, and we were delighted to be introduced to the singer Dalida and her story—we’ve been listening to her music ever since! We made all sorts of connections between the art we’d seen at Musée d’Orsay and the sites we saw in Monmartre, and it was quite special to walk up to Sacré Cœur and take in the view of the city from the hill. After climbing down the long steps from Sacré Cœur, Florencia led us to a metro stop, and we went back to our hotel to get ready for our vow renewal/photo shoot, the raison d’être of our anniversary trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

After our tour, we went window shopping at the Palais Royale before making our way to the Louvre. We asked security where to go with our “skip the line” passes and were unfortunately told that there is no such thing as “skip the line,” and that this is a marketing label with no practical impact. So, we waited in line for nearly an hour including security checks, and then found our way to the audio-guide pickup site. Unlike the audio-guide devices at Musee d’Orsay, we found the ones at the Louvre to be very difficult to use, and we ended up returning them early and just fending for ourselves. This was a fine choice! Everywhere we looked there was something wonderful to see, and we devised a thematic approach to our wanderings, deciding to look for depictions of Mary Magdalene throughout the museum since we had plans to visit La Madeleine that evening. We stayed until the museum closed, and then went back to our hotel to quickly dress up for our nighttime plans. (As an aside, we had no KimKim items on our agenda for that evening, so I had looked for events ahead of time and bought tickets to a classical music concert at La Madeleine. We took a cab to the venue, where we were astounded by the beauty of the church and excited to see more artwork, not to mention relics, of Mary Magdalene. The concert was wonderful! Les Violons de France played Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major, and Schubert’s Ave Maria, accompanied by a soprano. The combination of the gorgeous music and the exquisite setting made for a night we will never forget. We walked back to our hotel even though it was a bit chilly and drizzly, stopping for a warming meal of boeuf bourguignon at a small bistro to end a long, jam-packed, beautiful day.)

Quality of Experience

Sebastian did a wonderful job planning out trip and customizing it to meet exactly what we were looking for. We particularly enjoyed the boat tour of Calanques National Park, and the incredible views in Chamonix!

Good Morning/Afternoon,
Julie and I have returned from our trip and we had an amazing time. Everything was set up pretty much as we had planned. Our only glitch I'd say was our Eiffel tower adventure. We had trouble connecting with our guide but did eventually get connected. Neither Julie or I realized that we had needed to pre-purchase our own Eiffel tower tickets so when we met up with our guide, he asked "So what are we doing". "Do you have tickets?" And he would have needed a ticket as well. So we didn't go up into the Eiffel tower. If we paid anything into this tour we probably didn't get our money's worth. We did walk around with the guide (I can't remember his name) for about an hour just talking about different sites and landmarks. I guess I would suggest for further clients a better way to communicate when to pre-purchase tickets. It just wasn't completely clear to Julie or I. The rest of the trip went very smooth. We made all our connections, met up easily with all our tour guides and had so much fun. I highly recommend the cooking class that we participated in with Rosa Jackson in Aix en Provence. This was a delightful class and may have been one of the highlights of the trip. I don't have any other trips planned but I will use and or recommend KimKim when I plan my next trip.
Best regards,
Jennifer Shoemaker
Happy Traveler