Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Thank you, Thomas and Rashi, for a wonderful trip. They took care of all of the details, and then were really responsive before the trip, when I had some clarifying questions, and during the trip, whenever anything came up. This trip was on our bucket list, and I'm so glad I trusted it to KimKim.

For those considering the trip, I would say that the hiking was more grueling than I expected, and the weather is so variable, you have to be prepared for anything. But if you're up for the challenge, it was the trip of a lifetime.

Aline and Bastien planned a wonderful trip for us to Paris and Normandy! This is our second trip utilizing KimKim and we find their model very good for our needs. I appreciated how accessible they were for questions on the What's App when we arrived and throughout our visit. We began trip by flying to Paris, then "trained" to Bayeux for several days in the French countryside visiting Mt. St. Michelle one day and then Normandy. The local tour guides they arranged for us were ALL terrific! Charles gave us a wonderful experience at Mt. St. Michelle and we appreciated all his shared knowledge, sense of humor and even his singing:-). Jonathan (Normandy) gave us a very enlightening and enjoyable D-Day experience despite the pouring rain! He was energetic and so fascinatingly full of history about this important place. Aline and Bastien had arranged lovely chateau accommodations near Bayeux that were so gorgeous and restful. Excellent restaurant and bar on site, even a sweet set of donkeys grazing peacefully in field. The staff at our chateau were all delightful! Our final day we returned to Paris by smooth, quiet train. We then packed two days worth of touring into one as our airline had canceled our flight at beginning of our trip (after we waited 7 hours through repeated delays in Boston). Thus, since we lost our first day in Paris, we strove to pack everything in on our last day. Remarkably it all worked! Trained 2.5 hrs early AM, brought bags to hotel near Notre Dame, walked to Louvre, toured there (Mona Lisa! I had just read The Davinci Code which begins in the Louvre and discusses some fascinating details about the Mona Lisa...as well as The Divine Feminine...) taxied to Montmartre where we enjoyed a Gastronomy tour with Aude, a delightful and very informative young lady tour guide sharing about the amazing delicacies and history of the area, taxied to Eiffel Tower to meet Anna for our graciously rescheduled tour from Monday She was remarkably prepared with much to share and good visual aids to emphasize our learning as we traveled up to the top and visited stops on way down. Fully enjoyed Anna and her thorough tour! We added our Siene commented cruise back on to close our touring which was very fun and finally had a late Italian meal back near our hotel. A comfortable sleep, a surprisingly efficient and delicious breakfast at cafe nearby and then the transfer service Bastien arranged arrived in timely manner to return us to Charles DeGaulle Airport. If only our air travel had gone more smoothly on both ends, but this was the airlines and not a KimKim responsibility. We look forward to arranging future travel with KimKim. Thank you again Aline and Bastien!

Bon jour! Our trip to France planned by Lise was all that we imagined it to be. We visited three places Paris, Aix en Provence and Nice. Although it felt like a whirlwind everything went smoothly as far as transfers, hotels, guides and the sights that were selected for us. In Paris we had 4 amazing guides and tours. Our guides Raphaelle, Emilie, Agathe and Gil in Paris were truly experts at their craft. We learned things we had never expected and were so impressed with their enthusiasm and kindness towards us. Between the cafes and the tours we definitely feel another trip is in order as this was just a taste.
Aix en Provence was our favorite I think overall. The four villages we visited in Luberon with our guide Carolina were absolutely a feast for the eyes and the senses. Magnificent views, great food, and of course the smell of lavender. It was a carefree day of taking this all in and meandering through the shops nestled in the mountains. Truly another place to return to.. two days was not enough. Carolina was well informed and gave us the freedom to enjoy a relaxing day of leisure.
And then finally Nice, Eze and Monaco. What can I say about these place except beautiful beaches, beautiful views and delicious food and wine. What a great way to end our trip and say goodbye to France. This is not goodbye though it is au revoir for now.
From not knowing anything but Paris, Lise took what I had asked for and made it a reality.. I am truly grateful for her assistance and recommend this service to everyone. Merci Beaucoup! Annamarie Aigotti

Sebastian was very helpful in answering all our questions and creating a trip that met our needs. We had an amazing experience in France and learned so much thanks to him. He also was so patient with us during the planning process, much appreciated.
All of our accommodations were convenient and accessible by walking or train to attractions in Paris, Marseilles and Nice. We especially enjoyed our Maison du Monde hotel in Marseilles, the breakfast there was excellent. We also loved our Paris hotel Hotel Lorette and the lovely local neighborhood it was in.

All of our outings were very fun, educational, and the transportation and guides were prompt and friendly. Ezekiel in Marseille made special accommodations for our walking tour to meet the needs of our group and took extra time to assist us.

We all want to come back and learn more about France given such a wonderful trip KimKim provided for us

Simon planned a lovely tour in France for me, staying at Tours, Amboise, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and St Emilion. Everything went very smoothly and the guides e provided were excellent. Super time.

Activity Reviews

Visit and tasting Chateau de Miniere

Amboise

The wine tasting at Chateau de Miniere was a bit underwhelming. It was just me and the vineyard host, which made the experience feel somewhat isolated. The host poured a series of wines for me to taste, but there wasn't much conversation or interaction. It felt quite solitary, and at the end, she asked if I wanted to buy some wine, which I couldn't do because I was flying. I think it would have been much better with more people to share the experience with.

Cité du Vin : priority access with the skip the line ticket and wine tasting

Bordeaux

The Cité du Vin in Bordeaux was a bit of a letdown for me. The building is modern and quite lovely, but I found the experience very basic. It felt more like an introductory course on wine—like "Did you know wine is made from grapes?"—which wasn't very engaging for me. The audio-visual presentations were well-done, but the pacing was off. I often found myself catching segments halfway and not knowing if I should wait for it to restart. Overall, I felt it wasn't the best use of my time.

We had an amazing 9 days travelling in Paris and Tours as well as the countryside in the Loire Valley. Aline was such a huge help to me to create a trip my whole family was willing to get on a plane for. Biking through the forests to find castles to tour was just incredible and something we will never forget!
Using Kimkim let us balance my desire for all the details to be worked out ahead of time and my husbands idea to just show up and wander. Aline was able to find solutions to the (maybe odd?) requests my two teenagers had and she was always available to help us out when we got stuck. Overall great trip, Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel de Venise**

Paris

overall good location, helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Appart'City Tours

Tours

This place was ultimately a great home base for us, with a couch, tv laundry and lots of dinner options nearby. There was some trouble at check in because they had booked the room under the travel agents name instead of my name.

Authenticity & Character

Location

its at a shopping mall, but is on the tram line

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had two bedrooms, two showers and a couch ~ it was really a small apartment and perfect for our needs

Activity Reviews

French Cooking Class (Group Tour/4.5Hours)

Paris

Definitely a trip highlight!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We took the metro!

Full Day E-Bike guided tour, Loire Valley Chateaux : CHAMBORD (Small Group/8Hours)

Tours

This bike trip was so much more magical than I could have ever expected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

St-Germain Pastry & Chocolate Tour (Group Tour/3Hours)

Paris

Our guide kept us moving and was an excellent storyteller, we sampled chocolates and along the way learned the whole human history of chocolate preparation leading right into the french tradition

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were connected with Lise to start working through itineraries and ultimately landed on a plan that we were really happy with. The actual trip was even more spectacular than how it looked on paper and we were very satisfied with the quality of locations, hotel and excursions. The pace and adventure was what we were looking for and Lise nailed it for us. Thank you again for working with us on a tight timeline and within our budget! Much appreciated.

All our drivers and guides were excellent. First class. The hotel in Bayeux was top notch and in a great location as was the one in Lyon. The only suggestion I have would be to offer an option for a room with a view at the hotel in Lyon. The room had one awkwardly placed window looking out onto what they called a courtyard but which was more like a silo. The view you had was into other people’s windows across this square opening in the middle of the building. The building was quite tall so it was not well lit in this “courtyard.”The room was dark and actually sort of depressing. I inquired about an upgrade with a view outside but they were fully booked. The staff and breakfast were very nice though. My wife and I were impressed with the arrangements made by Kimkim and will definitely use your service again.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Le Lion d'Or et restaurant la Table du Lion

Bayeux

Very nice hotel and staff in a great location.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely hotel.

Location

Right in town near everything.

Staff

Very nice staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Hotel Bayard Bellecour 3*

Lyon

Nice hotel in an excellent location. Make sure you request a room with a view. Do not get a “courtyard view” room.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old building.

Location

Great location.

Staff

Very nice people.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean in an old building with a lot of character.

Activity Reviews

Mont-Saint-Michel day Tour

France

A fun trip we took with one other couple.

Quality of Experience

Everything was first class.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice, knowledgeable guide.

Transport

Clean and new.

Full Day Tour of Omaha and Utah Beaches & Normandy Landings Sites

Bayeux

Wonderful tour.

Quality of Experience

Well thought out by the tour operator.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ellen was our guide and she was amazing. So friendly and knowledgeable. Excellent.

Transport

Clean and new looking vehicle. Ellen was a very good driver.

The TMB has become a top hiker’s destination, therefore, accommodations can be difficult to arrange. When we decided we would finally make the trip, Rashi shared that the accommodations would be difficult considering our shorter “lead time”. Shortly thereafter, she reached out to offer an itinerary from a couple who canceled their trip, but would require date changes. We were delighted with the news!
Rashi and Thomas were able to make some tweaks to this itinerary to customize the trip for us, e.g.; we added a couple days in Geneva on the front end, added a couple on the backend and were able to build in a break day after each 3 days of hiking. We hiked 9 days, around 100 miles overall and wouldn’t change a thing!
Rashi offered suggestions of “things to do and see” for each of our non-hiking days, which was helpful and gave us options.

We were overall pleased with our accommodations which ranged from 4/5 star rated boutique hotels to (a) shared dorm with bunkbeds and shared bathrooms. Most of the mountain huts have both dorms and select private rooms. We were pleasantly surprised to find most of our private rooms also had en suite bathroom facilities. We were expecting to share in these locations. I’m not sure if that was a special request from Rashi and Thomas on our behalf, or if we were just lucky?!

We chose the luggage service which I would HIGHLY recommend for this trek! It was worth every penny to know we didn’t have to carry everything on our backs, nor did we have to “go without” certain items.

This is the 2nd time using Kimkim for International travel with great results! They work with local experts, like Rashi and Thomas from Allibert Trekking, to handle the logistics AND there is peace of mind knowing there’s someone local to contact if in need.

We had such a Wonderful time with our family of 9 in Paris. Thank you to our travel planner Lucie who hit on every highlight we wanted to see. Lucie was so so patient with us as it was a lot & she setup more than we could have asked for in 6 days. We took in a ride down the seine river, saw Eiffel Tower which was Amazing. Went to Versailles Museum & The Louvre so impressive & the art…Gorgeous! Took the kids to Disney which they enjoyed thoroughly. We went to Normandy for the day & there are no words how impactful it was. We had a great guide for the day who made our adventure great. On our last day we went to Montmartre…Beautiful
& went on a lovely tour with our guide as well as a food tour which we enjoyed immensely . Also took in the Arc de Triomphe. This trip was a vacation of a life time that we will never forget! Thank you to Lucie & the tour guides for making this such an Amazing trip!

Hotel Review

The Basile Hotel

Paris

The hotel was very accommodating & very nice. The night man at the desk one of the nights was abrupt with answering questions which we didn’t appreciate but overall Very good. The rooms were clean & comfortable. Breakfast was lovely with croissant, meats, cheeses, yogurts & fresh Orange juice.

Authenticity & Character

The Art decor & decorations

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Full-day excursion from Paris of D-day beaches - U.S. sector

Paris

Made such a difference having a tour guide & being it was a 2.5 hour ride we had a vehicle pick us up (9 people) & the ride was great & so glad we did noth

Quality of Experience

Lucie from KimKim

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were very sociable & respectful

Transport

The driver

Our trip to France during the Olympics was incredible. There were a lot of logistics to coordinate and KimKim did a great job getting it all lined up and coordinated.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel West End

Nice

The location was great, right across from the beach. I wouldn't consider the hotel a 4-star though. Maybe 3-star. Breakfast buffet was decent but the staff was slow to replenish and clean. The front desk was very accommodating and helpful. We had two rooms and the suite for our 3 kids was amazing with really nice views and a balcony. The queen room was small and had no balcony or views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Jardin de Cluny

Paris

Location is amazing. Hotel is a boutique hotel. We had the entire 6th floor for our two rooms which was really nice. The buffet was good but small. The elevator was very small and it was challenging to get our entire family in it at the same time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terrass Hotel

Paris

Hotel is amazing! Service was outstanding. The views were spectacular. We could see all the way to the Eiffel Tower! The only critique is how far we were from city center, so it took us 30 minutes to and from each day which wasn't convenient. The one issue we had was the location of our two rooms. We booked two rooms for our family of 5 and were separated by a floor. We prefer to be on the same floor as our children but this wasn't a possibility. In the future, it should be requested of the hotel that families are on the same floor at least.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Font Mourier

Cogolin

The hotel was beautiful. The decor was chic and fun. The rooms were slightly rustic and there were no views, but the AC worked great, which is all that mattered to us. The hotel is 30 minutes from the town which was very inconvenient for us. We asked our travel agent to book something closer but she didn't. It was very frustrating and ultimately expensive to have to shuttle back and forth from the hotel to the city. Also, the buffet breakfast was delicious!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

Our tour guide was very nice and it was great to have the headsets to hear her in all the different locations we want to. But she was very disconnected to our group. She had us stand in the sun to talk to us about different facts. She would talk on and on and didn't do a good job of "reading the room". We had 5 kids on the tour and she didn't do a good job of engaging them even though there were several opportunities to do so.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our hotel was 30 minutes away so it wasn't convenient to get here the morning after we arrived in Paris.

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

The tour guide was very likeable but we found the tour underwhelming.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide as good. Topic wasn't as engaging as we hoped.

Transport

This tour was close to our hotel so it made it easier to arrive on time.

Family Bicycle Tour of Paris

Paris

The tour was a great way to experience the city and get a feel for the different neighborhoods. Our tour guide, Simon, was great and very relaxed. He did a great job adapting to our needs and accommodating us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, the tour started 30 minutes away from our hotel so it was challenging to get there in time.

3 hours Private Cruise On The French Riviera

Nice

This private cruise was hands down our favorite part of the trip. Seeing the French Rivera from the water was the best way to see the area. I only wish we had more time! Our captain was incredible. We enjoyed his stories and the interesting facts he shared. The area we snorkeled in was beautiful and clear. The boat was stunning and definitely nicer than we expected. This day will be remembered forever.

Quality of Experience

The quality of the boat was impeccable.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our captain was fun and relaxed. He made the trip very enjoyable.

Transport

We had to arrange our own transportation to the port.

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

This tour was a disaster. We showed up 30 minutes prior as instructed by the tour company. We stood near the front of the line because we were there early, only to be pulled out by the tour company so we could be moved into a tour group. Then we had to get back in the line and wait with our tour guide to go through security. The tour guide didn't have tickets so then we had to wait in another line to get tickets. Once we finally got up to the first level, the tour guide told us boring, mundane stories that were very disappointing. We would have been better off doing it on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain des Près Food Tour

Paris

This food tour was incredible. It was not in St. Germain though, it was in the Latin Quarter. Our guide told us he has a separate tour for St. Germain and this wasn't it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Magical Day in Disneyland® Paris

France

I'm disappointed with how late we got our tickets. We weren't able to make reservations at for restaurants ahead of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

This was such a fun tour! We didn't know Monaco was so close to Nice so I'm glad our travel agent recommended it. It was very convenient. Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable about the area and filled in a lot of interesting facts about the area as we drove. We got to see Monaco from every vantage point - from the port, the casino/city center, and from the rock at the top of the city. I would have liked more time to shop and walk around in the city center if I knew more of what the day looked like. The trip to Eze was unique but we didn't spend much time. If we had more time I would have loved to stop and have a drink in one of their little restaurants. The stop at the fragrance factory in Eze was very random. We bought some things but I would have rather spent that 45 minutes in Monaco.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

1 Hour Photo Shoot

Paris

The setting was wonderful and our photographer was very personable. She was open to locations and configurations for the pictures and pointed out spots that would shoot well. I was very surprised and disappointed that she didn't edit the photos. She gave us the card right after our hour was up and then emailed us afterwards with a copy. I've never had professional photos where the photographer didn't touch them up even a little. I would have liked to know this up front because there were a lot of pictures where people were walking right next to us and it looks sloppy. I would not have purchased this if I had known.

Quality of Experience

Locations were great. There were so many places in a small area in which we were able to get nice photos.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best of Louvre & Orsay Museums

Paris

The museums are massive so it's hard to do it all in one day but our guide did a great job of navigating us through and helping us to hit the highlights. She was extremely knowledgeable of a lot of the history and key items in each museum. She had great tips to help us see the Mona Lisa up close. She also shared lots of interesting facts. My only negative was that the tour was supposed to be 5 hours but we finished 3 hours so I felt like we rushed a bit. I would have liked to see more of the Louvre.

Quality of Experience

The tour was great and we hit the highlights but I would have liked to have spent more time in the Louvre or at least until the end of the scheduled tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafaelle was very knowledgeable about many things and it made for an incredible experience.

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

The Seine river cruise was a great way to see the city and it was a nice way for us to end our trip. We went at night so the city was lit up and looked beautiful. The lights were all around and we could definitely see why it's called the city of lights. The speaker was very hard to understand. He spoke in three languages so he would explain each site in English, French and Spanish. It seemed like he was rushing through because it was hard to understand and process what he was saying. Also, I thought we were on a champagne river cruise but there were no refreshments provided.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Thanks rashi for organising this trip at last minute - it was really well planned and we cannot thank you enough!

We decided to work with kim kim, to plan and organize travels through the riviera using a private driver (come guide). They then appointed a local agent, HighPoint Holidays, in the riviera, to execute the itinerary.

Day 1 in nice:
Our driver was not a guide and drove us from one destination to another, leaving us on our own to figure out what we wanted to see and do. There was zero guidance from him. Even worst was the level of his driving. My message to the agent was “the driver was a maniac on the road, almost ran into road barriers and multiple people (multiple times). We repeatedly asked him to slow down but he did not listen. The end the day, when we were ready to leave our last destination, the driver was no where to be found. We called his phone numerous times, there was no response and we ended up waiting for him for 45 mins!”

Day 2:
Went according to plans with no hiccups to report or complain about

Day 3:
We were ready and waiting to be picked up at 9am. The driver was late, we made numerous calls to kim kim, who in turn made numerous calls to high point. They had no reason or excuse for the driver not showing up and kept asking us to wait whilst they figure things out. We waited till 10:30am at which point i called a taxi to drive us around and cancelled the tour with the travel agent

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Thereafter we agreed that i engage a taxi to drive us around for the next couple of days, as their unreliability left a bad taste in my mouth

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Day 7:
We had planned a private boat trips the agent mentioned the weather forecast was not looking in our favor and they would advise the night before and the morning of. The night before, as the weather was not looking favorable, i asked if it might be better that we cancel the boating trip. The agent and captain agreed

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

Day 8:
We had planned a private drive to san reno and the italian riviera. We were informed at the last minute that we would need to join other people as they did not have enough resources. I decided to cancel this and go on our own

A REFUND OF SOME KIND SHOULD MADE, SHOULDNT IT?

At the end of the travels, we summarized everything for kim kim, they responded and said they would they would honor the changes and refund accordingly. After weeks of writing repeatedly to them, they responded and offer a total of USD1,400.00 less some hotel incidentals which we highlighted is our cost, the net refund of only US$1038.00 which is only a small fraction of the cost we paid of USD17,278;

Due to our experiences, I cannot suggest or recommend these to groups. There was no explanation. They have simply gone radio silent, ignoring us and simply disappeared. Not cool!

Hotel Review

AC Hotel by Marriott Nice

Nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to the French Riviera

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

PRIVATE HALF-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL

France

Half Day Trip to Eze, Monaco & Monte Carlo (Morning or Afternoon)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gorge du Verdon & Lavender fields

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

PRIVATE FULL-DAY TOUR MINIVAN AND DRIVER AT DISPOSAL

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour of the Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence

Saint Paul de Vence

Saint tropez on your way to the French Riviera with a private driver

France

The Italian Riviera: Full-Day Tour discovering Menton & Sanremo

Nice

Private boat 2 hours excursion

France

Wow - we were so impressed with Justine! She listened to what was important to us and planned the perfect trip for us to Provence. The cooking class with Cyril that she suggested is not something we would ever have picked out on our own, and it was one of the highlights of the trip! We told her some of the hotels we have enjoyed in the past in other countries and she found us a unique converted farmhouse in a small town outside of Aix that was exactly what we were hoping for. Her recommendations for excursions were excellent, and even her recommendations on things like where to park on busy summer days were spot on and I'm sure saved us a lot of time. We enjoyed our day visiting vineyards with Remy as well as exploring the villages of the Luberon Valley and cruising in Cassis on our own. We've gone on fully guided trips before as well as ones we completed planned on our own, so this was the first time using KimKim. It certainly will not be our last time - we had such a great holiday! We felt like we had the support we might need in a country where we didn't speak the language, and in the end felt like we really got to spend time experiencing the culture, food and people of southern France instead of worrying about itinerary details and if we were missing out by not having an insider's knowledge of the area. We fell in love with Provence and the French Riviera and if (hopefully) we return soon, we won't hesitate to ask for Justine to help plan a trip in the area again! I cannot recommend her enough. Thank you Justine and KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Pin

The location was absolutely perfect for exploring Nice. We had a car so their parking lot was invaluable. The staff was lovely and the room was actually quite big by European standards. The downside to the location was that it was incredibly loud at night and then once the restaurants in the area closed, it got loud again when the trash was picked up before dawn. Overall, I would stay here again if in Nice.

Authenticity & Character

It felt like a nice hotel in a city but nothing felt particularly French or French riviera about it. No complaints though.

Location

It was within walking distance of many of the main places - the restaurants on Rue Bonaparte, the city market, the beaches, etc.

Staff

They were LOVELY.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had trouble with the AirCon and we couldn't keep the windows open at night because it was so loud.

In Provence Hotel

Venelles

This was a very unique hotel and we enjoyed our time there! While it was nice to be able to check in with the machine, there were a few times we had questions and it would have been nice to have an actual person there to ask. The Aircon stopped working the last two nights and since there was no one to ask, we just dealt with the higher temperature which was not preferable. We loved the location - just outside of Aix and we could easily drive all over Provence from here - yet in a small town where we felt like we got to experience living in France vs staying in hotel chain. We loved walking down to the restaurants and the bakery was only a couple blocks away - it was fabulous. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting the area who was looking for a more authentic and unique stay.

Authenticity & Character

It's a converted farmhouse and you could really feel that character. I loved the unique room and it felt authentic to the area instead of staying in a more sterile corporate hotel that you end up with in bigger cities.

Location

We loved the small town feel. We walked down to the square, the local pub, the bakery, etc and got to know some of the people working there since we were there for 5 days.

Staff

I feel like poor isn't the right answer....we never actually met anyone who worked here because it was automated check in and check out. The automated check in told us that we had to pay 13 euro per person/per day for breakfast so we never went to that although later our KimKim person told us that it was supposed to have been included. Since there wasn't anyone working there we weren't able to find that out in time to actually enjoy breakfast there.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I thought the bed was really comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Arles, les Baux-de-provence & Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

France

This was another fun day with Remy! Arles was a cute city and we enjoyed learning about the history and seeing the Van Gogh painting, and scenes where he painted. While this wasn't our favorite day of our entire trip, it was still a really lovely day. It was just tough to compete with Cassis, Luberon, vineyards, etc.

Quality of Experience

Remy took us to places where Van Gogh painted and we got to basically "be" in the painting - it was really special.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Remy is fantastic! He went above and beyond multiple times.

Transport

Niçoise cooking class expérience

France

Justine offered this option to us and I am so glad that we agreed to do it! We would never have signed up for this on our own. Cyril was fantastic. He gave us some history of the area while visiting the market and we were able to try a lot of different foods that I don't think we would have picked out ourselves to try. Then cooking it was so fun! We were in a real apartment and it just felt like we were cooking with friends for a dinner party in Nice rather than being part of a tourist experience. Cyril told us about cooking with his grandma and everything about the whole experience made us feel so welcome. This was such a great way to start our trip - plus I knew that we wanted to order the squash blossoms on every menu afterwards!

Quality of Experience

It felt very personal. It truly felt like we were friends visiting from out of town as Cyril shared everything with us. It was a highlight of our entire trip.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cyril!!!!! He was absolutely amazing. Please recommend him to anyone and everyone. He really made us feel welcome and like we were friends visiting so he could share his culture.

Provence Wine Tour Private Day Trip from Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence

We had such a fun time visiting the vineyards with Remy! The first vineyard was big and a bit corporate so that wasn't our favorite, although we did enjoy doing the chocolate pairing. The second vineyard was lovely and we enjoyed talking with them and tasting their wines. However, we LOVED the last vineyard, Jas Monges! We really enjoyed speaking with the owner and learning about their vision. We also loved his wines and ended up shipping 2 cases home to the states. We could have hung out there even longer, enjoying wine out on their patio. Remy also took us to explore some local food in Aix during the day (we chose that over sitting down for a long lunch) and that was another true highlight. He was a wonderful guide. What a great day!

Quality of Experience

I especially enjoyed Remy's stop in Aix for us to have different local foods during the middle of the day, and the last two vineyards were so fun. Remy was a great guide too and stopped for us to take some photos in a lavender field we drove by!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Remy was fantastic!

Transport

For my sister and me this was a trip of a lifetime returning to France where we lived for several years when we were young. Lise worked very closely with us to plan out everything we requested in addition to adding in some activities we had not thought of such as the side trip to Monet's home and gardens. From the time we arrived at CGD airport to the moment we were dropped off for our flight back to the United States, everything went like clockwork! This included private transfers, all tickets to activities and tours, as well as train tickets and stays at wonderful boutique hotels. There were a lot of highlights to this trip but my sister and I loved our Seine dinner cruise on Bastille Day with incredible fireworks over the Eiffel Tower. Frankly we were amazed at how little stress we had with this trip. When visiting France again I will definitely work with Lise. Thanks so much!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Tardif Noble Guesthouse

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Clos d'Amboise

Amboise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover Giverny along the way

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour to Azay-Le-Rideau and Chinon

Amboise

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Quality of Experience

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Quality of Experience

Fantastic I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal. The Bastille Day fireworks were quite a wonderful experience

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

Enjoyed with whirlwind tour of the Louvre.

Quality of Experience

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mont-Saint-Michel day Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chartres guided tour

France

Although this guided tour was good I believe that my sister and I would have done just as well with a personal guided tour on our own with our driver just giving us a set time for us to visit Chartres before we traveled to our next destination.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A pretty fast driver but we had no mishaps

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

The private lunch at the Chateau was fantastic! I loved the marriage museum at this small Chateau.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

Although our guide was very nice her command of the English language was limited. Since I speak some French it was not as much of a problem for me as it was for my sister. We would have been better off to take the English audio guide and tour on our own with the guide just dropping us off for the allotted time.

Quality of Experience

Nathalie worked closely with us to plan the perfect Provence trip for our three generations! The day trips with A la Française were wonderful. Remy was a wonderful guide for the Aix-en-Provence Historical and Gourmet walking tour...informative and good pace. We LOVED the morning lavender fields tour, also with A la Française. Stunning photo opportunities. The Villages and Markets of the Luberon, also with A la Française, was also enjoyable, although maybe a bit too long? Or, maybe the heat just made us cranky by the end of the long day? Boutique Hotel Cezanne was clean, comfortable and well-located. Breakfast was excellent. Aix-en-Provence is a special, special city.
The train from Aix-en-Provence to Marseille to Nice was a bit of a nightmare, although we maybe should have assumed that it would be during the height of the summer season. We had great difficulty finding seats on the second leg of the train trip, but eventually managed to find three seats in three different train cars, just hoping that we all knew when to disembark.
Nice is bustling compared to the laid back vibe of Aix. Our hotel, La Villa Nice Promenade, was also clean, comfortable and well-located. Breakfast was tasty. Our first day trip was a private tour with Liven Up to Grasse, Tourrettes-sur-Loup, and St. Paul de Vence. The Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse is a must. Great, informative factory tour with shopping at the end! Beautiful city...wish we could have spent more time exploring. Tourrettes-sur-Loup was as lovely as we had remembered, although our stop was short here as well. St. Paul de Vence was as picturesque as we had remembered. We loved wandering along the alleys; however, the crowds made it less charming. It seems as though this is now a much more popular destination than it was in 1997! Our city tour of Nice with Michel (Liven Up) was special as he was born and raised in Nice! Our tour was fast-paced, but packed with special lookouts, sweet anecdotes from his childhood, and of course, the main attractions of the city. I wish we had scheduled a few more days in Nice!
Overall, we ALL truly enjoyed the trip...not an easy feat to please an 18, 48 and 78 year old with the same itinerary!
Merci Beaucoup, Nathalie!

I cannot say enough about the exceptional service provided by Kimkim Travel Agency for our recent family trip to France. From the initial stages of planning, they went above and beyond to factor in our specific needs, wants, and the ages of our children. The customized itinerary was perfect, ensuring we had a balance of activities that catered to everyone's interests.

One aspect that truly stood out was the dedicated support we received while in France. Despite minor hiccups that occurred during our trip, Kimkim was there every step of the way to provide assistance promptly and efficiently, giving us peace of mind knowing we were in good hands.

The only slight concern I had throughout the process was that we were initially informed that we would receive our vouchers and final travel guide two months in advance. However, these documents were provided closer to one month before our departure date. While this caused a brief moment of worry, it did not detract from the overall positive experience we had with Kimkim.

Looking back at our amazing adventure in France, we would not hesitate to use Kimkim again for our future travels. Their attention to detail, personalized approach, and excellent on-ground support truly set them apart as a top-notch travel agency. Highly recommended! ✈️🌍 #KimkimTravel #FranceExploration

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Apollinaire

Nice

Beautiful hotel, exceptional service!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mercure Paris CDG Airport & Convention

Roissy-en-France

The hotel smells like an old bus, the food at the buffet was not great. Everything felt grimy and dirty. Would not stay again. The one positive was that there were many activities for children to play in the lobby to keep busy giving you our way from the city center.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Carlton Lyon - MGallery Hotel Collection

Lyon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Escaletto

Aix-en-Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Citadines Bastille Marais Paris

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Treasure Hunt at the Louvre

Paris

This activity was a family highlight of the trip. Our tour guides catered to our children's interests and it was still highly informative and interesting for the parents. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valentine was the most wonderful and profesional travel specialist we have ever met. She made every single arrangement exactly as we wanted it to be. She chose the most wonderful hotels and places as she just had the best insight on France and the best instinct. She really was essential in making our trip an absolute joy.

Our family enjoyed a beautiful vacation to the French Riviera & Provence with an extension to Cinque Terre and Milan. We didn’t have much time to plan our trip and were relieved to rely on the experience and advice pf our local guide, Mathilde. She provided exceptional service, was very communicative, (including phone calls), and helped us explore areas we might not have found on our own. While we knew we wanted to see Verdon Gorge, we were thrilled and delighted by our stay at La Bastide de Moustiers. The grounds, rooms and amazing restaurant left us wanting more. Thank you for helping make our vacation so memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Mas Valentine

Saint-Rémy de Provence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Bastide de Moustiers

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

The most incredible service and food! We loved our accommodations and the dinner in the library . This is a very special place, especially for those who appreciate the little details. We hope to return!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Olive Groves & Vineyards with Olive oil and Wine tasting

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip was done entirely by email and communication through Kimkim. Overall, our experience was excellent both on setting the trip up and the actual trip. I got in communication with Kimkim in January 2024 for a June trip. Mathilde was assigned as my travel agent. I provided some timelines including destinations and some activities desired by us. As this was a continuation of a wine tasting trip that we had already booked, I also provided Mathilde with the itinerary for that trip to give her a sense of what our trip had already been planned as well as the level of service we expected.
Over several weeks of back and forth communications with Mathilde, we came up with a tour that met our needs, finalizing details by February and a downpayment made. In addition to some of the normal tour, hotels, transportation, we made a specific request for a hard-to-book tour in London called the "Ceremony of the Keys" at the Tower of London. While Mathilde had not previously heard of this tour, she did her research and was able to book this for us. In summary, the planning stage of this trip went very smoothly and Mathilde was flexible, cooperative and an overall pleasure to work with. She was also forthcoming with recommendations that we had not though of.
With regard to the actual trip, we received our itinerary and vouchers in a timely manner. The hotel choices were very good hotels with reasonable value for the money. While there were some minor glitches with transportation, we were provided with contact numbers that enabled us to sort things out with a minimum of stress. Overall, everything went off with us having a great time with a minimum of stress.
Highlights of the trip were the aforementioned "Ceremony of the Keys", the Seine dinner cruise, Montmartre, Versailles and the Louvre, both food tours as well as all of our guides and drivers.
In summary, a great trip with great service from Kimkim