Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

Great outdoor spaces. Bright interior and beautiful views of the sea. Nice to have an elevator with private access to the apartment.

We were 4 people in a lofted room, with the king bed up a narrow set of stairs and the bathroom and sofa-bed on the lower level. The sofa bed was not very comfortable so we ended up putting the mattress on the floor. The air conditioning was not working properly, despite several phone calls to the front desk and a hotel clerk coming to try to adjust it. We slept with windows open and it was still warm in the room for most of the night. Finally, the carpet was wet outside the bathroom door when we first arrived, which the clerk said was due to the shower overflowing (from the previous occupants?).

Spacious and a great location. Comfortable beds. Wonderful covered terrace for dining al fresco. The only thing to note is the 5 flights of spiral stairs that are required to access the apartment. It was not a problem for us (we definitely got our exercise in each day) but is something to note for those with mobility issues.

Fannie was a knowledgeable and friendly guide. We enjoyed all the stops, especially the chocolates, jams and cheeses. Getting to pick our own dessert was also a treat.

End of June is the ideal time to visit the gardens. So many flowers blooming!

It was a long day with a lot packed in, but very fun to see all 3 castles. Each one was special and unique in its own right. The architecture and the gardens, along with the history of the region and each castle was interesting and enjoyable.

Huge place. The inside is impressive but the gardens need equal time to explore.

Amazing scenery and fun adventure! Romain was an excellent guide that showed us all around the region - from lavender fields and other agricultural areas to villages and beautiful architectural structures. He tailored the day to our interests, which was a fantastic way to explore. From coffee and pastries in one village to exploring the countryside to eating lunch while overlooking the beautiful valley, we loved every minute of it! This was our group's favorite thing we did in our 2 weeks in France.

We enjoyed walking around the village, eating and shopping.

The kayaking experience was definitely only for the super-adventurous. It was more of a kayaking lesson, complete with how to load/unload the kayaks from the trailer, carry the kayaks down a flight of stairs to the water, how to skirt yourself into the kayak and also proper paddling techniques. Our guide tried very hard to instruct us and encourage us to be calm in the choppy water. We did get to spend an hour or so on a beach area eating lunch and that was fun and relaxing, but by the time we were headed our onto the water again, it was even windier and so our guide agreed we should head back. Overall, it was a bit more work than what we 4 women had anticipated.

Interesting to learn the history of the catacombs

Fun to see where the ingredients come from. The group was a fun mix of people and we all learned a bit about cooking this special dish that originated in Marseille

Unfortunately it was a windy and cloudy day so the water was very rough getting out and especially coming back into the marina. We loved our guide, however, and we were confident in Marie’s abilities to safely get us around. She was great at telling us the history of the area and talking about the structures we were seeing. We got to snorkel while out in one of the calmer areas so that was a highlight.

This was a great place, with plenty of room for our group of 4 adults and 3 children - ages 10, 8 and 4. It was very clean and had all we needed in a galley style kitchen. Also it was quite beautiful with the many stone walls. We felt very secure and it is in a great location with restaurants, grocery, pharmacy and markets all very close. Would definitley stay there again.

Jonathan was a wonderful tour guide for our family trip. He was great with the adults as well as the children, making our trip to Normandy and Mont St Michel both interesting and fun for everyone. He selected great places for us to eat and was very knowlegeable about the history of both places He presented the information in a way to was wat interesting to young and old.

Thank you Aline and Bastion for lining up Alexandra of Family Focus while we were visiting Paris! Our tour of the Louvre and Versailles with Alexandra of Family Focus Tours was one of the highlights of our recent trip to France. My grandchildren (10, 8 and 4) immediately felt right at home with her. She expertly manuevered us through the crowds to the front of display and presented the most interesting historical information. We all learned so much. Also she added so many extra touches to entertain the children ( work and coloring books, treasure hunt, etc) - they were completely engaged throughout both tours. And there were extras for the adults also, as we all peformed a dance in the ballroom at Versailles, despite the crowds! I highly recommend her!

This is a lovely 5 star hotel. The staff was terrific. The breakfast was lovely and delicious. The room was comfortable and very well appointed. I highly recommend this hotel and wish I could have stayed longer.

Our room was large, gorgeous, and comfortable. I never wanted to leave! It is such a treat for the eye as well as comfortable and luxurious. I had the best meal of metric in their dining room. Exquisite! We would return to this hotel in a heartbeat.

We liked everything about this experience -- our guide was informative and friendly. We learned about the farm, about growing olives, we walked the fields. It was so neat. Then we had a tasting of olive oils and olive products. The owner came to meet us and gave us an extra gift. We were treated so well. What a delightful experience!

This was so much fun! We got a walking tour of Albi along with three food stops. The first was a fabulous patisserie where the baker puts mystery ingredients inside of pastries and you get to guess what they are. We got three different delicious pastries there, plus a drink, all while sitting with a lovely view of the river and the old town. After walking by the cathedral and visiting the cloister, we stopped at a confectioner's shop and got to have delicious macarons. Our final stop was so cool - a rooftop restaurant (the highest in Albi) with a view of the city to enjoy while having a glass of wine or cocktail and sharing an enormous charcuterie board with three cheeses, pate, many meats, peppers, pickles, and lovely crusty bread. It was a lovely capstone to a terrace experience.

Beautiful room, clean. Nice breakfast area downstairs. Nice location in the Latin Quarter. Good service!

G

Beautiful hotel, great customer service.

Gorgeous view! Accommodating staff, amazing restaurant

A very nice airport hotel, good breakfast

Beautiful area , we had a VERY windy day. Water is cold, but there are wetsuits available Choppy boat ride . Our boat captain, Mike was great. He did have necessary rain jackets to provide us from the spray of the waves.

Charming authentic French hotel with good food. The only negative was getting taxis to go anywhere. Only near it’s own winery so this was difficult

Wonderful view from atop the ocre hills. Charming village. Exceptional restaurant with view and food. Aperol was fabulous but the bar is only for the restaurant not hotel.

Felt like back in America with more modern feel in the city.

Very knowledgeable guide, Nick. Enjoyed his expertise and his company. Showed us new wines.

Enjoyed Nathalie and her tour of st Remy and searching of fields for us.

Enjoyed driving from village to village. Got to see a lot of countryside and she is very knowledgeable of the area.

This was the best hotel in the area but was minimalist in the rooms. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Hotel was 2 miles from town with taxis impossible to arrange and extremely expensive ($20 each way). Meals were delicious. The famous wine maker Henri Bourgeois also owns this hotel.

New owner in 2024. Hotel is now called Omma. Breathtaking views from all parts of the hotel.

Modern hotel in great location. Very accommodating staff.

This private guided tour took us to exactly where we wanted to learn about and sample Sancerre wines.

Nathalie Smith is an extraordinary guide who knows Provence very well and offers a buffet of ideas to fill your day. Absolutely ask for her.

Nathalie Smith took us to a variety of towns, markets, historic villages and amazing sights. Be sure to visit Rousillon as part of this tour.

The breakfast was great and the staff very helpful but the location is at the busiest and loudest part of the port and we had people sleeping outside of the entrance during our stay which made it difficult to get in and out of the hotel.

Excellent dinner, superb wait staff and the singer was fantastic

We had a very poor day weather wise and really the trip should have been canceled , but it wasn't so we had to go or lose our money.

A charming boutique hotel. It was well situated and quiet. The staff was accommodating and friendly if not always present.

This was the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at.

This hotel was breathtaking. Being on the water with such a dramatic view was incredible. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at a local restaurant recommended by Lucie, which featured amazing fresh seafood and a stunning sunset. The next day, even though it was rainy, the views were dramatic and beautiful.

Smaller hotel with a really historical feel. Fantastic staff who were always helpful finding restaurants, transportation, etc. We loved the location in the heart of the 5th Arrondissement, near the Pantheon.

I was really looking forward to going up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but due to some crazy traffic (thanks to President Biden's visit), we missed our appointment. Despite not making it to the summit, we still enjoyed our time at the Eiffel Tower and took some great pictures.

Chambord Castle was one of the highlights of our trip. It was lovely to see and really stood out among the chateaus we visited.

The wine discovery tour in Vouvray was fantastic. We learned about biodynamic wines, which was fascinating. It was a great day overall.

The Rodin Museum was part of a perfect day. We got to see different aspects of France, and the museum itself was a wonderful experience. We really enjoyed it.

We had a private guide named Clementine who was outstanding. She brought the history of the Normandy invasions to life and adjusted the tour magnificently to our interests. By the end of the day, we had a comprehensive understanding of the event

This was such a unique and fantastic experience! The mechanized animals, including a giant elephant you can ride, were incredible. It felt like stepping into a Studio Ghibli movie, filled with imagination and creativity. Plus, the hotel was conveniently located, which made for an enjoyable evening.

The sidecar tour was an unexpected delight! It was a recommendation from Lucie, and my family absolutely loved it. It gave us a unique perspective of Paris, almost like we were pedestrians exploring the city. The kids, who are in college, found it especially helpful to understand the city's geography before we walked around the next day.

This was our second stay at the Hotel Napoleon and it was exactly the same top experience we remembered from 2022 (we even remembered some of the same staff). The hotel is exquisitely decorated in gorgeous traditional classical French finishes and furniture. No detail was spared anywhere. The breakfast was always wonderful and the woman who works there (I wish we could remember her name) was a delight every single morning when she served us delicious cappuccino coffees and individual orders of poached eggs. She also acted as an informal concierge and provided us an excellent restaurant for lunch and a top chocolatier to pick up gifts to bring home. She made our mornings even better. The bar was another lovely place to have a drink and sometimes snacks. The service was excellent and the staff wonderul (they even tried to teach us some French words). We had two small problems with the toilet and the hotel immediately sent people to repair the problem quickly. We were very impressed and wished we had service like that at home (LOL).

Here's an improved version of your hotel review: --- **Exceptional Hotel Experience in Bordeaux** From the moment we arrived, we were treated exceptionally well at this fantastic hotel. Rodrigo at the front desk checked us in and seamlessly took on the role of concierge, arranging our restaurant and taxi reservations for several days. His dedication, along with the rest of the front desk staff, was outstanding. The bellhops greeted us daily, inquiring about our experiences and making us feel genuinely welcomed. Our room was one of the largest we have encountered in French hotels, both well-appointed and functional. Comfort was paramount, evidenced by a menu detailing the different types of pillows available—all of which were exceedingly comfortable, as was the bed. Breakfast was a delightful experience, served in a lounge-like setting with elegant tables, sofas, and oversized chairs. The staff were incredibly accommodating, keeping us supplied with endless cappuccinos and Americanos. Upon request, they even prepared eggs to our individual preferences. Dining at the hotel's restaurant, Madame B, is a must. We enjoyed an excellent and affordable meal on our first night, complemented by superb service and lovely decor. The hotel's location just north of the city center is ideal—quiet at night yet only a 10-minute walk to the heart of Bordeaux. Additionally, the nearby tram stops make exploring the city convenient and effortless.

Our travel agents, Amandine and Valentine were always available to help us during our trip. At one time they called us to alert us to disruption due to a strike at the museum. They quickly rescheduled everything for us to avoid the disruption. Another time we needed the car service to arrive earlier than scheduled and they made that happen. Lastly, we had problems getting to a cheese making class (rain in Paris, no cars, no taxis, no ubers) so we called them to let them know we could not get to the event.

Vivian was our tour guide and she was lovely, knowledgeable and friendly. She walked us through the entire museum and highlighted many of the more important paintings, all along allowing us to wonder about to other paintings. Having Vivian as our guide made seeing all the art in 2 hours a pleasure.

We never made it to this tour due to rain, no taxis and no ubers. Tried to take the metro but still had too far to walk that we gave up and notified the agency we cannot get there.

We enjoyed this tour and our guide was very entertaining (cannot remember his name, but he was young, had a pony tail and wore his signature Celtics basketball jersey). The ride in the van to and from was comfortable. Our guide provided a good orientation and we never felt rushed and had plenty of time to explore the gardens, the house and water lily pond on the other side. After seeing Giverny, we have a better appreciation for Monet.

Interesting museum but the tour on the first floor was odd and not my cup of tea (too much using your imagination in a very non-vineyard like environment). Second floor was interesting to see so many exhibits, but after awhile it was information overload and we shut off the audio guide and just walked around and looked at various exhibits. The wine tasting on the top level was okay. The best part were the amazing views of Bordeaux from up high. The wine, was meh and not really a place to enjoy a fine wine. You would not be missing too much if you skipped this venue. I would rather have used the time to see another vineyard and speak with the people there.

Very good, large museum with over 5000 items to see, however it can be a bit overwhelming. We decided during the tour that we are not really fans of contemporary art, especially Cubism (it is just a little too abstract for us). We eventually rushed through the museum because we were getting overwhelmed and not a huge fan of this important contributions to the art world.

Beautiful smaller museum in a gorgeous park across the river from the Musee de’ Orasy. We enjoyed seeing the two massive oval rooms of Monet’s Water Lilies (4 massive canvases in each room). It was a peaceful place to enjoy the paintings (although many people kept trying to stand in front of the canvases to take selfie videos which was annoying). We went to the lower lever where a different collection of exhibits existed but by this point we were mentally drained having been to Giverny the day before and Musee de’ Orsay in the morning so we speeded our way through the lower level (which was very busy with patrons)

We enjoyed our gourmet dinner at Madame Brasserie on the 2nd level of Eiffel tower. It was impressive that they sat and served the entire restaurant at the same time and the service was very good. The views were even better as we walked around the 2nd level before and after dinner.

Ben was our tour guide for the day and he was very friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. He provided us great transportation and was informative and entertaining along the way. He made time for dialog on general topics to keep the trip interesting. We enjoyed the one Medoc winery and wished we could have seen more of Medoc. We saw two wineries in St. Emilion and had a relaxing and enjoyable lunch at one with wine pairing.

Dorian was our guide for this walking tour and this was his first time providing this particular tour. He was very knowledgable and informative and attentive to us. He spoke very good English and we enjoyed everything he showed us. We covered a lot of ground and there was quite a not of walking. The food part was minimal at best. We had three food stops: 1. Purchased for us 2 cannellini's to eat while we walked 2. Sat outside at a small gourmet ham/pork shop for some exotic pork charcuterie 3. Cheese shop where we were given two packages of different cheese to take with us while we walked - very minimal information about the cheese and no where to sit to eat it. Overall, we learned a lot from Doreen, and we walked a lot. Just do not come hungry and expecting to eat much.

The location is right in the heart of Chablis and looks lovely from the outside, but the rooms were a dated and need some sprucing up. Our room (#1) didn't have wi-fi access and the laminate floors were warped and very squeaky. When we asked about the wi-fi, the front desk said "oh yes, Room #1 doesn't have wi-fi". It was serviceable for 1 night. I believe some rooms have been renovated but the 2 rooms our group had certainly hadn't been updated.

Alexandra was awesome. She was the perfect tour guide for our family and so wonderful with the kids. The amount of info was perfect to keep their attention and the game she created kept them engaged.

Beautiful accommodations. Excellent restaurant. Great atmosphere.

The owners were fantastic, super friendly and helpful. Room was large with great views. Centrally located for easy walking to shopping and restaurants.

Vivienne was friendly, knowledgeable, gave great tips for navigating the city, places to visit, etc.

The staff were helpful. The apartment was very clean. And the location was excellent. It overlooks the ocean. It was nice to relax at the balcony, and gaze at the ocean. Also, was nice to walk across the steeet and be at the beach. We ate at Cocoon restaurant right along the beach and the food was delicious! Note:They charge 25 euros to get your room cleaned if staying less than 8 days. 5 euros per towel is charged if you want towels replaced.

Clean hotel with friendly staff. Francesc was especially helpful during our stay. Their breakfast bar had good choice of healthy breakfast options.

This was a great adventure tour of Paris. It rained most of the day but that did not dampen our spirits. It was a little scary at times navigating the streets of Paris on bikes, on streets with cars. Our tour guide was excellent and told the best stories about the history of the city and France in general.

What can I say this was my family’s all time favorite activity for our entire trip. Our Chef was truly talented and had many helpful tips. We made multiple different pastries. My whole family took this class and it was fun to learn to make croissants from scratch with my husband, my 16 year old son and my 13 year old daughter. We plan to make more pastries at home from the recipes we received from the class. Highly recommend this class.

Greg was a knowledgeable and great tour guide. Will do this again. Beautiful villages.

Our guide was wonderful on this tour. We had a blast at Monaco.