Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

With a deep interest in medieval French art and architecture, I've been carrying a list of sites that I meant to visit "someday" around in my head for more than 40 years. The problem has always been that many of these sites — like St-Martin-du-Canigou, St-Guilhem-le-Désert and Conques — are fairly remote and pretty far off the usual tourist track for Americans. I had no idea how to visit them until I contacted Joël Massé of Trip My France through kimkim. Unlike some other travel agents I spoke to, Joël understood my goals immediately and was fully committed to helping me achieve them. He created a customized itinerary that added many highlights I hadn't been aware of. He selected memorable hotels in each location, all perfectly suited to my tastes, and hired outstanding tour guides to make each site come alive. Best of all, he made everything easy. The entire trip came off flawlessly — and on the few occasions when minor problems did arise, Joël and his colleagues were immediately available to help resolve them. Joël exceeded my expectations in every way, and I couldn't recommend him more highly. For me, he turned "someday" into today.

We had an amazing trip thank to the skillful facilitation of Lise. She was alway open to the back and forth as we planned the perfect trip.
In Paris we had terrific guides (with the exception of Hugo on our food tour). Everything went off without a hitch.
Nice was also perfect. Sadly our cooking class was cancelled but we were promptly reimbursed. All other tours we amazing with our guides going above and beyond to assure a great experience. We have used Kim Kim for two other big trips and have been very happy but this was truly a trip to remember. Thank you.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel le Walt - Tour Eiffel

Paris

A great hotel. Well located, great comfortable rooms, very comfortable beds, nice breakfast and great support from the staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very near the Eiffel Tower and a subway station.

Staff

Loved the breakfast room staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very comfortable.

Villa Genesis

Menton

Such a beautiful hotel. A bit of a walk to the center but worth the extra effort. Rooms were lovely, beds comfortable, breakfasts very good and staff very attentive.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

So helpful and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable rooms and beds

L'abeille Boutique Appartements

Nice

An amazing apt. So well located. A bit loud at night as it is an active neighborhood but the windows did a good job of keeping the noise out.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the little private garden.

Location

Staff

While we didn’t meet the staff there was a women who brought a continental breakfast each morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Covered Passages of Paris

Paris

Full day of history and walking through these historic passages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very knowledgeable and enjoyable

Louvre Late Opening Private tour

Paris

Joanna was a great guide. Having a. Private tour of the Louvre was essential to really make this very large museum feel accessible.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vintage Paris and St Ouen Flea Market tour

Paris

We loved this tour. The flea market is huge, having a guide really helped us focus on what we wanted to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Visit of the Gardens & Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

France

A location not to miss if you are in Nice. So beautiful and historic. Gardens were amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mikael took us to Villa France sur-mer after the Villa Such a special village.

Transport

Perfume creation workshop in Grasse

France

We loved this experience. We learned so much about perfume and our own scent preferences.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour Private Tour

France

A wonderful day. Our guide was very attentive and knowledgeable. Really focused on the things we were interested in. It was a great day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Valentine did a great job in planning our visit. The two hotels she found for us were superb as was our tour guide in Marseille (Sebastian), and the cooking class with Yvan and Edward. We would say that the work done by Valentine exceeded our expectations. In addition, we really enjoyed Baux en Provence and especially St. Remy en Provence. Both towns were both scenic as well as culturally interesting. Due to an illness we were not able to do the bicycle tour in the Luberon, but I’m sure that would have been great fun. Valentine also helped us in both recommending restaurants as well as booking tables for us. This too made our trip more enjoyable and reduce any angst about restaurants. During our trip Valentine was mostly available and when she wasn’t able to respond quickly, her backup Mathilde was always there to answer questions and help with our visit. We would definitely use KimKim in the future. Thanks Valentine for a great time!

Hotel Reviews

Villa Saint Ange

Aix-en-Provence

This hotel was perfect in terms of location, facilities, room, etc. Couldn’t have been more enjoyable and comfortable. The staff were extremely professional and helpful. Great hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Book this hotel without hesitation. Only mistake we made was not booking a table at the hotel’s restaurant

Le Saint Remy 5*

St.-Remy-de-Provence

Right in the heart of St. Remy. The location couldn’t have been better. Everyone at the hotel were extremely friendly, professional and helpful. Our room was fantastic as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything to see and experience in St. Remy is within 10 minute walk of the hotel. Great location to do the Van Gogh walk to St. Paul’s Hospital.

Staff

Staff genuinely makes you feel welcome and went out of their way to ensure we had a very pleasant stay

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gourmet stopovers in Marseille

France

Sebastian is the best! He clearly knew Marseille, its history and culture, and especially the wine and food tour we took with him. Great stops and met fabulous people along the way. Highly recommend touring with Sebastian

Quality of Experience

The shops he took us to were first rate and the merchants most welcoming.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Baux de Provence Castle & Quarries of Lights (Combined ticket)

France

We had lunch and an enjoyable experience in Baux de Provence. Unfortunately I became ill and we never got to the Quarries of Lights but everyone at the hotel and in Baux told us that it was a great experience. Next time….

Quality of Experience

Cooking Class & more in St Remy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Fantastic experience with Edward and Yvan. The visits to the olive oil producer, goat farm, butcher and vegetable shops were all informative and most enjoyable. Yvan is a terrific cook and very good teacher. Learned a lot and ate well!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

24/7 assistance in case of emergency

France

Fortunately there were no emergencies, but we did have contact with Valentine and Mathilda during our visit. They always responded quickly and were helpful.

Quality of Experience

This is our first experience with KimKim. Alexis is the best !! He helped us from the beginning and guided us throughout the planning process. He built a custom itinerary to match our schedule and time. The transportation between the airport and the hotel was terrific. The guides in Paris ( Biba and Carols) are outstanding. We truly enjoyed walking tours; the tour in London with Chris was one of the best. Accommodation in Paris was excellent. We had a bitter experience with the Royal National Hotel in London during both stays. I reached out to Alexis before our 2nd stay at the National Hotel, and he managed to upgrade our room, but the upgraded room also has issues. The only benefit of staying at Royal National is the location. The hotel is on the street, and the rooms don't have AC. So, we had to keep our windows open, but the loud traffic noise did not let us sleep.

Hotel Reviews

Royal National Hotel

London

One of the worst hotels I ever stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Lorette—Astotel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

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

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Palace of Versailles Half-Day Self Guided Tour including Transportation from Paris (Self Guided/4Hours)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing 9 day trip to Paris, France. Everything went perfectly. We had scheduled only one thing per day which for us was the perfect blend of events and free time. KimKim was very responsive and helpful when planning this trip. Will definitely use again!

Hotel Review

Villa des Ambassadeurs

75016

Great small hotel in the 6th Arrondissement. We loved this location because it was not as touristy and gave us a view of the real Paris. Rooms were on the small side but very clean and adequate. Breakfast was good. Front desk people are awesome!

Authenticity & Character

so Parisien!

Location

not in a tourist area

Staff

Most were very helpful!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Paris Dinner Cruise

Paris

So lovely! Could see all the landmarks lit up at night

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Louvre Skip-the-line tour: greatest masterpieces small group guided tour (Max. 6 persons)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Palace of Versailles Half day trip (Skip the line, audioguided & gardens) by minivan from Paris

Paris

We would have enjoyed this more with a guide. It was gigantic and we had no idea where to even start. Our fault for not realizing we did not have a guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vintage Paris & the St. Ouen Flea Market

Paris

Loved this so much and our guide was awesome! It is huge also!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mathilde did a fabulous job planning and booking our trip to the South of France, Annecy and Paris! Her knowledge and experience was invaluable, and all of the bookings and directions were seamless. I have worked with other travel advisors in the past, and, hands down, the KimKim platform and Mathilde's expertise were far superior.

All of our hotels were in a great location. Mathilde also recommended staying a night in Moustiers-Saint-Marie, which was not on my radar, and ended up being our favorite part of the trip. We visited the lake (rented the hotel's electric boat) and thoroughly enjoyed visiting the town and shopping for beautiful, artisanal ceramics. It is a true "hidden gem."

Some of our favorite tours included the Cezanne Wine tour that departed from Aix (with guide, Greg); kayaking in the Calanques with (Rafaelle, aka Ellie); cooking class in Annecy with Sibyelle; and a private tour of the Musee D'Orsay with Fabio. Having Mathilde handpick our tours/companies took so much pressure off of us, and they were truly wonderful. We also really appreciated having our transportation (rental car, train tickets, airport transfers) taken care of--it made everything a breeze.

Lastly, Mathilde provided restaurant and "things to do" recommendations in each place during our free days, and we did as many as possible, as time allowed.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the KimKim platform and being able to make small changes and ask questions throughout the planning process...it was so much fun!

Overall, I would highly recommend both Mathilde and KimKim...so much so that we are already planning a second trip with Mathilde's guidance!

Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy - Handwritten Collection

Annecy

Completely adequate, great location. Very modern decor.

Authenticity & Character

very modern

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa Nice Victor Hugo

Nice

Great location. 3 star hotel. Completely adequate. Only complaint was the shower--had half glass and floor was the same level as the rest of the bathroom, making it difficult not to get water everywhere while showering. Solid breakfast. 10 minute walk to train station, 15 minutes to the Cours Saleya Market, less than 10 minutes walk to Promenade des Anglais.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

shower was a bit challenging. no extra pillows. minimal furnishings.

La Bastide de Moustiers

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

I cannot recommend this hotel enough. It was our favorite of the entire trip. We were so sad to leave and wished we had stayed several days. We will be back!

Authenticity & Character

16th century chateau, beautiful grounds

Location

can walk up to the village, 10 minutes to the lake

Staff

truly, the most incredible hospitality

Cleanliness & Comfort

they provided "sleep shirts" at turn down service (which you can purchase in the boutique to take home--we should have!). The restaurant is incredible.

Grand Hôtel Roi René Aix-en-Provence Centre – MGallery

Aix-en-Provence

Completely adequate. Good location. Large breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

large, corporate hotel

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Chateau des Alpilles

Highly recommend. Very serene setting! The most incredible restaurant for breakfast and dinner (I'm sure lunch is great too, but we only had breakfast x2 and dinner x2). We actually made a reservation for dinner the next night while dining, because it was that good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

peaceful, just outside of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

was very warm our first night, despite opening the window all night, as air conditioning had not yet been turned on for the season. Second night was much more comfortable as AC had been turned on. Beautiful pool. Definitely plan to make this our "vacation from the vacation" hotel and relax at the hotel for the day.

Hôtel Bastille Speria 3*

Paris

Great hotel, liked the superior room--good amount of space for Paris. Bathroom was huge! Very close to Bastille metro stop.

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to metro, close to Place de Vosges and shopping. Were excited to stay in a different area than we had before...not our favorite, and will likely choose something close to Rue Cler/Eiffel Tower next trip.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie !

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

A hidden gem that many of our guides on different excursions had not heard of before! The most wonderful town, with beautiful, artisanal ceramics. Natural beauty with Verdon Gorge and lake nearby.

Quality of Experience

Free time in the Verdon Canyon and Moustiers Sainte Marie

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Absolutely loved the canyon and the lake. We rented the hotel's electric boat, but could have easily rented one at the lake. The hotel's boat was lovely. We had a little difficulty finding where to meet the boat.

The French Art of Seduction

Paris

Very enjoyable stroll through the Montmarte. Wish I had a map of our route and what we saw. Tour was about 2.5 hours, ended with drinks together. Roberto was a joy to spend time with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pont du Gard - Entrance tickets to the discovery area

France

Morning Wine Tour in Cezanne Countryside (Group Tour/3h30)

Aix-en-Provence

Enjoyed the wine tour on Cezanne's wine route! Meets at tourist information center--easy to find.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Visit of Orsay Museum

Paris

Fabio is an amazing guide, and we plan to coordinate with him on future trips so we can go to the Louvre together! Incredibly knowledgeable but also fun. Fabio had our tickets pulled up and guided us quickly into the museum through the priority lane. So efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Welcome to La Ciotat

La Ciotat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Calanques National Park Sea Kayaking Tour from La Ciotat

France

Loved our private sea kayaking tour with Ellie! She was fabulous and we felt very safe. We went all the way around green island. Ellie also recommended going to the port for lunch, which we enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Highly recommend expenature and Ellie (Rafaelle)! She was so kind and took photos of us throughout the experience.

French Dessert Cooking Class

Paris

Semi private experience. Would have been more relaxed with larger group or private class. Enjoyed chef Dominique and the recipes we baked.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Olive Groves & Vineyards

France

Very enjoyable. Beautiful estate.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

At leisure: Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard

Annecy

Beautiful. Can only see 5-6 rooms. Inside castle with tour only. Unfortunately rained heavily during our visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Annecy market visit & cooking class

Annecy

Amazing experience. We loved our day with Sibyelle.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

fabulous!!!

Transport

My daughter and I enjoyed our trip very much. It was a great mother/daughter experience. Our hotels were all in great locations, close to the things we wanted to do. As I am 73, I was a little disappointed that some hotels did not have elevators as it was difficult for me to carry my bags up stairs. Otherwise, the hotels were all good, and the staff at the hotel in Bordeaux were particularly helpful and "sympa."

We also enjoyed the excursions arranged by Mathilde through A la Francaise. Two stood out in particular - the wine tasting in Bordeaux with Ben and the prehistoric art excursion with Anne. Both were interesting, well-informed, and simply lovely people. The only disappointing excursion was the one to Cassis, which consisted of a ride to Cassis with little commentary and 2 hours on our own. However, the guide that day told us it was her first week, so the trip may become more interesting. The scenery in and around Cassis was stunning though.

Train travel went well. There were some problems with the car rental because I damaged the car. The deductible was much higher than I expected, but it was noted on the voucher I received right before departure. In future, I think this deductible should be pointed out to the traveler with the option of booking their own car rental separately. That would have saved me a good deal of money.

Overall a very good trip, and I appreciate Mathilde's help with settling the insurance claim.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Madame

Bordeaux

Good location near the old city, but very near a bar that stayed open late. Street noise was very loud until the early hours of the morning. Breakfast was disappointing. There was no breakfast area, so a tote with a minimal breakfast was left on the door. However, the people working the reception was very nice and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Breakfast, sound proofing

Location

Very central to the old town, but the area was noisy until early morning hours.

Staff

My daughter left a bag in a taxi, and they tried to help her retrieve it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa des Consuls

Sarlat-la-Canéda

I loved this hotel, but it is not the best choice for older travelers. There is no street access to the hotel, and parking is quite far away, which made dropping off luggage impossible. In addition, there was no elevator. So for me, it was difficult getting my luggage to the hotel and up to my room. For younger travelers, it would be great due to its excellent location.

Authenticity & Character

Nice, big room and a pretty courtyard with tables and chairs.

Location

It was in the heart of the city on a back alleyway, where it was quiet. If handling luggage is no problem, this is a great hotel.

Staff

The staff we met were very nice, but there were very limited hours where the reception was manned.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Donjon – Cœur de La Cité Médiévale

Carcassonne

We liked this hotel that was very close to the castle. The hotel provided staff to pick up us and our luggage at a remote parking area. The service was prompt and available for the return to our car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de l'Amphithéâtre

Nîmes

Great location very near the amphitheater. There was no elevator, but the man at the reception offered to carry up our bags. Good selection at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

With beautiful hotel and grounds, this hotel was our favorite. It was an easy walk to the center of town, and we had a delicious meal in their restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful grounds, nice room.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

Tremblay-en-France

The hotel was just average and really had little character. However, it was very convenient for getting to our departure gate to fly home. It was hard to find because there are 2 Novotels at the airport, and we walked the entire length of the terminal to find we had gone to the shuttle for the wrong Novotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pont du Gard - Entrance tickets to the discovery area

France

The site and the museum were very impressive. Highly recommend.

Landmarks of Bordeaux

Bordeaux

This was a good excursion, but it was pouring rain during much of it. Our guide Margot was a great sport and tried to make the experience enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

The problem was the pouring rain since it was a walking tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

n/a It was a walking tour.,

Two wine regions within a day - Saint-Emilion and Medoc

Bordeaux

Fun day; lovely picnic; and Ben was a phenomenal guide. He was knowledgeable and personable.

Paleolithic Art of the Dordogne Shared Full Day Trip From Sarlat

France

Our guide Anne was a great guide and fun person. She answered all our questions and offered suggestions about places to see and wines and foods to try. Rouffignac was not as impressive as Font de Gaume, which I have visited before. However, Rouffignac offers a train while you have to walk at Font de Gaume.

Aix-en-Provence Gourmet Historical & Walking tour

Aix-en-Provence

Good tour that ended with a cheese and wone tasting at the end. Tour guide was competent but not extraordinary,

Half Day in Cassis

Aix-en-Provence

The area was beautiful, but the tour was really just a ride to Cassis with one stop at an scenic viewpoint.

This was my fourth trip with Kimkim. While Audrey was responsive and ensured our bookings were confirmed, we did not receive as thorough of services as previously obtained by other specialists. Our other Kimkim specialists would check in with us before and throughout the trip, provide contact information (with the specialist and not just the company hosting the excursion) in case of any issues, and provide critical information for navigating the destination. We did not receive any of this for our trip to Paris and had to do much more research to ensure a safe and comprehensive experience. Audrey did provide us with the essential information, but we feel we did not receive the great Kimkim experience we're accustomed to.

Lise created a wonderful trip for our family to visit France. She definitely took into account our family's passion of history and created a tailored experience that could be enjoyed for all of us.
D-Day Tours - our guide, Valentine, earned the fan favorite award from our kids! He definitely knew his history and engaged our kids along the way. Thankful for his time in ensuring we truly experienced the heroism of the allies on D-Day and how it shaped the culture of the region. Enjoyed lots of laughs at lunch!
Mont St.Michel - our guide, Corinne, was so patient with our young family and was sure to point out the beauty and history of Mont Saint Michel as well as the local region. With the airline luggage mishap, it was nice to have another mom understand what I needed to fill gaps and ensure my family had a nice vacation.
Tour of the medieval cite with Raphael was full of animated descriptions of history and culture! She did a fantastic job of engaging my family and we felt very safe with her navigating us through the heightened security present that day!
Christina was our tour guide through the Sweet Side of Paris and brought a level of chic elegance to the afternoon! We really enjoyed the added stop through the Saint-Germain de Pres and sharing her knowledge of history!
The Louvre tour guide, Raphael, really eliminated the overwhelming vastness of the museum. She flawlessly taught my non-artistic family about the various pieces through the museum and incorporated history in a way my young children could understand.
It was wonderful to see my children make connections about the culture, history and geography through the teachings of the tour guides! Not only did we get to visit and see a beautiful country but we were able to learn about its culture and develop a greater appreciation for its people and past!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Belle Normandy

Bayeux

An absolute jewel! The hotel provided a wonderful space for our young kids and the staff were incredibly helpful and understanding to our stress of luggage not arriving with us. Breakfast was delicious and the space incredibly relaxing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

My children adored our tour guide, Valentine, and have asked if they could write to him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sweet Side Food Tour of Paris

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Easy walk through the sweet shops of Paris

Audrey made our whole trip SO easy by scheduling our rental car, guided trips in certain cities, beautiful "home base" lodgings as requested as well as various hotels and bed and breakfasts. She did a fantastic job of communicating with us before and during our trip, and even met us in her hometown and had lunch with us!

Magali with the Tourism Office of Lyon, Laurienne freelancing in Marseilles, and Yann with Taste Lyon were all amazing. Laurienne especially it felt like getting a tour from a friend.

This trip was fantastic! We had 4 days and wanted to maximize our time. Amandine was fantastic in planning realistic itineraries that allowed us to see as much as possible. The museums were gorgeous, food fantastic, and all of our tours were so fun. I could not have asked for a better trip. Would 100% recommend KimKim and Amandine to anyone traveling to France.

We had a great trip to France!

The kimkim team organized everything from start to finish aside from our international travel. Our drivers were always punctual, waiting for us with signs in hand, as were our tour guides. The hotels selected for us were perfect and lovely. One of our tours was cancelled and we were notified and refunded promptly. If you want a perfect vacation but are not interested in spending a ton of time planning - this service is for you!

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

Quality of Experience

Sunset Private Cruise on the Mediterranean Coast

France

Our favorite activity of the trip! Such a lovely way to see the french riviera

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Saint Germain des Près Food Tour

Paris

This was a fun way to spend the morning in the area we were staying. Spent some time walking around and grabbing local bites from cheese, meats, wines, bread, desserts - and then had a picnic in a nearby park!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Versailles Palace & Gardens Private Tour

Paris

The only reason this got 4 instead of 5 stars is the weather. we spent the day in the gardin in the pouring rain which was not super enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was superb and so sweet.

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

Casual way to see Eze and Monaco. Dropped by driver and mostly free time, which we enjoyed alot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All of our guides were outstanding . We particularly enjoyed “in the steps of Van Gogh. Flo was extremely knowledgeable and informative. He obviously enjoyed his job and loved the area log France he lived in.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Cezanne

Aix-en-Provence

Well located within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. Had indoor self parking, and a good breakfast. Staff was friendly and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to everything we wanted to see.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residhome Nice Promenade

Nice

Well located, indoor parking, clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Within walking distance of all we wanted to see in Nice

Staff

Not always attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very pleasant Apartment Cosy Lyon center

Lyon

Authenticity & Character

Very old building, but the apartment has been totally updated and is quite nice.

Location

Located in a nice neighborhood high on a hill. Street parking only, long walk to old city and long uphill walk back

Staff

No staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Good breakfast located at the best possible place in Avignon, right on the plaza near the palace of the pope. Nice attentive staff . Parking nearby in th palace garage.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

To the villages of the Luberon tour (Small Group Tour/8Hours)

Aix-en-Provence

It was raining, but the guide did her best to overcome the weather.

A Day Trip from Aix en Provence to Cassis Village, Calanques Boat Ride & Provence Wines (Small Group Tour/8Hours)

Aix-en-Provence

Guide was knowledgeable and interesting,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day in Monaco (Group Tour/8Hours)

Nice

Guide was amazing. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We learned a lot about Monaco,

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lyon Old Town Food Tour (Small Group Tour/4Hours)

Lyon

We went to places that we never would have and tasted great food . Guide was a pleasure to be with, and obviously loved Lyon.

Quality of Experience

The guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

In Van Gogh footsteps in Provence (Small Group Tour/6Hours)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knew all about the area, and loved what he was doing

Transport

All Provence in one day (Small Group Tour/10 Hours)

Avignon

Excellent guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Audrey was most helpful in planning our recent trip through the South of France including the Luberon and Camargue, driving up through Beaujolais and Burgundy, and finishing in Paris. She made great suggestions for places to stay and activities and made changes when needed.

Learned a great deal about French wine with a great private tour in Burgundy

I very much like Kimkim's approach of using local travel specialists and Audrey came through Beau Voyage.

On to Egypt and Jordan through Kimkim next fall.

Activity Review

Côte de Beaune & Côte de Nuits wine tasting tour

France

Thomas, our tour guide, was a sommelier in a Michelin 3 star restaurant in Lyon. How could you have a more knowledgeable guide?? Learned a lot about French wine and he facilitated our buying and shipping some home.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing experience with kimkim, mainly due to our incredible specialist, Sebastian. Sebastian was always quick to respond, was very thorough, and was flexible when we requested adjustments...and even when we decided to extend our trip by a day at the last minute! Particular highlights were our Roman Ruins (Jeremy was the guide) and Best of Provence (Emmanuel was the guide) tours, the Maisons du Monde hotel in Marseille and Cloitre du Saint Louis in Avignon. Additionally, our dinner on the Eiffel Tower was magical, every transfer was arranged perfectly, and when minor hiccups occurred (like our daughter left her passport in a hotel!), Sebastian was extremely helpful.

I highly recommend kimkim, and would plan a trip again with Sebastian without hesitation! Thank you for everything!

Hotel Reviews

Cloitre Saint Louis 4*

Avignon

Rooms were lovely and comfortable, the breakfast was delightful, and the hotel itself was stunning. Everyone on staff was very kind, and the entire walled city was within walking distance of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The historic beauty was unbeatable.

Location

Everything was walkable!

Staff

Very kind and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a lovely room and a beautiful bathtub!

Maisons du Monde Hôtel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille

The rooms were romantic and beautiful. The location was ideal with lovely views and easy walking access to everything we wanted to see and do. And the breakfast!! Outstanding!

Authenticity & Character

Luxurious without being pretentious

Location

Beautiful views, walkable to most everything

Staff

So kind and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely spotless with extremely comfortable bedding

Activity Reviews

Full-day guided tour to Nimes, Uzes and Pont du Gard

Avignon

This was a full day tour (not half day), and it was AMAZING! Our guide, Jeremy was incredibly knowledgeable, relaxed, and flexible. He gave us great guidance on where to focus our time, and made sure to share his incredible knowledge of both the ruins and the region as a whole.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jeremy was fantastic!

Transport

Highlight of Provence : Chateauneuf du pape & Luberon with wine tasting

Avignon

We had so much fun wine tasting and touring the beautiful mountain top villages of Provence!

Quality of Experience

The entire day was amazing!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Emmanuel was so kind and knowledgeable!

Transport

Very comfortable!

2-hour walking tour

Marseille

Marseille has a fascinating history, and this tour was a great way to get oriented and get a feel for what we wanted to explore in more depth.

Quality of Experience

What a fascinating city!

Quality of Experience

What a fascinating city!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had some great suggestions and insider tips for restaurants and points of interest.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide had some great suggestions and insider tips for restaurants and points of interest.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were great walkers!

Transport

We were great walkers!

Shuttle and tickets to the Mont-Saint-Michel

Bayeux

Mont St. Michel is incredible! The drive from Bayeux was absolutely beautiful, and our guide was very knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

It was an incredible site and an incredible day!

Food

Mathew chose a nice restaurant, but there was no food included.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mathew was extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to the preservation of history.

Transport

Very comfortable.

Marais Pastry and Chocolate Tour

Paris

This was a very fun - and DELICIOUS - tour! The Marais is a fantastic district for strolling, tasting, shopping, and people watching.

Quality of Experience

Such a fun way to learn about chocolate and many other Parisian delights!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Barbara was a wonderful guide!

Transport

We were strong walkers!

Palace of Versailles Half day trip (Skip the line, audioguided & gardens) by minivan from Paris

Paris

Versailles is incredible, and our driver was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Versailles in itself is amazing. There was no food included.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was friendly, but not informative.

Transport

Comfortable vehicle.

Discovery of the Parisian catacombs

Paris

The Catacombs are incredible. We expected a little bit creepy, but instead this was a very stirring experience that gave us much empathy for Parisians of the times.

Quality of Experience

This was a self-guided audio tour, and was very well done. A unique experience.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great audio guide. Very informative.

Transport

We are very good walkers!

Gourmet dinner on the Eiffel Tower - Menu Gustave

Paris

We expected a great view and decent food, but we got a fantastic view, excellent food, and amazing wait staff!

Quality of Experience

The views, the food, the experience were incredible! What a way to celebrate!

Food

A beautiful dinner!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waitstaff were incredible - fun, fancy, relaxed :)

Transport

The stairs are tough, but worth it!

Transfer from Paris hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

France

This was a beautiful van and a very nice driver.

Trip was great
I was apprehensive about using KimKim but because I’ve never been to Europe I thought it would be beneficial to get some assistance with the booking of hotels and itinerary. The tour guides were awesome. We had a cooking class in Paris that was a great experience. We went shopping in the market then back to her
place for cooking. Felt like family by the time we were done Our tour guide Katie for changing of the guards on London was so friendly and knowledgeable.

Hotel Reviews

Appartement du Louvre - Le Marais

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Charme Spagna Boutique Hotel

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Royal London St Paul's

London

Lots of option at breakfast buffet

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome Food Tour (Small Group Tour/3 hours)

Rome

Tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Westminster City Tour with Changing of the Guard | Semi-Private

London

Our tour guide was amazing. I believe her name was Katy. So knowledgeable, friendly and personable. Had we gone on our own we would’ve missed some critical moments and missed out on some of the history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

French Cooking Class with Market Visit

Paris

This was such an amazing experience. Our chef was awesome. We went to the market to shop for all our ingredients. She was very knowledgeable. She educated us on special crops and history of French food. We went back to her place to cook. She gave us step by step instruction and had our Delicous meal together. By the time we were done we felt like family and didn’t want to leave.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Another perfect trip arranged by Josee!
This was my second trip to France arranged with KimKim - the support and service have been so remarkable we already have a third trip planned.
The selection of accommodations are excellent. In Paris with so many beautiful boutique options, Josee provided a select few to choose from all perfect for my identified needs and wants. So perfect it’s hard to pick but you cannot go wrong in the end.
The reliability and security of the arranged transportation is my favourite feature.
On this trip we had a chocolate and pastry tour of Saint Germain des Pres- which was so much fun. The pastries featured were outstanding! So much so my daughter went back the following day to try some treats again! We lucked out and were the only two in our group which made it feel like we were walking around with a friend not a guide!
We spent a lovely rainy day in touring Reims and the Champagne region! Despite the downpour all day it was so much fun.
The hand selected activities offered to us by Josee were perfect for our trip. This was my daughter’s first trip to Paris… and will not be her last.. she fell in love with Paris… with a large part of that reason due to the perfect itinerary arranged for her! It was a perfect trip, thanks so much for them memories KimKim!

Hotel Review

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Great location… a few minutes walk to the Eiffel Tower but tucked away so you were not in the chaos of the Eiffel Tower.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Pastry and Chocolate Tour

Paris

This was perfect! Lovely tour guide, the pastures and chocolate tasted far exceed our expectations and I think we had 9 stops! Everything was the best ever! Our biggest surprise treat was Aux Merveilleux… this is a must try!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

We enjoyed this experience so much last year - was a highlight of last years trip.. I wanted to share with my daughter on this year’s trip. Unfortunately, while still enjoyable I would say the food quality was less than last year, the live entertainment was good- but so loud. It was a struggle to hear my daughter across our small table for two.. and she struggled to hear me so it was not just my aging ears! Service was fast.. and efficient but not as pleasant than last year. When we arrived back at the dock there was approximately 25 people hovering around the door to waiting to disembark, we were 2 of them. This was not the case last July when we took the same cruise. The boat is comfortable and enjoyable to be on.. and the cruise in the evening is a beautiful ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

It was obvious food had been plated hours before, you could see a change in colour and skin on outside of cold food as if it had been exposed to the air for sometime. I had the veal as a main, which was cold.. cold to the touch even. I did not send back as our waiter never returned.

Tour guide for walking lunch in Paris was Laura. She was amazing with her knowledge of the city and the food.

Hotel Review

Le 9Hotel Opera

Paris

Close to train station but very small rooms. It was clean and the breakfast we Ed had good.choices. Loved the croissants

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to train and subway

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Seine river dinner cruise

Paris

The dinner cruise was first class. The foo, champagne and wine was excellent!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Laura was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of the Louvre museum

Paris

So much history in the world’s largest museum where the Mona Lisa is held!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cabaret show at the Crazy Horse, with Champagne

Paris

Very talented dancers. Really enjoyed the show

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A special trip to Paris and Colmar, France with my sister was made much easier with help from Mathilde and Kim Kim. It was such a comfort to have accommodations, tours, museums and train tickets all arranged in advance. The need didn’t arise but there was extra security knowing that we could call the Kim Kim team with any problems during our trip.
We had a very special tour guide in Colmar where we learned more about the Alsace region and appreciated the history and beauty of the area. And Paris was beautiful as ever. How exciting to see the city as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics. The advice to book museums early in the day was very good. Prior to our trip, it was very helpful to have a phone conversation with Mathilde to answer our questions and ease any travel anxieties. Vive la France!

The trip was just perfect for us. The accommodations were wonderful along with the service we received at both the Lyon and Marseille hotels. Our guides were all wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. The timing of all the activities worked great - spacing out tours, travel and free time. Vaseem was always responsive and addressed the one issue we had with driver payment quickly. I would certainly recommend Kim Kim along with all of the trip choices we had in Lyon and Marseille.

Hotel Reviews

Le Phénix Hôtel

Lyon

Beautifully renovated boutique hotel overlooking the water in Vieux Lyon. Perfect location, incredible service and delicious food. I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Lyon!

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous decor and unique touches in every room.

Location

Close proximity to everything in Lyon yet not in the busiest area. Quiet and beautiful view of the river.

Staff

So welcoming and helpful with things like booking taxis, dining services and room cleaning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean throughout, daily maid service was amazing.

Radisson Blu Hotel Vieux Port

Marseille

Wonderful location - close to all sights but also a bit out of the way of the super busy Vieux port areas. Modern with all the amenities and a great breakfast. They are doing renovations but that did not disturb our stay. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Half-day tour of the Beaujolais

France

Very welcoming and unique wineries and a wonderful guide. The scenery was beautiful and wine was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided tour of Fourvière & Old Lyon

Lyon

Very informational and beautiful tour of Vieux Lyon. Our guide was wonderful and took us to all the hot spots.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marseille food tour

France

Our guide was so friendly and took us to some unique locations that were outside of the super busy areas. Food variety was great and fueled us for the walk. We also learned so much about Marseille and enjoyed the views.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

Marseille

Gorgeous views and delicious wine. We enjoyed the beautiful market in Cassis and the very in depth wine tour in Bandol. Our guide was so knowledgeable and welcoming and the drive let us see so many different parts of Marseille and the countryside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport