Kimkim Trip Reviews for France

For us, this was the perfect and friendly "boutique" hotel in the Latin Quarter which catered to our every need almost always before we thought of it!

The Hotel La Bourdonnais was elegant, clean, in a very nice and convenient location. The staff were very polite and attentive.

Karim, our private tour guide for Versailles was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

The Eiffel Tower itself is pretty awesome, also when seen with a miniature of the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. The views from the top are spectacular.

The Hop-on Hop-off Buses offer a really good introduction to Paris. Stop or pass by many of the main sights in Paris. Buses run frequently which makes it a very good way to get around. The issue we had was that there was no clear end-time for the buses. Seems that each driver decides when his shift is ending and ends his route at whichever stop is next at that time. So, two drivers could stop working at different times, at different stops.

The Louvre museum is one of the foremost museums in the world. It is immense, with 9 miles of corridors. You could spend days, actually weeks, admiring the artwork. Robert, our guide, was a wealth of information. He guided us through several sections of the museum, all amazing. The only let-down was the crowd at the Mona Lisa. You almost have to elbow your way through, in order to get to the front. I wish the curators would take a cue from the curators of The Last Supper in Milan, where only a small number of visitors is allowed to see the painting for a set number of minutes, then they're ushered out and the next small number of visitors is allowed in. That avoid the crowds and everyone has a front row view of the masterpiece.

The show at the Moulin Rouge was really entertaining and done in good taste. Several "circus" acts along with a lot of dance numbers with many glamorous dancers. The show was really entertaining and done in good taste.

Alex, our private guide, just like the other private guides, was extremely knowledgeable and also attentive to our needs.

Finally, the dinner cruise was unbelievable. The food was excellent, the service was very attentive, the live band was exciting and enthusiastic, and the views were unforgettable.

This hotel was one of our favorites of the trip! The hotel staff & amenities were top notch!

The hotel was right in the center of town so it was easy to walk everywhere we needed to go!

The hotel was within walking distance to pretty much everything!

This hotel was probably one of the worst we have stayed in. The location was convenient as it was in the airport terminal. We had to change rooms as our air conditioning was broken. The room we changed to had water leaking from the ceiling and the response from the front desk was that they knew. The room wasn’t very clean also. The hotel restaurant was also concerning as we witnessed several people complaining about their food so we ate elsewhere.

We loved this boat tour! Got to see Paris from a different angle

We added these tickets last minute and they did not disappoint!

We wish this tour was a few hours longer! We had to get an audio guide but felt rushed in each room as there was so much to see! We loved the inside of the palace and loved the gardens even more!

The guide we had was awesome! We loved it!

This tour was fun & we learned quite a bit but I think we were under the impression the “murders & mysteries” part was something different. We had a great time regardless!

We really enjoyed the 1:1 tour through Avignon! We got to ask so many questions and learn so much!

We really loved the Luberon! The tour guide and group was great as well!

We loved the e-bike tour for the most part! The only thing we think may be done better is returning the bikes and then walking through the village/town. We loved the olive oil tasting and wish it was a bit longer!

This boat tour was one of our favorite parts of the trip to Marseilles! We loved the entire experience.

We would have liked to see the menu options before as one of us doesn’t care for seafood but the entire experience was worth it! We loved the chef!

Parking nearby was difficult! Everything else was wonderful!!! GREAT Location!!!!

Other than walking 350 meters to parking, it was amazing to be in a 1500 yr. old monastery turned elegant hotel with the BEST French breakfast!

Loved the feel of the old farmhouse turned hotel........ had some issues with the toilet and very small space, but wonderful breakfast in the a.m.!

Pay parking is a ways away. Be prepared to walk with your luggage from the pay for parking lot. Hotel is on the busy main, old town pedestrian walk way. Lots of people watching from your balcony if it faces to the front. Front desk employees friendly and helpful. Breakfast was comparable to other Hotels in Provence.

An exciting, vibrant city. Hundreds of choices for wonderful places to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, all within a 5 to 10 minute walk. Walking at night is an amazing experience, especially along Vieux Port. Great people-watching, people from all over the world living and touring in this city.

This was in the top 2 experiences in our trip throughout Marseille and Provence. These islands are uniquely beautiful. Going in a pontoon boat can be a little bumpy but you have the opportunity to get much closer to the unique land, beaches and especially, being able to go into the caves along the coastlines. Bleu Evasion was a great cruise company. The employees are efficient, safety oriented and our boat captain, Christoph (spelling?) was very experienced, knowledgeable, friendly and engaging.......... all the attributes you want for an beautiful excursion like this!

Gille is a very talented chef who is able to share his knowledge of cooking with our group of 10 in a way that ALL of us learned SO much, from the experienced to the very inexperienced, like my husband. He came away so excited to try some of the techniques he learned from Gille. It was a great experience walking with Gille to look for the fresh fish at the Vieux Port and the fresh produce in a small square, a few blocks away and then walk to his mother's beautiful home to prepare our French meal. Wonderful experience~~~

One of our top 2 excursions in Marseille/Provence. Our driver, Robin, took us to a wonderful winery and then to Chateau des Baux-de-Provence where we saw the Luminaire exhibit in the caves of the Alpilles. Then lunch in the medieval town nearby, with a tour of the old castle after, with an amazing view of the beautiful vineyards and olive groves in the Baux Valley below....... a truly memorable day.

It was a wonderful area to visit with a lot of Roman and Medieval history and 2 different UNESCO world heritage sites to visit and walk through. Robin shared a lot of the history he was familiar with and we took a tour of the large amphitheater which has been re - done yet keeping the original structure intact so that concerts/performances are still held there today. Our only downside of the day, and which couldn't have been helped, was the high temperature the day we visited this area. Due to the sites all being outside, we weren't able to truly appreciate all that we saw that day.

Very close to the Promenade and popular areas. Plenty of restaurants nearby to choose from. The staff is AMAZING. Super kind and helpful. My sister was not feeling well the second day of the trip and they went above and beyond to make her comfortable. Rooms are SMALL but it is to be expected being so close to the beach and tourist area.

Cute and clean hotel! Comfy beds and modern interior. Very close to the center and shopping/dining options. Good breakfast options. Staff was fantastic!! Although it is modern interior, the building itself is very old so beware of drainage issues as proven-- we had an issue with the drainage (will save the gory details but it STUNK!) in our room at 11pm at night and Elsie quickly and efficiently moved us to a different room. The rooftop terrace is a must to unwind with a cocktail!

Spacious and close to the center and lot of shopping/dining options. We had our AC unit leak at 4am in the morning, and the front desk were able to help us with extra towels and buckets (not a lot they, or anyone, can do at 4am). The staff was super helpful and accommodating- they upgraded us to a junior suite the next afternoon and even took care of moving our bags to the new room, when it was ready.

This trip covers a lot in short amount of time, so if you want to spend more time in these areas opt for a full day tour. The tour guide was nice and informative.

The tour was mediocre to begin with but turned horrible later in the day. Although the tour says "Full day" it is half a day--stops at Cannes and Antibes were rushed. On the last stop of the day at Saint-Paul de Vence (~1hr away from Nice) we lost our day bag at a coffee shop and my sister had to go back and track our steps to find it, the guide was extremely insulting (I waited by the car while my sister was looking for our bag because we were concerned the driver would leave without us) I heard him talk with the other members of our tour group how "Americans have no respect to anyone else's time" and "I know Indians do not have a good educational background" (I am of Indian decent) totally inappropriate and insulting. His "another tour at 2pm and you made me very late" statements were very unnecessary and overshadowed the happy moments that day for everyone. The whole energy of the group changed afterwards. I understand these tour guides have multiple tours on the same day booked and have to be very precise on their timings-- but there was no need to stoop low and make those comments. I know it is biased opinion, but I urge you to not book with this tour company. No one deserves to be insulted on their vacation.

If you are someone who loves perfumes this is a must do! The staff is very helpful and guide you through the process. better to use a personal car than public transport as they were unreliable (at least on the day we visited Grasse).

Amazing day! great tour guide. Gabrielle was very informative and extremely helpful. She used a mic so everyone could hear what she was saying.

It was very centrally located and the breakfast was solid, but the room was small, cramped and the hotel didn't have the nicest furnishings, they felt a bit cheap.

Lovely hotel in Chamonix, excellent food and lovely spa/pool area. The room was comfortable, decently sized with a nice balcony and nicely furnished.

The card was nice to have, but we only wound up going to one museum and using the metro once.

The bicycle tour was nice. Our guide was knowledgeable and a good group leader. The food tasting, however was a bit of a joke, they gave us a plate of cheese and a plate of sliced salami. I think the title 'food tasting' was a bit misleading, as there wasn't very much, and no vegetarian options aside from the cheese.

Our guide was wonderful and since we went on a Tuesday, the Palais and castle were closed to the public so we got a private tour of both, which was great because the rest of Annecy was absolutely mobbed with tourists.

The Aiguille du Midi was great, but the Mer de Glace ice cave should definitely be skipped. The glacier has receded so much that you walk for close to an hour down stairs to get to an ice cave they've carved out the remaining ice, which is partly covered with a tarp to keep it from melting further. The whole way down there are markers of the former heights of the glacier going back 30 years. It is important to have the awareness about climate change but we found the whole experience pretty depressing. The path/ice cave was also so clogged with tourists taking selfies that it made for a very slow frustrating walk down and up to the ice cave. I would recommend doing the historic train up but skipping the ice cave.

This hotel was the fanciest of our stays, offering the most amenities. We don't usually prioritize having a pool, but given the heat, we realized it would have been a nice feature to have. It was a great stay overall.

Lisa was a fantastic host(ess). She greeted us and made us feel like returning family members! LOVED our first floor room and the wonderful breakfast space in the back of her great guest house. Our morning breakfast was fresh and tasted great. The walk into town was easy and only a five minute stroll and you were in the heart of the old town of Avignon. We only wish we stayed another few nights (2 for us) as we were both very comfortable and felt right at home.

The Hotel Escaletto was an excellent place from which to explore Aix-en-Provence. Our room was very clean and while a bit on the small side it was completely satisfactory for our visit to Aix. The proximity to the old town was a highlight. It was a pretty easy walk in to the heart of the old town/restaurants/etc. and it was possible to return home for breaks if so desired. The breakfast offered was very good and the staff were very accommodating if you had any needs. An elevator is always an added bonus and the Escaletto did not disappoint. We didn't really make use of the 4th floor patio, but it was a good size and I'm sure was nice for those who chose to sit out.

Flo was an excellent guide. His English skills were excellent and he provided great commentary on our drive through the countryside (the region, History and Architecture of Avignon, etc.) as we made our way to our first winery. We visited two wineries (Chateau Maucoil - in the northwest corner of Chateauneuf du Pape; and Maison Bouachon in the village of Chateauneuf du Pape). The Chateau Maucoil stop was by far the best. We had 6 tastings and the hostess was wonderful taking us through the Chateau's different vintages and discussing the difference in terroir in their various fields. She did a wonderful job sharing information about the appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape and the 13 different grape varietals used in this region of Provence. It was very interesting to learn about the different soil types in CNP as they were much different than in other wine regions we had visited. Highly recommend this stop. Our second stop was a bit disappointing. The hostess at Maison Bouachon was wonderful however this stop was more about 'how to taste wine' and less about the various vintages of this winery. We only had 3 tastings and it was disappointing after the great visit to Chateau Maucoil. It is a great stop for someone who wanted to learn about tasting wine but for anyone who has visited multiple wineries previously it was a bit disappointing in the limited number of tastings. Their winery facility was impeccable but it felt like a showroom visit more than a winery tasting tour. Perhaps if it was our first stop I would not be so critical but it was not nearly as good a stop as CM. Before returning to Avignon Flo (our guide) took us to a wonderful historic monument overlooking of the town and appellation. We had a great view of the Rhone Valley (with Avignon in the distance) and it was fun to stop and take some photos of the Valley and river rolling by.

This was the best!!!! Gilles was an excellent Chef/Host and he made the day a wonderful one. We started with a conversation with Gilles about the kind of Provencal meal we were hoping to make. Gilles provided a few great options and together (with the one other couple) we selected a Sea Bass meal. Gilles then took us to two different markets in Aix, a famous Aix bakery, as well as a quick stop at a local grocer where he picked up a couple of other items for our meal. Prior to arriving at his house (where we were going to cook) we stopped at a local winery so we could taste some wine and choose appropriate wine for our meal!!!! This was both unexpected and fantastic. We had a chance to sample some wines from Chateau Henri Bonnaud and ended up choosing a White and a Rosé to take with us for our meal. Chateau Henri Bonnaud was a great stop. The staff were very clear and provided some great background on the winery, the terroir, and the appellation as a whole. Gilles took us through every aspect of the preparation of our meal. He was patient and a great Chef/Teacher getting us to assist with each and every part of our three course meal. His home was wonderful and provided a spacious place for us to work and learn together. It was a massive success and a true highlight of our week in Provence.

We enjoyed our Cassis half day tour very much. I think it could have been even better if we had a little longer time in Cassis but that is on us and our planning. Our guide Guillaume picked us up and drove us out from Aix to Cassis (about 30 minutes). Guillaume was very nice and answered all of our questions. He wasn't as talkative about the region's history, geography, etc. as we might have liked but he was very pleasant and professional at all times. Our first stop was at Cap Canaille high above Cassis. We were able to jump our and grab some amazing photos with tremendous vistas along the coastline. This stop was between 10 and 15 minutes so don't expect a long hike on the trails but rather a quick stop to enjoy the great views before heading down into Cassis. In Cassis we went directly to the harbour area where we were encouraged to take the 'short boat tour' of the Calanques. This tour was approx. 45 minutes and cost approx. 16 Euros per adult. Thankfully a boat was loading and departing right away so off we went on a small'ish tourist boat (mostly open air with a covered section mid-ship) to exit the harbour. Our time in Cassis would only be approximately 2 hours so it was important (if we wanted to take a boat tour of the Calanques) that we go straight to the ticket office and get on the first possible boat. Our Captain narrated most of the way (in French and in English) telling us that we would visit 3 Calanques along the shoreline. We really like being on the water so it was a great way to see the Calanques without having to exert any excercise whatsoever. After entering and exiting three different Calanques (inlets/skinny harbours surrounded by vertical cliff walls) we worked our way back to the harbour. From there we still had about 60-90 minutes for a walking stroll through Cassis (really just around the harbour and the large square at the harbour). Thankfully there was a great market taking place and so it was fun to compare the market to others we've seen and to browse the many artisan displays. I would say our Half Day in Cassis was really more of a 'Quick Tour of Cassis Harbour and the Calanques'. No doubt you can book a full day and this might be something I'd recommend if you really wanted to check out the small seaside village in more depth. If you're interested in seeing the Calanques from the water (and not hiking them - which may take a number of hours) then this is a great way to accomplish that. Our tour guide was nice and very professional however he was more of a Taxi Driver on this tour. We thought he could have been much more informative during our drive (and he did answer all questions as best he could) and possibly the tour operator could arrange for a more private boat trip as well (cost?) but that might be prohibitive (?). All in all we did have a nice half day. We saw the Calanques and enjoyed a brief visit to Cassis. We were back in Aix by 1:00 pm and were able to have a free afternoon to explore.

While this ended up being a great tour we think it is poorly named. The tour ended up being more of a Historical Tour of Arles (with a Cheese tasting + wine at the end). Our guide - Lucille (?) - was fantastic! When we first met and she outlined the plan for our walking tour we shared our questions (we thought it would be a walking food tour like we had done in other places - tour markets/small shops where we would try local cuisine, etc.) as it seemed we had different ideas about what was expected. Lucille was great - she immediately adjusted her plan and started us off with a short walk to a Patisserie that she really liked. There she gave us a chance to order some local food and she talked about some of her local favourites (including some history of Provencal bread - Fougasse). We proceeded to wander around Arles with the occasional stop along the way (in the Park to finish our coffee and snacks) to see historical monuments/ruins/etc. around the town. Highlights were stopping in to see the Roman Amphitheatre (sadly closed to foot traffic but you got a great look), Coliseum (excellent stop), and a couple of stops at places made famous by Vincent Van Gogh's 2 year stint in Arles (Yellow café and the Hotel Dieu). Throughout our walk we learned about the history and evolution of Arles. We also had a nice stop at a local Nougat shop and tried out a variety of Provencal nougats - they were really good. The culmination of our walk was a stop at Les Fromagères (Women Cheesemakers). There we were treated to a Cheese Tasting of at least six different styles of local Provencal cheese. Naturally we were offered some Provencal wine to accompany this tasting!!! It was fun to try different cheeses from very fresh (soft) options to one that was infused with a Pesto 'sauce'. Yummy!

The hotel itself was amazing as it was a short walk to the park and the buffet breakfast and dinner were wonderful for our family of four. The only thing we didn’t love was that there was a late check in on our first day of arrival - 5pm, so we had to kill several hours before being able to access our room. The restaurants and bar were closed during this time so there wasn’t much to do. Other than that, it was a great experience and we highly recommend visiting Asterix Park and staying at this hotel.

Excellent location, close to everything!

Cute boutique hotel, delicious French breakfasts, helpful English speaking front desk staff.

Nice apartment in the heart of a bustling area of Nice, great for people looking to hit the restaurants and social scene of Nice.

This just seemed "As Paris as you can get". Seeing Paris by night is just wonderful, the food and service was excellent and it really was the perfect way to cap off our trip in Paris.

This hotel is in a great location for easy access to all the major restaurants and amenities in Bayeux. It also has one of the best breakfast selections of any hotel we've stayed at. If driving, however, it is a good idea to call ahead to assure a parking slot at the hotel as their space is quite limited.

Great location for the primary shopping mall. Very friendly and helpful staff. Parking a bit of a problem as it is about a 15 minute walk to the garage and space is limited.

Great location for walking to all major sites within the walled part of the city. No hotel parking garage provided and a bit of a walk to the public parking garage.

Fantastic location on the Mediterranean...great for people watching and many restaurants available. There is also a covered public parking ramp very close in the same block.

Great location on the left bank within easy walking distance to the Rhone river, Museé d'Orsay and the Louvre. The hotel has access to inexpensive tickets for many attractions which saves having to stand in line. Also, great restaurants nearby.

This driving/walking tour felt very rushed. The guide would drop us off and various interest points and tell us we had a very specific time that we had to meet him back at the van for a pick-up. Often these were for very short periods of time, like 15 minutes. He was also very abrupt with accommodating the needs for the tour guests. It would have also been nice to have had some sound amplification in the van so those in the back could hear better.

Our tour guide, Joanne, was very knowledgeable and friendly and provided a great tour. We appreciated the fact that she had a mic and earpieces for us to wear when we were in noisy areas such as St. Chapelle.

Jean Baptiste (J.B.) was super knowledgeable and gave us a lot of info. about Normandy and we visited all the primary sites and gained a lot of insight in being able to physically see where the landings took place. The only downside--and it wasn't his fault--was the bad weather. It was rainy, cold and very windy the days we were there. We ended up totally wet and ruined two umbrellas because of the strong winds.

Fantastic tours with Caroline. She took us shopping for baguettes and cheese, then provided a picnic lunch in a park across for Notre Dame, after which we then walked to pastry shops ending at a wine bar with samples at each place.

It was a very pretty and charming place but located a little far from restaurants.

The boat was very crowded but we saw the basic highlights of Paris. It was sometimes difficult to follow the audio guide

This was quite an interesting experience and in addition to being introduced to some of the better pastry and chocolate shops, the guide also took us to some of the churches in the area. Sampling the pastries and chocs was also grerat!

Amazing views of Paris from the Summit. Also, felt great to reach the top of one of the most famous structures in the world. Guide was also interesting and fun.

Guide was very good and made it interesting for the kids.

Very informative guides and enjoyed the scenic drives!

Great views of the Chenonceau castle and it felt good to do something active

Good audio guide

Great location accessible to restaurants, grocery & transportation! Staff are attentive especially Emily!

Worth doing it! Nicolas was a great guide & photographer!

The tower & view is great. Except that it’s too crowded but it’s August peak season of tourist.

So much to see & learn from history. Guide is very knowledgeable.

Great location, great breakfast included and the staff was great!!

Loved this hotel! Rooms were super nice, breakfast was great, room service and the bar were awesome. Staff was super friendly and you can’t beat the location!

What an incredible property! We had a junior suite that was perfect for our family of four. It was huge! Everything about the hotel is top notch. The views and location cannot be best. The staff was super! We loved every second of our stay there!

THE VIEWS!! Absolutely stunning! The location is perfect. We had a suite that was perfect for our family of four. Everyone had their space. The two bathrooms/showers was awesome. Everything was super nice and newly renovated. The spa is a really nice touch.

Would have been awesome but it was pouring and cold so it was not a great experience.

Loved loved loved this! My kids really enjoyed having the audio guides. It provided us with more appreciation for what we were looking at. And you controlled what pieces you wanted to lean more about. Super easy to use as well.

It was great - we learned so much about the area that we otherwise would not have ever discovered. It’s a really great excursion. Mathias was great!

This was a super fun experience! It was great to get to sample all of the fun foods! My kids loved it!

This tour exceeded our expectations by a lot! Wow - we learned so very much about Teims from an historic context. We visited several amazing churches as well. Rafa knows a lot and was just great to spend the day with!

Wow was this amazing! The weather was perfect, the food was fantastic and Roy was super sweet! He even took my son over so he could jump off a ledge into the water. He had blankets to keep us warm as the sun was setting. It was great!!

EPIC I’m every way! LOVED LOVED LOVES this so much. The weather was perfect, the views were to die for and the getting to experience the hike and see the stuff that we did was like nothing we’d ever done. Alban was the NICEST guy - he was just awesome!

Not super helpful to only receive this a week or two before trip. Should be provided sooner.

It was at such a convenient place. Front desk was helpful in suggesting places to eat.

Very pleasant staff and centrally located. They helped us with restaurant referrals. They were on a quieter street. It was a very quiet place to sleep. They had delicious breakfasts and took orders if we wanted something hot and specially made. We were very happy there. A good place to come and go during the day.

Our guide Raphelle F was marvelous and passionate and had so much information! She beautifully explained the stain glass and very dramatically told us the history of the Conceirgerie. She took her time to answer all questions and was very personal! We loved the dramatic way she told the history. History can be boring but she made it very alive and interesting! She even walked us to a restaurant that she recommended! We adored her!

This is a very historic site and a must see in Paris. Because of the lines and wait, we will only do it once. But it was necessary to do!!

We took the cruise right at sunset before dark and it was perfect! As the cruise came back we saw Paris and bridges lit up! It was a beautiful time to go. As we landed the Eiffel Tower was lit up and blinking.

Mathias was our personal guide and he was wonderful. Very passionate about the food we tasted or saved for a wonderful picnic at Luxembourg Park. We stopped in many food, cheese, wine, candy shops and he gave an excellent history of the process of each food. He helped us be aware of the "palate" of good French food, its history and its process. He was very friendly and passionate and personable to us. He did not rush us in eating or talking.

Raphaelle S. gave us a wonderful, informative personal tour! We loved her and all the information. She knew what and where to take us in such a huge museum. We totally trusted her choices and information. One of our favorite tours. She was very sensitive to us and answered many questions.

I did not go on this tour because of the stairs and amount of walking. Plus it was the last day and at 83 I just didn't have the energy! I hated to miss it and know Mathias did a great job.