Liz Chreist

Excellent location in Lyon. Very good breakfast and helpful staff. Good value for the price.

Centrally located, a short distance from old-town attractions and restaurants with a very good breakfast. Small but comfortable rooms.

Excellent guide who had a deep knowledge of the history of the city and historic spaces.

We spent most of the day in Arles because we had been to St Remy the previous day. Our very knowledgeable guide walked the town with us and discussed the history of the town and its association with Van Gogh.

Excellent day spent learn g about this city. Our guide was quite knowledgeable and spent the day teaching us the history and culture. We spent two hours on a tour of Lake Annecy that was highlighted by a fondue lunch on the water. There was a festival in town on the day we were there, so there was a lively and crowded atmosphere.

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The description of this day did not quite match up to our experience but what we did experience was very good.

Loved seeing the smaller towns and small alley streets.

Coming from someone who isnt really a foodie, this was probably one of my favorite tours! Learning about the French food, how it is sourced and grown was so eye opening! Especially coming from America, where it is all processed for it to be shipped out quickly and made with all kinds of ingredients that really are not for the good of our population. Not only is the food good it is about enjoying the food and each other as you sit down for a meal. Nothing is quick and at your fingertips, hence the reason for the freshness of it all! Our Guide, was so knowledgable, friendly and made everything seamless. we tried chocolates, croissants, and es cargot at the end.

Wonderful full day of learning all about the Beaches of Normandy. This has been on my list for a long time! My Grandfather was there and learning more of his experience was very moving . Our Guide Carlyle was wonderful and very knowledgeable . We were able to go inside bunkers , the museum was so enlightening!

Even though it rained our driver was able to cover the sides so we didn’t get wet. Our guide Adriana was so sweet. She led us around so many places that we probably would never see in foot. She would stop at locations to let us take photos. She was very knowledgeable and helpful with any local questions we had. We had a really fun morning and a great way to start our trip!

This was our last big tour. We knew it could be overwhelming to see but having Felix walk us around to some of the major exhibits made it all the more memorable. We didn’t get overwhelmed and each exhibit he gave us the whole story and background and very knowledgeable about them! He led us to places that weren’t as crowded , which we really appreciated and once again able to walk right in without waiting in line, expect to check bags, which was very quick. I am not even a museum person but having a private guide and being engaged with us was fantastic!! Highly recommend the way to see the Louvre! Also should watch the DaVinci Code before going !

The renovated room was very nice but there wasn't a view as promised. The location was great. Breakfast was great.

Brian was an exceptional host. The room and artwork was fabulous!!. The food was amazing. Brian provided commentary about the food for each guest table which was great to get to know him. The mosquitos were a bit much despite having spray at dinner time.

Our room was very large and had a great view of the Promenade. The shower drain kept clogging. We called maintenance about it once. The location was great. The lavender painted walls and draperies were fun! The breakfast was delicious.

Felix was knowledgeable and tailored the day to us. We were disappointed we did not get to go into Notre Dame. An external tour was not the same. The Louvre was spectacular with Felix as our guide. He pointed out the best parts and kept our interest. Felix spoke fantastic English. Is Felix ever goes out on his own, pick him!

Tessa was a great guide! She was very knowledgeable about the city.

A guide is a must and Felix was the best!

The food was terrible and the waiter was rude. There was a great view of the Eiffel Tower from the boat. There was no commentary about the buildings or sites we were passing on the river. Pass on this one!

Great to get the tour guide to show us the market and taste some of the foods. Michael was a great guide! He peddled fast but we could easily keep up. We could have had a better lunch spot than on the faded grass by the restrooms, but it worked!

The first winery we visited had a great history but the lady was a bit distracted and didn't seem happy we were there. Our guide did a great job of explaining all about the vineyards and the popes.

The Captain (I can't remember his name) was awesome! The private boat was better since we could tailor the trip to our needs. The snorkeling was fun. Our Captain was very knowledgable about the coastline and the boats in the harbors. It would have been nice for him to have provided drinks or had time for lunch when we stopped at Cap Ferrat.

Cyril was amazing! He spoke very clear english and knew all about the villages we visited. The group was a bit larger than we thought but it was nice to meet the other guests. The restaurant had a great food. The train was clean and nice to ride thru the Alps and see the scenery. Cyril did a great job narrating along the way.

Our guide was knowledgeable but didn't do a good job talking to the group with information. She was great one-on-one but didn't talk to the group.

Hotel Citadines Trocadero: good location*, good rooms for family group, reasonable kitchen, rather odd bathroom with tiny shower. Toilet in separate room and bathtub were okay. The staff were minimally helpful. There is a large, locked closet in the lobby to hold luggage. A self-serve laundry is onsite. The laundry app works well until you have problems or questions; then, nobody can help you. The dryer didn’t dry very well. We did not have breakfast there. It seemed to be a continental breakfast.

Hotel Apollinaire in Nice was very nice. Staff was helpful. Breakfast was included and was impressive. Hans and Susan and the kids had adjoining rooms. There was some breakfast confusion on the first morning, but we texted KimKim and things were straightened out right away. Hotel approx. 5 stars

Versailles, half-day tour of palace and gardens. We enjoyed seeing the palace and would have liked time to actually see the gardens. This was the part of the trip we enjoyed least. The heatwave didn’t help matters. Versailles is some distance from town. We tried hard to figure out walking, Metro, bus, etc. The only simple way to get there and to get back for an afternoon activity is by Uber. The process for sorting out groups of tourists and guides is rather disorganized. This was the first time we ever used the headphones / earbuds and device to hear the tour guide. It seems to be the most reasonable way of having multiple guides and groups of people to communicate with. However, we weren’t very happy with our guide (Leonor) or the tour. We arrived on time for a tour time which was an hour later. It was rather hard to stay with the group with so many other people there. We didn’t find the commentary very informative. After several hours, we were shown the gardens outside (through a window) and told that we had tickets to the gardens but that part of the tour was on our own. In retrospect, we think this should actually be marketed as a day-long tour with a guide in the morning and on your own in the afternoon, with the expectation of eating at the palace. There is a nice restaurant which was very crowded, a café with good food but very little seating space, and a small snack shop we noticed on our way out. Also, bathrooms are very hard to find once you are outside. Versailles 4 stars, guide maybe 3.

crowded

Our guide was Arina (originally from Brazil). She had a good mix of places for us to visit and things to taste. We enjoyed this part of the tour very much and give Arina 5 stars.

Disneyland Paris. Susan had planned this in great detail and KimKim helped with appropriate tickets, transportation, etc. This was a 5-star family experience.

The final activity for the day was an Eiffel Tower summit at sunset. Our hotel wasn’t far from the tower and we walked. It took a little effort to find the meeting point. The guide for this event was more of a shepherd. He made sure everyone got tickets, got in line, knew about the security check, understood how and where to go in the tower. Everything went very well, despite some misgivings about being “way up in the air.” The views were spectacular. A 5- star experience.

We went to Notre Dame early and did a self-guided tour before meeting our guide, Ed. He told us history of the cathedral and the area, showed us the Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter, the Seine, Sainte-Chapelle. 5 stars

Private Louvre Visit geared to a family with children. Our guide, Sara, knew the museum well, had a scavenger hunt-focused booklet for the kids to use, and did a great job with the whole family. The kids were very engaged in this activity. 5+ stars for Sara.

We walked to meet our driver / guide Sebastian for a Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze morning excursion. (Not sure why it is advertised this way, since you go to Eze first, then Monaco and Monte Carlo.) Seb was surprised that he had more people booked for the van than usual, but it was summer high season. He told us about history of the area and current celebrities who lived there. We had stops to see the views. It was very hot that day and the many steps in old Eze were a bit much. We arrived in Monaco in time for the changing of the guard, which is very hard to see when there is a crowd. Our family left the group at this point, since the children couldn’t go inside the casino, and we were interested in seeing the Oceanographic Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was very hot and crowded. However, Elizabeth wants to be a scientist and created her own project of taking photos and viewing the exhibits. Tour: 4 stars, museum: 3 stars Since we didn’t continue with the tour, we had to make our own way back to Nice. I had a Rick Steeves map and pocket guide which were somewhat helpful. The bus to the train station is no longer free and it was a rather long, uncomfortable ride. We managed to figure out the train and get through the crowds and back to Nice.

Antibes and Cannes. (It was interesting having a tour to these cities because we had gone past them on the train.) We met our driver / guide in the same place, along with two Russian women. Sebastian (Seb) was our guide again. It was very hot and we spent more time in the van with commentary than walking about, which worked well. We enjoyed this tour more than the previous one. 5 stars for Seb

Hotel Apollinaire in Nice was very nice. Staff was helpful. Breakfast was included and was impressive. Hans and Susan and the kids had adjoining rooms. There was some breakfast confusion on the first morning, but we texted KimKim and things were straightened out right away.

In the afternoon, we had a tour to Antibes and Cannes. (It was interesting having a tour to these cities because we had gone past them on the train.) We met our driver / guide in the same place, along with two Russian women. Sebastian (Seb) was our guide again. It was very hot and we spent more time in the van with commentary than walking about, which worked well. We enjoyed this tour more than the previous one. 5 stars for Seb

The final activity for the day was an Eiffel Tower summit at sunset. Our hotel wasn’t far from the tower, and we walked. It took a little effort to find the meeting point. The guide for this event was more of a shepherd. He made sure everyone got tickets, got in line, knew about the security check, and understood how and where to go in the tower. Everything went very well, despite some misgivings about being “way up in the air.” The views were spectacular. A 5- star experience.

Disneyland Paris. Susan had planned this in great detail, and KimKim helped with appropriate tickets, transportation, etc. This was a 5-star family experience.

We walked to meet our driver / guide Sebastian for a Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze morning excursion. (Not sure why it is advertised this way, since you go to Eze first, then Monaco and Monte Carlo.) Seb was surprised that he had more people booked for the van than usual, but it was summer high season. He told us about history of the area and current celebrities who lived there. We had stops to see the views. It was very hot that day and the many steps in old Eze were a bit much. We arrived in Monaco in time for the changing of the guard, which is very hard to see when there is a crowd. Our family left the group at this point, since the children couldn’t go inside the casino, and we were interested in seeing the Oceanographic Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was very hot and crowded. However, Elizabeth wants to be a scientist and created her own project of taking photos and viewing the exhibits.

We went to Notre Dame early and did a self-guided tour before meeting our guide, Ed. He told us history of the cathedral and the area, showed us the Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter, the Seine, Sainte-Chapelle. 5 stars

Our guide was Arina (originally from Brazil). She had a good mix of places for us to visit and things to taste. We enjoyed this part of the tour very much and give Arina 5 stars.

Versailles, half-day tour of the palace and gardens. We enjoyed seeing the palace and would have liked time to actually see the gardens. This was the part of the trip we enjoyed least. The heatwave didn’t help matters. Versailles is some distance from town. We tried hard to figure out walking, the Metro, the bus, etc. The only simple way to get there and to get back for an afternoon activity is by Uber. The process for sorting out groups of tourists and guides is rather disorganized. This was the first time we ever used the headphones / earbuds and device to hear the tour guide. It seems to be the most reasonable way of having multiple guides and groups of people to communicate with. However, we weren’t very happy with our guide (Leonor) or the tour. We arrived on time for a tour time which was an hour later. It was rather hard to stay with the group with so many other people there. We didn’t find the commentary very informative. After several hours, we were shown the gardens outside (through a window) and told that we had tickets to the gardens but that part of the tour was on our own. In retrospect, we think this should actually be marketed as a day-long tour with a guide in the morning and on your own in the afternoon, with the expectation of eating at the palace. There is a nice restaurant which was very crowded, a café with good food but very little seating space, and a small snack shop we noticed on our way out. Also, bathrooms are very hard to find once you are outside. Versailles 4 stars, guide maybe 3.

The afternoon was a Private Louvre Visit geared to a family with children. Our guide, Sara, knew the museum well, had a scavenger hunt focused booklet for the kids to use, and did a great job with the whole family. The kids were very engaged in this activity. 5+ stars for Sara.