Lucas Gephardt and his staff at Mobee International in Lyon, France, customized a fantastic 15-day vacation for my wife and me. We had a wonderful trip from Paris to Dijon, Beaune, Lyon, Avignon, and finally, Nice. They were very personable and attentive throughout the entire brainstorming and planning process, which helped us develop a truly customized trip specific to us. More importantly, they were available every step of the way during our trip! Lucas would call our driver from the airport to make sure we were picked up and comfortable. He would call the hotels before our arrival to ensure rooms were ready for early check-in. We could text him during our trip and tell him how our trip was going. He even would call my cell phone periodically to check in on us. We never had that experience with any other travel agency! Lucas and his team made us feel very comfortable with no worries. Everything was coordinated perfectly (car service, tours, trains, and our hotels). Everything came together exactly as discussed and documented in their extensive travel book provided for us (with phone numbers, addresses, times, summaries, etc…).
Our trip included many moving parts, tours, and 5 different cities. All of them were good, some better than others. Only one tour, the Latin Quarter Gourmet Food Tour was our least favorite (too much walking and looking and not enough eating), however, all the other tours and guides were very good. We traveled by high-speed train from Paris to Dijon to Lyon to Avignon to Nice (I would not do it any other way … but next time will bring much less luggage). Our tours included:
- Versailles (we arranged this ourselves at the last minute)
- Loire Valley and several Chateaus (with wine tasting)
- 2-hour private tour of the Louvre (our guide was brilliant and excellent)
- Latin Quarter Gourmet Food Tour (too much walking and not enough eating)
- Paris River Dinner Cruise (amazing….1st class all the way)
- Wine Tour in the Burgundy (Beaune) … fantastic wine…found several new favorites
- Beaujolais Wine Tour from Lyon (gorgeous countryside…lovely wine)
- Chateauneuf du Pape wine region tour (my new favorite wine…amazing)
- All of Provence in One Day (8+ hours of touring Provence was wonderful..great guide)
- Half-day tour of Cannes, Antibes & Saint-Paul de Vence (very enjoyable wonderful scenery)
- Half-day tour of Monaco, Monte-Carlo, Eze, La Turbie (Tour was very good, but we did not like the guide…we experienced long periods of silence from him…strange guide…however the scenery was lovely and we enjoyed walking around the stops)
Our Hotels were all 5 stars (except for one, which was 4 stars). We enjoyed every hotel. Every hotel took a special interest in our names, schedules, and comfort.,..it was nice to be pleasantly welcomed every day by all the staff at all the hotels. I will think twice about staying at an American chain in the future. Breakfast was included at every hotel, and they did not disappoint. It was worth every penny. A few times, we could not make it to breakfast because we had to leave early for a tour or a train, but something to think about in the future. We did enjoy the deluxe American-style buffet breakfast most mornings which allowed us to skip lunch some days.
Oh, did I mention that we were in France and do not speak a word of French? Lucas and his team ensured all our guides, driver, and tours were in English!
Okay, I feel like I have rambled on. I hope this gives you a sense that we had a lot going on for the 15 days of vacation, and Lucas and his team at Mobee Int’l made everything happen and coordinated everything, and kept checking on us during our trip. The whole trip was flawless.
One word of advice to everyone - Pack half of the stuff you think you need and make sure you have time to sit at a cafe every day and have a drink or a coffee and watch life. We did, and it made a world of difference.
Hotel Reviews
Hôtel Oceania Le Jura Dijon
Dijon
While this is only a four star hotel, the staff were wonderful and very friendly. Roman greeted us everyday and made us feel like we were old friends visiting. The room was very big, but the furniture was a bit sparse and plain. However, the shower was one of the best. Breakfast was good.
Authenticity & Character
Hotel was loverly but definitely on the sparse simple side for accommodations. Nice large room.
Location
Walking distance from the train. The Tram stop was right in front!
Staff
Everyone was super friendly and warm greeting, especially Roman.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean. No problems.
Intercontinental Lyon Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel
Lyon
Amazing hotel. Used to be hospital and felt like we were staying in a museum (people were touring the grounds because there was so much to see and look at). Location was excellent and the food was excellent.
Authenticity & Character
Really an amazing hotel to walk around the grounds…lots of culture and shopping and restuarants
Location
Perfect location for everything
Staff
Everyone was very helpful and friendly
Le Negresco was the cherry on top of all the amazing hotels we stayed out. This hotel should be rated a 6 star. Everything was 6 stars. The chef and restaurants continue to demonstrate why they are Michelin starred (food was amazing at both restaurants we are at). We declined breakfast here because we had too many early morning tours and late night dinners, but I am guessing it would have been magnificent.
Authenticity & Character
Gorgeous property filled with art. Elevator is vintage and like nothing we have seen before.
Location
You are steps away from the beach! It does not get any better.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Spotless everywhere.
5* Hotel Napoleon Paris
Paris
5 star hotel that made us feel very welcomed. Very nice staff, bar, restaurant. Accommodations were fantastic. Location was excellent. Breakfast was one of the best. We plan to return here in the future.
Authenticity & Character
Fantastic decor
Location
Walking distance to the Arc de Triumph
Staff
Knew us by name. Excellent recommendations for dinner
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean
Such a different hotel located in the center of the center. We felt like we were transported back in time staying in a very classy vintage hotel from the past. Everything was wonderful and very victorian. We enjoyed taking pictures of everything. Breakfast was excellent. We did not enjoy the dinner as much and recommend some of the local restaurants. We felt our dinner was luke warm and mediocre service.
Authenticity & Character
This was the most authentic of all the hotels we stayed. Everything was well maintained and vintage. Bring your camera.
Location
We were literally in the center of the center. You could not ask for a better location. Super quiet!
Staff
Everyone was wonderful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Excellent.
Activity Reviews
All of Provence in One Day
France
This was basically two half day tours back to back. The first half was just myself and my wife which was fantastic. Our tour guide Leigh was fantastic and we really enjoyed the tour. At 2 pm we went back to Avignon and picked up 6 more people and we toured the other side of Provence (with the Roman Aqueducts). While both tours were interesting and educational, we preferred the morning touring more than the the afternoon session. Nonetheless, it was a long and enjoyable day.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Leigh was lovely and very personable. Shared a lot of information and answered lots of questions.
Transport
Comfortable 10 person van
Private Afternoon visit at Le Louvre
Paris
Our personal tour guide Roberto was fantastic. He was extremely educated and knowledgable and provided us a 2 hour education where he focused us on the most important works in the Louvre (he was also very witty). He kept us moving and we covered a tremendous amount of the Louvre in just 2 hours. After we exited the Louvre, Roberto was not done. He took pictures of us and then insisted we see the gardens of the Louvre (which were amazing). Still he is was not done! He walked us to our restaurant and made sure we were safely seated and comfortable. We highly recommend this tour and we highly recommend Roberto!
Quality of Experience
Condensed experience to see the most notable pieces of art
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Roberto was fantastic
Transport
Was not included….but Roberto walked us everywhere
Paris Dinner Cruise
Paris
We had first class accommodations and they were well worth it. This was a fantastic way to say goodbye to Paris. The food was fantastic and so was the service. The scenery was amazing. We completely enjoyed the dinner cruise and we enjoyed talking to the people around us. Also, we were able to enjoy the excitement of so many people getting engaged during the dinner cruise (lots of cheering all over the ship).
Quality of Experience
Service and food was outstanding
Food
So much food and so much wine (we could not finish everything!)
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Excellent staff
Transport
Wonderful ships
Beaujolais Tour & Wine Tasting
Lyon
We enjoyed our guide and this tour. The scenery was amazing. The wine was interesting but the education was better. We enjoyed how the guide provided our first tasting in a picnic environment in the fields looking over the valleys. The only negative is how minimal the wine samples were. We are on a wine tasting tour. Pour larger tastings….
Quality of Experience
We enjoyed our first tasting of wine in a picnic setting over looking the valley. We enjoyed that the guide provided each of us with a delicious croissant in the morning.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Friendly, knowledgable and personable
Visit the Loire Valley!
Paris
This was an excellent way to spend a day. Each chateaux was unique and fantastic. The scenery was magnificent. We took an enormous amount of pictures here. Our driver was excellent and very personable. We enjoyed this all day trip in a small comfortable van. There was a wine tasting included but it was not great. Still, we did sample a little wine of the valley, but nothing memorable (however, this was not the focus of the tour) and it was a very minimal amount of wine.
Quality of Experience
The whole experience and seeing the country side outside of Paris was lovely.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We really enjoyed our guide. He made the trip better.
Transport
Comfortable van for 10 people
We spent this first day in Lyon on a self guided tour of Lyon. There was nothing organized for this event. The city was very crowded and all the shops were closed. There was huge festival going on so the old town was very crowded.
Quality of Experience
This was a self guided tour
An afternoon in Châteauneuf du Pape
Avignon
Our tour guide Remy was very good and we enjoyed this tour. Châteauneuf du Pape is now one of my new favorite wines!!!! I enjoyed the wineries and their wineries. We learned a lot about this region.
Quality of Experience
The wine was excellent.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We enjoyed Remy as he was very personable.
Transport
Standard 10 person van
I have no idea why this is called “Charm Day”. It is a 1/2 day wine tour of Burgundy. We enjoyed this tour but thought things could be a little better (tour guide was not the greatest, but not terrible, wineries were just okay). Enjoyed seeing the country side and learning more about the wine and the region. Would have preferred better wineries to visit. The amount of wine poured was minimal. Would have preferred larger pours of wine (it is a wine tasting tour). We spent an hour in the town of Beaune which was all we needed…glad we did not stay in Beaune longer….rather be in Dijon.
Quality of Experience
1st winery was okay….2nd winery was just mediocre….touristy
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was just okay…..not as good as other guides…needs to be more personable to all guests?
Transport
Standard 10 person van
Cannes, Antibes, & Saint-Paul de Vence
France
We enjoyed this tour. Our guide provided a tremendous amount of information and talked the entire time about interesting facts during our trip. We enjoyed seeing Cannes and taking pictures (we even snuck into the Channel store across the street briefly). We enjoyed the food market and walking along the water at Antibes, Saint-Paul de Vence was very interesting seeing this Medieval castle.
Quality of Experience
Nice half day tour
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our tour guide was lovely, although sometimes difficult to understand her, but she repeated herself
Transport
Comfortable 10 person van
Latin Quarter Gourmet Tour
Paris
I would not recommend this tour. There was too much walking from shop to shop buying small pieces of food for a lunch later. At one point, I almost left the tour because we just kept window shopping. The guide also was difficult to understand and she was 15 to 20 minutes late. The tour concluded in a small wine tasting bar where the food was served on paper plates with crappy utensils (and we never had any chairs so we walked and stood for 4 hours). The guide was not cognizant about bathrooms or rests and just kept walking expecting everyone to keep up with her and we could not even hear what she was saying (not understand her). We left early and went to lunch.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Monaco | Monte-Carlo | Eze | La Turbie
France
Our tour guide was probably the worst. He was arrogant and did not talk for the first 30 minutes of the van ride. I almost asked him to pull over so I could get out and call an uber. However, we stuck with it and eventually he started talking…minimally. We enjoyed seeing the sites, although our guide provided the bare minimal information. We never got out of the van at Eze or La Turbie and literally had see them from the side of the road from inside the van. The other passengers did not speak English so not a lot of conversation for 4 hours.
We were taken to a perfume factory tour where we spent much too much time and then were given the sales speal to buy perfume. I thought we spent too much time here and it was a tourist trap.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Driver was very arrogant. Could not wait to get away from him. Sad experience for our last tour, however every other driver was fantastic.
Transport
Stuck in the back of 10 person van with people who did not speak English was not enjoyable.
