Simon Hardy

We had an amazing time on our honeymoon in Paris and the Loire Valley! We started the trip arriving in Paris and stayed at Hotel a la Villa des Artistes. We loved this neighborhood and the hotel very nice/had a great breakfast. We took day trips from Paris to Giverny to see Claude Monet's house and went to Versailles. While in Paris, we did a chocolate & pastry tour & did lots of sightseeing. We then took TGV train to Tours where we spent an evening. The hotel in Tours (Chateau Belmont) was... read more

We had an amazing time on our honeymoon in Paris and the Loire Valley! We started the trip arriving in Paris and stayed at Hotel a la Villa des Artistes. We loved this neighborhood and the hotel very nice/had a great breakfast. We took day trips from Paris to Giverny to see Claude Monet's house and went to Versailles. While in Paris, we did a chocolate & pastry tour & did lots of sightseeing. We then took TGV train to Tours where we spent an evening. The hotel in Tours (Chateau Belmont) was very nice but we did not love the city itself. We took our rental car from Tours and drove to the Loire Valley and stayed in Amboise. Amboise was beautiful and we loved the hotel we stayed at (Le Manoir St Thomas). While in the Loire Valley, we did some wine tours and castle tours. Our absolute favorite tour of the whole trip was the all day excursion to Chenonceau, Chambord, and a private chateau where we had lunch. Our guide was amazing and very informative. We took the train back from Tours to Paris for our last day and stayed at the Handsome Hotel. This was our least favorite hotel of the trip as it was very small and in a very noisy area. The hotel was centrally located though and was near a lot of shopping destinations which was convenient for our last day. The only hiccup we had on our trip was that the driver never showed up to pick us up to go to the airport as he was given an incorrect time. We ended up calling a cab ourselves though and were refunded the money. Simon was very helpful throughout the whole process and we definitely would recommend using him and KimKim to book a trip.

Hotel Reviews

A la Villa des Artistes 3*

Paris

Hotel is on a quiet side street in a very nice neighborhood. We are glad we stayed in this arrondissement for the majority of our time in Paris. Breakfast was delicious too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Château Belmont Tours by The Crest Collection

Tours

Hotel was very nice and we wished we would have booked a spa package earlier as they did not have any available when we checked in. Breakfast was very good. We had dinner at the restaurant and thought it was average.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Manoir Saint Thomas

Amboise

We loved the charm of this hotel and how friendly the staff was. There is no elevator in this hotel so it may not be good for people with mobility issues, but we had no problem staying here. The breakfast here was wonderful. Hotel was a few minute walk from all of the shops/restaurants in Amboise. It was also close to Restaurant l'Ilôt which was one of our favorite restaurants we ate at on our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Handsome Hotel Paris

Paris

This hotel was good for a one night stay as it was centrally located and close to the Marais district. It was quite loud though so I do not think I would have liked to stay here for several nights. The room itself was very nice and staff was friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles Palace & Gardens Half-day Guided Tour from Paris - small group

Paris

Our tour guide was great and we are so glad we got to see Versailles!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marais Pastry and Chocolate Tour

Paris

We enjoyed this tour, however, we felt we did not try enough pastries and mainly tasted a lot of chocolates. It also was extremely busy in the Marais district when we visited, so at times our guide had us wait outside instead of going into the shops with her. I think this would be better to do on a weekday when it is a little less crowded instead of on a weekend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Monet's Giverny House & Gardens Small-Group Half Day Trip From Paris

Paris

The gardens at Giverny house were absolutely beautiful and we loved exploring the house as well. We were under the assumption that this would be a guided tour though and instead of the tour guide going with us through the gardens/house, he just dropped us off and let us explore on our own. While it was nice to walk through on our own pace, I think we would have liked more explanations behind Giverny and Monet's work. Definitely still recommend going to Giverny, but perhaps with a different tour company.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vouvray & Montlouis Wine tour

France

The guide was extremely knowledgeable and we loved being able to see all the behind scenes of the wine making process along with tasting all of the delicious wines. Definitely recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord, Chenonceau & lunch at a chateau - Full-day

France

This was absolutely the best tour of our trip. We felt we learned so much about both castles and our guide was awesome. We also loved having a private lunch at a chateau to be able to experience some home cooked French food. Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

France

Our transfer was not scheduled for the correct time so the driver did not show up when he was supposed to. We waited for fifteen minutes and then ended up calling a taxi so we would not be late to the airport. Kimkim did refund us for our taxi ride.

We landed at CDG and were met by our driver and taken to our first hotel. Having a driver lined up takes so much stress off the end of a long flight/ beginning of the vacation!
After an initial day free, we jumped into our first organized event, an e-bike tour called Paris Charms and Secrets. Tour guide Pierre was part artist, part historian and part actor - animated, passionate and interesting! From Paris we headed south on the train for Lyon, a city we loved and want to return to. A... read more

We landed at CDG and were met by our driver and taken to our first hotel. Having a driver lined up takes so much stress off the end of a long flight/ beginning of the vacation!
After an initial day free, we jumped into our first organized event, an e-bike tour called Paris Charms and Secrets. Tour guide Pierre was part artist, part historian and part actor - animated, passionate and interesting! From Paris we headed south on the train for Lyon, a city we loved and want to return to. A highlight of our stay there was the Lyon Traditional Food Tour with guide Semaan that was a foodie’s delight, but also a history lesson and walking tour of old Lyon rolled into one.
From Lyon we headed to Marsaille, again by train, and and a memorable Cassis and Bandol Wine tour. Our guide, Eric, was extremely knowledgeable and personable. We learned so much about wine and winemaking, met the families who owned the 3 vineyards we visited and heard the history of their operations. The countryside was exquisitely beautiful! We had a delicious lunch at a port side restaurant in Cassis, then rode to the top of a National (?) park that overlooked Marsaille. Amazing.
Our tours were all either private (just the two of us) or 8 or less. Perfect for getting around easily and for being able to ask questions and have the attention of the guide.
Our trip included transportation to and from CDG and train tickets for the inner France travel. With this arrangement we would advise making sure you know which train station you need to show up at (many cities have more than one) and (especially in Paris) where you need to be standing to board the train - they are very long and crowded trains and the stops are short: there isn’t time to figure anything out last minute.
Another consideration is transportation to/from train stations and to tours. Cabs are expensive and can add a considerable amount to your trip. The metro systems take a little time to figure out, but are a great way to go if your destination is too far to walk.
We chose to stay at smaller, boutique hotels and they were more than adequate.
Our trip was an abbreviated version of a longer trip planned and postponed due to the Covid pandemic. If we had it to do again, we would not try to pack visits to so many cities into 7 days.
We highly recommend KimKim if you want a tour, but not the “30-people wearing green scarves- following a flag” variety.

We really enjoyed our experience planning our trip with KimKim and our rep Simon. We were thrilled with the collaboration to set up the trip and how Simon accomodated our requests and questions especially as it related to suitability for our children. It wasn’t a one time correspondence, but a good back and forth of ideas, suggestions and then a final plan.

Once we arrived it was such a breeze. Everything happened as it should and made our trip so enjoyable. Standout tours were Cedric... read more

We really enjoyed our experience planning our trip with KimKim and our rep Simon. We were thrilled with the collaboration to set up the trip and how Simon accomodated our requests and questions especially as it related to suitability for our children. It wasn’t a one time correspondence, but a good back and forth of ideas, suggestions and then a final plan.

Once we arrived it was such a breeze. Everything happened as it should and made our trip so enjoyable. Standout tours were Cedric with Normandy Excursions (he was really amazing keeping our children's attention!), Manuel at the Eiffel Tower, chocolate and pastry tours of Le Marias and Loire Valley wine.

We have already recommended kimkim to friends and will certainly use them again.

This trip was amazing! Simon did such a great job in knowing exactly what to plan. In Paris, our dinner cruise on the Seine was outstanding -one of our favorite meals by far! Our tour of the Eiffel Tour at sunset was awesome and our tour guide Christina was so interesting, fun and knowledgeable. Our family of 5 became pastry chefs and created delicious macaroons which was so fun, but planning this on Bastille Day made travel to the kitchen a challenge;( Our hotel was great. The staff was... read more

This trip was amazing! Simon did such a great job in knowing exactly what to plan. In Paris, our dinner cruise on the Seine was outstanding -one of our favorite meals by far! Our tour of the Eiffel Tour at sunset was awesome and our tour guide Christina was so interesting, fun and knowledgeable. Our family of 5 became pastry chefs and created delicious macaroons which was so fun, but planning this on Bastille Day made travel to the kitchen a challenge;( Our hotel was great. The staff was so wonderful and the accommodations were superb at Hotel Bourdonnais- we would highly recommend!!!

On to the South of France via train. We wish we were given better insight on how these trains work. Our destination was Aix de Provence-but at the train station we did not know which train was which because this train was traveling to Marsailles and I am not sure how we would know that without speaking to someone that could speak english. Another bit of advise- have your luggage ready to leave the train ahead-the stops are very quick!

Aix de Provence was amazing. Our dinner at Jardin Mazarin was delicious and the restaurant was very pretty! The highlights was our trip with Pierre to all the villages - this was so worth it. Our Chef Giles adventure in picking put ingredients, visiting a winery and preparing and eating a masterpiece was an amazing experience.

J'adore France - Merci mon ami!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel La Bourdonnais - Tour Eiffel

Paris

Amazing people that work there ! So accommodating and beautiful accommodations. Great breakfast and delicious pastries. We would stay here again for sure.

Authenticity & Character

Location

so close to the Eiffle Tower

Staff

great people that were so helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

everything was clean all the time;)

Aparthotel Adagio Aix en Provence Centre

Aix-en-Provence

Great location to stay and tour. Offers laundry and great space. I didn't understand a cleaning fee or paying for new towels. I enjoyed the people that worked there. They were very nice;)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Novotel Suites Paris CDG Airport

Roissy-en-France

so close to our gate! EASY and very nice lodging to make our flight on time

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Versailles Palace & Gardens Half-day Guided Tour from Paris - small group

Paris

This was not a guided tour- it was a ride.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

air was not great

Paris Dinner Cruise

Paris

awesome dinner and entertainment! Great service.

Quality of Experience

Food

you will not leave hungry!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Macarons class

Paris

I was excited to learn and enjoyed it! I felt bad we were very late because we had t find a ride and it was far. On Bastille day you can not travel anywhere.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

(DU) Evening Eiffel Tower Private Tour + skip-the-line tickets

Paris

This was amazing. Our guide Christine was fabulous !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

so close to our hotel we walked.

Luberon Markets and Villages small-group guided tour

Aix-en-Provence

Our guide, Pierre was amazing and so knowledgeable. we will never forget these visits.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

everything

Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

what an amazing experience to learn of an actual day in a life of a resident. Our Chef did amazing in including us, showing us, and creating masterpieces. I loved going to his home and sharing in our creations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Simon had the local experiences perfect. The cooking class, boat tour, and wine tastings were great. Having the train tickets taken care of in advance was needed. If I had to do it again, I would've tried to have an actual call with Simon to discuss some stuff as doing it all over email was a bit difficult at times. We would have probably also figured out that the hotel back in Paris on the last night was probably not the best one to use. But that is made up by the hotel in Marseille! It was... read more

Simon had the local experiences perfect. The cooking class, boat tour, and wine tastings were great. Having the train tickets taken care of in advance was needed. If I had to do it again, I would've tried to have an actual call with Simon to discuss some stuff as doing it all over email was a bit difficult at times. We would have probably also figured out that the hotel back in Paris on the last night was probably not the best one to use. But that is made up by the hotel in Marseille! It was great. We had such an awesome view of the Bastille Day activities from our room while looking at the massive crowds below. We had a few minor hiccups with transfers and dinner reservations, but no vacation goes 100% smooth and we all recovered and Simon was quick to fix what he could. Thank you, Simon.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel OFF Paris Seine 4*

Paris

Such a unique hotel! It's literally a floating barge on the river! The staff was great. It is close enough to walk to the TGV train station if you are going to another part of France, but a bit far from the attractions you might want to visit in Paris. But the local metro station is directly across the street to get to those locations. If proximity to the TGV is what you want, this is great. If you want to stay closer to the Paris attractions, you might want to try another place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aquabella 4*

Aix en Provence

One of the few places in Aix that has a pool and it was a great pool! It's still walkable to everything in Aix. The rooms are actually very spacious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port

Marseille

This hotel is right on the Old Port. You can walk to many restaurants and shops. The metro station is right in front as well. The staff was very nice and helpful. They helped us translate some documents! The only complaint would be that this location was sometimes noisy at night given it's location right on a busy part of the Old Port. But this location also allowed us to view the Bastille Day festivities without having to venture into the massive crowds! This will be tradition European size hotel rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Handsome Hotel Paris

Paris

The good is that this hotel is walking distance to some of the Paris attractions you want to see. It is also very close to endless Parisien cafes and shopping. This hotel is TINY even by European standards. The elevator was borderline claustrophobic. I would have been happier paying higher room charges for a better hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chateauneuf du Pape & Gigondas Wine Tour

France

Our guide, Eric was AWESOME! He knew the area and the wine so well. He also knew the general area very well. He took us to some non wine related stops for some nice pictures and history lessons.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eric was the best!

Transport

Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Gilles was an excellent host. We cooked at his house which was a unique experience. We had a fun group. The only thing I wish was for Gilles to involve us more in the shopping experience by showing us how he was picking things at the market, but that is a very minor complaint. He gave everyone their jobs and helped people who needed help during the cooking process. The stop at the winery was a nice stop. The food was delicious as well.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a little crowded in the transport

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

Eric, the guide, was amazing! He knew the wine and the surrounding regions so well. He was more than a wine guide, he was a tour guide. I would book a tour with him again!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Cruise to Calanques National Park - private group

Marseille

This was such an awesome excursion. The boat was comfortable (no bathroom). Caesar was our guide and was incredible. He captained the boat with expertise and provided context to all the places we visited. The area itself is gorgeous!! The blue waters and the unique Calanques were so cool. Caesar even dropped us off at a different location as he made lunch reservations for us at a friend's restaurant which turned out to be amazing! Book this trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

France

On time and big enough for our group.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had the most amazing trip to France because of Simon. He helped us plan out every detail. We enjoyed fantastic excursions, our favorites being a wine tour in Bandol & Cassis and a cooking course in Provence that was absolutely incredible in a Michelin starred kitchen! Simon was also available and incredibly responsive when I had a couple questions during our trip. I cannot say enough good things about Simon and the unforgettable trip he helped design for my family. Merci beaucoup Simon!!!!!!! read more

We had the most amazing trip to France because of Simon. He helped us plan out every detail. We enjoyed fantastic excursions, our favorites being a wine tour in Bandol & Cassis and a cooking course in Provence that was absolutely incredible in a Michelin starred kitchen! Simon was also available and incredibly responsive when I had a couple questions during our trip. I cannot say enough good things about Simon and the unforgettable trip he helped design for my family. Merci beaucoup Simon!!!!!!!

Hotel Reviews

Capelongue, a Beaumier hotel

Bonnieux

This hotel is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Parisis Paris Tour Eiffel

Paris

We loved the location and our view of the Eiffel tower, the rooms are quite small and the bathrooms left a little to be desired (paint chipping in showers, a little unsightly).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Restaurant | Welcome gastronomic dinner in Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Of all of the restaurants we enjoyed on our trip, this one was one of our least favorites.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Full-day Private Cassis & Bandol Rosé Wine Tour

France

So fun! Great trip and beautiful views! Our guide was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private exclusive cooking class, Spa and Dinner in Joucas

France

This was our favorite excursion. We couldnt believe how hands on the chefs were and how much time they spent with us! Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to use the spa, but the 7 course meal was amazing!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

(DU) Evening Eiffel Tower Private Tour + skip-the-line tickets

Paris

Wow! The eiffel tower at sunset was unbelievable! It is a MUST DO!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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

France

On time and pleasant! Also were prepared with car seats for our children which was very appreciated!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned 3 days in Avignon and 3 days in Aix-en-Provence. Simon prepared a perfect itinerary and we made the most of our limited time in each city. We flew into Paris, took the train to Avignon and rented a car. In Avignon, we visited the oldest winery (La Nerthe) at Chateauneuf du Pape, took a gourmet walking tour of the city with Julian and had time to explore the beautiful city on our own. On our way to Aix, we stopped in St. Remy and took an e-bike tour through the Alpilles natural... read more

We planned 3 days in Avignon and 3 days in Aix-en-Provence. Simon prepared a perfect itinerary and we made the most of our limited time in each city. We flew into Paris, took the train to Avignon and rented a car. In Avignon, we visited the oldest winery (La Nerthe) at Chateauneuf du Pape, took a gourmet walking tour of the city with Julian and had time to explore the beautiful city on our own. On our way to Aix, we stopped in St. Remy and took an e-bike tour through the Alpilles natural park and road to Les Baux de Provence. It was spectacular! In Aix, we spent the day with Nathalie, starting with a winery tour in the morning and touring the beautiful small towns in Luberon (Lourmarin, Roussilon and Gordes) in the afternoon. We finished our time in Aix with a cooking class that started with buying the ingredients in the local market, choosing a wine from a local winery and preparing the meal at our guide, Gilles, home. My daughter and I had the BEST time!

Simon included lots of great (very helpful) information in the travelbook, restaurant recommendations as well suggestions on sites to see in each town. It was a trip of a lifetime!!

Hotel Reviews

La Mirande

Avignon

Amazing experience for a mom-daughter stay. The hotel is centrally located, but as other travelers have noted, driving can be a harrowing experience. We couldn't figure out how to get through the pop up metal barriers when we arrived. After driving in circles through VERY narrow streets, we got through only because the barrier was down for the person in front of us. When we drove out the next day to visit a winery, we encountered the barrier at the bottom of the hill. Still unaware how to get past, we backed up the hill, inevitably scraping the side of a wall. When we walked back up to ask for help, the valet graciously walked us down and explained how to use the call box. That aside, the hotel property is spectacular and the staff were wonderful. Our room was spacious, very traditional French country decor. We were greeted with chocolate and fruit basket. No detail was spared! Breakfast in the morning was wonderful and lunch in the restaurant on the patio is a must! Highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

Traditional French country

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

5* Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

Amazing! The hotel is a 15 minute walk from the city center, however, the property is spectacular with beautiful gardens and fountains and pool. Our room was spacious and well appointed, breakfast in the garden was delightful and the staff were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

The grounds are beautiful - nice relaxing breakfast in the morning and great to sit outside for a nightcap.

Location

Great location, but a bit far from the city center.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bistronomic diner in Avignon

Avignon

Visit of Chateau la Nerthe & Tasting

Avignon

Camille was delightful! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the winery and explained the winery's AOC designation. Camille walked us through the cellar and explained the aging process for different wines. We concludes with a sampling of 7 different wines. Overall great experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gourmet tour of Avignon - Shared activity

Avignon

Julian was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable about the history of Avignon and local culture. We thoroughly enjoyed walking through the city sampling different foods and wines from the region.

Quality of Experience

Perfect amount of time and stops

Food

Visiting local shops and sampling different food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ebike tour in the Alpilles from St Remy

France

We arrived at the bike shop and met our guide who set us up on our ebikes. We biked through the beautiful hillside; the pedal assist was perfect and we had no problem biking up steep hills. Our first stop was to see the view of Les Baux-de-Provence and then we road down town and walked around for ~30 minutes. The ride back was beautiful with water/snack stops on the way back. Overall, it was ~4 hours and ~30 miles. One of our favorite tours on our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wine Tour in the Luberon Nature Park

Aix-en-Provence

Initially we did not anticipate a full day tour, but realized it was broken down into two parts. Wine tasting in the morning and a tour of small towns in Luberon (Lourmarin, Roussillon and Gordes). It was a long day, but we absolutely loved see the beautiful villages. our guide, Nathalie was wonderful and we had ample time to walk around at each stop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Provençal Cooking Class in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

The day started in the morning, walking through the local market and buying fresh produce, cheese and meat that we would use in our recipe. We then stopped at a local winery before making our way to our host/guides home. Gilles was a wonderful host, very knowledgeable about the local market, and regional cuisine. We had a great group and all worked together to prepare our meal.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Restaurant | Welcome gastronomic dinner in Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Unfortunately, we did not have a great experience at this restaurant. While my daughter and I are pretty adventurous eaters, we did not enjoy this meal. The restaurant itself was beautiful and the staff were very attentive, but overall, I would not go back.

Quality of Experience

Food

Overall, the trip was good. We enjoyed the wine experience, the cooking class was very good and Narde was a good guide. Our disappointment was the guide, Christian. He was charming, but his English was terrible. He is more of a driver than a guide. We had him for two days and did not learn a thing. In fact, I had to google things to try and understand what he was saying. Other than pointing out houses of famous people, such as eeljun (his version of Elton John) and hotels, which had... read more

Overall, the trip was good. We enjoyed the wine experience, the cooking class was very good and Narde was a good guide. Our disappointment was the guide, Christian. He was charming, but his English was terrible. He is more of a driver than a guide. We had him for two days and did not learn a thing. In fact, I had to google things to try and understand what he was saying. Other than pointing out houses of famous people, such as eeljun (his version of Elton John) and hotels, which had signs anyway, he had nothing to contribute. Really disappointing. He should NOT be guiding an English speaking tour.

Simon was very attentive and designed a wonderful trip for us. We visited Lyon, Avignon, the Luberon, and Marseille. It was a good balance of planned activities and free time for exploration on our own. Each stop had something memorable. In Lyon, the gastronomy walking tour peas our favorite. In Avingon, Pont de Gare and a side trip to Nimes. Both the cooking class and the e-bike tour were great, and staying in Roussillon was superb. We didn't have much time in Marseille so that was some... read more

Simon was very attentive and designed a wonderful trip for us. We visited Lyon, Avignon, the Luberon, and Marseille. It was a good balance of planned activities and free time for exploration on our own. Each stop had something memorable. In Lyon, the gastronomy walking tour peas our favorite. In Avingon, Pont de Gare and a side trip to Nimes. Both the cooking class and the e-bike tour were great, and staying in Roussillon was superb. We didn't have much time in Marseille so that was some place we'll have to return to on another trip.

Hotel Reviews

Le Clos de la Glycine

Roussillon

Roussillon is a stunning location and this hotel is right in the center of the town. Our room had a patio with a gorgeous view of the ochre cliffs and across the valley. It was a few weeks before prime lavender season but everything was lush and green. The room was spacious for the three of us. And breakfast on the terrace was delicious, plus the view...

Tips for future travelers

Our room had a hot tub (not all do), check so you can be prepared.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel de l'Horloge

Avignon

Great location in Avignon, central, near the Pope's Palace. Breakfast was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cultural and culinary walking tour

Lyon

Guide was amazing, very easy going, lots of interesting facts. He was also good at engaging the group. The tasting locations were all excellent as well. Learned a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 3 weeks in France with my family of four! I love to plan and research but it was becoming too time consuming so I reached out to KimKim. They connected us to Simon, who completed a full 3-week itinerary for us - including hotels, train, transfers, and tours and experiences. It was fun picking and choosing what our family wanted from the options given. Simon then booked everything for us after we had finalized our selection. I am writing this out in the review because to be... read more

We spent 3 weeks in France with my family of four! I love to plan and research but it was becoming too time consuming so I reached out to KimKim. They connected us to Simon, who completed a full 3-week itinerary for us - including hotels, train, transfers, and tours and experiences. It was fun picking and choosing what our family wanted from the options given. Simon then booked everything for us after we had finalized our selection. I am writing this out in the review because to be honest, I really didn't understand how KimKim works. This is how it works. I can't imagine how many hours I saved with Simon planning and then booking everything for us.

Our trip was amazing - we refer to it as a YOLO trip!! We thoroughly enjoyed experiencing all different parts of France - a country of many countries. While on our trip, Simon checked in on us and we even met him when in Marseilles.

I don't know if I will ever go back to planning trips now that I know it is so easy with KimKim!
5 stars - all the way!

Hotel Review

Edgar Suites Paris Louvre - Bellan

Paris

Perfect for our family of 4. More space than a typical hotel room and great location. My only downfall would be the 3 flights of stairs with luggage, but hey, we expected that!

Tips for future travelers

3 flights of stairs

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Electric Bike tour of Paris' Hidden Gems - Small-group

Paris

Favorite activity in Paris!

I can't thank Simon and Ambre Marie enough for all their planning and recommendations for our group! Everything was truly wonderful, from when we arrived in Marseille to our last night in Eze. Our guides throughout the week - LuLu, Arthur, Alex, Nathalie and Stephan - were all excellent, and the towns and locations visited spectacular. A highlight for us all was Captain Laurence, on our boat tour out of Marseille - she is wonderful. Our first dinner in Marseille at Restaurant Une table au... read more

I can't thank Simon and Ambre Marie enough for all their planning and recommendations for our group! Everything was truly wonderful, from when we arrived in Marseille to our last night in Eze. Our guides throughout the week - LuLu, Arthur, Alex, Nathalie and Stephan - were all excellent, and the towns and locations visited spectacular. A highlight for us all was Captain Laurence, on our boat tour out of Marseille - she is wonderful. Our first dinner in Marseille at Restaurant Une table au Sud was truly memorable - we would definitely recommend this restaurant! And we cannot forget the Olive Oil Tasting/Cooking Class at Moulin Sant Jean in Fontvieille - another high point! Chateau Eze we will remember as a highlight of the trip, along with the fabulous dinner at the hotel restaurant on our last evening.

Accomodations: The Intercontinental in Marseille was beautiful and the food and service very good. La Maison Dauphine in Aix was the perfect guest house for the six of us. I would be sure when booking that your customers are aware that there is no lift - fine for us, but could be an issue getting to the third floor for some. Véronique was a gracious host, assisting us with restaurant suggestions and reservations. La Divine Comédie in Avignon was beautiful, but we would not recommend it. We are dog lovers, but huge weimaraners trying to sit on your chair while you're eating breakfast in the dining room did not seem appropriate when paying luxury prices. On our first night, having toured all day and bearing wine and cheese from our travels, we asked to utilize some utensils and plates, which were provided but at a fee per person - again seems out of line with the price point. We were also sitting in the garden at 5PM in the afternoon when one of the staff came out to tell us we were being too loud ( I know - Americans!). If it was late in the evening, a fair concern, but at 5PM in the afternoon? It was also VERY difficult for the guides to find us and to load and unload luggage at this location.

Overall, we couldn't have been happier with this long planned/delayed trip for our group. Many thanks for your thoughtful understanding of the type of experience we were hoping for - you definitely delivered! Best: Karen, Tom, Maggie, Brian, Jack and Kandy

Our trip was Amazing! Simon was so responsive, both before AND during our trip. I've traveled a lot but never used a travel agent before and what a difference it makes! Thanks to Simon, KimKim, and the So Provence! So Alps! team, we enjoyed sights and experiences we would not have planned ourselves. All of our guides were very knowledgeable and experienced. We had a great trip.

I enjoyed the trip and tours arranged by kimkim. The hotels and guides were good with 2 exceptions - described below. I did not interact much with Simon so cannot provide comments on his service.
There are 2 things that were of poor quality however:
1. The hotel in Aux-du-Provence was not good quality. I also had a safety issue there, in that someone I did not know, tried to come into my room late at night. Also, my bathroom smelled bad and my refrigerator did not work. I would not stay at... read more

I enjoyed the trip and tours arranged by kimkim. The hotels and guides were good with 2 exceptions - described below. I did not interact much with Simon so cannot provide comments on his service.
There are 2 things that were of poor quality however:
1. The hotel in Aux-du-Provence was not good quality. I also had a safety issue there, in that someone I did not know, tried to come into my room late at night. Also, my bathroom smelled bad and my refrigerator did not work. I would not stay at this hotel again.
2. The guide who took us to Monaco was not good. She was more focused on her personal activities and plans for later in the day. She provided minimal information on what we were seeing. She dropped us off and never accompanied us to any spots we visited along the way. She operated more as a driver than a guide. I don't feel we got what we paid kimkim, for this person's services.

I think overall KimKim did the best they could to service my group. They provided many options based on my request but our intentions were different. The KimKim service is best for those who are ok with someone taking care of everything and not worries about the additional cost. I think I was trying to learn more about the place and see various price options and activities lined up next to each other so I could get a good comparison and it’s not meant for that.

On that note Simon and Lucie... read more

I think overall KimKim did the best they could to service my group. They provided many options based on my request but our intentions were different. The KimKim service is best for those who are ok with someone taking care of everything and not worries about the additional cost. I think I was trying to learn more about the place and see various price options and activities lined up next to each other so I could get a good comparison and it’s not meant for that.

On that note Simon and Lucie did everything they could to service our group. We had a great time in Provence for the most part. The dinner we had the first night was delicious and I highly recommend the food tour/ cooking class we did with Mathilde. The wineries were less than pleasing and did not meet my expectations in terms of ambiance at the facilities. The wineries did not seem they were ready for visitors or meant for visitors. Maybe my comparison is to California wineries so there is a mismatch.

Overall, glad we went, we had a great time but I might go another route in the future due to my own personal reasons. More clarity around the cost breakdown would help the comfort level when booking for sure. The unknown makes it feel uncomfortable and I expect that we are paying a higher premium for the service but getting a rough idea would help.

KimKim did a great job planning for the wants/needs of our group. We used KimKim for transportation, cooking classes, winery tours, and train tickets. I can’t say enough about our cooking class. Mathilde was knowledgeable, providing history and passion for her cooking class. She was also a great resource for things to do in the area. The meal we created in her kitchen was informative, fun, and delicious.
The train tickets and transportation was also great. With 5 girls and luggage, we... read more

KimKim did a great job planning for the wants/needs of our group. We used KimKim for transportation, cooking classes, winery tours, and train tickets. I can’t say enough about our cooking class. Mathilde was knowledgeable, providing history and passion for her cooking class. She was also a great resource for things to do in the area. The meal we created in her kitchen was informative, fun, and delicious.
The train tickets and transportation was also great. With 5 girls and luggage, we always had a van with room to spare.
With regards to the winery, we weren’t very impressed. I am not sure if this is because our expectations were different from how wine tours are run in the Provence area, or if it was not planned properly. Our tour guide Stefan, was very pleasant and knowledgeable and was not the reason for our underwhelming experience. However, we are used to wineries that provide an experience of family history, a comfortable setting to sit, and food pairing (small bites) that pair well with wine tastings. This is not what we experienced, which made this tour somewhat lackluster to say the least. It may be a good idea for KimKim to provide specific overview of wine tours so as not to disappoint future customers.
I would definitely recommend kimkim and their services to others. We had some truly unforgettable moments. Cheers!

This trip was perfection. Our local specialist Simon planned it seamlessly. Each leg of the trip was different and special. The location of the Lyon hotel and the gourmet walking tour and winery trip with Tasty Lyon was great too.
Domaine Capelongue was stunning and a great location to visit all the small towns around.
Our favourite by far was Caroline’s beautiful B&B Villa Astoria. She was a great host and her help Sylvie is very sweet. The location, views and house are perfection .
Thank you to Simon again for the great planning, communication and making our holiday a Dream!

Overall itinerary was well planned and hotel selection was superb with good location and services except for the following :

1) Hotel Splendid Nice, who did the dinner booking for us, failed to inform us of the change in restaurant. We had a nasty shock when we went to the given restaurant and found it to be empty of furniture. The alternative restaurant we managed to locate was poor with meat dishes.

2) Hotel in Forcalquier is an excellent resort hotel, but is located 2 km from town.... read more

Overall itinerary was well planned and hotel selection was superb with good location and services except for the following :

1) Hotel Splendid Nice, who did the dinner booking for us, failed to inform us of the change in restaurant. We had a nasty shock when we went to the given restaurant and found it to be empty of furniture. The alternative restaurant we managed to locate was poor with meat dishes.

2) Hotel in Forcalquier is an excellent resort hotel, but is located 2 km from town. Taxis service was hard to come by and under the terrible heat wave, we were thankful that the hotel get their staff to send us to town and later, after much frustration in trying to get taxis, arranged for their staff to bring us back to the resort.

Marion, the local guide in Nice for the gourmet walk about was very friendly and gave us plenty of information about Nice. Marc who brought us to Monaco was a responsible guide. The Aix walking tour guide, Arthur, was very helpful and gave insights of Aix En Provence, Remy, our guide from Aix to Marseille is a cheerful and caring guide that provide plenty of information about the places we visit.

Overall Simon has done a good job in arranging this tour. It would be better if we can have a communication link such as what's app established before the tour start. We were on our own on first night when we found the restaurant we were supposed to have dinner was closed, and we didn't know then it was the hotel who arranged it. My attempt to reach Simon by phone went straight to voicemail.

This was the perfect travel experience and one that my wife and I will remember for a lifetime.

The accommodations that were booked for us in every town were in a beautiful setting, always very comfortable and with an extraordinary staff. We were especially impressed with our room in Sault maintained by Kevin. Not only was it in a beautiful valley each and every space was perfectly furnished. Dominique who was our host outside of Roussillon was very helpful and took great pains to make us... read more

This was the perfect travel experience and one that my wife and I will remember for a lifetime.

The accommodations that were booked for us in every town were in a beautiful setting, always very comfortable and with an extraordinary staff. We were especially impressed with our room in Sault maintained by Kevin. Not only was it in a beautiful valley each and every space was perfectly furnished. Dominique who was our host outside of Roussillon was very helpful and took great pains to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Our hotel in Vaison-la-Romaine “Hostellerie Le Befroi” had one of the greatest meals we ate in all of France.

The food was also of the highest quality. Each location that was booked was very accommodating and the meals were delicious.

The travel book provided to us was very accurate and provided a great guide to this long journey. We never once felt lost or out of place as the directions were so clear throughout.

The equipment was of the highest quality. The EBikes provided by Sun EBike and our specialist Estelle was fabulous. Estelle also gave us a great tip about a professional bike race that was happening so we could be prepared in our route. We were given panniers that were large enough to fit all of our gear and still have space. The GPS provided to us had pre loaded maps for every day and was very clear and kept us on route.

The greatest part of this trip was the journey itself. Every hill and valley we rolled through was more beautiful than the next and we could not imagine having had a better experience.

Thank you to Simon and So Provence So Alps for this vacation that will live with us always.

I thought the hotels and guides were great. The first two nights in Aix Provence were the best as far as service and hotels go. This small hotel provided great service and an excellent room. The cooking school was enjoyable with a trip to the market and then a quick wine tasting before the class. The food proved amazing and the event filled the day. Don't suggest having any more meals that day. The hotel in Arles was quite beautiful. It was a treat to stay there. The wine trip the... read more

I thought the hotels and guides were great. The first two nights in Aix Provence were the best as far as service and hotels go. This small hotel provided great service and an excellent room. The cooking school was enjoyable with a trip to the market and then a quick wine tasting before the class. The food proved amazing and the event filled the day. Don't suggest having any more meals that day. The hotel in Arles was quite beautiful. It was a treat to stay there. The wine trip the next day was the highlight of our stay in Provence. Eric the wine tour guide was excellent. The private tours were wonderful and the places were beautiful. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Our hotel in Avignon was nice but not exceptional. It was located in a great place and they gave us a nice room with a deck overlooking the city. We enjoyed our touring around the area by rental car and managed to fill the day with the high-points of the region. All and all the package proved very good. I would highly recommend Simon. He was able to readjust our schedule due to a flight cancellation that eliminated our first day. Simon's rescheduling enable us to almost recapture the elements of the lost first day. The only item that was a bit negative was the cost of the private transport in Provence. Our driver, while very nice charged much more than estimated in our itinerary. But that didn't diminish the excellent services and information provided and the great assistance Simon provided for us. Many thanks to Simon.

Estelle from sun e bikes was great and very helpful. The staff at the restaurants: Fort in Marseille, La Fourchette in Avignon were very pleasant and good experiences. Heily Lucullus in Avignon was very good and our owner/hostess was very nice. Eating dinner outside at Les Fin Roches in CDP had excellent ambiance. CDP itself was just OK. Sylvie at La Nerth gave a great tour although a little rushed since we were a little late. But she spent a lot of time with us in the the tasting... read more

Estelle from sun e bikes was great and very helpful. The staff at the restaurants: Fort in Marseille, La Fourchette in Avignon were very pleasant and good experiences. Heily Lucullus in Avignon was very good and our owner/hostess was very nice. Eating dinner outside at Les Fin Roches in CDP had excellent ambiance. CDP itself was just OK. Sylvie at La Nerth gave a great tour although a little rushed since we were a little late. But she spent a lot of time with us in the the tasting room and it was very memorable. Very attractive woman by the way. ;) . Before we got to La Nerth, we stopped at Mont Redon winery. Very friendly staff and a beautiful place. I recommend that as a stopover. Domaine de Manville was an excellent experience. The staff was excellent and we were treated very well by everyone that we interacted with, excepting the misunderstanding at the proshop.

Our Trip to Provence and The French Riveria was great. Alex our guide and driver was fantastic. Very professional but friendly, excellent driver, so knowledgeable on the history and geography of the area and very flexible when we had requests for small variations. Our hotel accommodations were all very good - the last one - Hotel La Perouse was fabulous - great way to end our holiday. Regarding the activities we partook in - we all thought the hike in Calanques National Park was great but in... read more

Our Trip to Provence and The French Riveria was great. Alex our guide and driver was fantastic. Very professional but friendly, excellent driver, so knowledgeable on the history and geography of the area and very flexible when we had requests for small variations. Our hotel accommodations were all very good - the last one - Hotel La Perouse was fabulous - great way to end our holiday. Regarding the activities we partook in - we all thought the hike in Calanques National Park was great but in some places a little slippery - not recommended for people who aren't steady on their feet or are not wearing appropriate footwear - or elderly.

We all loved our day in the Luberon visiting Gordes and Roussillon .
St Tropez was also well liked - some good shopping.
Our excursion to Grasse and our workshop at the perfume House of Galimord was probably one of our most memorable experiences - wasn't sure how the interested the guys would be but we all thoroughly ended it.
Monaco and Eze were also beautiful and very enjoyable.

Gourmet walking tour in Nice was good - Marion was lovely and very knowledgeable but a little disorganized and it was hard for everyone to hear her - concept was good and she showed us some great hidden foodie spots - would be a good tour to do the you first arrived in Nice so you could you this information to your advantage to close where to dine.

The wine tasting at Domaine du Clos des Roses was disappointing - we all thought it would have been better to stay in St Tropez - afternoon was a waste -No tour - tasted 2 wines - not worth it.

In all - we were very satisfied with the itinerary except for the wine tasting - perhaps next time we would allow 1 day extra in each location for shopping and wandering the town at our own leisure or enjoying the facilities of the hotels

The two days of hiking in the "Vallee des Merveilles" was wonderful with Damien. He was very considerate, interesting and fun. The tour was exactly what I was hoping. Sometime in the future, I would love to plan another but longer hike through that part of France.

The tour of Nice was good. Our guide knew the information and presented it well. Our only problem was that she talks too long with a very fast loud voice. Sometimes she talked so quickly that we could not follow her strain of... read more

The two days of hiking in the "Vallee des Merveilles" was wonderful with Damien. He was very considerate, interesting and fun. The tour was exactly what I was hoping. Sometime in the future, I would love to plan another but longer hike through that part of France.

The tour of Nice was good. Our guide knew the information and presented it well. Our only problem was that she talks too long with a very fast loud voice. Sometimes she talked so quickly that we could not follow her strain of thought.

Simon, thank you for putting together a great 3 day tour of southern France. Hopefully there are other opportunities to give you a call.
Thanks again
Sheila

Simon was very helpful to meet with me pre trip and make sure I understood where I was supposed to be each day. The hotels and restaurants that he selected were fantastic. I especially loved Danielle at the wine b and b. The wine experience was fantastic. Sun E bikes made the trip pretty tough. While I am certain they had the best of intentions, the person who drops off the bike needs to be trained on how to set the GPS up for success. I asked immediately how to zoom in and he wasn't able to... read more

Simon was very helpful to meet with me pre trip and make sure I understood where I was supposed to be each day. The hotels and restaurants that he selected were fantastic. I especially loved Danielle at the wine b and b. The wine experience was fantastic. Sun E bikes made the trip pretty tough. While I am certain they had the best of intentions, the person who drops off the bike needs to be trained on how to set the GPS up for success. I asked immediately how to zoom in and he wasn't able to make that happen so that I could see the roads. With in 10 minutes I was lost and when I called no one answered. I should have left a message and didn't. The rest of the day was a mess as I was continuously lost. My road book pages weren't numbered and got out of order. Even if they hadn't, once you are lost I am not sure they would have helped. The bike specialist did try to meet me at the wine tasting. he was correct that the gps was working (as in pointing the right direction and having signal, it just wasn't set up to zoom in and see roads) He was still unable to fix this but brought me paper maps. Since I couldn't sleep because I was worrying so much about my next day, I was able to change the setting myself. I'm not sure why that couldn't have been done right away, it would have saved a lot of frustration for everyone. I did appreciate the pickup on the second day when I couldn't go further after riding in rain and a thunderstorm. One thing that would have been helpful to know as well in St Remy is that according to my hotel concierge, taxi's need 2 days in advance reservation to make the 20 minute drive to the train station. I almost missed my train back to Paris due to this. Since the rating asks to describe Simon, I don't think it is fair to rate him based on Sun E bikes failure to set up the gps, overall, I would unfortunately rate the trip as a whole lower as it was really stressful.

We are a family of 4 who travelled to Provence in July 2018. Our children are aged 4 and 6. All our accommodation was superb and the guided tours excellent. The tour of the calenques with skipper Laurence was one of the most unique and memorable experiences of our travels so far - we traveled quickly to some magnificent swimming locations and saw a really different side of Marseille.

The tour of an Olive mill was delicious and fascinating. The family were really welcoming and involved the... read more

We are a family of 4 who travelled to Provence in July 2018. Our children are aged 4 and 6. All our accommodation was superb and the guided tours excellent. The tour of the calenques with skipper Laurence was one of the most unique and memorable experiences of our travels so far - we traveled quickly to some magnificent swimming locations and saw a really different side of Marseille.

The tour of an Olive mill was delicious and fascinating. The family were really welcoming and involved the children in cooking and touring.

The children also had an amazing time on Olivier’s carriage ride - what a great way to tour the countryside!

We would definitely engage Simon Hardy and KimKim again for our next holiday. Many thanks.

What an incredible journey! Merci merci merci Simon for a well thought out itinerary and the amazing guides that were assigned to take us to all those beautiful places. Having a private guide made all the difference because we were able to see even more than what was on our agenda Alex and Natalie were incredibly knowledgeable and so nice! Our hotels were fantastic! Located close to everything. The one in Marseille was amazing located right across from the Old Port and just around the corner... read more

What an incredible journey! Merci merci merci Simon for a well thought out itinerary and the amazing guides that were assigned to take us to all those beautiful places. Having a private guide made all the difference because we were able to see even more than what was on our agenda Alex and Natalie were incredibly knowledgeable and so nice! Our hotels were fantastic! Located close to everything. The one in Marseille was amazing located right across from the Old Port and just around the corner from Lafayette Gallery for great shopping. We are so grateful to have visited your beautiful country.... ours seems so boring in comparison 😉. Canada is a wonderful place to live but there’s no comparison when it comes to the History, Architecture, Culture & let’s not forget the food!!! I bought the best Macarons ever in Nice ... they are my favourite! So on that note I will say thank you again and I will be sure to post a comment on the trip advisor regarding our experience with your company. We truly made the right choice and so grateful for all that you did for us!

Merci!🙏🏻 Vive La France!!🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

We enjoyed the whole experience.
The itinerary was meticulously planned, the guides were very professional , yet friendly and helpful, the vehicles comfortable and the small groups made interaction and time management easy.
One of my most memorable experiences was the Gallimard perfumery - I enjoyed making my own perfume!
My husband greatly enjoyed the trip to Monaco and Monte Carlo.
On the whole, a fabulous trip!

I had a wonderful experience working with kimkim to arrange for private vans and guides to villages in Provence for a group of university students. When we were in Barcelona we were affected by the train strike in France, and our train was cancelled...which left us (a group of 16) stranded and unable to get to our hotel in Avignon. Out of desperation, I contacted Simon, who was my kimkim contact based in Marseille and he took time on a Saturday (holiday weekend) to make calls for me and... read more

I had a wonderful experience working with kimkim to arrange for private vans and guides to villages in Provence for a group of university students. When we were in Barcelona we were affected by the train strike in France, and our train was cancelled...which left us (a group of 16) stranded and unable to get to our hotel in Avignon. Out of desperation, I contacted Simon, who was my kimkim contact based in Marseille and he took time on a Saturday (holiday weekend) to make calls for me and arrange for a private coach transfer for our group. He saved us!!! He even followed up afterwards to see if we made it to our destination. I can’t say enough great things about the service and extent Simon went to, on his own personal time, to help us out when we were in a bind. Thank you, Simon!!!

Simon helped make our vacation effortless. He stayed in constant communication during the planning stages with great suggestions and coordinated our pick up from the train station.
He even left his cell number in case I had questions while on our trip.
Our guide, Alex, was amazing. He was so knowledgeable on various subjects and made our tours
Delightful. He was punctual as well, which we appreciated being in Provence a short time.
I highly recommend the kimkim team!
Laura