Joël Massé

The guides were all very friendly and informative. The chauffeurs were all on time and very helpful aswell."

Joel and his team helped make our honeymoon absolutely unforgettable! They handled every single detail for us over our 2 week trip to France. All of their local partners were exceptional--the hotels and tour companies they chose to work with. On our relaxation days we frequently found ourselves trusting Joel's travel suggestions for restaurants and attractions. They even helped us mid-trip when we ran into logistical issues with arriving on time for some of the tours. If you are looking to make your trip to France carefree, then definitely choose Joel and his team.

Hotel Reviews

Le Clos de la Commanderie B&B

Amboise

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Villefromoy 4*

Saint Malo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Aramis Saint Germain

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Seine Cruise with Commentary

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Mont Saint Michel (Self Drive)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The itinerary set up by Joel from Kim Kim was perfect! The drivers were all there as scheduled for pick up. First Christophe picked us up at the CDG Airport and drove us out to Bayeux. He also picked us up on the day we were leaving on the train from Bayeux to Paris. There was a mix up in train schedules and Christophe went the extra mile by assisting us, speaking for us as we did not speak French. He explained the need to change our rail tickets and stood with us until we got on the train. He treated us like we were part of his family which was so heartwarming. The tours and guides were excellent! The first day we went to Mont Saint-Michel with Lucy as our guide. She was very informative and had a contagious excitement about her. She made the hike up 300 steps seem like a breeze! On the second day John was our guide to the D-Day Beaches, a Museum and American Cemetery. His knowledge had us imagining we were on the beaches running for our lives as those many soldiers did. On the third day of our stay we had a private tour with Emmanuel from Caen. He was a delightful young man with intricate details of the history of the war. We toured the Military Museum in Caen, Cathedrals and even a cemetery from the 1800s! All in all a great trip to honor those who served their respective countries and made the ultimate sacrifice fighting in the War.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Tardif Noble Guesthouse

Bayeux

Everyone was very pleasant and helpful. Check in and out was easy. Breakfast was yummy with an assortment of pastries, cereals, hot and cold drinks, fruits and a hot entree. The location was good. We could easily walk the town. The Cathedral across the street was absolutely beautiful! The only negative, we were given a room closest to the street and car lights and engine noises were a bit annoying, but calmed down as the evening wore on.

Authenticity & Character

Charming character from the entry gate

Location

Easy walk ability through the town

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable

Hôtel Jardin le Bréa

Paris

The hotel room was small, but comfortable. The street noise was a bit much throughout the night. May have been folks lingering around after the rugby tournament?? At 4am?? but it wasn’t the quiet room we were hoping for.

Authenticity & Character

I think they were in the middle of painting from the outside appearance?

Location

Walk ability to restaurants and subway

Staff

Alex was very helpful upon check in and gave us some tips for things to do and places to go.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

D-Day U.S beaches tour

France

John was a very good guide. Full of information very detail oriented. You could imagine being on the beaches that day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guides were all well versed in the territory they covered. They made it interesting and seemed to like their jobs as guides.

Transport

Christophe went beyond the call to help us with the train cancellation that we were not aware of.

Mont-Saint-Michel Full day Tour

France

Lucy was the perfect guide for this tour. She was so bubbly and very interesting in her tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

City tour of Caen with visit of the Memorial Museum of WWII

France

Emmanuel was a very personable guide. He was full of information about the war and the town of Caen.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We gave a bit of an unusual order to Joel, asking him to find and plan a 4 days advanced intensive cooking class in Lyon with some ability to have a bit of English if possible from the teacher. as we are a true Canadian couple - half French and half English ! We also booked a boutique hotel in the Presqu'ile and a quick tour of the city on the first day to get oriented. .

Joel was straightforward that was not a usual request, but he has delivered on our request.

We had a fantastic week with 2 chefs (Alice and Basil) that went through Pastries, French classics, desserts and entremets. We also did a day of Lyonnaise cuisine assorted with small plates, some meatless dishes, petits fours, amuses bouches. Extremely fast paced and we went through about 50 total dishes in 4 days - it was difficult, a lot of work but exactly what we had asked and we could not be more happy with this week.

Jean-Alexandre did a good job at the lay of the land for the tour, good recommendations for restaurants and what not to do ! The hotel was well located, boutique with a good bistronomique restaurant, a good breakfast and quiet.

so all in all, it was the first time we worked with Joel and he really came through for this trip and we would not hesitate to have another trip with him and recommend to our close circle.

Well done. Merci.

Hotel Review

Hotel de l'Abbaye

Lyon

Excellent small boutique hotel. good service, good bistro, good breakfast, quiet and decent little bar. It is boutique, so don't expect Sofitel amenities !

Authenticity & Character

Old building renovated with taste.

Location

quiet. close to Perrache.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

quiet. Rooms are sized as per French standards.

Activity Reviews

Cooking class in Lyon

Lyon

Excellent class with Alice and Basil. This was advanced, intensive and private 4 day class. We did over 50 recipes over the 4 days declined in several dishes in several meal formats. It is not for beginners and some level of French understanding is a must. If you want to dig deep into French cooking, this is a very good option. Everything was well organized, on time and extremely busy (what we wanted). Thanks for the great week.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Its a Peninsula! Guided tour of Lyon town center

Lyon

Jean Alexandre was excellent. What else there is to say ! our 3 hours tour went very well !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an excellent trip, exploring some of the most beautiful parts of France. Highlights included Park Asterix, walking on the Emerald coast of Brittany, the incredible troglodyte villages of the Dordogne, cycling in the Loire and our incredible private tour of the Louvre. Highly recommend.

Hotel Reviews

Citadines Apart'hotel Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris

Paris

Great location, easy to get everywhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Quais de Lutèce 4*

Plailly

Super fun hotel, great bedding!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Bayeux 3*

Bayeux

Good location, friendly staff, tired hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Appart'hôtel L'Adresse

Saint-Malo

Great location just outside the old city, nice and tidy hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manoir de la Maison Blanche

Amboise

Very friendly host, lots of character. A way from central amboise.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bon Encontre

Sarlat

Lovely hotel, a bit of a walk from the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Logis Hotel La Chartreuse

Cahors

A very tired hotel, smelled like chlorine. Not a great location, but a good view of the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Terrasses du Midi 3*

Carcassonne

A lovely apartment, great hosts and everything you could want in terms of facilities. Not near the medieval city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Boutique Hôtel Entraigues

Uzes

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Felt luxurious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Saint Germain des Près Food Tour

Paris

Great experience, loved everything about it, including our fabulous guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Biking Day Trip Through Historic Versailles

France

A fantastic way to spend the day, loved it. It’s great to explore Versailles on bike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family tour at the Louvre

Paris

I think this was the best tour of our trip. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and fantastic with our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Back to Medieval Paris with Notre Dame, St Chapelle & Conciergerie

Paris

This was a very interesting tour, but not as engaging for young children. Recommended for teenagers/adults.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Omaha Beach Half Day Tour

Bayeux

Very knowledgeable guide, interesting area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private visit of Chambord Castle and Gardens

France

Very beautiful area, knowledgeable guide who was excellent with our kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord Horse & Bird of Prey Show

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Day excursion in the Dordogne Valley

France

Absolutely fantastic guide and incredible countryside. We want to spend a month in the dordogne!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day-tour to Mirepoix, Camon & Montségur Castle

Carcassonne

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Roman sites and historical places

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joel was outstanding both in helping us plan and all that he planned for us

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel de l'Univers

Saint-Malo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Clos de la Commanderie B&B

Amboise

Tebow was an excellent host. The property was a great plac to stay

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Bordeaux Centre 3*

Bordeaux

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Les Jardins du Porche Apartments

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel de l’Horloge

Avignon

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Relais & Châteaux Georges Blanc Parc & Spa

Vonnas

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Reims

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Jeanne D'Arc Le Marais

Paris

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Cour Sainte Catherine B & B

Honfleur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Castel & Au Loup

Bayeux

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Pays d'Auge and Cote Fleurie

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Tour of Mont Saint Michel (Self Drive)

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour of Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day private tour Dinan and St-Suliac

Saint-Malo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-guided visit of Le Chateau Clos Lucé

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Villandry, Azay-Le-Rideau & Vouvray wine tour - Full Day

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Landmarks of Bordeaux - Private Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wine in the City (Private Tour)

Bordeaux

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint-Emilion Afternoon Wine Tour

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a great trip! We are home and reflecting on it all. We did a ton in Paris, and it worked out great. We wanted to get out in the countryside, so we did not want to spend too much time in the city, but we fit in The Catacombs, The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, St. Chappelle, and the outside of Notre Dame in a day and a half. We missed the boat tour down the Seine, but that is okay because our hotel was just across the river and our hotel was very centrally located so we could fit a lot in. I would have skipped the guide at St. Chappelle, but we learned some things we would not have otherwise. Our first stop outside of Paris was to Annecy. It is a beautiful city, but our accommodations were not warm and welcoming and hard to find. We stayed for three nights and were there during Bastille day, so it was very crowded. We made a day trip to watch the tour do France and researched the best place to see it, which was a 1.5-hour drive in our rental car to Marie St. Etienne. It was a highlight as we got to see the caravan come by, and we knew two riders from our hometown. Next, we went to Chamonix in our rental car and took the cable car to the top of Mont Blanc. We loved this! Ideally, we would have liked to have spent a night in Chamonix but drove back to Annecy. We shopped and ate in Annecy and got an hour on the lake in a pedal boat. It would have worked best for us to spend two nights and go to Chamonix for the third. It was very HOT and crowded in Annecy. Next, we drove to Moustiers St. Marie and loved our accommodations and the town! The B and B was fantastic, and the proprietors were fabulous! We ate in town each night and shopped. We rented pedal boats on the Verdon Gorges and ate at a restaurant along the way. It was a great town, and we loved spending time there. We were SO glad you could extend our stay another night in Moustiers. Then we drove to St. Remy. We loved the Illuminare light show in St. Remy, and the bike rental was fun. We are glad we only stayed two nights as the forest was closed due to fires, so we were mostly doing town things except for the canoeing down the Sorgue river, which we HIGHLY recommend; it was a highlight! We liked St. Remy but loved our hotel, and Chantal, the owner, was truly fantastic. We appreciate the wine and cheese that Joel arranged for us and loved the pool and atmosphere. The accommodations in St. Remy and Moustiers were top notch though, but we are glad we stayed only two nights in St.Remy after all. Next, we took the train back to Paris. We had a very hard time finding the rental car return and the correct train station in Avignon as we went to the RTV instead of TGV. Our stay back in Paris at the airport was very nice and made our next day of airplane travel much easier. We had a full and wonderful trip and could not have fit so much in without the help of skilled travel agents. All of our friends remarked on what an incredible itinerary we had!

Hotel Reviews

Le Royal 4 Apartment

Annecy

We were in a very hot and hard to find air B and B. Something happened and there was a change that left us all baffled. We were there during Bastille day and we spent 3 nights in a swelteringly hot room that none of us got much sleep in. It took us an hour to find it and get into it with all of the codes and awkward directions. There were no instructions on how to operate anything. No coffee.

Authenticity & Character

it was way too hot. Not a single fan. Ran out of hot water and no coffee or instructions.

Location

It was walking distance to town.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean but NOT and a nice apartment, but it was not outfitted for guests. Fans would be helpful!

Citadines Apart'hotel Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris

Paris

Very central and easy to find.

Authenticity & Character

We might have liked something smaller and quainter

Location

perfectly located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable. Free coffee.

La Bastide Du Paradou 2

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Loved this place! Lovely rooms. Beautiful garden and comfortable to stay. The proprietors were fantastic! Breakfast was lovely.

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous grounds

Location

We walked to town each day up a winding path and went for runs each morning

Staff

Could not have been nice and more accomodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely all around

Hôtel Le Mas Saint-Joseph 3*

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

The hotel was the best part of St. Remy and Chantal was delightful. The pool and grounds were immaculate. The hotel is a gem!

Authenticity & Character

Room were fabulous and air conditioned. Pool is fantastic. The hotel is very nicely appointed.

Location

It was an 8 minute walk to town

Staff

Chantal is truly magnificent!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Immaculate and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Had to pinch myself that I was actually at the Louvre. Lines were not bad at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

Paris

Loved this church. Not sure if we needed the guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice man but it was hard to stay focused on the info. Just seeing it all was enough

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

So much more magnificent then we imagined!

Quality of Experience

we walked to it

Welcome to Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

We loved the biking and the illuminare. I did not see any lavender in St. Remy. I would have liked to have ridden bikes through the area and seen the lavender fields. St. Remy was a bit fancy for us. We loved the canoeing down the Sorgue River!

Quality of Experience

Canoeing on the Sorgue and illuninare light show

Canoeing on the River Sorgue

France

This was a great trip. It was a very hot day so this was perfect!!! The guides were great!

Quality of Experience

It was very fun and well done. Guides were great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

we had our own car

Truth be told, we took a leap of faith when we engaged KimKim.com for our honeymoon in Southern France, because no one around us had heard of KimKim.com before. It turned out to be one of the best decisions for our honeymoon trip, especially since we could not speak French.

Pre-trip wise, it was lovely to work with Joel, and the detailed itinerary he prepared as well as the prompt responses he gave to all our countless enquiries made the preparation so much easier. He gave priority to what we wanted, and was very open to discussing options on how we could fit this trip into our budget, even going the extra mile at times which we appreciated very much.

During the trip, we felt very assured and relaxed since all our accommodation/transport/activities were booked. This helped us to "live in the moment" and experience our trip fully.

What we really liked about the trip:
- We appreciated the pace of the trip, where we had a good balance of sports activities (i.e. hiking, water rafting) and cultural /leisure activities (i.e. food tours, lavender field tours) throughout our 10-day trip.
- The accommodation options that Joel picked for us were really awesome. Each had their own unique charm. I personally loved the College 4 Hotel in Lyon the best while my husband loved the Rivera Hotel in Annecy the most.
- We loved the activities that were planned for us, especially the water rafting experience in Chamonix and the private hiking tour in Annecy by our guide Olivier, and full day trip to Cassi and villages of Luberon by our guide, Ady. It was a good mix of small group and private activities and very apt too, fitting with the nature of the activity.
- Our drivers for the private transfers were really friendly and welcoming too. Special mention to our driver who waited for us at Aix en Provence for a few hours till midnight due to our train delay,. During the trip, we realized how much we would have struggled if we had done this trip on our own as navigating around with language barriers was challenging, especially for transport.

One point that we must highlight would be the responsiveness of Joel and his team. Not only was Joel prompt in responding to our enquiries and couple of changes that needed to be made during the trip itself, we also experienced first-hand the "crisis support" that was provided. We had a security scare at Lyon train station where our train was delayed for slightly more than two hours, and the process was quite anxiety-provoking and nerve-wrecking given that it was already nighttime when this happened and our inability to understand what was going on due to the language barrier. However, thankfully Valentine (Joel's colleague) reached back to us promptly after we tried calling the after-office-hours hotline for support. Her assurance and liaison with the driver who was supposed to pick us up at our destination (Aix en Provence) was immensely helpful and she ensured that she remained contactable to us till we reached our hotel safely in Aix en Provence. We were extremely thankful that we had Kimkim's service to back us up if anything happened in France. :)

There was one aspect which we felt could be improved though. For our train ride from Geneva to Lyon, even though we had First Class tickets, we were unable to get any seats in the First Class cabin likely because it was free seating, and it was full by the time we reached the cabin. It was also quite chaotic and confusing as we did not know where the First Class cabin was in the train and everyone was rushing up the train so it was difficult for us to ask people as well (we almost got onto the wrong end of the train). In the end, we ended up sitting at whatever available seats we could find, which was in the Second Class cabin. We noted that perhaps this was a common occurrence as there were others who were like us, had First Class tickets but there were no more seats in the First Class cabin for them. Additionally, there was also no train conductor to verify if our seats match our tickets. As we were unfamiliar with taking trains in Europe and this was not what we were expecting, it might have been helpful to let us know such situations could occur and tips for us to manage this (E.g. which end of the train that the First Class cabin belonged to). Nevertheless, for the other trains where there were fixed seats and cabins designated for us, it was much easier.

Apart from this however, everything else was perfect. :) We are grateful to have engaged Joel via KimKim and would highly recommend for others to do the same, especially if you are taking tours in a foreign country where you do not speak their native language.

- Lyon and Shan (from Singapore)

Hotel Reviews

Collège Hotel

Lyon

We had a pleasant experience at this hotel. It is cozy and quaint. The staff at the reception are friendly and willing to help. What impressed us most was the dedication of the hotel to being environmentally-friendly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rivage Hôtel & Spa Annecy

Annecy

This was the most luxurious hotel that we stayed at for our trip. We loved the spaciousness and the balcony which overlooked beautiful views of the sky. Though it is located slightly further away from the city centre, it was nevertheless a good location for those who wanted to enjoy the lake.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Le Refuge des Aiglons

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc

We felt that this hotel would be perfect for winter but not so much for summer. For example, there was no aircon and we had to borrow a fan from the reception. The hotel also seemed understaffed as there were a few times where we could not find a staff to talk to and needed to wait for awhile. They also had no dental kits to provide us. Nevertheless, the design of the room and the balcony that overlooked the snowy mountains made up for it, on top of the lovely design of the hotel ground floor. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

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

Aix-en-Provence

We loved our stay at this hotel. The location was great and the room was very well-designed, especially the toilet. The breakfast spread was one of the best as well. The room could have been slightly more spacious, if not all would be perfect. :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lyon Old Town Food Tour (Small Group)

Lyon

We loved that the guide not only brought us on a food tour, but also gave us a history tour of Lyon. :) However, this tour might not be the best for vegetarians, because there will be some dishes where vegetarians are unable to enjoy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cruise and Walk : Plus +Formula

Annecy

As first-time hikers, we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to achieve our hiking goals for the day. It was a good experience, though quite challenging at certain parts and the hot weather certainly didn't make it easier. However, we had a charming and wonderful guide who really helped and cheered us on.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rafting Chamonix

France

It was unexpectedly awesome, one of the most memorable experiences this trip! :) Definitely worth a try. Rafting down the river of Chamonix was an amazing experience , with the backdrop of the snowy mountains and beautiful scenery. It helped that the guide was witty and humorous, and made it very fun for us. Kudos to him for also speaking in both French and English to cater to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lavender morning tour

France

It was a pity that due to the drought, much of the lavender fields had been harvested already. However, thanks to our guide, we were still able to find some lavender fields, together with sunflower fields to take beautiful pictures. We also enjoyed the tasting session at the lavender shop.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cassis & Villages of the Luberon

Aix-en-Provence

Though the full day tour can be tiring, it was fulfilling. We loved Cassis with the cruise and the amazing views, and the different villages of the Luberon were really charming and beautiful. :) We really appreciated the guide who always offered us tidbits of knowledge about Provence and also spoke in French and English to cater to the whole group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Overall, Joel was very helpful, responsive, kind and excellent in helping us put together the perfect trip in France. There were several times that details were missed - for example, I was going to the airport home by myself (on the last day) without my family, which I mentioned several times leading up to our trip. When the airport transport came to my hotel, he had a large truck for all of our luggage and for the three of us. It was only me. I wondered if I paid more for that type of vehicle because of this missed detail. In the end, I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Hotel Reviews

L'Hôtel Particulier

Bordeaux

Excellent location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Lorette—Astotel

Paris

Excellent place and great customer service. A little further away from the main sights than we would have liked.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wine in the City (Private Tour)

Bordeaux

We had SO MUCH FUN on this wine tour and we learned so much! Our guide was EXCELLENT!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided wine and Bike Tour in St Emilion (small groupe -09h)

France

It was fun, but it was raining throughout the day. We experienced a variety of chateaus and wines.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Murders and Mysteries of the Louvre

Paris

We had an excellent guide - Stephanie (?). She made this tour so much fun and so interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stephanie has a Ph.D in Art history and she knew how to make the tour fun and meaningful.

Transport

Half day guided tour of the Palace of Versailles with priority access in a small group (1 to 15 people)

Paris

I thought our guide rushed us through and didn't really tell stories that made knowing the history fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre Local Gastronomy Tour

Paris

Our guide was super knowledgable about the history of food in Paris and clearly has a passion for great food. She was very talkative, delightful and intelligent. We had a very fun time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Joel did a great job helping us plan our trip to France in early June. We were a little late getting started and had a number of changes and complications on our end (adding my son and his friend to the trip mid-way through) and Joel was very helpful and patient with us. We hade great experiences in Paris, Bordeaux and Cassis. Joel arranged great guides and experiences and arranged the travel in a manner that worked perfectly. He seemed to think of everything and made the trip stress free and wonderful!
Thanks to Kim Kim and especially to Joel!
Mark and Debi

Hotel Reviews

Best Western Aramis Saint Germain

Paris

Great location! Very helpful people at the front desk! Comfortable and they provide a very nice breakfast. Just steps away from the Metro stop and an easy walk to the Luxembourg Gardens (and just a little further to the river and Notre Dame.

Authenticity & Character

We had a small balcony where we could sit and watch people coming and going to work and school. Charming!

Location

Easy access to the Metro, and within walking distance of a lot of downtown Paris.

Staff

The people working at the hotel seemed very happy to be helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Met or exceeded our expectations

Hôtel Majestic

Bordeaux

Great location, very nice rooms and a great breakfast. You really felt you were somewhere else while you were staying there (it was much more authentic that being at a standard chain-hotel). The room was very comfortable and just a short walk from the main square area of the town.

Authenticity & Character

Its not a chain-style place. The rooms have character and our was very large!

Location

Its just around the corner from the Opera House square - easy walk to the main parts of the town and the riverfront and the metro line.

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Met or exceeded our expectations

Une Terrasse sur la Mer

Cassis

Fantastic view! This is a private apartment, not a hotel, but the main room has fantastic views of the bay.

Tips for future travelers

It is located on a hillside above the town - which results in fantastic views but also some significant stairs/hillside walks.

Location

The views of the bay.

Activity Reviews

Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle

Paris

Our guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and seemed very interested in sharing what she knew about the locations we visited.

Quality of Experience

We saw a number of things we would otherwise have missed, and learned a lot!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.

Skip the line visit of the Louvre with audioguide (tickets only)

Paris

Obviously any trip to the Louvre is fantastic, but calling this a "skip the line" visit is a bit of an overstatement. Even with these tickets there was a significant line, but it was much better that if we just tried to get tickets that day. We found the audio guide to be cumbersome at first, but that may just be our inexperience with this type of technology.

Paris Macaron Baking Class

Paris

Just a fantastic experience! Fun, and instructive, and the other participants were all so friendly!

Quality of Experience

A nice break from the usual activities of a Paris vacation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and also very informative!

Landmarks of Bordeaux - Private Walking Tour

Bordeaux

Very pleasant and informative. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. In just a few hours we learned so much about the city and its history! It really improved our whole stay in Bordeaux!

Quality of Experience

Our guide so knowledgeable and nice, and provided so much information on the city and its history.

Saint-Emilion Afternoon Wine Tour

France

A wonderful tour of the Sant Emilion city and the surrounding vineyards and very nice stops at two Chateaus/wineries! Travel in a comfortable van with a very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

A kayak trip in the Calanques (inlets)

France

Beautify location! The experience of paddling into the calanques and taking a little swim in one of them was great!