Lise Troulier

Our travel planner Lise was amazing. She was easy to work with, made great suggestions and accommodated our unique needs. We had private transfers to and from the airport and train station and that was really a life saver. Our drivers were in communication with us and easy to find even during busy rush hour traffic. Our first tour in the Loire Valley was with Nicholas. He took us to Chenonceau, Chambord and a small privately owned Chateau for lunch. Nicholas was very knowledgeable about the history of both castles as well as the "drama" behind the lives of the kings and queens who lived there. He made it very interesting for us and gave us plenty of time to explore the beautiful gardens on our own.
Our next tour was supposed to be of Castle Bois and The House of Magic. We were disappointed to learn that the House of Magic was closed the day we went and had been closed for several weeks. That was one of the things my son was most excited about seeing. However, our guide for the day, Cecilia was able to shift quickly. We instead went to a local family winery for a wine tasting and then she took us to the last home of Leonardo da Vinci where we were able to see his inventions displayed throughout his garden. We then headed to Paris and had a nighttime summit tour of the Eiffel Tour. Our guide was Lekshme and she was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The next day we did a private walking tour of Medieval Paris with Victor. He picked us up at our hotel, showed us how easy it was to ride the Metro (which we did consistently after that point and even saw Lekshme on the metro--she said hello and gave us directions) and gave us a great tour. Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle and so much more including modern churches, a stroll through St. Germain showing us jazz clubs, bookstores, parks etc. Victor is very good at his job and very knowledgeable about history. From there we had a walking food tour through St. Germain des Pres with Philipe. It was amazing being able to taste the best cheese, wine, bread, chocolate, croissant, macarons and coffee that Paris has to offer. Philipe was a great guide, very smart and engaging with all of us. The next day was our bike tour of Versailles. We met at the train station and took the 12 minute train ride to Versaille where we were outfitted with bicycles. Clara guided us to the Palace of Versailles and gave us a wonderful tour including the Hall of Mirrors. After the tour we rode our bikes through Versailles to the market where we had lunch and time to explore on our own. We then met back up with our group and biked the Palace gardens and Marie Antoinette's hamlet. It rained in the afternoon, but it was SO beautiful. This was probably my favorite day in France. The next day we had a private tour at the Louvre. Marie Claire was our guide and while we had limited time, she really showed us a lot including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and the beautiful Rubens paintings. She is SO knowledgeable and just a very pleasant person. The tour was a nice stroll after a busy day biking in Versailles. We also saw both Victor and Philipe at the Louvre and they both made it a point to say Bonjour! Our final day in Paris was a free day which I specifically asked Lise to schedule for us. And while it was lovely to have time to explore on our own, I missed having the knowledge of our guides showing us the hidden treasures of the city. Our final evening, Lise arranged a Sienne River dinner cruise. It was raining lightly, which made the lights of the city even more beautiful and we had a lovely meal. Unfortunately both myself and my son did experience food poisoning from that dinner which hit us on our 10 hour flight home the next day. The meal itself was very good and I'm sure it was just a fluke. Overall, we loved our trip to France, saw and learned so much, and met the most lovely guides the country has to offer. I will definitely be using Kim Kim to help plan our next international adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Au Charme Rabelaisien

Amboise

This is a very charming, small hotel in Amboise. It was clean and lovely. We were on the very top floor and the elevator didn't go all the way up, so there was a lot of climbing for us. But the views from our room made up for it.

Authenticity & Character

Very charming and lovely.

Location

Quick walk to Centre Ville, shops and restaurants.

Staff

Everyone was so friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and the staff was helpful with all of our needs.

Hôtel du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées - Esprit de France

Paris

Great location close to the Champs Elysees. The staff was really great, helping us with urgency anything that we needed.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the decoration of the hotel, especially the cheetah print carpeting. Very French!

Location

Close to everything, but tucked away too.

Staff

Every staff member we encountered went above and beyond.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Chambord, Chenonceau & Lunch at the Château - Full Day

France

The tour of Chambord and Chenonceau was fantastic. The guides were not only interesting as individuals, but they were also extremely knowledgeable about the places we were touring. The communication was seamless, with reminders and confirmations being sent a day before the scheduled transfer. The convenience of the transportation was greatly appreciated, especially when traveling with my two children.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Combo visit of Blois Castle and the House of Magic

France

The tour was scheduled to include a visit to Blois Castle and the House of Magic. We were looking forward to the House of Magic tour, particularly for my 13-year-old son. However, upon arrival, we found out that it was closed and wouldn't be open for several more weeks. Our guide was able to pivot last minute and took us on a wine tasting and to Leonardo da Vinci's house, which were enjoyable, but the unexpected change was a bit disappointing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Saint Germain des Près Food Tour

Paris

All the guides we had in Paris were fantastic. They were very knowledgeable and made the tours a learning experience for all of us. The food tour was particularly interesting as our guide was passionate about food and taught us about different cheese processes. It was fun and educational.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

The Seine River dinner cruise on our last night in Paris was a high-end experience with a fancy meal. However, both my son and I got severe food poisoning from the meal. We were violently ill for about five hours during our 10-hour flight back home, not sure if this was related to the dinnner or not.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I am so glad to have used this service. Lise was very flexible and adjusted tour to our preferences. She also made very good recommendations and worked with our budget. Lise’s recommendation resulted in us seeing the three cities of Provence and we lived it.

The tour guides (Remy, Emile, Thomas, and Sebastian) enriched our tours and provided us with information that brought the various places alive.

The hotels were well located and all were safe and clean. Made getting around very easy.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel de Cambis

Avignon

Located close to everywhere one might want to go and see in Avignon. Rooms are clean, hotel nice and secure/safe. Very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to palace du pape. Easy walk to the pont and many cafes and restaurants.

Staff

It was hot while there and accommodated us with lighter blankets.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean. Beds were super comfortable.

Hotel Le Pigonnet

Aix-en-Provence

this was my favorite place. About 13 min from Cours Mirabeau but an easy walk or you can take the bus

Authenticity & Character

Love the gardens and the various rooms to sit inside and in the garden.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

In the footsteps of Van Gogh in Provence

France

Our guide was great! gave context of the time

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Wine Tour to Châteauneuf-du-Pape

France

It was a good tour and learned how to evaluate wine

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aix-en-Provence Historical and Gourmet Walking Tour

France

This was the best!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tomas was awesome. So enthusiastic.

Transport

be prepared for lots of walking

Hilltop Villages of the Luberon (from Aix-en-Provence)

Aix-en-Provence

I liked this tour but would have preferred doing it in the morning. Got back around 7 pm and it was dark

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sebastian was excellent

Transport

Full bus. All seats taken so not as comfortable.

Lise did an awesome job making our trip special. I gave her a budget and she made it happen. Every detail went as planned and we could not be more satisfied with the services provided.

In Paris we toured the Eiffel Tower, private Louvre tour, took a private medieval Paris tour and a private food tour. We also had a Seine river dinner. Delicious!! Each guide was punctual and personable. It was like we had an old friend that knew the area! So nice.

We took the train from Paris to Nice which was very relaxing. It gave us a chance to see the countryside and enjoy not having to drive.

In Nice we toured Monaco, Antibes, Eze, Cannes and a perfumerie factory. All of these were worth the money and again our guides made it personable and exciting.

Overall we would visit France again and would book with Lise. She communicated well and was available to help when our plans had to cancel or change. Two thumbs up!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Brighton

Paris

We really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Brighton. The location was outstanding being so close to the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and shopping. The staff of the hotel were so helpful and accommodating. Specifically, Mitcham was so polite and helpful. He really made us feel at home during our stay. We had a king size bed with a balcony on the 3rd floor overlooking the gardens with the Eiffel Tower in view. The bed was comfortable, the bathroom was clean with 2 sinks and the shower had hot water and good water pressure. They had soft bath and hand towels. The room was spacious enough to have breakfast, which we did every morning, in the room. The included breakfast was delicious. Order one of everything on the breakfast menu as it all so good!!! We would absolutely stay at Hotel Brighton again. Lise did us a wonderful favor booking this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the site and shopping in Paris.

Staff

Especially Mitcham!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Negresco

Nice

Wow wow wow!! From the first time we stepped up the steps into the hotel till the morning we left, our time at Hotel Le Negresco was unbelievable! They have done an amazing job decorating this hotel with many art pieces. The decor is matched by the amazing service. My wife and I have travelled the world and this hotel was the nicest place we have ever stayed. Luxury is an understatement . We would absolutely stay here again. We booked a dinner at Chantecler restaurant which is onsite of the hotel. They are a Michelin Star restaurant and this was our favorite meal of the entire trip to France. That is saying something as all the food in France is good. It was an expensive splurge but absolutely worth it. You will not be disappointed. Great job Lise booking us at I believe one of the finest hotels in France.

Authenticity & Character

Decor at this hotel is unmatched. It was cool to watch people on the boardwalk stand and stare and take pictures of the hotel.

Location

Centrally located in Nice and convenient to all the sites in and around the French Riviera.

Staff

Everyone was so polite and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable all around.

Activity Reviews

Eiffel Tower Summit Ticket

Paris

Nothing like champagne and caviar at the top of one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. Wasn’t too busy and the views are unrivaled.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Cool to ride in the original elevators to get to the top.

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

We enjoyed the leisurely stroll around these iconic landmarks. Our guide was so knowledgeable and brought the history to life.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Louvre Late Opening Private tour

Paris

Phillip was an awesome guide. We were able to skip through the long line and go straight into the Louvre. He was very knowledgeable about the art and knew his way around the museum. It was like we had an old friend showing us around.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Saint Germain des Prés Food Tour

Paris

We absolutely enjoyed this tour. Maarten was an awesome guide. We shopped for our food and went to a park overlooking Notre Dame where sat, talked and ate. Such a pleasant experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Maarten was a wonderful guide. He knew the good spots to get great food and where best to enjoy it in Paris.

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

This was one highlight of our trip to Paris. We would enjoy this experience again.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Monaco, Eze and La Turbie Tour small group tour

France

This was a fun tour. Driving on the Monaco Grand Prix track was pretty cool. We had time to shop at each of the locations. Walking the narrow streets of the old towns was definitely an experience. We were also able to visit a perfume factory which was a nice part of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cannes, Antibes and St Paul de Vence Small Group Tour (Full day)

France

Seeing the sites along this tour was pretty cool. Our driver did a good job showing us historic locations and recommending shops and restaurants where we should eat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall our Kimkim trip was very good.
We enjoyed Provence & Mas de L’Oulivie immensely.
We had some minor disappointments with our Paris guide - he did not provide the complete trip that he outlined at the start of the tour (poor time management)
The BestWestern hotel in Montmartre was definitely not a 4-star hotel - there was no onsite restaurant / no room service and the continental breakfast was poor quality (we had breakfast outside the hotel on the 2nd day). In addition, the rooms were much smaller than we expected.
The windowless room in Arromanches was completely unacceptable. No windows / no bathroom fan / no ventilation. The rest of that hotel was good.

My wife, 16 year old daughter and 12 year old son had a wonderful trip to Paris and southern France in early August. Since it was our kids' first time in France we wanted the trip to be fun as well as educational and were really happy with our experience!

Lise quickly understood what we were looking for and organized small group or private tours for us in Paris including the Eiffel Tower, Norte Dame/Sainte Chapelle, Versailles and the Louvre. All of the guides were knowledgeable, personable and passionate about the places we visited. They also helped navigate around the crowds and thanks to them we were able to see the sites more efficiently and learn much more than if we'd gone on our own. We stayed at a boutique hotel just off the Champs Elysees with easy access to lots of great restaurants as well easy subway access to many of the popular sites. Lise provided a set of wonderful looking restaurant recommendations, although quite a few of these were closed as many restaurants that cater to local French were on holidays for a few weeks. Lise was super-helpful in calling restaurants and we found some good restaurants in the more popular tourist areas, but if there is anything I'd change it'd be to make restaurant reservations in Paris a little earlier when traveling in August.

After Paris we stayed in Nice and took guided half-day tours of Monaco & Eze one day and Cannes, Antibes and St. Paul de Vence another. These were more sightseeing vs educational tours, but we'd never have seen so much of southern France in such a relaxing way on our own and got some great pictures and memories. We stayed in an apartment just off of old-town in Nice which is alive with activity in August and enjoyed lots of time at restaurants and the public markets.

Overall, we really had a wonderful trip and hope to book future trips through kimkim. The local guides made a big difference in getting to know France in the limited time we had and Lise made the whole experience including all transportation seamless.

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées - Esprit de France

Paris

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'abeille Boutique Appartements

Nice

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Nothing bad, just didn't interact with staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nighttime Seine River Cruise with Dining Experience

Paris

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Medieval Paris - St Chapelle, Notre Dame & Conciergerie

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Versailles Palace & Gardens Private Tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Montmartre & Sacré-Coeur walking tour

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a wonderful trip to France, traveling to Normandy, Paris and Loire Valley. Every segment of the trip was planned well and even though our plane was delayed en route for three hours, we found our driver waiting for us at the airport, and our itinerary wasn't affected at all. We had a zoom call with Lise at the start so she could understand our preferences and she made all the right calls in booking really charming hotels, scheduling excellent guides and pacing the trip. I didn't have to do any of the work and could just follow the itinerary. She was very thorough--we were provided all the information we needed in a very well organized manner. We enjoyed all of our interactions with the guides and it was really the best way to get to know the French culture. I look forward to another trip to France in the future and am very grateful to Lise for all of her hard work.

I won’t travel any other way. Lise spoiled us for future trips! Everything was perfect. Our guides were exceptional: Alex (food tour), Marten (Montemarte) and Raphaelle (Louvre and Versailles) were memorable and personable. I had been to Paris before and didn’t love it. THIS trip made all the difference. Now I see how people fall in love with this city! Take all my money! Book your trip with Lise. She is outstanding.

Our itinerary is well planned thanks to Lis!
We enjoyed history , landscape, food and weather of Provence in our one week stay at Saint Remy. Our driver/guide Sophie is very pleasant and accommodating, her company is a plus in our trip. We will definitely recommend our friends to try Kimkim service.