Audrey Benezech

This was my first experience booking with kimkim, and I would readily do it again. Our tour specialist/planner was attentive to our interests and what we wanted to do, and included all of those activities and more into our itinerary. She was also very responsive when problems or adjustments were needed during the trip. All of the vendors provided good programs and services. Having someone local and knowledgeable to create the itinerary was invaluable and we had a personalized experience we wouldn't have enjoyed on a group tour.

Our local France specialist Audrey was wonderful. She did a great job helping us plan the trip tailored to our specific interests. She replied to our questions promptly and was available for a zoom call.
Our 2 week trip which included Paris and Provence went smoothly. Audrey was easily available when we needed to verify a few of the planned activities. Our personal tour guide at the Louvre was great. We took a guided group day trip to Normandy which was very informative and personally quite a “moving” experience.
We rented a car in Provence and toured many of the local hilltop villages which were lovely. We liked staying in Villeneuve-les-Avignon, much quieter than Avignon. The restaurants there were great as was the hotel. The Roman history in Nimes, Uzes and the Pont du Gard were worth the visit.
The Carrieres de Lumiere show and Les Baux de Provence were wonderful.
We enjoyed hiking the Sainte Baume Mountains and the Calanques National Park near Cassis. The views were stunning.
We flew out of Nice, were surprised by it’s beautiful architecture and lovely seaside promenade.

Hotel Reviews

Aquabella Hotel & Spa

Aix en Provence

Location just outside the old city was perfect. We did not use the spa, sauna, pool etc. Too busy seeing the sights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Villa Victoria

Nice

Good location, They upgraded us to a bigger room which was very nice. Lovely garden space in the back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Panthéon

Paris

Room was small but we loved the location in the Latin quarter. Easy to walk to Notre Dame and even the Louvre. The restaurant next door had great French food. We ate there for dinner three nights.

Authenticity & Character

Location

As above, easily walkable. Quiet.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

L'Atelier

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

Great location. Loved the town. Parked the car in an outdoor free parking lot just a few minutes walk from the hotel. Very safe. Lovely, old hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-day excursion from Paris of D-day beaches - U.S. sector

Paris

We did not know that we would be going with a group. So you might want people to know that they will be driving in a van with 8 other people for several hours each way. Our tour guide was an enthusiastic, very knowledgeable young man who gave us a lot of history about D day and took us to several locations.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided visit of the Louvre Museum

Paris

Our private guide was great. She took us to less crowded areas where she could spend time telling us the history of certain ancient pieces. Would highly recommend her!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Half-Day Visit to the Royal Versailles with Private Transfers

Paris

We downloaded the app and went along at our own pace, inside. The fountains outside were not running. Because of the time of the year there were no flowers or colorful gardens but we walked for about an hour outside. Five hours was the right amount of time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was very friendly, and professional.

Transport

Visit & Wine Tasting at Clos du Calvaire

France

We had our own private tour of the vineyard which was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly, . Enjoyed the wine tasting and of course bought some bottles to bring home!

Hop-on hop-off in Paris - 1-day pass

Paris

A nice way to get your bearings of the city on the first day and see the highlights while being driven! The audio didn’t give much information.

Quality of Experience

The arrangements by Audrey were excellent. She was also very prompt with all communciations. All transfers and tours were well organized, except for a slight hiccup on the transfer from our Strasbourg hotel to the train station when the driver was a few min late due to a last-minute change by the company.
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and friendly.
Hotels: The reason for the 4-star rating for Audrey is the hotels. In general, we felt that the hotels did not merit the cost of the trip. We had requested 4-star hotels but except for the Hotel de Seze in Bordeaux, we would consider the other three hotels 3-star, even if technically designated 4-stars. In 2 instances we had to carry luggage up the stairs either to reach the elevator or to reach the room from the elevator. In general, the rooms were somewhat cramped for 2 people. In Amboise, the room was very hot and the hotel was unable to provide fans, saying that they were all in use, and so we did not have one available for even one of the 3 nights we were there.
On the plus side, the staff at all hotels were friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffets were plentiful. All hotels were well located.
Overall, the trip was very enjoyable and stress free. We appreciated the smoothness of the experience

We really want to thank you Audrey, for creating such a fantastic trip and for all your assistance while we were sick. Your arranging for us to see a doctor in Arles was extremely helpful and we were able to get medication to help us for the remainder of our trip.

Although being sick changed our trip and we were not able to do all the things as planned, our experience of France, the lovely people, the amazing food and beautiful countryside will leave us with lasting memories which we will cherish forever and we owe all of this wonderful experience to you!

I would like to mention some of the places in which we stayed and the individual owners who made our stay with them exceptional.
The little boutique hotel in Carcassonne was amazing, such a lovely place! Although we were only there one night the owners were fantastic. Katy and her husband are the most accommodating owners. They were very helpful in helping us get a taxi to our meeting point for the Medieval City tour. Katy makes a delicious breakfast consisting of many homemade items. They also recommended an amazing restaurant within walking distance where we enjoyed the delicious local Cassoulet and some local wine. Our guide for the Medieval City was incredible. She was very knowledgeable of Medieval City, and we learned so much history of the area,

Mas Petit Fourchon in Arles is beautiful Provençal farmhouse and Pascale the owner is such a lovely and welcoming person. Her estate is beautiful and the three days we spent there were very much needed and gave us the opportunity to rest in a peaceful and lovely environment.

The Arcanse Hotel in Arcachon was also a very lovely place in a great location. They served a wonderful breakfast, and all the staff were extremely helpful.

I would like to mention both the wine tours we attended were wonderful. Charly our guide in the Burgandy area was very knowledgeable and we learned so much about the wine production in that area. The two wineries where we tasted were lovely and the wine was amazing!
The lunch and wine tour and tasing at Chateau Guiraud was most enjoyable. The food at the restaurant was incredible and we learned a lot about the production of the sweet wine of that area. Our guide for the tour was very knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed the entire day.

Lourdes was a very special experience for us. I have been wanting to visit Lourdes for so many years, and I was so happy to finally experience such a special place. We were able to attend the Dutch Pilgram's Mass, and we did the candlelight processions both nights that we were there. We had a lovely suite at the Le Grand Hotel Gallia in Lourdes.

Our train trip from Arcachon to Paris was a bit stressful. The train from Arcachon to Bordeaux was 15 minutes late in arrival at Bordeaux so we missed our original train to Paris. We had a four hour wait but they were able to get us on another train but unfortunately, they could not provide us with reserved seats which presented a bit of a stressful train ride for us. We had to change seats several times. Fortunately, two lovely gentlemen who boarded the train at two different stops gave up their seats for me for which I was most grateful. The train was very full, and it would have meant moving all our luggage to try to find another seat. We did make it back to Paris without having to move to a different car with all our luggage thanks to the very kind gentlemen who gave up their seats.

The entire trip was fantastic, and we are very grateful to you, Audrey for making all the wonderful arrangements and for your assistance while we sick. As I mentioned it is unfortunate we could not do all the events as planned and there were days, we just had to push through to the next hotel but we thoroughly enjoyed all that we were able to experience and we met some lovely people and enjoyed the beautiful countryside of France.

Thank You, Audrey! I would for sure recommend you and Kimkim to anyone wanting to experience a wonderful vacation.

Additionally, the Kimkim app was great!

All the Best
Bonnie and Dennis

Hotel Review

Mas Petit Fourchon

Arles

The Mas Petit Fourchon is a fantastic Provencal farmhouse just outside of Arles. The house is beautiful and the owner, Pascale was very warm and welcoming. She ensures your stay is most enjoyable and relaxing. The grounds are beautiful; there is also a lovely pool for swimming and relaxing. Additionally she raises Camargue horses which are beautiful. Also, on her property are Alpacas and two lovely dogs which will greet you upon arrival. Her estate is very family friendly with a playground area for children. She severs a lovely breakfast out on the patio which was most enjoyable. The Bed and Breakfast is only 3 kilometers from Arles. I would highly recommend a stay at this lovely Bed and Breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The house is very authentic with lovely decor.

Location

Lovely place and perfect for exploring the area around Arles

Staff

The owner Pascale is a very warm and welcoming person

Cleanliness & Comfort

our room was very clean and well furnished with everything we needed

Activity Reviews

Côte de Beaune or Côte de Nuits wine tasting tour

France

Charly was an excellent tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area and winemaking. He took us to two lovely wineries for tasting and a tour. We learned so much about the Burgandy area wines and production. It was a lovely day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Immersive Experience at Château Guiraud

sauternes

The food at the Chateau Guiraud restaurant was incredible. We loved the tour and learned so much about the history of this estate and the production of their sweet wines. Our guide for the tour was very knowledgeable and explained everything about the production of their wines.

Guided Visit of the Medieval City of Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable regarding the history of the Medieval City of Carcassonne. She made the tour most enjoyable.

We had a few issues with the vehicle scheduling and pick ups. Had 2 different drivers assigned to us on the final day to the airport.
We were very pleased with the tours and tour guides that were set up. All of our guides were very knowledgeable and very personable. The gourmet food tour in Saint Germaine was excellent as was half day wine tour.
We had an issue in getting off the train for Bayeaux, not knowing the stop was for 2 minutes. We did not make it off in time and rode to the next stop and took the next train back to Bayeaux. The driver then had to come back and pick us up. It all worked out in the end.
All the hotels were worked really well as far as location. It is a real pain when you can't check into a hotel until late afternoon though. In Bayeaux we had to drag our luggage around town to find a restaurant open because the owner was not on site since we were later getting there from the train station. That was bad.

But we are very pleased with the bookings and we were always able to get a hold of someone for assistance when needed. All in all, a very good experience.

Hotel Reviews

L'Empire

Paris

Very good breakfast. Room was a good size. The way the shower is set up it gets water all over the floor. Staff was very helpful. Location was spot on.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is within walking distance to all the sites that we wanted to see.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Petit Matin

Bayeux

The breakfast was amazing. The room and bathroom were clean except for the bedroom floor needed to be dust mopped as there was dust and dust bunnies around the sofa and table/chairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

dust mop the floor. The tub is a high step in, but there's not much you can do about that.

Le Clos du Château

Amboise

This was a wonderful set up. Separate buildings for the suite.s The remodeling really makes the bathroom facilities very pleasant to use. Nice walk in shower. Very clean. The hostess is very personable and seems to take great pride in their Guest House. Check in was not until 5, but she had our room ready for us when we got there. Great location to see the town central and restaurants. Would highly recommend

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Littéraire Marcel Aymé, BW Premier Collection

PARIS

We were only there for 1 night so it suited the situation. Would not want to spend any more nights than that. The room was extremely small. So was the bathroom, shower, and toilet. Location was good for walking around Montmartre. Close to sites and eateries.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Our guide was outstanding. She had a good rapport with the businesses that we went to for tastings. She was very relatable and personable. She put together a great little lunch for us. Totally enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Visit to the Royal Versailles with Private Transfers

Paris

Our driver was excellent. Dropped us off and was there when we finished.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit of the Eiffel Tower (3rd floor)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Unveiling Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum

Paris

Our hotel was 3 blocks away so it was very easy and convenient to get to. The Louvre Museum is amazing.

Full-day visit of D-day beaches - U.S. sector, with a Small Group

Bayeux

Our guide was so knowledgeable about the history. Made the driving around to each site very pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A day at the Mont Saint Michel with a Small Group

Bayeux

We ended up having the same guide that we had the day before to D-day tour. Again, very knowledgeable and personable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loire Valley Châteaux Day Trip with Lunch

France

Our guide was very knowledgeable and enjoyable during the tours.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day winetour

France

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the trip a lot of fun. Great to see 2 totally different types of wineries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seine River Cruise

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caves Ambacia - Visit & wine tasting

Amboise

We ended up walking to the winery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided visit of Montmartre

Paris

Our guide, Sonali, was a lovely hostess. Very knowledgeable and very pleasant during our 2 hour walking tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

This trip was by far one of the best I've ever been on. Audrey was the reason why. We took our grandson on a trip for his graduation and we're looking for things that he would enjoy and she help in every part possible.

Will be using her again soon.

Audrey was great to work with and listened to what we wanted to do on the trip. At the last moment she got us tickets to a museum that we were not able to get tickets for. There were no glitches and the all the tour guides were excellent except one that was OK. We would use KimKim again to plan a trip.

Thanks for everything. Betsy

Hotel Reviews

Paris Art Hotel Quartier Latin

Paris

Great location. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to two subway stations.

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Churchill Hotel Bayeux Centre

Bayeux

The hotel is on a a very touristy street and can be noisy at night with everyone out eating etc.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Would prefer to be further away from the main street.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel Littéraire Marcel Aymé, BW Premier Collection

PARIS

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice to see a different part of Paris.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day excursion to Honfleur, Beuvron & Calvados

Bayeux

 We misunderstood the day. We thought that the driver was the guide, and we would leave the hotel in the morning makes the stops and then head back to Paris. After we toured, we then went back and hour to the hotel to be picked up by a driver to drive to Paris. It was a long drive to Paris due to traffic. Once we read your description of the day, we realized we were wrong. It was a long day with lots of driving.  The Calvados distillery we were supposed to go to was not open. Gwen found a place for us to taste 2 spirits. We did not walk through any orchards.  Cheese Tasting – We were supposed to go to a cheese tasting and see how the cheese was manufactured. That was also closed. Gwen quickly pivoted and found a place for us to sit down for a cheese and cider tasting. This was a great lunch with cheeses, meats and cider.  Honfleur – we were on our own walking through the town because Gwen could not find a place to park. We had 45 minutes to walk around Honfleur.  Since this was a Sunday we should have planned something different to do since many things were closed.

Quality of Experience

Too much driving.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gwen did his best but many things were closed and he had to find other things for us to do.

Transport

Seine River Cruise

Paris

It was very hot and they only put the canopy over one side of the sitting area so there was no place to get out of the sun.

Self-Guided Visit of the Eiffel Tower with Access to the Summit (Entrance Tickets included)

Paris

It was great to have a ticket for the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Quality of Experience

Guided visit of the Louvre Museum

Paris

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was fantastic!

Exploring the Panthéon: a Journey through French History and Architecture

Paris

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Visit of The Catacombs of Paris (Entrance Tickets included)

Paris

Quality of Experience

Private gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

Laure was a good tour guide. Our stops were:  Jams and Jelly Store  Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar store  Picked up pastries for later  Corner restaurant where we sat on stools outside. We could order 10 dishes to share.  Cheese tasting was in the basement of a cheese shop. We had red and white wine, but it wasn’t a wine tasting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Architecture & Art Nouveau tour

Paris

 Architecture & Art Nouveau tour – Solene was our weakest guide and our weakest tour. We spent a fair amount of time sitting getting a drink at the French brasserie. The group had to be divided in half to walk around and see the mosaics. We went to the Galeries of Lafayette and Printemps and that is where the tour ended. We had to make it to the roof top ourselves for the view of the city. We did not go to the Art Nouveau-inspired bank. I assume this is because getting drinks took so much time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We spent too much time waiting for drinks in the one location.

Cabaret show at the Crazy Horse, with Champagne

Paris

Fun evening!

Quality of Experience

Giverny and Monet’s Garden Entrance Ticket

France

Beautiful gardens. We arrived right before our entrance time so we did not have to wait long.

Quality of Experience

Transfer from Paris to Bayeux With a Stop at Monet Gardens

France

Driver was on time and very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tour of D-Day Sites

France

Wish we had spent 2 days at the D-Day beaches. We only had time for the American beaches.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gwen was very informative and interactive. He was a great guide.

Transport

Comfortable van and he had a headset which made it easier to hear him when you were in the back seat.

Day Trip to Mont-Saint-Michel

France

Amazing structure and history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gwen was great navigating us through the abbey and telling us the history of the structure. We quickly walked through the town at the end which was fine. We took the bus to Mont-St-Michele. We did not walk on the sand or take the horse-drawn wagon.

Transport

We are a family of 6 people from the US doing a family vacation - parents and 2 sons and their wives, so all adults. Most of us had been to Paris before but not to Bordeaux and Sarlat so it was great to see some new areas. We traveled between cities by train and we had private tours of sites around Bordeaux and Sarlat. First of all, I would highly recommend Audrey and Beau Voyage for anyone going to France. The itinerary was perfect, with a nice mix of activities that everyone could enjoy. The accommodations everywhere were excellent. We especially enjoyed Le Temps Retrouve in Sarlat. Frederic was so welcoming, kind and helpful and his house was perfect for us. He made our stay so special. It was just a short walk to the city center for dinners and exploring and we did have some excellent meals there! We also liked La Maisson Bor’deaux and L’Empire Paris. Both were very well located, clean and comfortable, and the staff were very helpful and pleasant. The trains worked out very well for our transportation and it was relaxing to travel that way. The train from Bordeaux to Sarlat was very busy but that was part of the adventure! Our tours were excellent. In Bordeaux, we enjoyed spending time with Gabriel. On our wine touring day around Saint Emilion, we visited 2 chateaus plus did a walking tour of Saint Emilion and another tasting there. We especially liked our tour of Chateau Fonroque. Very interesting and different from other wineries we have visited in the US. The tour to Arcachon was also very good. We all climbed the sand dune and enjoyed a glass of wine at the top. Then we took a boat tour with a lunch spread onboard that was incredible. We had enough time after the tour to get a coffee at a local cafe before continuing back to Bordeaux to catch the train to Sarlat. We did a cooking class with Bruno at O’Plaisar des Sens Restaurant in La Roque-Gegeac and it was excellent, complete with a visit to the market for shopping for fish and produce, and truffle hunting with Bruno and his dog. Such a unique and interesting experience! Very fun. Clara was very good for our 2 days of touring in Sarlat, although she seemed to be more a driver than a guide. The weather forecast for one of the days was for rain, so she was able to switch some things around so we did a little more on the first day and a little less on the rainy day. We did a boat ride in La Roque-Gageac and walking tour of the town. Then we went to Mirandes Castle, saw the bird show, and did the self-guided tour of the castle. On the rainy day, we visited Chateau Beynac and Chateau Castelnaud. We had a guided tour at Castelnaud which was good. Because of the rain, we did not get to Domme or the Gardens of Marqueyssac, but that was ok. We did appreciate the flexibility with Clara being able to change things around. It might have been nice to have a little more commentary from her as we drove around, but she was very pleasant and accommodating, so not a huge problem. We did enjoy having some free time in Sarlat as we went to the market and bought things to have a picnic lunch and we also had time to relax by the pool. In Paris, we did a boat tour on the Seine which is always a nice way to see the city. We all went to Notre Dame which is very crowded these days with so many people wanting to see the renovations. It is spectacular. I recommend getting advance reservations for this. It’s free on the official Notre Dame website. The walk-up line on a Saturday morning was huge and although I have no idea how long people were waiting, it was nice that we could just walk right in. Even though it takes a bit of planning and was slightly inconvenient to book in advance, it was well worth it in my opinion. In general, for a group our size (6), I was glad that we had made all of our dining reservations in advance. We had contacted some of the restaurants directly, and in Sarlat, Frederic was kind enough to make recommendations and advance reservations for us. Given that most of the restaurants were quite small, I think it would have been difficult to turn up without reservations. I don’t know if Kimkim makes dining reservations but we had good success by contacting restaurants directly or by emailing the hotels and asking for their assistance. I didn’t love everything about the Kimkim app. It was convenient to have all of our tickets and vouchers in one place so that part is nice. Having the itinerary on the app is nice too, although we did some customized things on our tours and the app didn’t seem to be able to keep up with that. For the most part it was correct, but for example, the tour description of Arcachon Bay was nothing like what we actually did. So there were a few little glitches like that. The other thing that I didn’t love was the “Trip Chat”. It was fine to communicate with Audrey this way; however, once I invited my family members to view the trip, they all became part of the trip chat. Since I was planning the trip with Audrey, it didn’t seem necessary to include everyone in every communication, as it often meant everyone’s phone dinging in the middle of the night due to the time difference with France. Maybe it would be good to have the option of including others in the chat part of the app. Overall, this is a minor complaint. Our trip to France was fantastic and I don’t think there was anything about the itinerary we would change. I would not hesitate to use kimkim again for booking a trip. I really liked being connected to a local tour operator who is so knowledgeable about the area and could help us put together a wonderful itinerary that we all enjoyed. Thank you for everything!

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Bord'eaux

Bordeaux

La Maison Bor’deaux was a wonderful hotel to start our trip. It is well-located and an easy walk to sites and restaurants. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was very good with many cold options - breads, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fruit, plus an option for getting cooked items.

Authenticity & Character

It’s a very nice upscale hotel.

Location

Staff

Staff were pleasant and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable. Nice shower.

Le Temps Retrouvé B&B

Sarlat-la-Caneda

Le Temps Retrouve is exquisite and was the perfect place for our family to stay. Frederic is so lovely and accommodating. He made sure that every detail of our stay was perfect. The rooms are comfortable and clean, with fresh flowers, fruit and drinks provided. There was plenty of space for us to gather and relax, including the beautiful pool. The breakfast each morning was amazing. I cannot say enough good things about this B&B. We would love to make a return visit.

Authenticity & Character

Every detail is amazing.

Location

An easy walk to the city center of Sarlat.

Staff

Frederic was so helpful and even made all of our dining reservations. Olia (the dog) is so sweet and friendly. We loved having her around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are fresh and comfortable, impeccably decorated.

L'Empire

Paris

L’Empire is a very nice hotel and a superb location, near Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Latin Quarter. Rooms are clean and comfortable. Nice bathroom and shower. Staff is friendly and helpful. Breakfast is nice with a good selection of cold items - breads, meats, cheeses, yogurts, and fruit, along with a few cooked items.

Authenticity & Character

Clean and comfortable.

Location

An easy walk to many sites and a metro stop.

Staff

Helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds very comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Full day tour - 2 Châteaux Saint-Emilion

France

We enjoyed our full day tour in the Saint-Emilion area. Our guide, Gabriel, was very good. We visited 2 chateaus, and particularly enjoyed Chateau Fonroque. Learning about the biodynamic process was interesting and very different from other wineries we have visited in the US. We also liked visiting Chateau Rol Valentin where we had a nice tour and a delightful picnic lunch. In between chateaus we did a walking tour of the village of Saint-Emilion where Gabriel took us to some nice overviews of the area and arranged for another wine tasting. Overall, it was a great day and we came home with many bottles of wine!

Quality of Experience

It was a fun day.

Food

Nice picnic lunch at one of the chateaus.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gabe was very nice and knowledgeable.

Transport

Private Arcachon Bay Day Trip

Bordeaux

We had a very fun day in Arcachon. Because of time constraints, we had to customize the tour. We started with a visit to the Dune of Pilat where we climbed the dune and had a glass of wine at the top. Some took the steps while others climbed the sand. Very nice either way, and beautiful views from the top. Next we did a private boat tour on the bay in a traditional pinasse. The highlight was the lunch onboard which consisted of oysters, shrimp, meats, pate, and of course wine. It was a delightful day.

Quality of Experience

Both aspects of our tour (sand dune and boat tour) were unique.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide and boat driver were very knowledgeable.

Transport

Cooking class with a Chef

France

Fun cooking day, complete with a visit to the market to buy fresh fish and produce, and truffle hunting with our chef and his dog. It was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-day day exploration with a driver-guide

Sarlat

We started our half-day tour with a visit to La Roque-Gageac which was fascinating. We did the boat cruise on the Dordogne River which was a nice way to see the town from below, and audio headsets were provided for commentary and history of the area. We also did a walking tour of the village. Later we visited Castle Des Milandes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Commentary on boat tour was helpful.

Transport

Visit of Milandes Castle (Entrance Tickets Included)

France

We enjoyed learning about the life of Josephine Baker. She was an amazing woman! The tour inside the castle was very well done, with an audio headset for a self-guided tour. It covered the many interesting aspects of Josephine Baker’s life. The bird show is also worth seeing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full-Day Discovery of the Dordogne Valley: Castles, Villages & Timeless Landscapes

France

We visited 2 castles on this tour - Chateau de Beynac and Chateau de Castelnaud. Both were fun and very interesting. Castelnaud has an interesting weapons collection, including several trebuchets. There was also a guided tour there which was worth doing. The views from the castles over the Dordogne Valley were beautiful. Unfortunately it was raining on the day of our tour, so we did not go to Domme or the Gardens of Marqueyssac.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Because of the rain, our guide Clara changed the order of things so that we did a little more on one day and a little less on the rainy day. We appreciated her flexibility. I would have liked a little more commentary on the history of the area, but overall it was a good day.

Transport

Seine River Cruise

Paris

The Seine River cruise was a great way to see the city. The boatmen provide commentary in several languages.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was able to curate our trip with Audrey and her colleague based on my preferences and also to accommodate my husband whose back issues worsened as we were planning the trip. We are not experienced travelers and our travel styles and expectations differ but Audrey managed to please us both! We loved our first hotel on the left bank, Jardin de Cluny. Other favorite parts of Paris: our food tour with Laur. We were continually challenged finding our way on the metro and on foot so we were late meeting up with Laur though we kept in contact with her. Our host at the hotel was a big help in pointing us un the right direction, even so, we took the train the wrong way! Laur’s tour of history, and out of the way food specialists was wonderful. Our tour of Notre Dame was also so well done by our guide, Solana. Her history and architectural tour was done outside the church because she couldn’t speak inside, I think because of the feast of the assumption. Then she accompanied us inside and wordlessly pointed out things she had mentioned outside.It rained on both of these tours but we managed to be inside for the downpours, what luck! Our other private guide was supposed to be for the louvre but it was delayed in opening so Kim Kim and our guide pivoted seamlessly! I was asked where I’d like to go instead and I chose musee d’orsay. Our guide (I wish I could remember her name) knew so much without having been prepared! It was a true treat to have a guide for an art museum! Our other tour in Paris was not my favorite. First we saw the Eiffel Tower, a must see and so impressive. After, we went on a boat ride on the Seine. It was too long, we didn’t feel welcomed, and there was no narration by the staff. I had to find out for myself that we could download a tour with a QR code on our phone, no one told us. The problem with that is that their speakers played music the whole time, and trying to listen to the narrated tour with music playing was bad enough, but when the app wasn’t speaking it played its own music- what cacophony! Later I found out that my phone battery was continually running low because the tour was running in my background, until I got wise to it and deleted it. I would not recommend this company at all! On top of that, we didn’t know how to retrace our steps to the metro and by the time we did, after 10:30pm, the metro trains were only running every hour so we had to pay for a cab back to our arrondissement, and luckily found a fantastic restaurant close to our hotel that served until 11:30pm. Serendipity!
Outside of Paris we once gain had wonderful experiences! Our bike tour of Versailles was fantastic! We got to shop at the farmers market for our picnic lunch, learning how to make change in euros was new to us! Our picnic lunch in the grass was lovely and during the sunny portion of our trip. During our bike ride our guide, Arnaud, would pause us and regale stories of the kings and their court. We did endure a downpour on our bikes on the way back but luckily the tour provided us with ponchos! We were on our own for the palace tour, another must see! We especially loved the hall of the paintings of French battles, which Arnaud recommended.
Our next bike tour was a private ride through the Normandy countryside with Hugo. It was more than fantastic. Edward and I were both moved by the Omaha beach memorial museum and graves. We were given time to be on our own for about 2 hours, then back on the bikes for more stories of the countryside people during the war, then a picnic set out by Hugo in an out of the way spot. Lovely, every minute. We stayed at a delightful hotel called Lion d’or and enjoyed their lounge/bar with photos of famous visitors. It’s full of history, as is the town, Bayeux. For our last day I requested our driver take us to chantilly. Unfortunately it was closed the day we would visit but we enjoyed a neighboring town, Senlis. Our drivers were all great, especially our cab to the airport. All in all great memories and I belief we’ll be back to France!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel Jardin de Cluny

Paris

Loved this place. The hotel reception/ concierge was highly professional, the breakfast outstanding, the bed comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Cave breakfast room

Location

Walkable to Notre dame, to metro stops, on a 1/2 street with limited access so very quiet

Staff

Professional, knowledgeable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relais du Louvre

Paris

It was nice

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quiet street next to a church so no road noise

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Le Lion d'Or et restaurant la Table du Lion

Bayeux

We were given a ground floor room because of my husbands back. Thank you kimkim! A delightful stroll outdoors to the bar where we enjoyed espresso in the afternoon and wine in the evening

Authenticity & Character

Love the photos of visitors from the 1940s

Location

Right on a Main Street, walkable

Staff

The bartender was so friendly even though we were the only ones in there ordering coffee

Cleanliness & Comfort

Auberge du Jeu de Paume

Chantilly

Professional staff

Authenticity & Character

Very pretty although the dinner was very expensive but the atmosphere of the dining area didn’t match the price of the food

Location

As close as one could get to chantilly castle

Staff

The front desk was very helpful especially when we thought we’d need an early breakfast

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Self-Guided Visit of the Eiffel Tower with Access to the Summit (Entrance Tickets included)

Paris

Loved this tourist attraction but hard to find our way there especially with someone who doesn’t walk well. We had just arrived in Paris and had to hurry to make our reserved time slot.

Seine River Cruise

Paris

See my review in the general review page. I do not recommend

Quality of Experience

Transport

Versailles Bike Tour

Paris

Easy bike ride through the grounds with the guide adding interesting stories along the way

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Because my husband has mobility issues we ended up taking a cab back to Paris which was quite pricey but that was our unique situation

Private gourmet food tour in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Paris

See general review

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had to find our way there and we took the wrong train, more experienced travelers would probably not make that mistake

Private Notre-Dame Visit

Paris

Despite the rain and restrictions on our guide talking indoors, we got a quality tour which we loved

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided visit of the Louvre Museum

Paris

Pivot to another museum worked out amazingly well

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim took care of us once we decided the louvre wouldn’t open in time!

Private Normandy Foodie E-Bike Experience

Bayeux

Wow, electric bikes, knowledgeable guide, Omaha beach, picnic in grove, we had it all

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Giverny and Monet’s Garden Entrance Ticket

France

We did not do this, we went to Chantilly instead

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had dreamed about visiting the South of France for 30 years, and it was time to go!

Audrey was excellent in designing a tour that included everything I was interested in seeing and experiencing.

The hotels she chose were unique and charming. The guides she arranged were knowledgeable, engaging and fun to travel with. And when there was a transportation snag (train strike), she stepped right in and made it right so I could get to my destination in time.

The pace of the travel was excellent - usually three nights in one town with day trips to local sights - so I was able to settle in for a few days and really experience the locale.

Honestly, it could not have been better planned or executed. I appreciate what Audrey did for me in making my dream come true

Hotel Reviews

Maison Dauphine Appartment & Art Gallery

AIX-EN-PROVENCE

Charming with a delightful and helpful owner, Veronique. Great location and easy access to the main part of Aix.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Garlande Hotel Avignon Centre

Avignon

Well located with very helpful owner and staff. Great breakfasts. Spacious and comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Le Donjon – Cœur de La Cité Médiévale

Carcassonne

I only had one night here but I enjoyed the lovely room with patio overlooking tall trees. That was refreshing. An amazing breakfast buffet!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Villa des Consuls

Sarlat-la-Canéda

Great location, charming suite, helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There was an issue with the door lock, which was being addressed after I left, but otherwise just great.

Casa Blanca B&B

Bordeaux

Tucked away on a residential street in Bordeaux, this was a surprise. Close to the tramway with easy access to the main part of town, it was quiet and restful. The staff was very helpful in figuring out how to get tram tickets and where to board. They also did a cooked to order breakfast rather than a buffet and I enjoyed what they served.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Figuring out the locks in an old building took a couple of conversations with staff, but I learned how to work them. Otherwise, just great!

Activity Reviews

Day excursion to Sainte-Baume caves

France

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adrien Jeanjean was quite knowledgeable, flexible since I didn't want to hike, and easy to spend the day with.

Transport

Morning Luberon Villages Tour: Roussillon, Gordes & Sorgues River

Avignon

It was good to be with other English-speakers on this group tour. We enjoyed our time together and the beautiful villages we visited - including the square where A Good Year was filmed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jocelyn was an excellent guide, kind when I tried out my French on him, and funny.

Transport

In the footsteps of Van Gogh

Avignon

I enjoyed seeing Arles and thought I would be sad seeing the Hospital where van Gogh spent time, but it was pleasant and very interesting to see what we saw.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ghis was excellent, so knowledgeable, and enthusiastic to share his love of this area.

Day Excursion to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer with Driver-Guide

France

This was a surprise day! Since I had already been to Arles, we were able to visit La Carmargue, which was fascinating. We saw the bulls, the horses, the flamingos, the salt water pools, and the rice fields. Had a lovely lunch in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and a walk on the beach.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Another day with Adrien was wonderful and informative. We had fun.

Transport

Guided Visit of the Medieval City of Carcassonne

Carcassonne

I only had one night here and it was crowded with folks on spring break. The military aspect of the walled fortress wasn't my favorite, but I'm glad I got to see this unique town.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Half Day Trip from Sarlat to Rocamadour village (Morning)

France

This is an amazing site with a lot of steps! The ability to build so much on the side of a mountain was impressive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clara was lovely and it was a pleasure to spend several days with her getting to know the White Perigord.

Transport

Full-Day Discovery of the Dordogne Valley: Castles, Villages & Timeless Landscapes

France

The villages, lunch al fresco, and a ride on the river were a delight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Another great day with Clara

Transport

Visit of Milandes Castle (Entrance Tickets Included)

France

This was a great experience seeing the restored chateau, learning about Josephine Baker, and seeing the bird show.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoyed another day with Clara

Transport

Lascaux and Les Eyzies Museum tour

Sarlat

Being in a real prehistoric cave and seeing the art there was a unique experience. Then seeing the reproduction of Lascaux was fascinating. The art was easier to see in this exhibit than in the smaller, real cave earlier in the day. Lunch by the river was relaxing and delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My last day with Clara was delightful. She helped me understand the area and its history and customs so much.

Transport

Bay of Arcachon Day Trip

Bordeaux

This was a fun day. Enjoyed seeing Arcachon. I didn't have the right footwear to climb the sand dune, but enjoyed sitting in a cafe waiting for the group to return. A surprise was meeting a friend from my hometown in the tour group. She had moved away, and we hadn't seen each other in a few years. We had a lovely time catching up (and speaking English)!

Quality of Experience

Food

I enjoyed learning about the oyster culture as my cousin is an oyster farmer in Virginia. And the shrimp and fois gras were delicious for lunch.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food tour in the historic Bordeaux

Bordeaux

I really loved learning about the food specialties of Bordeaux and walking around the old town and seeing the food market.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Marianne was excellent with great information and delicious samples for us to try.

Transport

We walked so no vehicular transport involved. Got there by tram which was easy.