Based in Herne Bay

Claire Dickson

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello and welcome!

I am Claire based in Herne, Kent.

I’m a very experienced travel agent and I promise to make your holiday dreams come true by ensuring your holiday is personalized specifically for you. Your bespoke journey will be tailor-made just for your requirements so that you can travel, stay and visit exactly the way you want to.

Before joining Travel Counsellors, I worked in the travel industry for 26 years, working for independent agencies and Thomas Cook. Throughout my years I have won many awards and prizes for exceeding customer expectations. My favourite memory was lunch with England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson at Twickenham! I’ve visited many places in America, Dubai, Canada, Caribbean, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Germany as well as several cruises.

One place that holds a special place in my heart is Cyprus where I personally got married, so I have first hand knowledge and experience of getting married abroad.

Your holiday might be to fulfil a life-long ambition to visit a particular country or to celebrate a special occasion, such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday or your retirement. I can bring your lifelong ambitions to life and arrange experiences and activities all across the globe, such as trekking in the Himalayas, gazing in awe at the Great Pyramid, listening to the roar of Iguassu Falls or tracking wildlife on a safari...

•Viewing gorillas in Uganda
•Whale watching in Canada
•Majestic tigers in India
•Dance the Tango in Argentina
•Ride on the bullet train in Japan
•Camp in the Omani Desert
•Trekking to Machu Picchu, Peru
•Wildebeest migration in East Africa

Why book with me? I am dedicated committed, friendly and more importantly, my attention to detail and excellent customer service are why I have repeat customers every year who trust me with their dream holidays.

Many of my customers are experienced travellers and find the process of planning a holiday very rewarding, so if you have a clear idea of where you want to go and what you want to do, simply leave the details to me. My 'one-stop' service takes care of everything, so even if you only have the bare bones of an idea, I can help you build an itinerary from scratch that fits your exact specification and budget, so before you go anywhere else, try me first!

Look forward to hearing from you!

“Where ever you go becomes part of you somehow” Anita Desai

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Contact Me

Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you:

Find me on social

My Videos

Sandals

3/17/2021

Sandals Video

Moments that Matter

3/17/2021

Moments that Matter

My Blog

I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

My TC App

21 June 2019

If you haven't already downloaded our amazing myTC app you really should think about doing it! Here are some of the main benefits and features of it: - -It's free of charge and it's constantly being updated with new features. -Clients rate it 4.5/5 as an average score. -It can eliminate the need for any physical paperwork (but only if you want it to!) -There is a holiday countdown for each booking you have - this is my favourite bit! -You can go on any time of day and night and make a payment towards your holiday making budgeting easier - seeing the balance get smaller is very rewarding! -All quotes can be received via the app if you wish -All your booking details are stored here so any time you need to check anything it's all there for you -After the initial set up, any new bookings automatically update on it -If there are any alerts for your flight, they will be sent to you -You have all my contact details stored here too -It's very user friendly and easy to navigate (no manual required!) -You can take part in our preference centre survey, which means offers that we send you (via email, no marketing is sent via the app) will be personally tailored to you -Don't worry, if you have a surprise booking, these won't show on the app. I absolutely love it for my holidays and on a rainy day, it's nice to pop onto the app and see how many days until your next adventure, it's also great for easy reference if you need to check anything whilst out and about. If you haven't downloaded the App but wish to have access to it, do get in touch and take advantage of this great tool we have available to all our customers.

P&O Meditarranean Britannia Cruise - Saturday Night Takeaway

12 April 2016

I have just returned from a fantastic two week Mediterranean Cruise with my family on the beautiful Britannia Ship. We were also very lucky to be part of the Saturday Night Takeaway show which was filmed live from the Ship on Saturday 2nd April 2016 in Barcelona. Can you spot your Travel Counsellor!? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQdYInrTpvE&sns=fb I have been very lucky to have cruised several times before, however this was a first for my family. Like many others they took some convincing that this was the right holiday for them. Many people think they won’t like it, cruising is not for them or there’s not enough to do or that they have to dress up every night (they have two formal evenings a week). I am very pleased to report back that they all loved every minute and didn't want to get off the ship! We called at Cadiz, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Ajaccio and Gibraltar. Britannia is a year old and is P&O's largest ship (143,000 tons). Like a five star floating hotel, it is very modern and sophisticated. A few highlights...... - Fabulous Atrium, a great place to sit and get a drink, also lots of duty free shops, Costa Coffee, glass house, this really is the heart of the ship. - Crow’s Nest - a wonderful place to be at the front of the ship, right near the Library so a great place to sit quietly and read or just admire the view. - The Studio: you will be able to look at photos taken and purchase any you require (no obligation). Also the cinema and guest speakers are in this area. - Kids clubs up to 17 years from 10.00 to Midnight (break for 1 hour at lunch 13.00 to 14.00 and dinner time 17.00 to 18.00). My kids loved the clubs. The ship never felt busy except on the Saturday night Takeaway Show! I wondered where everyone came from! The headline theatre was beautiful and great shows every day. The Live lounge was another great venue, with great live entertainment. Brodies Bar has a lovely pub atmosphere with a pool table, live singers, karaoke, bingo, races and is right next to the casino. At the Cookery Club it was great to learn some new dishes and hone your skills in the kitchen. Prices from £45 - great value. I was lucky enough to meet Marco Pierre White and join his masterclass and learned how to make a perfect risotto (guess what I will be making and eating lots of!) There is also a sports court, card/games room, Oasis Spa with a hydrotherapy suite (charges apply), The Retreat (charges apply), The Limelight Club (adults only and charges apply), two lively pools and four whirlpools. The Gym is a great place to burn off those extra calories and wow what a view from here! Laundry is at the back of the ship on each passenger deck. You can buy the washing tablets in the shop only. These where approximately 60p each and the facilities are free to use: washing machines, dryers and ironing boards. They also have a laundry service (payable) if you don't feel like doing it yourself. Ports Of Call There is a choice of excursions you can pre book before you travel or up to 48 hours before, subject to availability. You are free to go independently in each port of call, however if you book or go independently you need to make sure you are back in time as the ship will not wait so it could prove to be expensive. I pre booked an excursion in Ajaccio (Corsica) as I wanted to see the Tortoise/Turtle sanctuary (A Cupulatta). There were lots of different species in a very interesting and beautiful setting. The other ports I went to independently having visited them before, feel free to ask me any questions. Food Food is available between 0600 and 0200 so you won’t go hungry! Buffet, Grab and go, Pool bar, Club Dining, Freedom dining, Select Dining ... what does it all mean? Buffet is open from 0600 to 0200am serving breakfast up to 12.00 then lunch to 14.00 then afternoon tea 15.00 to 17.00 kids tea to 18.00 then dinner to 22.00 then midnight buffet. Grab and go available on deck between 12.00 and 16.00 sandwiches, salads, fruits salads and mousse. Pool Bar on the pool deck, 12.00 to 18.00 fresh Burgers, Hot dogs, Chips, Chicken nuggets, Pizza and Salads. Club Dining in the Oriental restaurant, two sittings are available at 18.30 and 20.30 this is set time every day on the same table. There is room service, continental breakfast is included but some meals have a cover charge. Freedom dining means you can choose the Meridian or Peninsular (all the same menu). You turn up between 18.00 and 21.30, you can join others or dine alone, sometimes there is a little wait but they give you a buzzer and you can enjoy a drink in the Atrium until a table is ready. Select Dining (cover charge applies) is in The Epicurean, Glass House, The Beach House and Sindhu. All of them are fantastic. Cabins available are Inside, Balcony, Superior Deluxe Balcony or Suites. I really could talk about the ship and my wonderful experience all day! If there is anything else you would like to know that I haven't covered please get in touch.

Disneyland Paris

10 November 2015

Magical as ever, I have just returned from a break with my family and friends to Disneyland Paris, we stayed at Disney's New York Hotel, located at the top of Disney Village with great facilities including a swimming pool and Free Wifi! Parking is also free. A good selection for breakfast, continental (cheeses, pastries, cereals, fruit, toast), cooked bacon, sausages, Juices, teas and coffee. We went by car on the Eurotunnel, 35 Minute crossing, then a nice easy drive just over 2.5 hours from getting off the train in Calais we used the main toll roads which cost 21.70 Euro's each way. I have visited many times before, however every visit, I find something new to explore..... There really is something for everyone here, magical parades, rides to suit all ages, eat and greet with the characters, visiting the Dragon in the tower or simply watching the world go by on main street. I went on the new Ratatouille Adventure ride, which was well worth the wait, located in the Walt Disney Studios Park and the Children managed to get me on the Indian Jones Ride in the Disneyland Park. Lots of new rides in both parks from the Carousel to Rocking Roller Coasters! I pre booked the Full board plus option this time and tried some new restaurants, this was great value. Annette's Diner- American style diner, served by a waiter on roller skates!. Park Side Diner- All you can eat American style buffet. Café Mickey - Dine with the Characters, set menu. Blue Lagoon - Inside Pirates of the Caribbean ride, great atmosphere again a set menu, chicken and fish also A La Carte available. There was the tea time treats to fit in too! all included in the price. Most restaurants are pre bookable so no need to waste time waiting for a table and more time in the parks. All restaurants have a good selection on the menu to suit all, Café Mickey is a must! a great opportunity to meet the character's, with a great atmosphere, I got some great family pictures. Dreams really do come true.

My customer stories

Sent by Mandy Rawsthorne

Claire Dickson is an outstanding Counsellor. She is extremely knowledgeable & experienced. I feel "safe" & reassured when she deals with my bookings. A true asset to Travel Counsellors!!

Sent by Michelle Hoile

Claire was fantastic, answered all our questions and helped us booking the exact holiday we wanted. I’ve used her before and always had a wonderful experience. Would highly recommend Claire and wouldn’t go anywhere else to book my holidays now .

Sent by Megan Reading

Claire has been so helpful and patient with us to book a holiday. She found us a perfect holiday that we’re so happy with.

Sent by Abigail Bull

Brilliant service, in fact I've Already recommended Claire to friends. I don’t know why I’ve wasted so many hours over the years trawling through websites when Claire made it so simple.

Sent by Sarah Myhill

So friendly and helpful. Used Claire for previous holiday bookings and would definitely recommend her to friends and family, in fact already have!

Sent by Sacha Stedman

Claire booked our Honeymoon to Santorini. Nothing was too much trouble and our holiday was perfect. Claire ensured that it was extra special and we will be booking all our holidays with her from now on. Thank you so much xx

Sent by Rhoda Allinson

We have just returned from an amazing holiday, all organised by Claire (Travel Counsellors). She listened to what we wanted to do and then did all the research, packaged all the elements together without us having to do anything. She was patient with me when I was stressed, and did as much of the checking in and travel documentation as she could do. Absolutely every element of our trip went like a dream, and we certainly couldn’t have achieved it on our own. I would highly recommend her and Travel Counsellors, particularly if you want to do something that isn’t your average 2 weeks all inclusive!

Sent by Kerry Warren

I have been on many amazing holidays that Claire has arranged, some of which have included 20+ travellers. Whether you are looking at booking just flights, accommodation or a holiday with multiple tours, accommodation and flights, Claire is the person to go to. She is truly amazing and will always make your holiday dreams come true.

Sent by Thomas Green

Claire is so helpful with every little detail of our holiday. The tours she organises for us are amazing.. Communication with Claire is excellent and no problem is too big or small to sort out even at very short notice. We look forward to Claire helping us with our next adventure.

Sent by Charlotte Stevenson

Claire is so helpful and provides amazing customer service. I’d highly recommend her to anyone. Takes all the hassle out of booking a holiday.

Sent by Margaret Gallagher

Claire, made herself available to answer my questions, she was very helpful regarding my poor tech skills, l liked Claire’s calm and efficient approach when dealing with my holiday booking and guidance on appropriate insurance needs. Thank you Claire.

Sent by Mandy Rawsthorne

Claire Dickson is the most amazing Personal Travel Agent!! I had a business group trip booked to go to India in 2020 which obviously got cancelled due to COVID. Claire rescheduled my whole group to 2021, but once again the trip was cancelled due to travel restrictions. Claire worked tirelessly with endless emails, telephone calls & other communications to gain a full refund for me & my guests. Having Claire as my Personal Travel Agent is a blessing!! I trust her professional guidance for all my travel decisions. I feel exceptionally “safe” when using her skills & knowledge to book my group bookings. I would NOT be using anyone else! Claire is worth her “weight in gold”! Highly recommended!! A true, honest & extremely reliable professional. “Thank you Claire Dickson”

Sent by Bernadette Ohare

Claire is always the first person I turn to whenever I have any questions re booking of holidays, Insurance etc and I would not go anywhere else for advice. Very very happy indeed .

Sent by Joe Langston

Fantastic service. Got exactly what we asked for !

Sent by Carol Saynor

Claire is a fantastic Travel Agent, and has organised some wonderful holidays for me. Great attention to detail and always recommends perfect locations for me . Safe and trustworthy .

Sent by Michelle McCoy

Looking forward to brighter times and arranging your next holiday, Claire has arranged all of our last holidays for us and has been amazing. Just let her know where and when you want to go and and she works her magic. Totally stress free experience, all you have to worry about it what to pack ??

Sent by Elaine Hawley

After 2 weeks of trying to make my own travel arrangements, I contacted Claire. I half expected to be told it was just too complicated to contemplate, but received a matter of fact, everything is possible approach Within a really short time there were 4 options to consider. Option 2 with some finishing touches, to suit my preference, is booked, and set to be an amazing summer adventure Thank you so much Claire.

Sent by Amanda Smith

I will definitely be recommending Claire to other friends and colleagues in finding the best deal that suits your needs. She made the whole process very simple and everything was booked within a few hours of me contacting her. It was a pleasure to have dealt with Claire in organising our trip. I will be using Travel Counsellors for any further business trips we may take in the near future.

Sent by John Saynor

I would recomend this service without hesitation. My request for a potential travel plan was responded to immediately. My suggestions for possible alterations (on Sunday morning) were responded to and actioned on Sunday afternoon!. Claire came up with some better suggestions I hadn't thought of, she saved me a significant amount of money as well, she took me through every step of the process and gave me a real sense of confidence in what I was buying and in the holiday to come. The is not a 9:00 am to 5:00pm service it is at least a 15 hour a day service. Superb! I am in good hands

Sent by Rachael Channing

I've already told loads of people about this lovely lady, she was so helpful and professional. Thank you for booking my amazing break!

Sent by Ceri Cook

Claire is amazing and so very patient! She stays committed and enthusiastic even when I kept changing my mind.

Sent by Robert Williams

10 Plus. Very professional. Brilliant. Would recommend Claire to anyone.

Sent by Anita Wright

Claire was so helpful and knowledgeable. I am a very inexperienced traveller - not only did she help me with the booking I made with her but she advised me on visas travel insurance and vaccines too! She was so helpful and went over and above what I expected Thank you so much Claire

Sent by Paul Valente

A perfect service all round I must say. Thank you Claire

Sent by Rosemary Pule

Claire was extremely helpful and very professional and very pleasant lady to talk with .

Sent by Lee Marsh

I've loved everything that you have done for me you have helped me out every step of the way

Sent by Oona Grimes

Claire has excellent customer service skills and the whole experience was without problems. I will always call Claire for sorting out my travel now, don’t know what I’d do without your help and advice - wouldn’t book a holiday with anyone else.

Sent by Hazel Dobson

We love to deal with Claire, she is very knowledgeable and because she knows us so well we always have a fabulous time. This is because Claire takes time to listen, and then she makes suggestions ,which always enhances our trip.

Sent by Kiera Robbins

We have just got back from a once in a lifetime holiday to Las Vegas booked by Claire! This is the second holiday Claire has booked for us and we are still amazed at her wonderful service. She listens to our exact requirements and thinks of things we hadn’t even thought of. Claire deals with all areas of the holiday, booking flights and hotels, checking in for us, arranging transport and she even fills in our luggage cards. We cannot recommend her enough and will definitely be using her again for our next break away! Thanks again.

Sent by Anne Hunt

Claire I want to thank you for all the care you took arranging the Japan trip.You enabled us to have the best possible experience, nothing was too much trouble, the itinerary was brilliant and our expectations were more than fulfilled. Kind regards , Anne Hunt

Sent by Kezia Whiteley

Having returned from Japan a few weeks ago I’d like to say thank you for putting the difficult itinerary together. We all had an amazing time. It was very strenuous & busy but an exciting way to see the Japanese way of life & culture. Our guides were very knowledgeable especially seiko who was so friendly & helpful. We were so lucky to see Mount Fuji on a beautiful day, what an experience in itself as well as the golden palace. There were so many wonderful sights & moments to treasure - tea with a geisha, tea ceremony, meditation, temples, monkeys, photos with sumos, bullet train, cities & people. Wow. Not to mention the food so very different from our tastes! Thank you for your time & effort in presenting a great itinerary & for me my own room to relax in at the end of the day. Much appreciation to you .

Sent by Mandy Rawsthorne

A massive “thank you” to Claire Dickson for helping our company (Fit2Relax) put together ANOTHER amazing trip for our clients! Claire has the patience of a saint! Highly professional & knowledgeable in her field. She takes great care & professionalism in making sure all her clients receive a personal touch to their experience with her. One of the main reasons I continue to use Claire, rather than any other travel agent, is because I totally trust her judgement, opinions & capability to produce a high class travel experience. I continuously recommend her to my clients, friends & family. “Thank you” Claire.

Sent by Angela Sanguigni

Claire has been exceptionally helpful in arranging our holiday to Crete. It is our first time to a Greek Island and she took time to explain everything we needed to know. She hand delivered all our tickets and went through the itinerary to make everything easy for us. I would highly recommend Claire if you wanted to have a lovely holiday away.

Sent by Mandy Rawsthorne

Claire has helped me organise trips for my retreat and travel experience business and I have been massively impressed with her professionalism! She seems to be contactable 24/7! (Not sure when she takes time off?) She promptly returns messages and phone calls and always fully answers all my never-ending questions. She listens to my requirements, goes away and researches on my behalf - saving me lots of valuable time. Claire has so much patience too! I sometimes need to change or amend itineraries to suit my clients' needs but she accommodates my requirements with full attention and professionalism. The most important point for me and my business is that I have learnt to trust Claire's judgment, guidance, and knowledge. From a business owners point of view, this frees up more time for me to concentrate on my clients needs and offer a better service. Because of Claire's help I am able to improve my services to my clients. I would highly recommend Claire to anyone who is considering using her services - she is the best!

Sent by Mandy Shields

Claire was amazing when we asked her to find us a family holiday to Greece this year. She sent us several choices which included everything we'd asked for. Once we had chosen, Claire took care of everything and was super efficient. she even offered to look after our dog for the week when things almost didn't work out with the dog sitter. We had a wonderful holiday and will definitely book with Claire again in the future. Thank you so much xx

Sent by Carol Saynor

Truly outstanding customer service. Nothing is too much trouble for Claire; she takes time to understand your needs and budget and then makes recommendations she thinks will suit. Professional, friendly and very knowledgable, I would never book with anyone else. Claire booked my cruise last year and she was right. I loved it it! Can't wait to book this years holiday.?? I would highly recommend Claire.

Sent by Paul Tanton

For the last twenty years or so we have always booked our own flights/holidays and saved a lot of money doing so. Having Claire from Travel Counsellors arrange our next holiday has made me wonder why I bothered for all that time. Having a professional arrange every thing has been great. We had already researched our destination and cost but thought we would see what Claire could offer. Basically the answer was not only a lower price but better accommodation and flights. Every detail is taken care of, even down to your seats on the plane and any special requests with the resort. you get a link to the Travel Counsellors app which has all your booking details plus our favorite bit is a count down of days until your holiday begins. Its also good to be able to call Claire direct and talk through things at any stage of the booking. We would definitely recommend Travel Counsellors. So if you are looking to book a holiday let Claire arrange everything, and sit back and relax.

Sent by Robert Williams

My wife and I are very satisfied as new customers, with all the time, help and valid suggestions that Claire has afforded us. She is always ready to answer any queries that we may have with understanding and enthusiasm. We are looking forward to future bookings with Claire's expertise and professionalism. Here's to happy holidays. Kind regards Maria & Bob Williams

Sent by Hazel Dobson

Claire has advised and helped us so much , for one of our holidays she really pulled out all the stops! After being told that one of our chosen restaurants was fully booked, she politely asked the operator to check again , and, low and behold we have a booking in that restaurant. The service that Claire has offered has been second to none , we are fully satisfied and confident in all that Claire has done for us.

Sent by Kristy Kimber

Claire has been absolutely fabulous. I can honestly say she has been so helpful .. Above and beyond the normal call of duty. She responds quickly and efficiently and has always manages to source and book Al our travel arrangements. She has a pleasant and friendly manner, nothing is ever too much trouble. I cannot recommend Claire enough... Forget your High Street Agents, they are not a patch!

Sent by Elaine Mcintosh

Just to say that Claire has been helping me find and book some amazing holidays. She is always keen to find the best deal that will suit me and my family. She knows me so well, that the flights always seem to be at the times she knows I like. The hotels she suggests are located close enough to a town to be able to walk out in an evening. She also offers the best deal that she is able to. Nothing is ever too much trouble, even if I change my mind several times. I am so lucky to have met Claire as an holiday advisor, because I do like to book several holidays a year and without her experience and helpfulness it would be a nightmare for me.

Sent by Diana Wright

Need to say a massive THANK YOU to Claire Dickson. She booked mum and I a holiday to India. Unfortunately our passports got lost in the post (yes they were sent registered). After panic from our side - Claire came to the rescue organising new passports, travel to London and getting our visas. Liaising with the tour company - who are yet to pay up! You never really know how good a travel agent is until there is problem. I cannot recommend you enough to all my friends who are wanting to book a trip.

Sent by Diana Wright

"Whoop Whoop" tickets have been delivered. Great service from Claire Dickson our travel counsellor. Even the luggage labels have been written out. I cannot recommend her enough for all your holiday needs. She has found us a great deal and done all the organisation. Contact her on 07481 154247 or 01227 806710