Based in Essex

Karen Goldman

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

My name is Karen Goldman and I would like to welcome you to my personal webpage at Travel Counsellors.

I have worked in travel for over 40 years – many of those spent at Thomas Cook and I also worked for a major hotel chain organizing conferences and training courses. And I have been a Travel Counsellor for over 20 years. I am still as passionate about travel as the day I started, and over the years I have travelled extensively on some wonderful educational trips and my own holidays. I have visited much of the Far East, Australia, Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and the USA as long haul destinations, and of course, Europe.

As your own professional Travel Counsellor I can use our award winning technology and my personal expertise to tailor make exactly the right holiday to suit your needs. Working from home, I have the time, technology, support and enthusiasm that is hard to find in a High Street travel agency. More importantly you don’t have to do battle with the high street crowds during a busy lunch hour or Saturday – you can phone or email me at your convenience, including evenings and weekends. I am able to offer a bespoke personal service when arranging your holiday requirements, whether this may be a package, tailor-made holiday, cruise, flights, accommodation only, car hire, weddings and honeymoons.

My business and reputation are based upon providing my customers with the highest possible levels of service and independent advice, so if that sounds like what you are looking for I would be delighted to assist you with your holiday plans.

You can be sure that I’ll go that extra mile so that you can too.

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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:

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My customer stories

Sent by Natalie Owen

I would just like to take this time to express my complete gratitude and appreciation for the service that Karen Goldman provided for me for my recent trip from London to Barbados and onto the United States. The trip was more than a holiday for me as it involved getting back to loved ones in the states and was filled with stressful times made worse by the current global pandemic. Karen was there for me in more ways than one, before, during and after my trip. Karen provided a second to none service that consisted of her going above and beyond where any travel agent has ever gone for me before. Her genuine care for my well being, her 24/7 availability, her attention to detail and wonderful character means that there is no one I would rather book with going forward. What has been a very emotional and stressful time for me, was made all the better by Karen. I cannot thank her enough. And I look forward to booking all my future work or pleasure trips with Karen in the future. Thank you Karen from the bottom of our hearts. Best regards, Natalie

Sent by Lorraine Isaacs

I have just returned from a wonderful holiday at the Ikos Dassia in Corfu. Karen booked the whole trip, originally for four of us. Unfortunately, the other couple had to cancel due to illness, but Karen quickly and efficiently dealt with this problem for them. Karen was in contact with the hotel and arranged for us to have an upgraded room and also pre-booked our restaurant options and car hire. It is also very re-assuring to know that she is always available at the other end of a phone if there are any problems whilst you’re away. With the current problems with Thomas Cook’s collapse, there were many people who had booked direct who had to spend valuable holiday time trying to sort out their flights home etc. With Travel Counsellors you don’t have to worry about anything, knowing it would all be sorted for you. I would highly recommend Karen and Travel Counsellors to anyone planning a holiday.

Sent by Andrea Carr

Karen was exceptional! She took my booking at midnight! She was efficient and went way over and above! Thank you.

Sent by Cherry and Allan Sholem

I would thoroughly recommend anyone to book their holiday through Karen. She is very efficient and always comes up trumps for us. We have had many a lovely holiday booked and organised by her. We use her for all travel arrangements. The best thing, you don't have to go out in the cold or trawl through loads of brochures, Karen does all the hard work for you. Thank you Karen.

Sent by John Johnson

Karen arranged a multi stop trip for us to Syndey and Perth. The apartment she found for us was perfectly positioned and the flight timetables were perfect. I had a great holiday with no hitches thanks to Karen. Above all she saved us money. I would reccommend Karen's service to anyone looking for a hassle free holiday.

Sent by Richard and Angela Eaton

Having Karen to look after you takes all the stress out of making travel arrangements and we go on holiday knowing that she is always there to help if needed. We appreciate her advice, her recommendations are always good and we have enjoyed many happy holidays. We have recommend Karen to all our friends, who are now also enjoying the personal service that Karen gives to all her clients.

Sent by David Parsons

Karen was really efficient and helpful when organising our holiday. She arranged for special attention for my elderly mother who travelled with us and booked a multitude of flights and accommodations for us. Her service was really useful when we arrived in Port Douglas (Australia) late on a Saturday night and found our accommodation was shut. Karen sorted everything out despite the time difference and it did not spoil our holiday at all. It was good to know that there was someone to help when needed.

Sent by Evelyn Porch

We have used Karen's expert knowledge to book some wonderful summer and winter holidays. The hotels and resorts she has recommended have all been first class and we have never once been disappointed. She has dealt with holidays for just my husband and myself and also large groups, always with excellent organisation and giving us lots of helpful advise. We appreciate the fact that she always follows up our holidays with a call to make sure there were no problems and we received good service. We have recommended Karen to family and friends, and will continue to do so, as she always listens too your requirements and uses her great experience to match your needs.

Sent by Doreen Brown

Me and my daughter used Karen's personal service for several holidays and could not fault her expertise experience and friendliness. Holidays included the best price and times for flights to Australia. A lovely holiday to North Cyprus and a twin-centre holiday to Sri-Lanka. Everything was spot on and well organised. I would highly recommend Karen.

Sent by David Tidd

I happened to meet Karen when she moved onto my post round, we got chatting and I mentioned I ws going on a Disney holiday with my family. Karen helped me in booking the best value tickets for my family. Although I had already booked my actual holiday she did all she could to get the best possible deal. I was kept up to date at all times either by personal contact, phone and email. Highly recommended.

Sent by Jacky Mills

Karen has arranged many holidays for myself and my husband and also for other members of my family. Each time every care has been taken to ensure that our holidays go without a hitch and every little detail has been taken care of with total dedication and care. When Karen arranges a holiday the enjoyment begins from the moment you leave your house until the moment you return home. It is also good to know that if you should encounter any kind of problem while you are away, Karen is always a phone call away to personally help. Many thanks to you Karen asnd we look forward to arranging another holiday very soon.

Sent by George and Rosemary Richardson

Karen has helped us to have some wonderful holidays over many years. Her advice and experience have been invaluable. Nothing is too much trouble for her and she has the patience of a saint! She goes that extra mile to make sure we have the perfect holiday.

Sent by Judy Velden

Karen is brilliant! You just tell her what you are looking for and what your budget is and she will come back to you with lots of options including some you would not have thought of. She really does care that you have a great holiday or trip and her knowledge of holiday destinations and their backgrounds is very impressive. I would recommend her every time.

Sent by Garry Brooks

Very good advice on our trip to Las Vegas ... The Trump Hotel was A1 as recommended by Karen ...The views of the strip fantastic from our room on the 57th floor !.. Everything went so smoothly Well done Karen

Sent by Sam and Larraine Isaacs

We have booked numerous holidays through Karen and have always found her to be friendly, efficient and very helpful. She is always prepared to go that extra mile to make sure we get exactly what we want, where we want and when we want. We would recommend her to anyone wanting a first class, personal service. Her knowledge and experience give us the confidence to consult her about different places or hotels. She is always very informative about destinations, etc. It is always a pleasure speaking to Karen on the phone. We know she will always try her hardest to sort out the best holiday, at the best price for us and, if there are any problems during the holiday, i.e. delays, ash clouds, etc., she will always try and sort them out.

Sent by Kevin Merry

Dear Karen, Than you so much for organising our summer holiday to Florida. We all had such a great time and the accomodation that you found us was perfect for our needs. The kids had an amazing time and we know that booking through yourself took away a lot of the stress of trying to coordinate all aspects of our trip. Once again many thanks and we hope to be booking up again soon. Regards, Kevin

Sent by John Cowell

We have now booked our last few holidays with Karen and what a difference the personal touch has made. Her knowledge of areas and places to stay is amazing. Not only did she recommend a hotel, about which everything she said was spot on, but even arranged for the taxis at the other end taking a great weight off our shoulders so we could relax and enjoy the whole trip. If Karen recommends something go with it. We won't use anyone else now.

Sent by Judy Lavender

I am very pleased with Karen's help in finding us a cruise, everything was done for us after one telephone call, and we didn't have anything to worry about. We will use Karen again !

Sent by Julian Sheldrake

Dear Karen I would like to thank you once more for your wonderful service in finding a truly magnificant holiday location at a very competitive price. Your attention to detail always provides us with peace of mind. Many thanks. Best wishes Julian & Laura

Sent by Clive and Agnes Conway

Karen was extremely helpful in helping us arrange our holiday to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We had a few problems when we were there, but Karen was at the end of the phone and sorted them out for us. We would certainly use Karen's services again.

Sent by Karen Wagg

I asked Karen to search for somewhere really special, in the UK, for our 25th Wedding Anniversary and she came up trumps! Not only did Karen get us upgraded, but the venue was absolutely fantastic and the whole thing was a wonderful experience that we'll never forget, so thank you Karen. By the way, our hairdresser recommended Karen to us as he's delighted with her services too!

Sent by mike hinden

Karen always works tirelessly to ensure we get what we really want at an affordable price. This may well mean revising times, dates etc on numerous occasions to make sure we are fully satisfied. I would recommend Karen to take care of any vacation from a simple package holiday to a tailor made itinerary.

Sent by philip gautier

excellent service and advice. very helpful and effecient throughout

Sent by Maralyn Cole

Karen has now organised a number of holidays for myself and my husband and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Her attention to detail and personal service is exceptional. Throughout the process of choosing our destination, booking flights, transfer, hotel etc, Karen has taken away all the stress. Her recommendations for hotels and destinations are all "spot on" and we have enjoyed every holiday she has booked for us. We have just booked our 25th Wedding Anniversary with Karen for next year and cannot wait to go. Karen has ensured we have the best room in the hotel and that all the finer details have been seen to. Karen will keep searching until you are completely happy that you have the perfect holiday. I always recommend her to friends and colleagues.

Sent by An Deckers

Karen has been organising all of our holidays for the last 5 years. She has been an absolute delight to deal with and each holiday has been better than the one before. She has alwasy brought us great deals and her personal touch has always ensured that we know what is been offered is exactly what we are looking for. Thank you so much Karen for all your hard work, already looking forward to next years' adventure!

Sent by Ben & Laura Gregory

Karen did a fantastic job of organising our honeymoon. She was incredibly helpful when it came to recommending places that were suitable for our budget and even went above and beyond by sorting out a raft of free upgrades and extras for us. We had an amazing time and only wish we could go back and do it all over again!!!

Sent by David Green

I have used Karen for many years to book holidays , some with very complicated tailor made schedules . I have always found Karen to be knowledgeable & helpful

Sent by David Green

I have used Karen for many years to book holidays , some with very complicated tailor made schedules . I have always found Karen to be knowledgeable & helpful

Sent by Phil & Jo Curtis

Oh my goodness, how did we cope before Karen came along??!! She really does take all the pressure off booking your holiday. Once you have briefed Karen on your holiday requirements you can just sit back and relax while she goes away and does all the hard work. And in less time than it takes to say "let's go on holiday" she is back with all your options. Thanks Karen - we'd be lost without you!

Sent by Philip and Juliet Spencer

Karen has organised trips for us for many years. The hotels that Karen has recommended for us have always proved spot on. We are seasoned travellers and are perfectly capable of surfing the internet ourselves. However, there is no substitute for being able to rely on Karen’s expertise and efficiency as well as her friendly approach to give us confidence that we are going to have a great time.

Sent by Susan Bendon

I have booked my last few holidays with Karen and I will continue to use her services in the future. Karen's knowledge is fantastic, she is therefore able to suggest and recommend places to stay and visit. I have not been disappointed yet with the holidays I have had. It is also great to leave all the searching etc up to someone else. This is personal service at its best.

Sent by John and Carol Sime

Karen is quick, straight forward and efficient! Everything we need in our busy lives to arrange our travel arrangements and find the most suitable arrangements for us! Karen has sourced me a specialist holiday also recently therefore cutting out hours of trawling through information for me. I have no hesitation in reccommending her most thoroughly.

Sent by Dawn Ackland

I have organised 3 holidays with Karen over the last 2 years and must say, she has been extremely helpful. Her knowledge of resorts and hotels has been a great help and upon arrival, accurate. Karen will be my first thought/point of contact for future travel plans.