Hello and welcome to my webpage. I am a Travel Counsellor based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. I have been in the travel and tourism industry for over 20 years. I have visited many countries, seen many sights and could help you book a holiday of a lifetime. I can arrange any travel service for you, whether that be a short city break, a last minute break, a UK getaway, flights, cruises, accommodation only or even just car hire.
Here are a few examples of a few places I have been:-
· Goa - My family and I had the most fantastic Christmas here. · The Gambia - Possibly the friendliest place on the planet. · Thailand - So many amazing sights and experiences. · Lapland - Possibly the most stunning place to spend Christmas. · Rhine River Cruise, Danube & Seine - Very relaxed and a great way to see sights. · New York - My favourite city location ever. · Disneyland Paris - Great fun whatever your age! · Baltic Cruise - An amazing adventure to breath-taking places. · Costa Rica - A beautiful unspoilt paradise and fantastic adventure holiday. · Jamaica - Great beaches, great food and great people !! what else can i say! · The Maldives - Just Paradise on Earth and somewhere you have to visit at some point!! . Caribbean - visited most now and honestly cant pick a fav as love them all and all have their own unique selling points! . Sea Cruises - from the Caribbean , Med, Transatlantic, Fjords... and beyond !
I’ve visited many more places. I could talk about for hours! If you would like to know more about anywhere just give me a call or drop me a message.
Unlike most high street agents, Travel Counsellors is not tied to selling one particular company’s holiday. This means you are much more likely to get the holiday you want rather than the holiday the high street agent wants to sell you.
So what’s stopping you from making that call or sending that email to me today, to whisk you away to the holiday you deserve?
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
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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.
I was extremely lucky in October to tick of yet another huge thing off my bucket list - Peru and Machu Picchu! Machu Picchu did not fail to impress me and Peru itself opened my eyes that the country has more than just one attraction! Peru is such an amazing country to visit full of diversity, culture and interesting history.
Exodus Travel was our host on this incredible 12-night Travel Counsellors exclusive tour of Peru. Exodus as a tour company I would highly recommend, extremely professional, well organised and our tour guide Bruce was so knowledgeable and took such great care of us all.
Flying direct from London with British Airways, our adventure started in the city of Lima. Kennedy square was within walking distance from our hotel and this is a great area to eat out at night. Lima is worth at least a couple of nights stay as part of a trip to Peru and the city has some great sights to explore and all on the coastline. Modern shopping mixed with colonial architecture, walk along the seafront while watching all the parasailing off the cliffs. You can even find a statue of the illusive Paddington bear on the promenade! While exploring the colonial side of Lima we included a visit to the Monastery of San Francisco, a seventeenth-century complex that houses some wonderful mosaics and paintings, as well as the catacombs which run under the church.
The tour started and ended in Lima. We went down the coast to Paracas for an excursion to the Ballestas Islands then to see the Nazca Lines, which were fascinating and like much of the history of Peru no one is entirely certain how or why they are there. Onto Arequipa, Puno and Lake Titicaca, over to Cusco, Sacred Valley and train up to Machu Picchu for a day trip and back to Cusco before flying back to Lima. It was a busy itinerary but gave a great overview of this interesting country.
My personal highlights included the following;
• Touring a Pisco distillery to see the process of the traditional Peruvian Pisco drink Pisco sours has been a fav tipple of mine for a long time so it was great have some at the source! A tasting of the various flavours they can produce and purchasing a couple of bottles to bring home!
• Having lunch at the Huaccachina Oasis overlooking the lake. I was not expecting desert dunes and an oasis in the middle of Peru, so this was an unexpected highlight for me
• Our full day boat tour of Lake Titicaca where we went out and hiked on Taquile Island and then spent time with one of the small communities of the 17 Uros-Tintos Floating Islands. We were given a traditional welcome before learning how they build their reed islands and boats and their way of life before being invited in to their homes. How they lived was just such an experience and so different to the way of life I know.
• Machu Picchu, yes of course it was going to be a highlight! Just incredible to see and no surprise why it brings in around a million visitors a year. We did not have time to hike the Inca trail and had the comfortable journey by train and then bus journey up to the site itself. The train journey was fabulous amazing scenery and excellent standard in either first or economy class. The area introduced eucalyptus trees from Australia around the early 1900’s and the gum trees are everywhere. I felt very at home reminded me of being back in Victoria Australia!
My tips for travelling to Peru:
• Eating out was inexpensive and excellent quality. I could not bring myself to try the guinea pig on offer but did enjoy the Alpaca and my personal favourite were the empanadas! Quite happy to return and drink a Pisco sour and empanada!
• To help with altitude sickness coca tea is readily available at most hotels. I drank it every day and enjoyed it with fresh mint. You can also chew on the coca leaves and the many coca products available including cookies, toffees, mints etc.
• Have lots of small coins, one sol gets a toilet visit and bring your own extra toilet paper.
• Be well covered up and use insect repellent when visiting Machu Picchu.
• Take your time when arriving in a high-altitude area such as Puno – if you can take a day to adjust before going on any big hikes it would be ideal and remember to just walk slow and consistently sip water.
• Don’t worry about packing any jumpers, hats, gloves etc – there are great markets everywhere with fantastic alpaca knitted items at low prices – you will want to pick up a few bits and pieces so ensure you have space in your case!
I look forward to returning in the future. The dry season and the best times to travel to Peru is from May to October, making a great trip for my children during their school holidays. I would love to further explore this country and see the Amazon and walk the Inca Trail.
I have just returned from the most amazing whirlwind educational trip ever! I was lucky enough to be among 14 people on the Fantastic Florida itinerary as part of the Brand USA educational trip.
I had never visited Florida before and really had no idea that there was so much more than theme parks and Mickey Mouse. Our seven night itinerary started in Miami – wow, what a place! We had amazing Cuban food then went on to a club for a true Miami experience!
Our next stop was Marco Island and Naples where we had a ball out on the wave runners, spotting dolphins, pelicans and manatees through the mangroves. Our adventure along the west coast of Florida also saw us kayaking at Captiva Island, taking in a show in Sarasota, enjoying a fabulous sunset cruise in St Petersburg, plus indulging in an amazing private dinner on the beach in Fort Meyers and in Clearwater.
What it taught me, more than anything, is just how diverse Florida is with the most amazing beaches, food and with so much to do and see for every type of client from families to couples and anyone else! In fact, my daughter and I have now decided it's where we are going this summer!
My customer stories
Sent by Paula Flynn
St Albans, Hertfordshire 20/04/2024
Thank you so much to Rachel for organising our holiday to Cornwall at such short notice. It was the perfect house for myself, daughter, and grandchildren (also our two dogs). We loved the hot tub and swim spa and enjoyed bbq’s in the garden. It was especially handy that it was so close to local beaches and the town. We hardly used the car which was a bonus. We really appreciate all your help, and look forward to our next holiday. Many thanks & Best wishes.
Sent by Gail Stovel
Lincolnshire 18/04/2024
Rachel always goes above and beyond to find the perfect holiday. Rachel is very personable, so easy to talk to and listens to your holiday requirements and needs. I have recommended Rachel to friends and family and will continue to do so!!
Sent by Nikola Millard
Hertfordshire 15/08/2022
The whole experience of trying to find a holiday at short notice was totally taken care of by Claire and Rachel. I would not hesitate to use their services again and 100% recommend to others.
Sent by Tara Stebnicky
st albans 04/09/2019
Rachel gave exactly the sort of help I needed, providing a host of different options and areas so we could really narrow things down. Friendly, approachable and very quick to respond. Thank you again!
Sent by Martn Livesey
slipend 04/09/2019
Rachel always does a great job looking after us and I do not hesitate in recommending her.
Sent by michelle bolton
st albans 04/09/2019
We haven’t yet been on our holiday but the booking process and customer service have been excellent.
Sent by Jennifer Pooley
harpenden 04/09/2019
Rachel always comes up with the best choices for us. She really listens to what your requirements are and finds fabulous options to choose from. It’s just so easy. This is the second time I’ve booked with her and it won’t be the last. Thanks Rachel.
Sent by mandi robertson
st albans 04/09/2019
Rachel is brilliant helped with a last minute holiday, nothing is too much trouble for her
Sent by Susan Glenholme
st albans 01/07/2019
Rachel was brilliant - listened to what we wanted and delivered exactly what we were looking for. She made everything so simple and straightforward - thank you! Looking forward to the holiday and pleased the stress of booking and arranging it has been taken away by Rachel's efficiency and experience/knowledge.
Sent by Karim Giwa
Harpenden 25/06/2019
You're the best helping me sort my flights out. I'll be back for the Nice one soon :-)
Sent by Julie Vance
st albans 20/06/2019
Great experience booking our holiday with Rachel, so many options to choose from. Always on hand to answer any questions and if she doesn’t know the answer she will find out. Highly recommended her for ease free holiday booking! !
Sent by kathryn Bray-stacey
st albans 29/05/2019
Excellent support and incredibly responsive to aueries. Thank you Rachel!
Sent by sam stiller
bedfordshire 29/05/2019
Rachel was great at organising our holiday - she gave us a range of options and we are very happy with our resulting holiday choice.
Sent by clare rose
st albans 29/05/2019
I have already passed your details to all my work colleagues! You were brilliant, thankyou!
Sent by ellen earl
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel is great and always comes up with good options.
Sent by kathy philips
harpenden 29/05/2019
Rachel was patient and so helpful.
Sent by jp lonergan
st albans 29/05/2019
Excellent service providing exactly what we wanted.
Sent by peter gedye
hemel 29/05/2019
Rachel was amazing, on hand to help with any issues, was informative during the booking. She was extremely helpful for all preparation and questions before and throughout our trip. Thank you very much Rachel.
Sent by beejal coulson
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel is very proficient and provides excellent customer service
Sent by rachel stirman
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel was very helpful. Will look to use her in the furure
Sent by yanick smedley
harpenden 29/05/2019
Always a pleasure to deal with and makes it so easy to chose and book . Nothing is ever a problem , so helpful.
Sent by kirsten whitehouse
st albans 29/05/2019
As always - brilliantly helpful and efficient. Thank you x
Sent by kersti clarke
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel has been great - incredibly efficient and patient giving me lots of options to choose from, and totally unflappable when we disregarded options (I am very pedantic)! Great service.
Sent by fiona harrall
st albans 29/05/2019
Took the stress out of finding somewhere for us that I don't think we would have found otherwise :)
Sent by fiona o'brien
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel is fast and efficient. She provided me with 3 quotes for our travel to Naples which made it so easy to choose what we wanted for our trip. I'll definitely be using her travel service next holiday.
Sent by elizabeth eason
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel provided an amazing service. Quick to respond to emails and further questions, finding alternatives for flights and resorts when we were not fully sure about our requirements. A great find - sure we will use Rachel again.
Sent by sarah hedges
st albans 29/05/2019
Rachel Varndall was so helpful and gave me loads of ideas and help as I knew we wanted to go on a safari but that was all. Definitely would use Rachel again and highly recommend.
Sent by victoria littlechild
st albans 29/05/2019
Such a brilliant service, I couldn’t have planned my holiday without Rachel, she asked me what I wanted from my holiday and I’ve got exactly what I asked for with extras I didn’t even think of, definitely using her for each of my holidays from now on.
Sent by trevor ravenhall
luton 29/05/2019
Love my travel counsellor
Sent by louise Mirkovic
st albans 29/05/2019
Great helpful service as always
Sent by David Logan
st albans 22/11/2018
Rachel was incredibly helpful with my enquiry. She contacted me straight away and was able to give me options for my holiday. Even after booking it I needed to change some dates and details and Rachel was able to accommodate very quickly. I would highly recommend this service and will use again for sure. Many thanks for a fantastic service.
Sent by Kirsten whitehouse
st albans 22/11/2018
Thanks Rachel for finding the perfect holiday for my sons and me, meeting every single request I had asked for in my brief - and more! We are currently enjoying the sea view over breakfast in paradise. Thanks for all your help and the friendly, efficient service! Kirsten
Sent by elisa stratton
st albans 06/11/2018
Extremely patient with our decision making and last minute places. Gave us lots of options and nothing was an issue.
Sent by joyce cowley
WEST DRAYTON 26/10/2018
I would like to thank you for putting together our recent holiday in Crete. As we were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary we were very pleased with everything you arranged, before, during and after our holiday. It was assuring to know you were just a phone call away when our first plane went technical and how were we going to notify our taxi and hotel of our late arrival the other end. One phone call to you and it was sorted.
The service you provided was second to none and we will not hesitate in coming to use your experience in the future and recommending you to friends and family
Sent by sade flanders
watford 14/08/2018
Rachel was extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
Sent by lorri ritchie
london colney 14/08/2018
I'd rate Rachel higher if I could! She's fab, and I already have recommended her to my friends, family, and colleagues!
Sent by Cheska Tyler
st albans 14/08/2018
Rachel worked tirelessly to make sure our holiday was perfect. I was taking my mum away (afraid of flying, doesn’t like heat, can’t walk very far, would like beautiful views, spacious room, view of the sea etc..!) for her first holiday in 16 years. After providing us with many options, she couldn’t have got it more spot on. I am so so grateful for what Rachel did for us. Thank you! I couldn’t recommend her more.
Sent by bharat parmar
london 14/08/2018
I’m hard work, I’m always looking for a good deal and Rachael always delivers..
Sent by sonia veradi
hitchin 14/08/2018
Thank you Rachel for helping us to decide on our family holiday . You found us some really unique properties in the perfect location and we were able to choose the one that suited us best . Thank you for all your patience and hard work and commitment to helping fussy people get their best holiday possible at the best price . You really can’t buy this personal bespoke service anywhere else.
Sent by katie bruce green
london colney 14/08/2018
Rachel explored lots of options for our summer break and found something that really suited us. Thank you Rachel for being patient!
Sent by Nicola Mckinnon
Harpenden 14/08/2018
We have taken our time to decide on our trip to get the right combination and it was never too much bother for Rachel. We can’t wait for our trip knowing the personal service that’s gone into its plannning.
Sent by lisa cherry
st albans 04/07/2018
Brilliant service and absolutely amazing knowledge! So glad we found you Rachel! Thank you
Sent by Rebecca williams
london 04/07/2018
An absolutely amazing lady to book my holiday with! Really helpful, no job to big or small. Professional in every aspect. It’s my second time booking a holiday with Rachel and I will totally be back to book more! Thanks Rachel.
Sent by joyce cowley
west drayton 04/07/2018
Rachel went beyond what one would reasonably expect. Will most definitely use her services in the future.
Sent by Jennefer Pooley
st albans 04/07/2018
Rachel was great at coming up with ideas for a group holiday. She really listened to the brief and came up with some great options. A lovely, friendly lady too - a pleasure to do business with.
Sent by shirlayne dunwoodie
harpenden 04/07/2018
Rachel was very patient with us in tweaking her original proposal til we got the perfect itinerary and holiday. Can’t wait to go now!
Sent by gail stovell
Spalding 17/03/2018
My immediate family love Rachel as much as I do. Her expertise is second to none. I’ve recommended Rachel to many friends and family members. Rachel has been an absolute star and has had the patience of a saint in arranging our holiday to Sri Lanka this year - after starting to arrange and hoping to book our holiday in September 2017, we have had to rearrange the dates at least 5 times now. Rachel has always done her best as always to accommodate and overcome the many issues that life throws at you to still arrange the best holiday anyone can ask for. Thank you Rachel for always being there and now a special friend.
Sent by justin scranage
luton 17/03/2018
I have already taken to social media to extol the virtues of Rachel and will continue to do so.
Sent by Julie Davison
st albans 12/03/2018
Rachel has been amazing. She listened to my requirements and had a holiday put together by the next day. It’s a special holiday for my daughters 18th she even added some lovely touches by contacting the hotel to let them know. I am going though Rachel for all my holiday needs. Thank you Rachel
Sent by Marisha Fetters
st albans 14/02/2018
Rachel is absolutely amazing - I was definitely not an easy customer - chopping and changing dates, number of guests, destination etc.. throughout, Rachel was patient, professional but also really knowledgeable and friendly. I am not surprised she is recommended so much all over Facebook and she is the ‘go to’ travel counsellor where I live! I’ll definitely be going back to Rachel in future and recommending her to friends and family!
Sent by Rachel Morrison
St Albans 20/09/2017
So helpful and friendly, wouldn't consider booking a holiday with anyone but Rachel
Sent by Lorri Ritchie
London Colney 13/09/2017
Rachel has booked our family holidays for the past 11-12 years and we wouldn't look anywhere else! She always gets it spot on, and I sometimes think she knows what we want better than we do! Thoroughly, thoroughly, THOROUGHLY recommend her!
Sent by Suzanne Darcy-Salinger
st albans 13/09/2017
I was very pleased with the help and support I received from Rachel while booking our holiday away, she was very patient and polite with all my many questions ... I have recommended her already to friends and will definitely use her again
Sent by Victoria Flower
Bradford 13/09/2017
Rachel is amazing I don't know what I would do without her! She always finds me exactly what I'm looking for and the customer service is amazing. Thanks Rachel!
Sent by Sarah Chowdri
Berkhamstead 13/09/2017
Absolutely brilliant
Sent by Sarah Mayhew
st albans 13/09/2017
Very helpful Listened to requirements and came up with good options in budget, very efficient
Sent by Maggie Parks
Inverness 13/09/2017
Nothing is too much trouble! I have now booked my second holiday through Rachel, brilliant service!
Sent by Caroline Stacey
st albans 13/09/2017
Rachel is amazing at finding exactly what we need she takes the hassle out of the whole booking holidays, she even managed to keep my super fussy partner happy!! We have booked family holidays , romantic holidays and days out through her, would reccomend to anyone to never book yourself again just go to Rachel.
Rachel has been really helpful, informative and could not do more to have helped me book my trip to Austrailia. I would strongly recommend Rachel to me friends for all of those travel plans.
Sent by Catherine Crompton
Harpenden 19/05/2017
Extremely helpful, and would highly recommend.
Sent by Paul Davies
Norfolk 17/05/2017
Great service. Efficient, knowledgeable, and experienced. Helpful. Speedy. No fuss.
Sent by Anna Giallo
St Albans 17/05/2017
Lovely experience! Rachel has been so kind, understanding and helpful. I was very stressed about this event, but she had been able to make things run smoothly.
Sent by samantha langston
Harpenden 16/05/2017
I had tried researching holidays for myself but ended up confused. I contacted Rachel, we had a discussion about what I was looking for and then she e-mailed me with some suggestions for a family holiday. . The information was good with photographs, descriptions and ratings. We booked Rachel's first recommended choice. A fantastic service.
Sent by Sara Simmonds
St Albans 01/05/2017
Nothing's too much trouble and you are made to feel like you are the most important customer Rachel has.
Sent by Rachel Morrison
St Albans 26/04/2017
I would totally recommend Rachel. She booked our 2nd trip to Florida. She managed to get us a really good deal compared to Virgin. The thing that makes her amazing to deal with is we had an issue at check in at the hotel (not her fault) I called her in panic and she answered it was 11.30pm. She then spent nearly an hour sorting the issue out for us. Thank you Rachel we truly appreciate you and the way you calmed me down and reassured me when I was an emotional tired wreck, and got everything sorted.
Sent by Caroline Parnell
Watford 26/04/2017
I happily recommend Rachel as an excellent travel advisor! She is brilliant at understanding what you need, quickly pulling together some amazing ideas and a fuss free booking experience. She completely takes the hassle out of researching and booking a holiday and the trips are always good value. I'd happily recommend her.
Sent by Connor Hills
St Albans 26/04/2017
I can personally recommend Rachel to book your holidays. She has made all my holiday packages perfect down to the fine details.
She isnt pushy and doesn't try and sell you anything, just listens to what you want, puts quotes together for you and will amend if and where necessary. I've never met another travel agent who does that, it's usually about the hard sell. Keep up the good work Rachel. I look forward to booking with you again. Connor
Sent by Sara Simmonds
St Albans 26/04/2017
Due to health issues, family schedules etc I gave Rachel a gargantuan task when it came to finding the right holiday for us. She never made me feel awkward or difficult and when I started to lose hope that we might find something suitable, she told me 'I never give up, we will find your holiday'.
So thank you, thank you, thank you Rachel we are all excited and really looking forward to our holiday
Sent by Brian Steventon
St Albans 20/04/2017
Extremely helpful and friendly service.
Sent by Sarah Kirkwood
St Albans 20/04/2017
Extremely helpful and friendly service.
Sent by Karen Wingfield
St Albans 20/04/2017
Rachel had immense patience whilst dealing with our request, it's been many years since we've been abroad and when looking around everything looked far too good to be true and she was able to source a brilliant deal for us and with just over 2 weeks to go getting really excited :-)
Sent by Caroline Bailes
St Albans 16/03/2017
Rachel provided us with lots of options very quickly and hopefully found us a very nice hotel. (we go in about a month!).
Sent by Denise Ferguson
St Albans 14/03/2017
Rachel is so helpful. It's great to be able to bat ideas backwards and forwards and finally get something that works for everyone involved.
Sent by JP Lonergan
St Albans 13/03/2017
Excellent service.
Sent by Donna Leavit
Washington 02/03/2017
I live in the US, most of my family lives in the UK. Rachel is excellent at dealing with my needs to travel to and from the UK!
Sent by Sarah Yeats
St Albans 02/03/2017
Very helpful and always working to find the right solution for our holiday needs. Really nothing is too much trouble and a pleasure to work with takes out all of the hassle for me!
Sent by Gurjot Nandhra
St Albans 02/03/2017
Fantastic service as always, looking forward to the honeymoon!
Sent by Natalie Liley
St Albans 02/03/2017
Really thinks about what would be good for us.
Sent by Natalie Atkins
St Albans 02/03/2017
I have booked two trips with Rachel in the last year, one in the U.K. and one abroad. She replies quickly and works hard to meet your needs. When I contacted her for the second time she remembered us and little details such as how old our child was which was a nice personal touch. I am constantly recommending her to others!
Sent by Hilary Oliver
St Albans 02/03/2017
Very helpful and nothing was too much trouble - thanks Rachel!
Sent by Alison Watkins
St Albans 02/03/2017
Rachel was great. So patient even though we must have changed our criteria about 15 times! Thanks
Sent by Maggie Parks
Inverness 02/03/2017
Rachel took all the headaches and hassle out of our Disney booking!
Sent by Brian McCoy
Warrington 09/07/2016
Rachel was fantastic to deal with in selecting what will be a dream holiday for my family. Every step of the way she was polite, helpful and full of all the relevant advice. Even after narrowing down the choices she utilised her own personal experience and knowledge to help us choose exactly the right accommodation. I would and will highly recommend Rachel to friends and family for any travel needs. Thank you Rachel for helping us to choose our dream holiday and what will ultimately be something that will live long in our memories and create a truly magical experience for our children.
Sent by Tracey Lorimer
St Albans 29/06/2016
Very helpful, happy and lovely to speak to. Gave me great advise and understanding of me needs. So now I am talking my son on a magical time! Thank you so much Rachel your a star.
Sent by caroline stacey
st albans 29/06/2016
Rachel gave us great range of choices and found exactly what we wanted and more! She has contacted us and made sure we are happy at every step.
Sent by Gail Stovell
Lincolnshire 24/06/2016
Rachel always offers an excellent service, she is always willing to go that extra mile to find the perfect holiday. I have recommended Rachel several times to friends and family and will continue to do so. She is so helpful and cheerful every time we speak, and brightens your day.
Sent by saleema Davies
st albans 24/06/2016
I've already recommended Rachel to someone who was looking to book her honeymoon, only to find that she'd already been referred to her! Rachel is a pleasure to deal with and very responsive. We will definitely be using her in future.
Sent by Sarah Crofts
London 02/02/2016
Rachel is quite simply incredible. Twice now I've given her a really vague spec and she has worked tirelessly to find our perfect holiday. She is inventive and creative and really listens to the scant details I offer to come up with a great range of good value offers. Always cheerful, she never lets on that I must be a nightmare customer!! Rachel is a complete gem and I recommend her to all my friends!!
Sent by Paula Stovell
Norfolk 28/01/2016
Rachel takes the time to make sure that the holiday is right for you and you have looked at all the options, pointing out things you may not have considered. You do not get this from other travel agents
Sent by Lisa Gorsuch
St Albans 13/01/2016
I just wanted to recommend Rachel Varndall at Travel Counsellors to anyone looking for a holiday. She really bent over backwards to find us and another family a summer holiday for this year. We are very picky and had a very long list of requirements having 5 kids of various aged between us. She came up with some real gems of places-lots of which we had never heard of or considered (and we consider ourselves to be reasonably clued up on hols having researched so many on our own previously!) She instantly just 'gets' what you are looking for-unlike so many others out there-and works constantly-we would get recommendations at 10pm at night and on Sunday's!! So thank you Rachel for all your help-we'll be back to see you again next year!! Lisa x
Sent by Toni Wilkins
kings Langley 27/11/2015
Rachel is a miracle worker. After searching for some weeks to find somewhere to stay during Christmas and New Year I had given up hope. Within an hour of contacting Rachel she had come up with not one but four perfect options. Give her a try - you wont come away disappointed.
Sent by Clive Morrison
St Albans 20/11/2015
We have had the pleasure of booking a few holidays/getaways via Rachel now and it's always been a pleasure.
Always a great experience and have had great places to stay. Places/hotels which we probably would have not thought of. (A great reason to go to the expert!)
Can't fault the personal touch and the hard work Rachel puts in.
Highly recommended and we will definitely book through Rachel again.
Sent by Kat Shaw
St Albans 20/11/2015
Just wanted to do a big shout out to the travel consultant extraordinaire that is Rachel Varndall. She's been working with me for about a year in my 40th celebrations, from Marrakech to Malta, Dubai to Copenhagen, Bruges to Rome. She spent hours planning and coming up with solutions until we finally settled on Paris (next weekend). However, in light of recent events, my 10 year old daughter doesn't want to go as she's scared. Rachel has been amazing in swapping and sorting and arranging and now we're going to Blackpool! She's been amazing, supportive and sensitive to our demanding needs! I can't recommend her highly enough for a totally stress free holiday experience! Rachel Varndall, you're amazing! Thanks so much.
Sent by Hannah Knight
St Albans 23/09/2015
Rachel has been absolutely amazing, she's booked my perfect holiday and taken care of all the small details. She has gone over an above to help me and totally exceeded my expectations. Every question I asked her she was already one step ahead and had the answers for me. I will be (and have been) recommending her to everyone and will only use Rachel for all my future holiday bookings.
Sent by Sophie Wain
St Albans 13/04/2015
I would highly recommend Rachel! She found a perfect UK break for us and was very friendly and helpful to speak with. We will definitely be using Rachel again.
Sent by Kay Cooper
Hexham 13/04/2015
We would recommend Travel Counsellors to any inexperienced holiday booker. Rachel was very patient and helpful, and came up with some good options. And of course, if there are any problems nearer the time of our flight, it's good to know we can ask for her expert help.
Sent by Fran Edwell
st albans 27/01/2015
I have used Rachel for many years to book all kinds of trips at home and abroad, winter and summer holidays. She takes great care to get the details correct and cares about the holiday from start to finish. I recommend her all the time.
Sent by Sara Reid
st albans 27/01/2015
Very helpful and patient with my many enquiries. Excellent service.
Sent by Sarah Yeats
St Albans 08/01/2015
Rachel has been extremely helpful with my booking, very detailed in her response and quick to come back with suitable suggestions. Really great experience and I would certainly recommend her to friends.
Sent by Sam Cox
St Albans 16/12/2014
Rachel, was completely amazing, she worked really quickly and found me a fabulous little break, thank you!
Sent by Rachel Pidcock
St Albans 01/12/2014
We have been very impressed with Rachel's service - she is efficient, timely and offered us some excellent suggestions despite our rather wide brief. She came across as knowledgeable about many destinations and was patient in checking other options for us, before we decided to book. She did not pressurise us, which was appreciated, given that this was a big decision for us (much bigger holiday than usual). I'd definitely recommend Rachel and will be sure to make use of her service again. Our holiday looks amazing in the brochure, we can't wait to see it in real life! Thanks Rachel!
Sent by Caroline Bailes
St Albans 20/11/2014
Rachel has been really helpful, she has responded quickly and answered my many questions. I'm confident that we've found the right holiday for us. I loved the service and plan to book through her in future.
Sent by Nisha Mistry
St Albans 05/11/2014
Rachel has been so helpful with our booking. She has spent a lot of time to ensure we got the best and right package and was willing to help be it day or night time. Not very many people put in that much effort and time which is very much appreciated.
Sent by Sarah Ramasawmy
St Albans 09/10/2014
Really pleased with the service received from Rachel, she was very helpful and took time to understand the brief, and as such was able to provide options that were suited to our requirements.
Sent by Alice Sheen
St Albans 30/09/2014
We were really pleased with the service Rachel provided. We came to her knowing what we wanted but not knowing where to start looking. She listened to our plans, made suggestions and gave advice. Rachel was also happy to make changes to the itinerary until they suited us exactly! It was an efficient service and we can't wait for our holiday now. I would definitely recommend this service and Rachel and will use again! Thank you!!
Sent by Rachel Morrison
St Albans 17/09/2014
Brilliant service, gave me various options, and no pressure either, will definitely use again.
Sent by Sarah Crofts
St Albans 17/09/2014
Rachel was fabulous, she took a very vague brief and found something that suited us brilliantly. Great coms (once the weird disappearing email issue was resolved!) and delightful to deal with. Many thanks, we are looking forward to a lovely weekend away next weekend.
Sent by Rachel Morrison
St Albans 17/09/2014
Brilliant service, gave me various options, and no pressure either, will definitely use again.
Sent by Amanda Watson
St Albans 08/09/2014
I saw the name Rachel Varndall- Travel Counsellor on St Albans Mums Facebook page a while back. I recently contacted Rachel for some advice and a potential holiday booking. I just wanted to say how fantastic she has been. I notice she also has a Facebook page dedicated to holiday offers (some look amazing value) and so thought I would put out a quick recommendation and a thank you to this group for giving us all access to people like her. Rachel doesn't charge customers for her services, she gets paid from holiday providers I believe. I can tell from her emails to me that she works really long hours to make sure everyone is happy! Definitely a name I will keep in my phonebook!
Sent by Vanessa fisher
St Albans 09/08/2014
I would like to thank you so much Rachel Varndall Travel Counsellor for your hard work and dedication and patience like no other! We finally got there in the end, one week to go, next time I promise not to leave it so late. Thanks for not giving up on me! :-)
Sent by Denisa Fojtikova
st albans 31/07/2014
Rachel has been an absolute professional and extremely helpful with everything covering every aspect of our holiday. We had an amazing time in Egypt and knowing someone is there for us 24/7 was a great help. We would definitely book another holiday with her as the organization from the start to end was smooth and extremely friendly.
Sent by Nichola Francis
St Albans 04/07/2014
Rachel worked tirelessly to find the perfect family holiday.
Sent by Pauline Moore
st albans 29/06/2014
Great service she answered all questions very quickly I was very impressed.
Sent by Fran Edwell
st albans 29/06/2014
I am always recommending Rachel's services as a TC. She has organised many holidays and trips for us over the years.
Sent by Rupa Patel
st albans 25/04/2014
We were very happy with Rachel and her service. She gave us great options and was quick at replying any queries we had. Would definitely recommend and use her services again.
Sent by john sharp
hertfordshire 25/04/2014
Lots of different options presented, making my life a lot easier.
Sent by collette chitty
st albans 25/04/2014
Excellent service, came up with lots of ideas promptly that met all of our holiday criteria.
Sent by Kathy Witchard
st albans 11/03/2014
Rachel has been friendly, professional and very thorough in every holiday she has organised for us. I would highly recommend her personal service, it makes all the difference.
Sent by Helen Watling
Watford 04/03/2014
Rachel is fab and avaliable for all of my holiday requests at any time. Thank you.
Sent by Andi Yoxall
St Albans 04/03/2014
Rachel was very helpful with finding our holiday. We changed our minds a few times and were quite vague on location and she accommodated very easily. The holidays that she found are properties that I would not have found on my own. After having a bad experience booking my own holiday privately, I have more confidence this year since I have had Rachel's help. Looking forward to August now!
Sent by Fran Edwell
st Albans 04/03/2014
I'm always recommending Rachel to friends and family. We've used her services for many years now.
Sent by Dhirajlal Parmar
London 04/03/2014
Exceptional/personal service experienced.
Sent by JP Lonergan
st Albans 04/03/2014
Excellent service from Rachel, as always.
Sent by Jane Oliver
St Albans 04/03/2014
Rachel was extremely helpful and listened to our requirements efficiently, and came out with some great results too.
Sent by sabrina Miller
st Albans 04/03/2014
Very good, quick, friendly, reliable service. Managed to book exactly what we wanted! Amazing service.
Sent by Jonathan Batchelor
st Albans 04/03/2014
Thanks Rachel, you were great!
Sent by Holly Brown
St Albans 04/03/2014
The service in finding our holiday was great and I have already recommended to a friend. I can't judge on overall service yet as haven't been on the holiday yet!
Sent by yvonne wilkinson
st albans 10/12/2013
Always gets it right, knowing what we want and more importantly what we don't want on our holiday.
Sent by Bhupinder Singh Juneja
london 10/12/2013
This is my second booking trough Travel Counsellors, even though with two different agents, I had a superb service from both of them and would recommend my agent (Rachel Varndall) and Travel Counsellors itself to everyone who wants to travel without any headache and with perfect, looked after service.
Sent by Sarah Kirkwood-Dean
St Albans 05/07/2013
Rachel is always so helpful and will come back to you day or night. She always offers a very high level professional service. I have just booked my third holiday through her.
Sent by Kathy Johnstone
St Albans 05/07/2013
Rachel was brilliant finding our holiday for us. We couldn't have asked for a better service. Thank you!
Sent by Zoe Hopkins
Hertfordshire 18/04/2013
Rachel is amazing and always very patient! Organising a holiday can be difficult and Rachel makes it so easy. She helps you to find the best destination and break away from reality. On top of the ease of someone helping you the holidays we have booked through Rachel have been the best by far!
Sent by Julia Spooner
Hertfordshire 12/04/2013
Rachel was absolutely brilliant, she was so helpful and because I'm a bit of an old woman she even sent through my tickets etc. in the post so I didn't have to do anything online. She went above and beyond what was needed of her, and always made me feel I was no trouble. Fantastic service and I have already recommend her.
Sent by Jamie Hesketh
Norwich 12/04/2013
Rachel is really helpful and achieves great results with great prices. I would definitely rate her service 10 out of 10!
Sent by Mary Cooke
St Albans 14/03/2013
Rachel provided us with good hotel choices for several UK destinations as requested. We decided on York and had a great time. Rachel also organised our train travel which worked very well for us.
Sent by Daniel Harding
Hertfordshire 11/03/2013
Rachel was superb and very quick with finding holidays to suit. Very prompt when we had decided which one. Will highly recommend Rachel, thank you.
Sent by Amanda Fulton
Hertfordshire 08/03/2013
I recommend Rachel Varndall at Travel Counsellors to everyone I talk to about holidays! There's nothing she hasn't been able to do for us and she is so lovely to deal with too. Very fast and efficient, it's a pleasure to book holidays now, not a chore! Cannot recommend her highly enough, everyone needs a Rachel in their lives!
Sent by Martin Livesey
St Albans 03/12/2012
Rachel is very friendly and does a good job.
Sent by Helen Robinson
CORBRIDGE 29/11/2012
Already have recommended Travel Counsellors to friends and they have used you and are very happy!
Sent by Marnie hammond
Ludham 29/11/2012
Once again a first class service.
Sent by Paul Harvey
CALLINGTON 29/11/2012
Rachel has been a great help from the minute we spoke to her, and at no time whatsoever has anything been too much trouble. We are now looking forward to our holiday thanks to Rachel.
Sent by louise Barker
St Albans 29/11/2012
Rachel knows exactly what we are after and booking through her guarantees us the holiday we are after without the stress of researching ourselves.
Sent by Annie Sargent
London 29/11/2012
I'd recommend Rachel. She was very helpful and made good reccomendations.
Sent by Sue Standen
Watford 29/11/2012
Rachel is always so helpful when we need to book holidays or anything related to travel. I would always recommend her.
Sent by Kevin Davis
St Albans 29/11/2012
This was a relatively simple request however as with all the other holidays Rachel has booked for me, the selecton of options provided was top class and matched my needs.
Sent by Siani Avent
Watford 29/11/2012
Rachel was amazing and so patient with us. She gave us advice, loads of choice and was patient when we continually changed our mind! She wanted us to get the right choice and we are so happy now that we have booked. Well done and thank you to Rachel.
Sent by Samantha Haward
Abbots Langley 08/06/2012
We are very grateful for all your help in organising yet another perfect holiday for us. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get to go away again. I have sent you a couple of pics including the view of the stunning sea from the beautiful beach. I have never seen water so clear, even comparing to the Caribbean.
Thanks so much for everything
Sent by Amanda Fulton
Bedford 10/01/2012
Whenever my husband mentions holidays, I think 'thank goodness for Rachel' as she just takes the stress out of it for me, saving me from pouring over the computer for weeks on end to find the right holiday! I am always very set on what I want, and our budget doesn't always match - but so far, Rachel has come up trumps for us. I also always have a long list of needs and wants when it comes to breaks, and thankfully Rachel never runs out of patience! I wouldn't consider booking a holiday without her input and expertise and I am so grateful that she was recommended to us!
Sent by Gail Stovell
Spalding Lincs 13/07/2011
Rachel is so friendly and always gives excellent advice. Nothing is ever too much trouble. If you are unsure exactly where you want to go Rachel always takes notes of your likes and dislikes and comes up trumps with lots of ideas. We have booked family holiday's following Rachel's recommendation and have had a fantastic time with excellent accommodation and destinations. We have also just booked flights, which Rachel takes as much time and effort over as a full package holiday. I have told friends and family about Rachel and my daughter has recommended Rachel to her friends. I am looking forward to booking my next and future holidays with such a friendly, knowledgeable and understanding travel expert.
Thanks Rachel.
Sent by Jeremy Harris
Bedford 07/07/2011
Rachel did a fantastic job of organising my trip to Las Vegas last year and I can recommend her completely to do a great job of organising your trips too.
Thanks
Jeremy Harris
Sent by Helen Watling
Watford 25/06/2011
Rachel provided an excellent service for us. My husband and I were looking to go somewhere special for our 10th wedding anniversary, we had Dubai and a hotel in mind, all I had to do was contact Rachel and she found us the best deal, she answered all my questions and was available at all times when I needed to contact her. Rachel not only arranged a holiday in paradise for us but a smooth transition from the time we left our house and got home again. I will be calling Rachel again to arrange a family holiday for us in the sun next year.
Sent by Wale Oye
Radlett, Herts 23/06/2011
Rachel was a fantastic help in planning my 40th birthday Caribbean cruise & stay holiday. Not only did she have the patience and expertise to make sure all our boxes were ticked, she also advised us on the best way to schedule our itinerary and made sure it all came in on budget. She's extremely personable and I'll recommend her every time. Thanks for organising our best holiday yet!
Sent by Jenny King-Davies
Harpenden 23/06/2011
Rachel has been such a great help to us. She has booked wonderful holidays and brilliant accommodation. Rachel is very good at coming up with suggestions for destinations and nothing is too much trouble. I always seem to be on the phone with my worries but she is very calm and extremely organised in dealing with any problems.
I highly recommend the service she provides.
Sent by 'wale Oyenuga
St Albans 18/03/2011
I'd like to thank you very much for your tremendous help in arranging our best family holiday ever. Your patience and understanding of our needs was outstanding. It was the perfect holiday to celebrate my 40th birthday! Our stateroom on the 'Freedom of the Seas' completely blew us away. The kids totally loved the kids clubs on the ship! And Orlando? It was a perfect end to the 'Grand Vacation' (that's what we fondly call it).
We will be recommending and using your services again. We're looking forward to booking our next cruise holiday with you.
Roll on 2013!
Sent by Edwell Fran
St Albans 30/09/2009
Rachel organised my Christmas family trip to Dubai in December 2008. Following her advice we stayed at a great hotel with a beach location, including kids activities, great flight times and most importantly all within our budget. Rachel has also just organised a city break to Brussels for my family to visit the Christmas Market this December, again securing the exact times I required for the Eurostar, great location for the hotel (even recommending a room on a higher floor, to take advantage of the views across the city!) and this time under budget! Her expertise in all areas 'holiday' always surprises me. Rachel's accuracy with the details, commitment and advice, always means your holiday exceeds expectation.
The Edwell Family, St Albans
Sent by Emma Chase
Hemel Hempstead 28/08/2008
Rachel is a personal friend of mine, so when it came to arranging a special trip for my Mum I had no doubts who to ask help sort it out.
Rachel was extremely helpful & gave a lot of time to help me get it 'Just Right'.
My Mum & I returned on 26/08/08 & could not be happier with the holiday we had.
Thanks Rachel, without your help I'm not sure I would have found such a great location!
Sent by Gill Hudnott
St Albans 24/08/2008
Rachel organised a very special trip for me and my family, to celebrate my 40th birthday this year - a skiing trip for all of us, aged from 3 - 73!!!! With various dietary needs and a very fussy husband who wanted only certain resorts, Rachel was very patient with him!! Always on the end of the phone or email to confirm details etc the end result was a very enjoyable and memorable trip.
Sent by Lois Lacy
London 13/06/2008
Rachel really helped us find the dream holiday for our 10th wedding anniversary, second honeymoon. She gave us lots of different ideas and seemed to really know what we were looking for. Her knowledge and research were invaluable. I have told all my friends and family about Rachel and my brother-in-law has actually just booked his perfect honeymoon with her!
