Sonia Murray-Smith

My expertise

Antarctica
South East Asia
South America
Vietnam
Adventure Travel
Private Tours
Multi - Destination
Active Holidays

I'm based in

Teddington

Available for new enquiries

Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here

It's Nice To Meet You

Thank you for taking the time to visit my page.

A little about me…
I am a friendly and caring independent travel professional based in Teddington, South West London, with over 35 years’ experience in planning all types of holidays.

Having travelled to all 7 continents and over 75 countries, with personal highlights including hiking the Inca Trail, conquering Kilimanjaro, spending two nights at Everest Base Camp and experiencing the wonder of Antarctica, I bring genuine first-hand insight to the trips I design.

I specialise in Adventure and Touring holidays, with a particular passion for trekking, cycling, expedition cruising and active escapes in wilderness, nature and off-the-beaten-track locations, always with a focus on responsible and sustainable travel that immerses you in local people, traditions and cultures. I also enjoy creating holidays such as honeymoons & romantic escapes, family holidays & multi‑generational trips, solo adventures, group tours (small group or private), special occasion trips: anniversaries, big birthdays, retirement, “once‑in‑a‑lifetime”, short breaks & long weekends and sabbaticals & long‑stay journeys.

My expertise has been recognised with a national nomination for Adventure & Touring Expert, and I am proud to be an Ambassador for this style of travel within Travel Counsellors.

My upcoming travels for 2026 include skiing in Austria, cycling in Kerala, trekking the Trans Bhutan Trail, visiting Svalbard and walking sections of the Great Wall of China, all of which help me design holidays that are authentic, rewarding and truly memorable for you.

Why book with me?
As your personal Travel Counsellor, I focus on really getting to know you, your travel style and what a perfect trip looks like. I will ask questions, listen carefully and then design a holiday that reflects your interests, comfort level and pace, whether that is a gentle touring itinerary or a once-in-a-lifetime expedition.

From our first conversation, I do all the planning and organising for you: researching options, comparing routes, refining the details and handling all the logistics, so you do not have to. I will present clear, carefully curated choices, adapt your itinerary until it feels exactly right, and treat every booking with the same care and attention I would give my own travels.

You will enjoy the reassurance of booking through a well-established, multi award-winning travel company, with 100% financial and ATOL protection and access to a 24-hour emergency help desk if needed. I will be your single point of contact throughout, here to support you before you go, while you are away and after you return.

If you are looking for honest advice, expertly planned itineraries and someone who genuinely cares that you have the best possible experience, I would love to help you plan your next journey.

Please see ‘My customer stories’ below to see the latest client feedback..

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Explore my guides and blogs

What my customers say

As usual Sonia was incredible in her support, communication and vast knowledge. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Sonia to all of my friends and family.

L Ayre

Topsham, Devon

Sonia is a wizard! Helped organise a last minute jam packed family winter adventure to Iceland. Her first hand knowledge & connections with a local dream team, ensured the inevitable winter curve balls thrown our way were navigated brilliantly. Fantastic trip and support. Thank you Sonia!

C Barden

Farnham

Sonia always helpful and goes above and beyond to ensure a perfect service.

L Berry

Chorley

Very knowledgeable

A Storey

London

Sonia always goes above and beyond to help us get the right holiday for us.

E Dugmore

Teddington

Perfectly personable, knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you 🙏🏾

Neil Kenyon

Halifax

I’m already recommending Sonia to my family and friends. This is just what everyone needs, someone really knowledgeable to sort everything and make our trips how we want them to be, thanks Sonia 👍

Duncan Burgess

Bromley

Would absolutely recommend Sonia 100%!

Marlene Rink

Chorley

Felt really comfortable dealing with Sonia, she has lots of knowledge and offered lots of advice in a relaxed manor, but was very professional. Sonia is very personable and I didn’t feel uncomfortable talking to her, as you can sometimes feel intimidated when talking to someone about something/somewhere you know nothing about. Very friendly and obviously enjoys her job, and would definitely use her again and recommend her to family and friends. I was actually given Sonia’s contact details from a friend who recommended her to us.

Kay Foster

Wigan

Sonia has provided us with outstanding service booking a last minute long haul package. She has been both highly efficient and fun to deal with. We will definitely be return customers!

J Davison

Richmond

My travel counsellor is epic - attention to detail is first rate!

S Nail

Hampton Court

Listens, advices and engages. Great client service.

S Dunford

Richmond

Sonia is so knowledgeable, friendly and informative!

J Heil

High Wycome

Sonia is fantastic. She listens, she understands and I have complete trust in her managing my holidays. I feel safe with her.

L Timms

Twickenham

Sonia, is brilliant and I couldn't recommend her more.

Mark Taylor

Teddington

Can I give an 11 out of 10?!

A Culkin

Preston

Highly motivated, on the ball, got me what I was after!

J De Bono

Malta

Fantastic service, took time to find out what we wanted, had some great ideas and found the perfect holiday which I had thought would be beyond our budget.

J Nurse

York

Sonia is amazing works hard to understand the brief and always comes up with the goods, her attention to detail is incredible.

Mrs W Robertson

Teddington

It was easy dealing with Sonia - she seemed to think of any possible loophole and went out of her way to try and fix up where we wanted to go and stay - even if it wasn't on her usual itinerary.

V Rink

Bolton

Fantastic service!

L Berry

Bolton

Sonia takes all the stress out of booking a holiday. Her knowledge is incredible and you get what you want.I highly recommend Sonia and travel counsellors as a trusted reliable company.

P Tait

Strete, Devon

We always use Sonia for our travel plans she is extremely knowledgeable and goes above and beyond to make our trips smooth and incredibly special.

J MacEacharn

Teddington

The enjoyment of a holiday should start from the moment you make the decision you are going to take one. But I have personally found booking holidays extremely stressful. So many to choose from, and are they as they sound or just well-marketed? Navigating complex booking paths and hidden costs are a challenge and time consuming. Taking a holiday shouldn't be a leap of faith. Sonia at Travel Counsellors has been a game-changer. Stress-free holidays from the get-go. Excellent destination and hotel options all within budget, hassle-free arrangements and the comfort of knowing she's just a phone call or txt away should we need help whilst abroad.

J Hoadley

Teddington

Sonia was incredibly helpful and supportive in planning a trip that was a bit outside my comfort zone! She used her fellow travel counsellors to get first hand recommendations which gave me confidence in booking. She researched flights and gave me various accommodation options within a multi stop holiday which was really helpful. She listened to my needs, was accepting of any changes I made and has reassured me she’ll be available at any step of my travels. Highly recommend !!

S Carter

Teddington

Sonia has been really helpful and great at keeping me updated with options and recommendations. I was able to book my trip quickly and efficiently.

L Berry

Chorley

Sonia has been an absolute dream - so helpful, knowledgable and going above and beyond to help plan a complex and last minute holiday. Delighted with the advice, speed and costs. Thank you Sonia!

C Barden

Farnham

Sonia is so helpful and amazingly knowledgeable, will definitely recommend Sonia.

Mrs S Henderson

Fleet

Very, very helpful, thank you.

K Cousins

Hampton

Sonia has listened to our need for guidance with choosing holiday types, style and destination. She obviously demonstrates experience understanding and professionalism. We have enjoyed working with her so far and we expect to take many more holidays with her help and guidance.

W Angus

Hampton

Lovely engagement, professional service.

C Kane

Teddington

Sonia is friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and efficient. Always a pleasure to seek her help for booking a trip.

Mrs R

Roberts

Sonia was extremely helpful and resourceful and overall just a very nice person to speak to. Made a very seemingly difficult and stressful situation very easy and stress free. I would highly recommend her to anyone.

Mr J

Higham

I have already recommended Sonia to friends because we have been very happy with Sonia's approach.

E Dugmore

Teddington

Excellent service - jumped on to our enquiry immediately and provided perfect solutions.

Paul Inman

Lymm

Sonia booked us a wonderful holiday to Corsica that absolutely met our brief. She very promptly provided good advice on tweaks we wanted to make and the excellent guide book we received before we left was really useful. The villa and hotels were all as we had hoped and more and the local reps very helpful. When I broke my wrist mid-holiday Sonia replied very quickly on a weekend, got us flights back quickly and cheaply and proactively got us paperwork for our insurance claim. The local reps were also excellent and Sonia worked with them to sort local details. We couldn't have asked for any more. Thank you so much.

Susan Hughes

Teddington

The stress is taken out when you book with travel counsellors. We have recently had an issue with a booking and without the backing of a travel counsellor and their experience and expertise in navigating the airlines and package holiday systems we would not have been travelling.

P Tait

Dartmouth

Sonia provides a superb service. She listens and asks questions and really helps to determine the best plans for each trip. She also goes above and beyond in ensuring personal needs are catered for and monitors day to day during the trip. We couldn't ask for a higher level of service. Thank you so much Sonia!!!

G Kyme

Teddington

Great service and support even out of hours and at weekends! Sonia was very supportive. Helpful, patient and understanding. She explains things in great detail and we quickly struck up a great rapport. I will definitely use Sonia again in the future and recommend her to my family and friends.

S Evans

Wigan

Sonia is superb, her dedication and desire to get it right result in exactly the holiday you want.

P Dixon

Teddington

Sonia, is great - always available even when she is on her own holiday!

M Taylor

Teddington

I cannot think of anyone I would recommend more highly to friends and colleagues than Sonia she is without doubt the best thing we have ever done with regard to helping us out with our holidays and travel.

J MacEacharn

Teddington

Sonia is amazing! She always helps us sort out the best holidays. She's reliable, supportive and gets us the best deal! We always know we are in safe hands...

L Timms

Twickenham

Sonia is amazing ...so helpful from initial planning until the end of the trip. She is always there to help with your queries and when things don't go quite to plan .. I highly recommend her ...

F Cosgrove

Altrincham

Sonia is a dream! She is so friendly and very efficient. She completely understood what we were going for and nothing was too much trouble. She completely took the stress out of holiday planning. She is brilliant!

O Gosney

Thames Ditton

Sonia, has been extremely helpful and friendly. Would definitely be using her again.

M Wood

Esher

Sonia is fantastic, she listens to what you want and then delivers it quickly and efficiently.

P Sturgeon

London

From enquiry to departure Sonia has been patient and nothing has been to much trouble.Her attention to detail is fantastic.just booked another holiday with her.service is excellent.

P Tait

Devon

From enquiry to departure Sonia has been patient and nothing has been to much trouble.Her attention to detail is fantastic.just booked another holiday with her.service is excellent.

P Tait

Devon

We have used Sonia’s services before and had a lovely trip to Crete. She really does listen to your preferences /likes/dislikes, etc and I think ‘goes the extra mile' to provide a good holiday.

S Pollard

Teddington

Sonia is always really engaging and wants to understand exactly what I’m looking for. She always asks the right questions which means she’s able to find the perfect holiday match for me.

C Newall

Teddington

Only not a 10 out of 10 as we haven’t actually been on any trips Sonia has organised for us. But we are incredibly impressed so far.

N Nicola Chetwynd-Stapylton

London

Sonia was incredibly helpful and sorted out all our needs for India. Would definitely recommend her to any friends and family going on a holiday.

S Pettitt

Lawford

Sonia, is very professional and efficient. I would highly recommend her services.

M Taylor

Hampton

It’s simple really - Sonia is all you need to arrange the perfect holiday!

K Hurl

Teddington

Sonia is FANTASTIC

L Timms

St Margarets

Amazing. Superb. Spectacular.

A Dixon

Toronto

Sonia, is efficient, friendly and full of great advice. She asks the right questions , getting to know your requirements. This is the second time we’ve used her and will continue to.

K Jones

Teddington

Sonia is everything you can wish for in someone organising your holiday! So knowledgeable and enthusiastic and nothing is too much. This is our second time that we are using Sonia’s services and it’s been brilliant again. Now bring on the Maldives !!! Thank you so much!

A Harrison

London

I have already recommended Sonia to loads of friends, she goes that extra mile every time and we are amazed at her energy. She's fantastic!

Hermione Berry

Denholme

Great service as always - thank you!

J Dixon

Teddington

Where has Sonia been all my adult life!!???? Having had very stressful, time consuming experiences in recent years trying to organise holidays and all that go with them - and failing - Sonia nailed it in roughly 48 hours. It was a completely stress free, hassle free journey from start to finish. Sonia's professionalism gave us complete peace of mind.

J Hoadley

Teddington

Sonia was so knowledgable and helpful, it made organising my son’s trip to Australia very easy.

M Morley

Twickenham

We have used Sonia many times for planning and booking trips and would highly recommend her to anyone. Her knowledge and efficiency is amazing and she always gets everything spot on for our needs, her attention to every detail means that our trips are always stress free and we know she is always available and nothing is ever too much.

J MacEacharn

Teddington

She provides a first class personal service, what more could you ask for?

P Dixon

Teddington

Fantastic service!

J Connolly

Sunderland

Very helpful and extremely responsive - holiday booked in a very short time,meeting our requirements.

S Hughes

Teddington

Sonia is very easy to deal with and puts a lot of effort into finding the right holiday. I would definitely recommend her to my friends.

E Dugmore

Teddington

She is an expert and quick to answer your holiday needs and create your perfect holiday . We will keep booking with Sonia as we trust her knowledge and expertise and know we are getting faultless service .

P Tait

Dartmouth

It was a real pleasure to deal with Sonia who spent time finding out exactly what we were looking and coming up with a variety of options that would suit us. She was always on time for our phone calls and was really patient with us as we worked through the options and made our final choice. Her experience and knowledge really helped us find what we think will be a fantastic once a lifetime holiday. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to friends, family and colleagues alike.

P Campion

Altrincham

Sonia went above and beyond when trying to work out a suitable itinerary for our trip to Portugal. We are over the moon with what she came up with and can’t wait until we go!

S Hallett

Teddington

Very knowledgeable, full of great ideas, highly organised and a great, all-round travel advisor.

J Dixon

Teddington

Sonia was brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble and she was so helpful. I’d highly recommend asking for her help

S Greenwood

Teddington

Sonia is great! Very helpful, knowledge, proactive and friendly.

C Wilberforce

Thames Ditton

Sonia worked hard to create our dream holiday.

S Pennant

Haslemere

Sonia is amazing. She thinks of everything when planning a trip and her knowledge is fantastic i would not use anyone else when planning a trip.

N Dando

Altrincham

Just impeccable service from my Travel Counsellor, Sonia. She has made this trip so easy for us. She has incredible depth of knowledge and if there’s anything she doesn’t know (rare) she finds out! Her planning and research is meticulous and it is all delivered with enthusiasm and friendly charm. Cannot praise Travel Counsellors and Sonia enough.

K Hurl

Teddington

I would like to say a huge thank you to Sonia who helped me organise my difficult/complex, adventure to Bhutan! She went above and beyond to organise every aspect.. Even to the point of checking my flights were on time and messaging me at all 4 airport stops on the way, to make sure there were no hiccups/problems. Incredible attention to detail, brilliant, exceptional service. You and your adventures are very safe in her hands.

G O'Shaughnessy

Northampton

Sonia booked us the most incredible holiday to Canada this summer. It was a multi-destination itinerary involving trains, internal flights, car hire and hotel bookings but Sonia took care of every last detail so it all flowed smoothly and we didn't have to worry about a thing. She is so incredibly professional and competent and she genuinely wants her clients to have a wonderful holiday. I really can't recommend her highly enough. I always used to book my own holidays but why would I ever do that again when I can benefit from Sonia's knowledge and expertise - and it doesn't cost me anything! Her love of travel is infectious and I'm already thinking of the next destination I'll ask Sonia to help me explore.

J Thompson

TEDDINGTON

Sonia at Travel Counsellors sorted our recent trip to Marrakech with the same professionalism and can do approach as she did with our Vietnam family holiday in July 2022. Both were marvellous trips! Sonia Murray-Smith was probably one of the best recommendations I have ever had as she has sorted our flights (international and internal overseas), transfers and accommodation with no fuss and amazing speed for our two recent holidays. Her recommendations were spot on as she took time to find out about us and what we wanted from a holiday and I know she saved us money too! What's not to like about that?! Even when a hotel messed something up when we were overseas it was sorted by Sonia in an instant. She is a diamond and we will be back using her skills and services again and again in future. Thank you Sonia I can't thank you enough. Highly recommended, an excellent service throughout.

H Berry

Denholme

Sonia was excellent as ever .. would never consider using anyone else

F Cosgrove

ALTRINCHAM

Sonia has been incredible!! Couldn't ask for more!!!

C Smith

Thames Ditton

We have used Sonia in the past for holidays and her attention to detail and also her knowledge of the travel industry and knowing exactly what works for us is second to non. We will definitely be using Sonia and the Travel Counsellors service again.

J MacEacharn

Teddington

Sonia came to me recommended by friends and I can see why! She totally understood the brief and although we have yet to go on the vacation that she found for us, it certainly looks like it will be perfect! She has been thorough, friendly and meticulous throughout - thanks Sonia!

A Chesney

Twickenham

Sonia is a fabulous Travel Counsellor, knowledgeable, informative and always keeps me updated.

P Dixon

Teddington

Sonia is incredible! Hard working and really efficient!

D Bretherton

Manchester

Sonia helped us choose a lovely holiday. Organising travel abroad has changed a lot post pandemic and can be confusing. Sonia helped us to navigate all this and was very reassuring. Lots of nice little extras too! We were made to feel special.

S Pollard

Teddington

Sonia was friendly, reassuring and very prompt in getting back to me. She also understood my needs and came up with very good suggestions.

J Lanaway

Teddington

Sonia has been amazing, so knowledgeable on places and extremely helpful. I will be using her at every opportunity to book holidays for me and my family. I have recommended her to all my friends.

J Penney

Teddington

We weren’t entirely sure what we wanted to do but we had a budget and Sonia was brilliant at suggesting dates and hotels which fitted the budget. I will certainly be recommending Sonia to friends and family.

S Hepple

Lewes

Sonia is warm and friendly to talk to, and asked all the right questions to get a good understanding of what I wanted. She makes sure that she got to know me, because ultimately that's what enables her to work out what I'd like and enjoy!

C Newall

Teddington

Sonia is a dream to deal with, she went over and beyond to get the best flights for us and I’m already looking forward to the quirky Hotel in New York she recommended and booked for us. Sonia is knowledgeable and super enthusiastic and I recommend her highly! Thank you Sonia!!

A Harrison

London

Sonia went above and beyond to ensure that she booked us the best holiday within our budget. She is friendly, hard working and very knowledgeable about travel. We would highly recommend her services.

Daniel Taylor

Hampton

Sonia went above and beyond to ensure that she booked us the best holiday within our budget. She is friendly, hard working and very knowledgeable about travel. We would highly recommend her services.

Daniel Taylor

Hampton

Sonia, was hugely knowledgeable about the area we were looking for. She really listened to our requirements and did her best to find us holidays that matched these. Her communication was excellent,, always got back as quickly as she could. I will certainly be using her again.

K Jones

Teddington

I would happily recommend Sonia Murray-Smith to my friends and family - and frequently do! She provides an incredible level of care and service to her clients

J Thompson

Teddington

It was such a breath of fresh air to know that Sonia would sort out any issues for us. She was very clear and informative. I would definitely recommend her.

J Thomson

Twickenham

Sonia suggested some really interesting options that weren't just the usual Summer staycation variety, drawing from her own personal experience. She found us a delightful cottage that was well within our budget (with a bit to spare). Unfortunately our plans were thwarted by a positive diagnosis of Covid 19 on the day we were supposed to check in.! This was no trouble at all, Sonia had taken this into consideration when I was booking because at the time I was self isolating. She chose a tour operator with a flexible booking policy and organised a full refund for us. We are eagerly waiting for the time when we have the all clear and can rebook and wouldn't hesitate to use Sonia's services again.

C Gibson

London

My experience using travel counsellor Sonia Murray-Smith has been amazing and as a fairly well travelled person I can safely say I have never experienced such a high level of care and attention to detail . The whole process was smooth, exciting. and easy . I enjoyed our discussions and felt very well looked. after . For the holiday I wanted, I knew I needed the help and knowledge of an experienced traveller to this part of the world. All the leg work and time consuming searching was taken out of my hands and it was wonderful. but I also felt in control which is very important to me . I was sent various options and all the options ticked every box and more . I cannot fault a single part in the whole process of booking my dream holiday our 20th wedding anniversary next year. Incredible service and I shall definitely be recommending Travel Counsellors to all my family and friends.

D White

Teddington

Sonia is a real pro, knows her stuff and is very customer service focused.

M Taylor

Teddington

Sonia, I can't thank you enough for all your help with organizing our holiday to Crete. You made it so hassle free for us, organizing our flights, transfers, hotel, and luggage. I was overwhelmed by your support in these unprecedented times and you definitely took the stress out of booking. I will be using you every time we go away now for sure. Amazing!!

Julia Penney

Teddington

10 out of 10 from start to finish ! Just can’t wait to go now ! Very professional, informative and friendly advice . Definitely recommend .

C Jones

Teddington

Sonia makes organising a holiday so easy. I actually dread booking a holiday, trawling endless websites, panicking about losing the cheapest flights because I haven’t got my accommodation sorted and then having to pay for it all in one hit. I managed to book a holiday via Sonia in 5 days (that’s really quick for me), from deciding where I was going to having it all sorted. I could have taken longer as the flights were reserved and the fact that I can pay in instalments over the months before my holiday is a real bonus. Thank you Sonia!

J Kelleher

Teddington

Amazing personal attention. Sonia listened to our dream ideas and made them a reality. Her attention to detail is amazing and her research extremely thorough. She responded so quickly to any questions we had and we feel very well supported by her. Absolutely outstanding customer service.

K Hurl

Teddington

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Tailor-made for you

Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.

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Personalised service. Always

When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.

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Stress-free travel, and more time
for what matters most

I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.

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Support when it matters most

If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.

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