Catherine Fetherston
My expertise
I'm based in
Holywood
Expertly Planned Holidays, Personally Looked After
With more than 30 years in the travel industry, including over 25 years specialising in ski holidays, I have the experience and personal connections to make planning your next trip feel easy.
From family ski holidays and luxury sunshine escapes to golfing trips and group getaways, I create holidays shaped entirely around you. Whether you already know exactly where you want to go or need some inspiration, I will listen to what matters to you, recommend the right options and take care of every detail.
My love of travel began at an early age. I was born in Durban, South Africa, before my family returned to Northern Ireland when I was just a few months old. After graduating from Strathclyde University with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management, I worked in the USA, Greece, Turkey and the French Alps. I then spent nine years as a dedicated ski specialist in Ski McNeill, Belfast before starting my own business with Travel Counsellors in January 2008.
Today, from my home office in Crawfordsburn County Down, I arrange holidays for clients throughout the UK and Ireland. These range from short breaks and family summer holidays to ski trips, golf groups, cruises and complex tailor-made adventures around the world.
Working with me means having one trusted person looking after you from your first enquiry until you return home. I am available at times that suit you, and your booking comes with the reassurance of Travel Counsellors’ financial protection and 24-hour support while you are away.
If you are thinking about your next ski holiday, family escape or group trip, I would love to help. Get in touch today and let’s start turning your ideas into a holiday you will always remember.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
A Week Sailing the Saronic Islands
There’s something wonderful about seeing Greece from the water.
29 Sept 2026 2 min read
Copenhagen in 48 Hours
When we began planning a quick trip to Copenhagen to help our daughter Sophie settle in for her year studying abroad, I will admit the city had never been at the very top of my European city-break list. After spending two nights there, however, I genuinely wondered why Copenhagen is so often overlooked. With direct flights from Dublin, an efficient metro linking the airport with the city, beauti
14 Sept 2026 4 min read
A Bank Holiday Escape to Paleros and Lefkada
There’s nothing quite like returning to a part of the world you already know and love, and this bank holiday weekend gave us the perfect excuse to head back to beautiful western Greece.
17 Jul 2026 3 min read
4-Day Ski Break in Samoëns, France
Samoëns is a superb choice for a short ski break. Easy to reach, offering fantastic intermediate skiing, great mountain restaurants and a genuinely charming alpine village atmosphere.
12 Mar 2026 3 min read
Val d'Isère Ski – Why You Should Visit the Espace Killy
I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a four-night ski adventure in Val d'Isère with Neilson, and I’m excited to share the highlights of this incredible trip! From seamless travel and luxurious accommodation to outstanding skiing and après-ski experiences, here’s why I highly recommend Val d'Isère and the Espace Killy ski area to my clients. Getting There: Travel was smooth from Belfast to
31 Mar 2025 3 min read
Paradiski - France
Our 4-day, 3-night ski adventure to Peisey-Vallandry was nothing short of incredible. It all began with a seamless flight from Belfast to Geneva, followed by a comfortable private minibus transfer straight to the picturesque village of Vallandry. Nestled in the heart of the French Alps, this charming ski resort offers stunning alpine views and many options on "ski-to-the-door" accommodations - we
11 Mar 2025 2 min read
Magical Marrakech & the Agafay Desert
I’ve just returned from an unforgettable 4-day adventure in Morocco, and I’m still buzzing from the magic of Marrakech and the serene beauty of the Agafay Desert. Here’s a little taste of my journey: ~ 3 Nights in Marrakech I stayed at the fabulous Sofitel Marrakech, a luxurious haven with stunning pools, lush gardens, and impeccable service. It was the perfect base to immerse myself in the city’
03 Dec 2024 2 min read
10 Reasons to Book with me
As a trusted independent travel expert backed by Travel Counsellors, I want to share with you 10 great reasons to book your next holiday with me and to give you peace of mind and the confidence to book a holiday to look forward to knowing that it’ll be hassle free and that you’ll be financially protected. 1: PERSONAL SERVICE I provide a personal service at no extra cost. Your holiday will be tai
18 May 2021 4 min read
Livigno
I was very fortunate to travel with Topflight Holidays (Ireland) to Livigno. This is a destination that I have been selling for nearly 20 years so it was a super opportunity to be able to experience the resort in person. We travelled from Dublin with Aer Lingus to Milan Linate in a group of 12, the transfer time of 4 hours had always put me off visiting this ski resort in the past but it was not a
14 Jan 2020 2 min read
Doha Stopover
When you think of a stopover on your way to places like New Zealand or Australia, do you automatically think of a few nights in Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong? These places are wonderful to visit in their own right, but please share a moment to consider the wonderful city of Doha in Qatar. I travelled on a direct flight from Dublin in November 2018, economy class on Qatar Airways was great – very
09 Apr 2019 3 min read
Short Ski Trip in St Anton
For many years I have been really looking to skiing in the Alberg ski region, it has always been a top seller for experienced skiers and one that I was keen to explore myself. I travelled with friends from Belfast City via Heathrow to Zurich and then we took the train to St. Anton. It took 2 hours and was a very comfortable and relaxing way to travel. (The closest airport to the resort is Innsbruc
19 Mar 2019 3 min read
Chamonix - short ski break - January 2018
I travelled to Geneva in January with my family for a short ski break in Chamonix. With great snow conditions, it was a perfect place for a few days on the slopes! We stayed at the Hotel Héliopic which is conveniently located at the foot of the scenic Aiguille du Midi cable car and just a short walk from the centre of Chamonix. Chamonix is located at the foot of Mont Blanc. For some of the best
20 Feb 2018 2 min read
Mauritius with Club Med
Mauritius is a dream destination and I was very lucky to be selected to visit the island on a 'working' holiday with Club Med. I was part of a group of 12 agents and we spent two nights at each of the Club Med resorts on the island, La Pointe aux Canonniers and La Plantation d’Albion. We flew from Heathrow to Mauritius with Air Mauritius. It was a 12 hour flight with two meals and in-flight en
24 Jun 2014 5 min read
Dazzling Dubai !
In March I was delighted to be invited by the Government of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing on a trip to Dubai. We flew from Heathrow and were extremely fortunate to be upgraded to business class! On arrival we were met and assisted on arrival by Arabian Adventures and transferred to our hotel. Throughout our visit we were transported by this company and I would highly recommend
01 Apr 2012 4 min read
Pueblo Mediterraneo - Porto Cristo Novo
My husband and I went to Mallorca for a week, this was my first visit to the island and I was really looking forward to visiting Porto Cristo Novo as this is where my husband went with his family when he was a child. We flew from Belfast to Palma with Jet2 and then I arranged a shuttle transfer to take us to Porto Cristo Novo. I was very impressed with how smoothly this went – very well organise
04 Sept 2011 2 min read
Short ski break to Villars
I went for a 4 night trip to Villars in Switzerland and enjoyed 3 days of skiing. Upon arrival at Geneva Airport, we headed to the train station, which is just a short walk from arrivals, to catch our Swiss rail transfer to Villars. This is becoming an increasingly popular method of transfer to resort and it’s easy to see why. It must have been one of the most enjoyable and easiest ski transfers I
10 Feb 2011 3 min read
Lake Garda
I went to Lake Garda in September with the tour operator TOPFLIGHT. I travelled in a small group of travel agents and we were all thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We left Belfast City airport on Topflight’s charter flight to Verona. The 48km long lake is in Northern Italy, east of Milan and fairly close to the provincial town of Brescia and city Verona. The lake and its shoreline are divided bet
06 Oct 2010 2 min read
Ski weekend in Megeve, France
In January 2010 I organised a ski weekend for my parents, sister and brother. We travelled from Belfast with EasyJet to Geneva and spent 4 nights in the French ski resort of Megève. We were all looking forward to getting the skis on and trying a new ski area. When we arrived in Geneva, we were met by a driver from AlpLine and within minutes we were comfortably seated in a private minibus and
17 Aug 2010 2 min read
A bite of the Big Apple !
I have just come back from a fantastic trip with Continental Airlines to New York. I flew directly from Heathrow to Newark & then we took the train to Penn Station. Accommodation in New York ranges from classy & famous hotels to ones that offer basic bedrooms for crashing after a day & night of high excitement. We stayed at the Affinia 50 on our 1st night, located on the corner of East 50th St
31 Mar 2010 4 min read
Hotel Bahia Principe Tenerife
I travelled to Tenerife at the end of April 2009 for a week’s family holiday; our 2 children were 4yrs and 2yrs. We went with another family of 4. We decided to try an all inclusive holiday for the first time as the rate of exchange on the euro was not very strong and as parents we were also keen to have a relaxing break– it was fabulous… no shopping, cooking or cleaning for a week ! We staye
06 Aug 2009 4 min read
Reviews
What my customers say
Videos
Discover the world with me
sunrise
sailing sunrise
25 Sept 2026
night at anchor
sunset views
23 Sept 2026
Skiing
Nothing better than a bluebird ski day in the Austrian Alps.
12 Oct 2020
Additional offers
More destinations to enjoy
Why use a Travel Counsellor
Let's plan your dream trip together
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get in touch
