Craig Stephenson

My expertise

Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Indian Ocean
Caribbean
South East Asia
Europe
Multi - Destination

I'm based in

Derbyshire

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Welcome to Travel Counsellors! It's a real pleasure to introduce myself and I'm really looking forward to hearing about your travel aspirations!

I had one dream as a young man: Travel the world to learn and experience as much about this beautiful planet as I possibly could. I began that quest by achieving a Diploma in Travel Studies and in the years that passed, the desire to fulfil my mission never diminished. I 'backpacked' whenever and wherever the mood took me and built my industry knowledge working extensively within the world of travel agencies, airlines and tour operations over many years. Experiencing life living in places such as Australia, Greece, Cyprus and 9 years in Spain only served to enhance this knowledge.

Fast forward to present day and, as an independent Travel Counsellor, I now have the opportunity to give something back to my customers. Relying on decades of experience to help them choose, plan and execute their travel dreams is the greatest of pleasures. I care about what and where they book with me and I just love listening to their stories when they return home. Your holiday is my holiday too.
My service is bespoke. It is tailored to those looking for a service that gives them an experience from the very first conversation and removes the 'transactional' nature of booking a trip. I have access to fares and pricing that are not always available to traditional agents and you're not restricted by 'pre-packaged' deals, which don't always fully cater for what you really want. Knowing that someone cares about your plans and is there for you throughout the whole process, brings you a service that is second to none.

Finally, a Travel Counsellor booking is 100% financially protected. No ifs, no buts! Just peace of mind from the very beginning.

Take a look at some of the great itineraries below for inspiration and/or send me a message about where your travel dreams are leading you next. I'd love the opportunity to talk with you about how I can help you turn them into a reality alongside industry leading service.

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Explore my guides and blogs

On track for luxury

On track for luxury

Have you ever sat back and thought about your favourite mode of transport?

30 Apr 2026 5   min read

You just never know

You just never know

When war breaks out there is comfort in having a Travel Counsellor

02 Mar 2026 5   min read

Beyond the Brochure

Beyond the Brochure

Tailor making Vietnam your way

11 Feb 2026 5   min read

The Whizz around Oz

The Whizz around Oz

It’s easy to make a case for visiting Australia.

30 Jan 2026 5   min read

Malaysia & Borneo

Malaysia & Borneo

The ultimate holiday?

30 Dec 2025 5   min read

Free Airport Lounge Passes!

Free Airport Lounge Passes!

Did I get your attention? Of course I did! Keep reading.

02 Dec 2025 5   min read

Quiet please?

Quiet please?

Let me be clear. I’m not a huge lover of crowds. I’ve been to some incredible concerts over the years, but you’d never see me packed in at the front. I like to have my space. Therefore, it always makes me chuckle when I think of visiting the Maldives. This is an island nation that is world renowned for being the ultimate ‘get away from it all’ destination. A place of calm, and yet an arrivals

27 Oct 2025 5   min read

Ahead of the crowd

Ahead of the crowd

When one of my sons decided, a couple of years ago, that Christmas was taking too long to come around, he decided that his own playlist version of ‘That’s what I call Christmas’ was acceptable listening in the middle of July. No end of pleading or persuasion would shake him from his cause. He was fully ready and prepared for his favourite time of the year and he was, unfortunately for the rest of

03 Oct 2025 5   min read

‘Soul’ Breaks

‘Soul’ Breaks

Remember when we were all forced to go away for 7 or 14 nights. Just 2 options…take it or leave it! Sure, those options are still widely available, but I suspect this has much to do with our own learned holiday habits which drives demand. What is the duration ’sweet spot’ though? 7 nights not enough? 14 nights just too long to be away from home? So, how about just 3 or 4 nights away? Err….what?

13 Aug 2025 5   min read

Click & Regret?

Click & Regret?

Friday afternoon. Laptop firmly shut. A little something cold from the fridge? More ‘me time’ and less ‘deadline’ for a couple of days. Sound familiar? We all need a break from work, right? Well, that’s not my world. People love talking about holidays and travel so much, it’s even used as a conversation starter in some arenas (Hairdressers, anyone?). So, it’s common for me to ‘talk shop’ outs

15 Jul 2025 5   min read

Land of the rising tourism

Land of the rising tourism

I’ve been talking about Japan an awful lot lately. It’s intriguing how one country can conjure up so many different emotions and perceptions for different generations. My grandparents would most likely have had nothing positive to say. ‘Boomers’ would most likely remember the rise of their car industry. For me, Japan was the home of video games, ‘Sony’ (a brand that I still admire to this day) and

20 Jun 2025 5   min read

Avoid getting the hump!

Avoid getting the hump!

Back in the 90's a traveller was left in a rather precarious position after taking a short cut with their travelling budget in India. He set out to find a way to experience the wonders of the Thar Desert, an area of over 200,000km2 that stretches far into neighbouring Pakistan. Experiencing remote desert villages and a dramatic view of the Milky Way, was only ever going to be achieved by a camel e

20 Jun 2025 5   min read

Island Shopping

Island Shopping

I love going on holiday. In fact, I've just come back from one. Its real medicine for the soul and I, like many, crave it. Towards the end of the last century, we turned an annual flight towards sunshine from a 'nice to have' to a 'must have' when we looked at our plans for the year ahead. Nothing would get in the way of our holiday...'the hamster will be fine with the next-door neighbour, I'm su

20 Jun 2025 5   min read

What my customers say

We have already passed your details on to some of our friends. Many thanks for your help in planning our holiday. Lynne and Roy ☺️

Lynne Vickers

Derby

We recently asked Craig to quote for the biggest family holiday we have ever thought about buying. After getting a price from a company we used many times and really liked, to our delight Craig had managed to get a better price, offered some great advice and put us under no pressure to purchase. After deciding that we liked the way in which Craig came across- very professional, courteous and knowledgeable . We committed to our largest spend on a holiday with travel counsellors. We look forward to our holiday and building a long term relationship with Craig at Travel counsellors.I'd recommend Craig to all my friends.

Gerald Meechan

Glasgow

Straight forward transactions. Explained everything clearly & perfectly from the start. Updated me frequently also.

Richard Exley

Bradford

Craig has a wealth of experience and immediately you can tell he genuinely loves what he does. Most importantly he listened to what we wanted and has created what we believe is a once in a lifetime experience

Steven Gray

Derby

We have never used travel counsellors before & we are so glad we found Craig, it’s like having our own personal travel agent/concierge. We will definitely be using him again. Craig listened to all of our requirements & we were very specific in what we wanted & then we left Craig to work his magic. Craig was very knowledgeable, professional & helpful & managed to sort us our holiday with great flight times & within our budget. The whole process of booking with Craig was so easy & it takes the hassle & stress out of trawling the internet for different alternatives. We can just sit back & excitedly wait for our holiday knowing that everything is taken care of. Thank you Craig & we look forward to booking with you again for our future holidays.

Cheryl Barraclough

Sheffield

Craig has been brilliant! We couldn't have sourced or organised our trip of a lifetime to Mauritius to celebrate my 60th without his incredible help and support. Right from the off with my initial £1000 budget for a holiday in Ibiza Craig came up with a range of options for us to choose from. However they weren't firing us up with excitement - in fairness to Craig he had told me that it would be tight based on the finances! Craig then worked with us through a variety of other options and we eventually chose SALT of Palmar in Mauritius - it ticks ALL of our boxes. It looks beautiful and the Trip Advisor reviews are incredible. Yes, the budget increased several times along the way but I know it will be the most amazing holiday and opportunity to celebrate in a stunning location. Thank you Craig!!

Sarah Naylor

Norfolk

Can't recommend Craig enough. Had an initial chat to go through all the key details of our trip and what we wanted. Craig then went away and came back with multiple options for us to look through. Nothing was too much trouble, despite all the changes we wanted to make. The package we booked is exactly what we were after and I will be booking all my holidays with Craig.

Bradley Cannings

Oldham

Really helpful and very knowledgeable…thank you Craig

Christine Pemberton

Shropshire

First class service! We came to Craig initially with a number of Mediterranean destinations that we were interested in for our family villa holiday. He listened to our requirements in full and also made some additional suggestions based on his experience. By the end of that first consultation we were excited about the possibilities, and within a week we had booked an incredible villa in Paphos which we would never have found on our own. He even went out of his way to make the reservation for us at a time of day I would never have expected. We will be using Craig for all our travel plans going forwards.

James Blakemore

Stansted

Additional offers

More destinations to enjoy

Let's plan your dream trip together

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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.

Find Tc Difference

Start planning with me

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Give me a call

Let’s talk through your ideas, no pressure.

01332 438717

Let’s connect

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Finding your match...

Every unforgettable journey starts with the right person by your side.