Sent by Nichola Thomas
Lancashire 27/03/2025
Dawn was absolutely brilliant, she listened to our requests and helped guide us with her knowledge. I have already recommended her to friends already
Based In Chester
Dawn Hilliard
Available for new enquiries
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
It's Nice To Meet You
I am privileged to be a Travel Counsellor based in Cheshire and have travelled extensively with my family over the past 30 years.
I am a cruise specialist as well as an avid cruiser and have been fortunate to travel on many different cruise lines across the world. With increasing popularity cruising offers a great holiday for everyone; singles, couples and families - there is a cruise out there to suit you.
With me it's personal and I really care about my customers taking care of the end to end process including completing the online check in procedure and then print and post your travel documents. I am not the internet, I am so much better than that, and you will always have a friendly voice on the end of the phone 24/7. Exceeding your expectations comes as standard with my personal service ensuring your holiday is stress free and enjoyable. See what my customers say on my customer testimonials page.
Whether it is the trip of a lifetime, a well deserved short break or a more energetic sporting holiday I would be delighted to assist you. Just a few of the services I offer are: -
Cruises - River, Ocean and Expedition
Worldwide holidays including multi centre
Worldwide touring holidays
Group travel including schools and sports clubs
Bespoke and Tailor made experiences
Hotel only stays both in the UK and worldwide
Excursion and tours
Flights
Leisure and Business travel
I am available for contact 24/7 – Speak to you soon
My customer stories
Sent by Andrew Mabbutt
Ascot 27/03/2025
Dawn never fails to provide stress free invaluable service for my bookings
Sent by Fiona Beeston
Northwich 27/03/2025
Dawn is fab and nothing is to much trouble always happy to find alternatives if needed and keeps you informed all the time
Sent by Anne Marie Hughes
Chester 27/03/2025
Dawn was very efficient in finding the best holiday to suit all our needs and at a really good price too
Sent by Yvonne Begg
Scotland 27/03/2025
Dawn has been brilliant in helping plan and book our holiday. She dealt with all our changes with patience and efficiency
Sent by Stephen Wright
Kelsall 27/03/2025
Dawn always provides a fantastic and bespoke service and would happily recommend her to others
Sent by Tom Coan
Wirral 27/03/2025
Dawn has been fab in helping with all our business travel and reducing the strain on time we would usually spend trying to sort all our business logistics. I would recommend Dawn to any business owner for sure.
Sent by Luke Clague
Liverpool 27/03/2025
Excellent bespoke service provided by Dawn and her team, we where provided with a great range of family holidays tailored for all our needs
Sent by Louise Kirk
Harrogate 27/03/2025
Dawn is always extremely helpful and thorough with our bookings. She always responds back to us promptly- We totally value her service.
Sent by Matt Moult
Northwich 31/01/2025
Would always recommend dawn, so knowledgeable about where she’s booking, completely takes the stress and worry away from booking
Sent by Louise Kirk
York 01/07/2024
Dawn was so helpful, thorough and came straight back to us every time we asked a question. Would definitely use her again and would recommend to friends and family
Sent by Gaynor Eales
Liverpool 12/06/2024
Dawn was fantastic. Very quick to respond and when I changed the order I wanted to do my tour, didn’t bat an eyelid. She worked out new flights and accommodation and again had the new information to me quickly. Would recommend Dawn to anyone and have already.
Sent by Joanne Cook
Lincolnshire 12/06/2024
Dawn has been amazing and totally understanding of the type of holiday we was looking for. Now we can’t wait to get away and enjoy a well deserved break.
Sent by Tracey White
Maidenhead 12/06/2024
I’ve only just been introduced to Dawn fairly recently but she has been so helpful (and patient), whilst we are trying to make a decision on our summer holiday. So glad we found her!
Sent by Jane Kempler
North Wales 12/06/2024
We have just booked our 3rd holiday with Dawn. We find her to be knowledgeable, efficient and very easy to work with. We would highly recommend
Sent by Kate Kindlen
Wirral 12/06/2024
The support I receive from Dawn is second to none! Always super helpful and responsive :)
Sent by laura france
Lancaster 12/06/2024
Absolutely fantastic. Dawn was amazing at organising what I needed to do and was extremely helpful and prompt when asking a question about the holiday. Wouldn't book a holiday any other way now
Sent by Lucy Broughton
Chester 12/06/2024
The service Dawn provides is excellent. Her expertise and knowledge saves me so much time and her recommendations are always spot on!!
Sent by Deborah Kimpton
Chester 10/06/2024
Dawn is very helpful and knowledgeable and found exactly what met our needs
Sent by Lucie Docking
CHESTER 10/02/2024
Dawn was really helpful and understood exactly what we were looking for. She came back with several brilliant options for our holiday so we had plenty of choices. Would highly recommend
Sent by Jane Povey
Berkshire 10/01/2024
Dawn is on the ball, very caring, helpful and professional. She does absolutely everything for you and in particular being a person on my own puts my mind at rest and lessens the stresses that come with booking an expensive holiday
Sent by Sarah Williams
Liverpool 16/08/2023
Dawn was patient and super helpful providing a number of options around our holiday request. It took time to pull together yet she catered for every whim that I requested. A huge help, no way I would have got a holiday like this without her help
Sent by Harold Grey
West Midlands 16/08/2023
Dawn was very happy to help with any questions we had and offered so really good advice we will definitely be using your services again.
Sent by Kirsty Adamson
Chester 16/08/2023
Dawn is absolutely amazing. 2 weeks notice at peak season with a tight budget but as ever Dawn pulled an amazing holiday out of the bag! Great flights and 7 days in Portugal, 2 bedroom apartment with access to 6 pools. What a great find Balais Golf Resort Albufeira. Thank you
Sent by Christopher Proudfoot
Chester 18/04/2023
Dawn has been a pleasure to work with. She has put together a really good package and we are looking forward to our holiday in July
Sent by Franco Batchelor
Stratford upon avon 18/04/2023
Dawn went out of her way to support us find our next holiday. Nothing was too much trouble after changing our minds a couple of times. Didn’t matter the day or the time, including weekends, Dawn was responding back in no time. Extremely grateful and looking forward to our holiday now.
Sent by Jean Kneller
Cardiff 18/04/2023
Dawn was really helpful and enthusiastic about our trip. She has been responsive to all my questions - and very patient - and it has been a pleasure using Travel Counsellors. Thank you
Sent by Gary Jenkins
Cheshire 18/04/2023
Dawn was fantastic! It was my first time using Travel Counsellors (I'd heard good things), but Dawn exceeded all my expectations, giving us great initial recommendations and then flexing the options a couple of times to ensure my family and I can experience a dream holiday in 2024
Sent by Sharon Heffernan
Cheshire 18/04/2023
Very helpful and informative. Looking forward to working towards my holiday of a lifetime
Sent by Sharon Heffernan
Cheshire 18/04/2023
Very helpful and informative. Looking forward to working towards my holiday of a lifetime
Sent by Matt Daniels
Manchester 18/04/2023
Great, friendly, professional and knowledgeable service. Providing complete peace of mind.
Sent by Gary Jenkins
Cheshire 18/04/2023
Dawn was fantastic! It was my first time using Travel Counsellors (I'd heard good things), but Dawn exceeded all my expectations, giving us great initial recommendations and then flexing the options a couple of times to ensure my family and I can experience a dream holiday in 2024
Sent by Stephen Perring
Kent 18/04/2023
I always recommend Dawn when I’m speaking about holidays with friends and family. The service is prompt and clear and she really takes most of the stress out of holiday bookings and the paperwork involved.
Sent by Sharron Georgiou
WREXHAM 08/02/2023
Always helpful, super prompt replies and knowledgeable on destinations. Highly recommended
Sent by Andrea Millard
Chester 08/02/2023
Dawn has provided an amazing service. We had our dream holiday booked within 24 hours of the initial enquiry email being sent and that was over a weekend. As we had some specific requirements, Dawn was quick to call to find exactly what we were looking for. I would highly recommend Dawn and we will most certainly be using her for our future holidays.
Sent by Stewart Wythe
Kettering 08/02/2023
We used Dawn for our wedding in Zante she managed to get us amazing deal , we recently spoke to Dawn about doing an itinerary for our honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand. Dawn managed to organise the whole schedule flights car hire hotels excursions internal flights and kept it all in our budget Fantastic and friendly service Dawn is a great person to know 10\10
Sent by Jessica Lambert
Lancaster 08/02/2023
Brilliant service, we had no idea where we wanted to go on our honeymoon and Dawn came up with some brilliant results. She was extremely helpful and very prompt in responding. 100% recommend and will always use her service in future holidays. Many thanks for all of your help.
Sent by Harminder Motay
West Midlands 08/02/2023
Dawn has been excellent via an initial recommendation and has made the whole process of looking and planning for a holiday super easy. She offers support pre and post booking confirmations - which is excellent and has gone the extra mile to get the best deal and meet specific requirements that we've asked for, The Motay Family.
Sent by Marion McKevitt
Liverpool 30/12/2022
Dawn has been so helpful and has manage to get everything that I asked for
Sent by Lucy Broughton
Chester 30/12/2022
Dawn is helpful, very knowledgeable and quick to respond. I found that booking through her was virtually the same price as trying to organise the holiday myself. What's not to love?!
Sent by Reece Calderbank
Cheshire 30/12/2022
It has been really nice dealing with Dawn these last few weeks. Such a great service provided by her and also very prompt in finding a selection of options, enabling me to select the best flights for my needs
Sent by Anne-Marie Lindsay
Chester 30/12/2022
Dawn always provides us with the best possible experience and organises our holidays like she would her own! It’s like she now knows exactly what we want and need and exceeds expectations every time!
Sent by Karen Leonard
Chester 30/12/2022
Nothing was to much trouble for Dawn, we asked her to change so many things and she did without any qualms, she also gave us some really good and valuable advice and guidance on our destination
Sent by Richard Woodroffe
Warrington 13/12/2022
Fabulous service as always! Dawn takes all the effort out of finding a holiday - the only difficult part is selecting just one of the fantastic options she presents you with !
Sent by Jeanette Gladman
Cheshire 13/12/2022
Dawn is extremely personable. My requirements were quite specific and she went above and beyond to find the perfect holiday. Dawn is passionate about her job and I cannot fault her. I would highly recommend Dawn
Sent by Karen Rose
Chester 13/12/2022
The service provided was first class! Dawn listened to my requirements, prompted me on things I hadn’t considered and made some really good recommendations. Booking was super easy and stress free which was exactly what I needed
Sent by Marion McKevitt
Liverpool 13/12/2022
Dawn has been very helpful and has achieved everything we asked for
Sent by Anne Evans
Cheshire 25/08/2022
This is the very first time I have used a Travel Counsellor and have been most impressed with the help received . Dawn has always answered my questions very promptly and has been helpful.
Sent by Maria Mander
Wirral 25/08/2022
Dawn was lovely to deal with, friendly and professional, she took the time to understand our needs and went the extra mile to provide several options for us. I would highly recommend Dawn for your travel needs.
Sent by Katherine Beckett
Wirral 26/07/2022
I was not expecting how easy booking our first honeymoon would be. Dawn literally took care of every detail, all I had to do was review the quote, accept it and download an app! Cannot wait to have Dawn arrange our second honeymoon
Sent by Vaughan Paterson
Shrewsbury 11/04/2022
What an amazing professional service! Dawn was recommended by a friend and I wish I'd come to her years ago. She doesn't mess about she just provides a brilliant service. I'm especially pleased to know that Dawn will fight for me if anything goes wrong with my flights. You can't put a price on peace of mind! Thanks Dawn
Sent by Clive Langdon
Guildford 11/04/2022
Dawn was a pleasure to talk with and very clear on everything that we asked about. Even answering questions about other travel plans I have in these uncertain times. 5 stars all the way
Sent by Anne Fox
Wrexham 18/03/2022
Dawn listened to all my requests and came up a perfect itinerary with a contingency plan. She was very professional but also reassuring and thoughtful. I will definitely be contacting her again for future travel and have already recommended her to friends
Sent by Nina Arthur
Chester 02/03/2022
I would definitely recommend Dawn Hilliard to my friends and family. She is very professional and extremely knowledgeable about the travel industry. She listens to all your requests and formulates itineraries tailored to your budget and desires. She is extremely approachable and friendly.
Sent by Emma Brown
Stockport 02/03/2022
Dawn is a fantastic travel agent and I would highly recommend speaking to her. She knew exactly what we wanted and helped us achieve it, cannot thank her enough for all of the clear information she gave us. Will be definitely using her in the future :)
Sent by Steve Perring
Maidstone 02/03/2022
Dawn is always so quick to respond to our enquiries. She provides us with options that meet our exact requirements and is super thorough with everything. It really takes the stress and hassle out of holiday booking to have someone like Dawn taking care of things
Sent by Alan Ainsworth
Ormskirk 02/03/2022
Dawn was extremely helpful in sorting our holiday for our wedding and has helped guests too. She was so lovely and nothing was too much trouble . She replied so quickly and it is reassuring that she is only on the other end of the phone . Could not recommend enough
Sent by Jenny Hansen
Wilmslow 02/03/2022
First time using a travel counsellor, would recommend it and importantly would highly recommend Dawn she’s been ace. Thank you
Sent by Dominic Moss
Northwich 18/01/2022
Dawn, our Travel Counsellor, could not have put more effort in to make sure our holiday went smoothly. Given the covid restrictions and regulations I don't think we would ever have made it out of the UK without her. She changed our booking ( necessary due to changing Covid regs) spending hours on the phone to the Tour Operator and then completed all our passenger locator paperwork for us to get to our holiday and also get home. Her help saved us hours of time and the cost of the holiday was the same as it would have been booking direct. I could go on but it is fair to say that using Dawn of Travel Counsellors is a complete no brainer. I will book all my holidays through her from now on. Thank you Dawn
Sent by STEVE FULLER
SILVERSTONE 06/01/2022
You know when you meet a do'er in life it makes your world so much brighter - Dawn is one of life's do'ers .
Very professional and always willing to sort things- I couldn't speak more highly of the absolute support Dawn provides on everything to do with travel - she is an expert in her business .
I would recommend using Dawn for all your travel needs - you won't look back - she always goes that extra mile to make sure you travel with no worries or concerns .
When you think of the absolute pandemonium / red tape / and constantly changing rules that have beset the travel industry - Dawn is always there to guide you through - her knowledge within the industry is second to none .
Dawn has a lovely professional nature about her too which is so reassuring - you know you are in great hands .
Massive recommendation from me and like I say give her a call your travel experience will never be the same - you won't look back .
Steve Fuller ( Business traveller for 35 years )
Sent by Samuel Johnson
Lymm 02/12/2021
One of the most helpful travel agents I’ve come across and can’t comment enough on how much I would recommend Dawn to friends and family. Everything I have asked has been done and Dawn has gone above and beyond for me
Sent by Gaynor Eales
Liverpool 02/12/2021
Dawn was fantastic and sorted our trip even when I changed things she never missed a step. I have already recommended her to a friend and will carry on
Sent by Margaret Maddocks
Chester 02/12/2021
Great suggestions made for my changing requests. Really pleased.
Sent by Julie Simpkins
Chester 02/12/2021
Dawn was friendly, helpful and answered any questions we asked. We have a great deal for our trip that meets everything we need Would recommend Dawn to anyone looking for good sound holiday advice and service
Sent by Liz Smith
Borough Green 11/06/2020
We are so grateful to have Dawn’s support in booking and rearranging the travel date of our 2020 summer holiday to 2021. Dawn saved us hours by us not having to attempt contact with TUI at this very busy time and kept us updated along the way. This is why using TC makes so much sense. We highly recommend Dawn to anyone who wants to enjoy taking the hassle and worry out of booking a holiday.
Sent by Anne-Marie Lindsay
Chester 10/02/2020
Dawn has now helped me to plan a number of holidays from Lapland, flights to the US, holiday to the Canaries and most recently a very exciting trip to Florida including Royal Caribbean Cruise for Easter 2021. Dawn really takes the time to get to know you, your family your expectations and what’s important to you, and comes back with some amazing options. Her ability to understand and translate these into wonderful holidays truly makes the difference and I can’t thank her enough
Sent by Jan Hellens
Sandbach 26/11/2019
Just couldn’t have done it without the help and patience of Dawn! We both had a real challenge booking my special 60th birthday celebration for 48 family members! Thank you so very much I can now sleep at night again!!! Xx
Sent by Kathryn Davies
Cheshire 16/09/2019
Great service, friendly and personal yet professional and efficient. Would have no hesitation recommending Dawn.
Sent by Keith Hadaway
Winsford 15/08/2019
Dawn I would like to thank you on behalf of all my family for the recent holiday to Florida that you so expertly organised. Given that my wife and one of my sons are control freaks it was a huge step to let someone else take control of the main elements of our trip. This you did with great professionalism and expertise. You were able to put us at ease every step of the way and answer our many questions either by phone or email. The whole trip went off without any problems at all. Everything was organised down to the last taxi to take us back to the airport and everything ran like clockwork. Thank you very much for your patience and understanding whilst dealing with our requirements and requests. Kathryn and I would have no hesitation in using your services again and referring you to our family and friends.
Sent by Ian Bell
Congleton 12/07/2019
A big thank you from me for arranging a river cruise holiday for my mum and my daughter at very short notice. Last Wednesday after just talking about the idea of a holiday and then putting it off, my mum went and got her passport and announced, "Well it's still valid we could go now!" Timescales were tight, it was very last minute - It had to be in the next 4 weeks and had to be scenic, Rhine or Danube. This is mums first holiday in over 10 years after being a 24 hour a day carer for my father, who passed away earlier this year. We needed an expert! I talked to Dawn on Thursday morning who contacted my mum straight away and found 2 options that fitted the bill. My mum had decided by the next morning which one they wanted, and it was all booked and paid for within 24 hours of the initial enquiry. Dawn took time to understand the sort of holiday that mum wanted and my urgency to get something booked. Her responsiveness and attention to detail are flawless even down to reminding us of the other important things to do like travel insurance. Thanks so much for making this happen. Knowing that this is sorted and that someone is on hand to look after whilst they are away is already making me feel more relaxed and they are both so excited!
Sent by Jane Povey
Surrey 09/07/2019
Excellent, professional one to one knows exactly where you are with everything. Nothing too much trouble. Cannot fault any aspect of Dawns service.
Sent by Daniel Oliver
Sandbach 18/06/2019
Dawn gave us a great service from start to finish, she made the process of booking our holiday very simple compared with booking all aspects separately as I have done before and our holiday actually cost less than it would have done booking everything separately. We had a great family holiday and look forward to working with Dawn again on our next holiday. Thanks Dawn! x
Sent by Rachel Wright
Chester 04/06/2019
Excellent service from Dawn. Great options, quick turnaround on quote and competitively priced. Will definitely use again. Thanks Dawn :)
Sent by Richard Woodroffe
Warrington 15/02/2019
Fantastic service! Just asked Dawn to research flights for a family holiday. But she also booked the tickets for me, arranged payment, gave me passport advice, provided me with a full itinerary and sent me information about the entry criteria for the country we’re visiting. She just took all the hassle out of the process - would definitely recommend her services!
Sent by Karen Green
Chester 04/02/2019
Just booked our summer holidays and I am sharing as Dawn Hilliard was amazing. We had no idea where we wanted to go, but we gave Dawn a little list of what we did like from our hols, and she came up with a handful of options for us in no time. Spoilt for choice, but settled on flights, villa and hotel including private transfers in Corfu. Cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks Dawn
Sent by Dan Beecher
Brackley 04/02/2019
I can’t thank Dawn Hilliard enough for sorting my trip to Australia and New Zealand for me. Dawn made it so simple and stress free, and I highly recommend her personal and exceptional service. If you are holidaying/travelling this year, Dawn is the lady to help you out!
Sent by Deborah Bulcock
Sough 24/01/2019
Dawn is super helpful, cheery and efficient. A real pleasure to work with and I don't know how she puts things together so fast. I can highly recommend Dawn for all your holidaying needs!
Sent by Karen Rose
Chester 22/01/2019
I can’t speak highly enough of the service received from Dawn. I’ve made 2 enquiries which have both resulted in a booking. The reason for this is Dawn listened to my requirements, despite being ever changing, and worked with the budget I set. She’s very knowledgeable and was extremely helpful with suggestions on locations and accommodation.
Booking was a pleasure as everything is taken care of and sorted for you. I will definitely be using Dawn again for future holidays.
Sent by Sue Goodier
Chester 22/01/2019
First time using Dawn and she has been very helpful and gave us different options of what we were after. She listened to everything we wanted. She was extremely quick coming back to us and everything was booked so easy. Would recommend Dawn to all my friends and definitely will use Dawn again.
Sent by Naynesh Patel
Crawley 15/01/2019
Fantastic service provided by Dawn.
Dawn planned my entire trip to Hong Kong and Vietnam and provided clear and concise information. Very flexible and patient.. highly recommend Dawn for all of your holiday needs!
Sent by Kevin Cook
Congleton 11/01/2019
Thanks for all your help Dawn - saved me so much time with your swift, efficient but personal service.
Its great to know that you have everything in hand just waiting to check us in for our flights in due course.
We are now looking forward to a great break in Cape Verde and will send you some pics of the sunkissed beaches and bright blue sea.
Sent by Nic Hyde
Manchester 06/01/2019
Wow! Why have I messed about with online bookings for so many years! We asked Dawn to find a holiday with very specific requirements for very complex needs due to medical and physical restrictions. Boy! The most straight forward booking ever! Plus found the most amazing destination that meet all our needs! Can’t wait to experience the luxury destination/resort! Thank you so much! Can’t wait for you to find us our next Dawn
.
Sent by Sam Challenger
Brackley 30/12/2018
The customer is at the heart of everything she does, fabulous ideas, hotels, flights and transfers arranged.
Sent by Susan Hilliard
Wallasey 28/12/2018
Efficient, friendly service. Nothing is too much trouble. I will definitely use Dawn Hilliard for future holidays
Based in
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.
Delights of the Danube - A quick guide to river cruising
06 April 2022
Wow, what an amazing trip I’ve just been on - my first river cruise on the Danube! Yes, you might know me as an avid ocean cruiser… but last month, I shook things up and did something different. And I loved it. So, in this blog post, I will share with you my experience - and answer some key questions about river cruising. Keep reading to learn: - What to expect when river cruising
Family cruising - all you need to know
17 June 2019
Cruising has often been perceived as being for people of a certain age and boy has this changed over the past 10 – 15 years! We took our first Caribbean cruise as a family when my boys were 8 and 11 and they absolutely loved it, so let me tell you a bit more about cruising with family and answer some questions you may have…. 1. How do I choose the right cruise to suit the whole family? This is a
Why use a Travel Counsellor for my holiday plans ?
05 June 2019
I have written this blog as it’s a question I get asked a lot – “Why should we book with you and not the high street/internet?” What do you charge for your service? What do you do that’s different to everyone else? So here goes…. The travel industry and the way we research, and book travel has changed significantly over the past 5 – 10 years. Gone are the days of using guidebooks from the library
What is expedition cruising all about?
01 June 2019
Expedition cruising in growing in popularity and attracts passengers of all ages seeking adventure and exploration. Expedition cruising is much like traditional cruising, but with more emphasis placed on the experience ashore, excursions and ports of call – many of which are much more off-the-beaten-track than mainstream cruises. You will generally be onboard with National Geographic or photograp
3 Generations Family Break
01 April 2019
In September 2018 we took a 6-day trip to Toronto with my two grown up sons aged 17 and 20 and also my parents who wanted to tick Niagara Falls off their bucket list! After a relatively short flight (just over 6.5 hours) we arrived and collected our hire car. The transfer to our accommodation which was in Jarvis Street and the centre was only around 45 minutes and driving around Toronto is relati
MSC Bellissima – A brand new cruise for all ages…
12 March 2019
A brand-new arrival, MSC’s Bellissima is a welcome addition to their Meraviglia class of ship. Boasting a 2 deck inside promenade with a striking 80-metre-long LED dome, 20 bars and 10 restaurants and a desert themed water park there is absolutely something for everyone onboard. I had the privilege to be on her inaugural sailing from Southampton to Lisbon on the 4th of March. Let’s talk statist
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