Dawn Hilliard

I'm based in

Chester

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

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Explore my guides and blogs

Delights of the Danube - A quick guide to river cruising

Delights of the Danube - A quick guide to river cruising

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

06 Apr 2022 5   min read

Family cruising - all you need to know

Family cruising - all you need to know

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

17 Jun 2019 5   min read

Why use a Travel Counsellor for my holiday plans ?

Why use a Travel Counsellor for my holiday plans ?

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

05 Jun 2019 5   min read

What is expedition cruising all about?

What is expedition cruising all about?

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

01 Jun 2019 5   min read

3 Generations Family Break

3 Generations Family Break

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

01 Apr 2019 5   min read

MSC Bellissima – A brand new cruise for all ages…

MSC Bellissima – A brand new cruise for all ages…

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

12 Mar 2019 5   min read

What my customers say

Dawn was absolutely brilliant, she listened to our requests and helped guide us with her knowledge. I have already recommended her to friends already

Nichola Thomas

Lancashire

Dawn never fails to provide stress free invaluable service for my bookings

Andrew Mabbutt

Ascot

Dawn is fab and nothing is to much trouble always happy to find alternatives if needed and keeps you informed all the time

Fiona Beeston

Northwich

Dawn was very efficient in finding the best holiday to suit all our needs and at a really good price too

Anne Marie Hughes

Chester

Dawn has been brilliant in helping plan and book our holiday. She dealt with all our changes with patience and efficiency

Yvonne Begg

Scotland

Dawn always provides a fantastic and bespoke service and would happily recommend her to others

Stephen Wright

Kelsall

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.

Tom Coan

Wirral

Excellent bespoke service provided by Dawn and her team, we where provided with a great range of family holidays tailored for all our needs

Luke Clague

Liverpool

Dawn is always extremely helpful and thorough with our bookings. She always responds back to us promptly- We totally value her service.

Louise Kirk

Harrogate

Would always recommend dawn, so knowledgeable about where she’s booking, completely takes the stress and worry away from booking

Matt Moult

Northwich

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

Louise Kirk

York

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.

Gaynor Eales

Liverpool

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.

Joanne Cook

Lincolnshire

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!

Tracey White

Maidenhead

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

Jane Kempler

North Wales

The support I receive from Dawn is second to none! Always super helpful and responsive :)

Kate Kindlen

Wirral

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

laura france

Lancaster

The service Dawn provides is excellent. Her expertise and knowledge saves me so much time and her recommendations are always spot on!!

Lucy Broughton

Chester

Dawn is very helpful and knowledgeable and found exactly what met our needs

Deborah Kimpton

Chester

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

Lucie Docking

CHESTER

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

Jane Povey

Berkshire

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

Sarah Williams

Liverpool

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.

Harold Grey

West Midlands

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

Kirsty Adamson

Chester

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

Christopher Proudfoot

Chester

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.

Franco Batchelor

Stratford upon avon

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

Jean Kneller

Cardiff

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

Gary Jenkins

Cheshire

Very helpful and informative. Looking forward to working towards my holiday of a lifetime

Sharon Heffernan

Cheshire

Very helpful and informative. Looking forward to working towards my holiday of a lifetime

Sharon Heffernan

Cheshire

Great, friendly, professional and knowledgeable service. Providing complete peace of mind.

Matt Daniels

Manchester

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

Gary Jenkins

Cheshire

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.

Stephen Perring

Kent

Always helpful, super prompt replies and knowledgeable on destinations. Highly recommended

Sharron Georgiou

WREXHAM

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.

Andrea Millard

Chester

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

Stewart Wythe

Kettering

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.

Jessica Lambert

Lancaster

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.

Harminder Motay

West Midlands

Dawn has been so helpful and has manage to get everything that I asked for

Marion McKevitt

Liverpool

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?!

Lucy Broughton

Chester

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

Reece Calderbank

Cheshire

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!

Anne-Marie Lindsay

Chester

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

Karen Leonard

Chester

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 !

Richard Woodroffe

Warrington

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

Jeanette Gladman

Cheshire

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

Karen Rose

Chester

Dawn has been very helpful and has achieved everything we asked for

Marion McKevitt

Liverpool

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.

Anne Evans

Cheshire

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.

Maria Mander

Wirral

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

Katherine Beckett

Wirral

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

Vaughan Paterson

Shrewsbury

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

Clive Langdon

Guildford

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

Anne Fox

Wrexham

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.

Nina Arthur

Chester

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 :)

Emma Brown

Stockport

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

Steve Perring

Maidstone

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

Alan Ainsworth

Ormskirk

First time using a travel counsellor, would recommend it and importantly would highly recommend Dawn she’s been ace. Thank you

Jenny Hansen

Wilmslow

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

Dominic Moss

Northwich

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 )

STEVE FULLER

SILVERSTONE

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

Samuel Johnson

Lymm

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

Gaynor Eales

Liverpool

Great suggestions made for my changing requests. Really pleased.

Margaret Maddocks

Chester

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

Julie Simpkins

Chester

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.

Liz Smith

Borough Green

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

Anne-Marie Lindsay

Chester

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

Jan Hellens

Sandbach

Great service, friendly and personal yet professional and efficient. Would have no hesitation recommending Dawn.

Kathryn Davies

Cheshire

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.

Keith Hadaway

Winsford

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!

Ian Bell

Congleton

Excellent, professional one to one knows exactly where you are with everything. Nothing too much trouble. Cannot fault any aspect of Dawns service.

Jane Povey

Surrey

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

Daniel Oliver

Sandbach

Excellent service from Dawn. Great options, quick turnaround on quote and competitively priced. Will definitely use again. Thanks Dawn :)

Rachel Wright

Chester

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!

Richard Woodroffe

Warrington

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

Karen Green

Chester

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!

Dan Beecher

Brackley

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!

Deborah Bulcock

Sough

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.

Karen Rose

Chester

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.

Sue Goodier

Chester

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!

Naynesh Patel

Crawley

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.

Kevin Cook

Congleton

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 .

Nic Hyde

Manchester

The customer is at the heart of everything she does, fabulous ideas, hotels, flights and transfers arranged.

Sam Challenger

Brackley

Efficient, friendly service. Nothing is too much trouble. I will definitely use Dawn Hilliard for future holidays

Susan Hilliard

Wallasey

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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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