Gaynor Burgess

My expertise

Australia
South Africa
Maldives
Japan
Thailand
Bali
Canada
United States

I'm based in

Manchester

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello and welcome, I’m Gaynor, your local Travel Counsellor based in Urmston, Manchester.

I started my travel career in 1993 as a trainee with Hogg Robinson Travel and I have been hooked on creating holidays ever since. Today I am a self‑employed Personal Travel Expert and I am proud to be celebrating over 12 years of running my own independent franchise with Travel Counsellors and more than 30 years in the travel industry.

During this time I have helped hundreds of customers plan everything from short UK breaks and European getaways to multi‑centre long‑haul adventures and once‑in‑a‑lifetime trips. No itinerary is too big or too small, and every holiday is designed completely around you.

I have particular expertise in tailor‑made, multi‑centre itineraries across Japan, Australia and the Far East, as well as cruise holidays. Whether it is combining Tokyo with Kyoto and a stay in a traditional ryokan, creating an Australia adventure that links city, reef and outback, building a Far East journey that might include Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or beyond, or finding the right cruise line and itinerary for your style of travel, I love piecing together complex trips so that every step flows smoothly.

Alongside my own experience, I am supported by a small team of trusted experts who work closely with me and specialise in destinations such as the USA, Africa/ Safari, and Ski.
This means that whatever you are dreaming of, we can draw on in‑depth, first‑hand knowledge to create the right holiday for you.

I am honoured to have been awarded Gold Travel Counsellor status, an accolade held by only a small number of colleagues in recognition of their sales success. I have also been recognised in the Top 20 worldwide within the Travel Counsellors community for achieving 100% customer satisfaction, which I am incredibly proud of as it reflects the care and attention I give to every booking.

When we start planning, I will take the time to really get to know you: the way you like to travel, your non‑negotiables, and the little touches that turn a good holiday into a truly memorable one. I will keep working on your itinerary until it feels just right, taking care of all the finer details along the way.

Once your holiday is booked, you will also be looked after by my dedicated aftersales assistant, Linda, who works with me to take care of the practicalities such as managing your booking, handling any changes, and making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Together, we are here to support you before, during and after your trip.

I do not charge a fee for my service, as I am paid via commission from the suppliers and airlines I book with, just as when you use a high street or online travel agent. The difference is that you have my personal support and direct contact, along with the backing of my team, from your first enquiry through to your return home. You will never be passed from person to person or to a call centre: your booking is looked after by us from start to finish.

Travel Counsellors is 100% financially protected and ATOL bonded, so you have complete peace of mind when you book with me.

If you are thinking about your next holiday, I would love to help. You can call me on 0161 826 7210, email me at gaynor.burgess@mytc.com or send a direct enquiry via this website.

I look forward to hearing from you and helping you plan your next trip.

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Explore my guides and blogs

My Stay at the Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza: Why I Fell in Love With Star Prestige

Couples

Adults-only

My Stay at the Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza: Why I Fell in Love With Star Prestige

There are some places that feel like a simple holiday, and others that feel like a complete reset. My recent stay at the Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza, in a Star Prestige Penthouse Double Room with private pool and Bali bed, was absolutely the latter. If you are dreaming of grown-up Ibiza: turquoise sea, chic spaces, premium drinks and a rooftop pool just for adults, this might be your p

28 Jul 2026 6   min read

Splash & City Adventures: Maldives & Abu Dhabi Family Escape

Maldives

Abu Dhabi

Splash & City Adventures: Maldives & Abu Dhabi Family Escape

If you are dreaming of a family holiday that blends castaway‑island fun with big‑city thrills, this combination is a winner: 7 nights at Siyam World in the Maldives, followed by 3 nights in Abu Dhabi at Hilton Abu Dhabi with access to the parks. Think over‑water villas with waterslides, house‑reef snorkelling, then rollercoasters, waterparks and sunshine in the UAE.

07 Jul 2026 3   min read

California Dreaming: Our Family Road Trip from San Francisco to LA

Universal

Couples

Families

United States

Tailor-made travel

California Dreaming: Our Family Road Trip from San Francisco to LA

In April 2025 I ticked off a big family travel dream: a California coast road trip with my husband and daughter. Starting in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles, our journey took us through colourful harbours, sweeping Pacific views and some seriously stylish hotels along Highway 1.

07 Jul 2026 2   min read

Friends’ Getaway in Cascais

Portugal

Couples

Families

Multi-Generational Travel

Adults-only

Friends’ Getaway in Cascais

Cascais is one of those places that just feels easy: a pretty harbour, golden beaches, cobbled streets and fantastic food. I recently spent three nights there with friends, staying at Pestana Cidadela Cascais, and it was the perfect mix of relaxation, sunshine and long, lazy meals together.

07 Jul 2026 2   min read

Wildlife & Beaches: 8 Days in Borneo

Adventure Travel

Couples

Families

Borneo

Touring

Wildlife & Beaches: 8 Days in Borneo

This 8‑day Borneo itinerary is perfect for nature‑lovers who want to see Sabah’s iconic wildlife without sacrificing comfort. From the jungles of Sepilok and Kinabatangan to a luxury beach stay near Kota Kinabalu, it blends adventure, conservation and relaxation into one unforgettable journey.

07 Jul 2026 2   min read

Highlights of Japan in 7 Nights: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto & Hiroshima

Japan

Couples

Families

Groups

Tailor-made travel

Highlights of Japan in 7 Nights: Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto & Hiroshima

Discover the very best of Japan in just one unforgettable week. This 7‑night “Highlights of Japan” itinerary combines vibrant Tokyo, the hot springs of Hakone, timeless Kyoto and reflective Hiroshima, with private guiding, scenic rail journeys and thoughtful touches that make travelling effortless.

07 Jul 2026 7   min read

Idyllic Ibiza!

Idyllic Ibiza!

This is the second time I have visited Ibiza for a family holiday and it did not disappoint. With thirteen members of my family we arrived at the 3 star Intertur Miami hotel in the Resort of Es Cana late on a Saturday after a pleasant two hour flight and forty minute private transfer from the airport. As it was late we had missed dinner but the hotel opened the restaurant for us to grab a

21 Sept 2017 3   min read

London in a Day!

London in a Day!

They said it couldn't be done and there's too much to see but we did it. Albeit I want to go back and see more but it really is possible to do a quick whistle stop tour! We boarded the Virgin train to London at 8am grabbing some sandwiches and some snacks for a picnic on the train. Two hours later we arrived into London Euston. I had already purchased some travel cards for me and my husband - k

21 Sept 2017 3   min read

MS Koningsdam - Holland and America Cruise

MS Koningsdam - Holland and America Cruise

Ms Koningsdam was docked in Amsterdam ready to embark on a "Jewels of the Baltic" cruise in Northern Europe. I was very privileged to be invited to have a tour of the ship, inspect the staterooms and suites, and experience a lovely lunch! From the outside she looks stunning, launched in 2016 - Koningsdam is Holland America Line's biggest ship to date. She is 975 feet long and holds 2650 passeng

21 Sept 2017 2   min read

Amazing Amsterdam

Amazing Amsterdam

I was invited to attend a travel agent event in Amsterdam to experience the delights of the city and also visit a cruise ship that was docked ready to embark on a journey to the Baltics! Amsterdam is a great city break option that's only 50 minutes flight from Manchester . On arrival into Schipol airport it is so easy to get to the city centre. You come out of passport control, follow the s

21 Sept 2017 2   min read

Sizzling Zakynthos!

Sizzling Zakynthos!

Wow - what an amazing Greek island Zakynthos is for a family holiday. Having just spent a 7 nights holiday here I can thoroughly recommend this as a perfect family holiday destination. We arrived just in time for dinner at our All inclusive hotel situated in the resort of Kalamaki - only 10 minutes from the airport. How amazing this was to watch the planes taking of and landing over the beach a

11 Jun 2017 3   min read

Majorca Mini Break

Majorca Mini Break

A mini break to Majorca at Easter was just what we needed after a long and dreary winter! I picked some EasyJet flights flying out on Easter Monday for a 3 night trip. Our flight took off and we landed in Majorca at 10am - ready to get straight into our mini break. Waiting for us in Palma Airport was our private transfer, having taken just cabin baggage this process of exiting the airport was

22 Apr 2017 2   min read

Sensational Sorrento and Amalfi Coast

Sensational Sorrento and Amalfi Coast

Sorrento was the choice between my friends and I as a destination we would like to visit to celebrate our special birthday year . We were not disappointed . A 3 hour flight from Manchester and private transfer to greet us on arrival , soon had us at our lovely boutique 4 star hotel called The Plaza . The hotel was an excellent choice as it was in the middle of Piazza Tasso where numerous restau

10 Jun 2016 4   min read

Brilliant Britannia

Brilliant Britannia

If you are thinking of going on a cruise for the first time then Britannia is a great choice. Having never been on a cruise with my family before, I decided we should give it a go. We drove down to Southampton the night before and stopped off in a local Premier Inn. This was great for feeling refreshed the next morning. Driving into Southampton we were all taken aback by the huge ships waiting

04 Apr 2016 3   min read

Barcelona Beckons!

Barcelona Beckons!

I wanted a city break that would cater for families so after doing some research I booked a three night stay in Barcelona for myself, husband and 7 year old daughter. It certainly didn't disappoint. Barcelona gave us a great balance of sightseeing with plenty of things to occupy my daughter too. The first day we arrived at 10am, went straight to the hotel to dump our bags and we headed strai

04 Apr 2016 3   min read

Menorca - a great family holiday destination

Menorca - a great family holiday destination

I have just returned from a great family holiday on the island of Menorca! With just over two hours flying time, it is a great destination for families. I travelled with my husband and seven year old daughter, and our friends and their two daughters . We stayed in the resort of Cala'n Bosh, a beautiful resort with a gorgeous beach and a marina full of swanky restaurants and bars. Our hote

08 Jun 2015 2   min read

Lapland

Lapland

I have just been to Lapland on Saturday as a surprise trip for my daughter! It was such a lovely surprise for her to go and see Father Christmas. I have to say it was very cold and perhaps too cold for some but if you are used to ski holidays and camping I would definitely recommend this. We only did a day trip but I think it would be just as good to stay for a few nights where you can get warm

10 Dec 2013 1   min read

If you can dream it , you can do it ! - Walt Disney .

If you can dream it , you can do it ! - Walt Disney .

I was lucky enough to be invited by Disney Cruise Line to a spectacular VIP trip to Orlando and cruising the Bahamas on board "The Disney Dream" cruise ship. It all seems like a "dream" now - pardon the pun, we were well and truly spoilt. After a 9 hour flight on award winning airline Virgin Atlantic, I was whisked by private transfer straight to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Waiting to greet us

28 Oct 2013 4   min read

What my customers say

Always so helpful, supportive and finds holidays we would never have thought of taking!

T Millar

Nottinghamshire

Loves: knowledgeable, efficient, helpful, responsive, friendly, thorough. Honestly, takes the sting out of the stress of seeking out and booking our holidays. Gaynor does it all from helping us choose where to go to, flights, hotels, transfers, Keeps us informed of everything ! Dislikes: absolutely none!

D Smith

Manchester

Gaynor has organised my dream holiday without the stress I usually have of spending hours looking myself. She has been patient when I’ve asked for different options and given me alternatives if I’ve wanted slight tweaks. Gaynor has saved me hours of searching!

S Howard

Manchester

Hi Gaynor, just wanted to say thank you for organising our trip to Sri Lanka and for sorting out a couple of issues with flights for us. We had an amazing time and everything went really well. The tour company-Columbus Tours-were also very good and our driver throughout the trip was excellent-both polite and a safe driver. Also thank you for notifying the hotels that it was our wedding anniversary! We got cakes and well wishes from 3 of the hotels which was a lovely gesture and they put special messages with flowers on the beds for us too. It was such a lovely holiday and we would definitely recommend you to help organise a trip. Thanks also for the welcome home card-a lovely note to come home to.

J Worthington

Manchester

Excellent service, our family has been booking holidays with Gaynor for many years and the level of service is always very good and Gaynor's professionalism second to none.

Mrs Valentine

Cheshire

Gaynor Burgess always goes that extra mile. You know you will be stress free and taken care of from the moment you Book with her to your safe arrival home, having had a fantastic holiday

Mrs Jones

Manchester

Using Travel Counsellors gives us more peace of mind and confidence when going on holiday as Gaynor has always looked after us so well and we know that if anything goes wrong that she is just at the end of the phone to sort it out for us!

Mrs Slattery

Manchester

Gaynor has been brilliant. She listened to all of our requests for our holiday and really helped to sort everything out for us. She also changed some things for our trip which we weren’t too sure about and made sure we were happy with all the itinerary

Mrs Worthington

Manchester

Really friendly manner, comprehensive and thinks of everything and making booking a trip of a lifetime as easy as possible!

Mrs Shaw

Manchester

I APPROACHED GAYNOR TO HELP WITH A TRIP TO THAILAND AND SHE GAVE US CONFIDENCE FROM OUR FIRST CONVERSATION AND ARRANGED OUR TRIP WITH EVERYTHING SORTED, TAKING ALL THE STRESS AWAY FROM US. THIS LEFT US CONFIDENT AND STRESS FREE, LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR ADVENTURES.

Mrs Walker

Manchester

I recently booked my flights to Australia with stops in Dubai and Bali, and I couldn’t be happier with the service I received from Gaynor. From start to finish, she made the whole booking process feel easy and completely stress-free. Gaynor offered me a wide range of options to suit my schedule and budget, patiently answering every question I had—no matter how small or silly it might have seemed! Her friendly, professional approach and attention to detail gave me total confidence that everything was being taken care of. I truly appreciate how smooth and straightforward she made the experience, and I’ll definitely be coming back to her for future trips. I highly recommend Gaynor to anyone looking for a travel consultant who goes above and beyond!

Mrs Paterson

Cheshire

Gaynor was really friendly and clearly knowledgeable on the industry - every phone call in the planning stage put us at ease and gave us excitement for our trip! It's been a very smooth process so far and we're looking forward to our honeymoon even more now knowing we're in her safe hands!

C Williams

Manchester

Gaynor is fantastic! Just booked our 3rd holiday with her. Gave her the criteria and she always gets it spot on. And it’s reassuring to know that someone is dealing is everything and is always available to answer questions.

J Camilleri

Cheshire

This is the second time we have used Gaynor to book our holiday. Both times she has been patient with our requests and put lots of effort into making our holiday right for everyone in the group and a special experience.

E Miller

Cheshire

Just takes the stress out of me searching. Gaynor takes on board my requirements and presents me with choices. It's fab!

M Brown

Manchester

Gaynor is always helpful, supportive and on hand for any questions from enquiry through to the end of our holiday! We love booking with her!

T Millar

Derby

Gaynor has been great from the start and as help in every way she could also this is not the first holiday that Gaynor has arranged for us, very polite and professional and will recommend her services to anyone and also will be booking through her again.

D Robinson

Manchester

Gaynor always offers a fantastic customer service which means we continue to use her and recommend her. Gaynor is friendly, professional and is really quick to come back with quotes / queries. Any problems we have encountered whilst we have been away have been dealt with swiftly by Gaynor meaning we can enjoy our holiday knowing we are in good hands.

M Moorhouse

Cheshire

Never cruised before and Gaynor has helped tremendously to make sense of the booking process promptly and despite all the emails we have sent, she has gone above and beyond to help us build a special and memorable family cruise in touching base quickly to allay any anxiety and answers all our ongoing questions which is so very reassuring. :-)

J Mayers

Perth

Booking with Gaynor takes all the stress and admin out of holidays. I wouldn’t book without her - I think holiday, I think Gaynor!

P Short

Cheshire

Gaynor is fantastic! Just booked our 3rd holiday with her. Gave her the criteria and she always gets it spot on. And it’s reassuring to know that someone is dealing is everything and is always available to answer questions.

J Camilleri

Manchester

This is the second time we have used Gaynor to book our holiday. Both times she has been patient with our requests and put lots of effort into making our holiday right for everyone in the group and a special experience.

E Miller

Cheshire

We found Gaynor to be extremely helpful and would definitely use her services again. I have already recommended her to a couple of friends.

S Clayton

Manchester

Such a positive, enthusiastic, efficient young lady, and has given us confidence to travel again .

C Jones

Cheshire

Love working with Gaynor...she's reliable and works really hard to delight us with a range of options and always delivers some great choices for us to chose from, she's experienced and we trust her and it's always a great holiday!

D Breen

UK

Gaynor is absolutely amazing nothing is too much trouble putting together our dream holiday package for next year, she listened to everything we wanted making sure it’s all just perfect- we have recommended her to our friends and can’t wait for her expertise when booking again with her in the future !

T Knowles

Manchester

We book with Gaynor Burgess from Travel Counsellors for all our holidays and have been doing so since 2015. Gaynor is always quick to reply to any queries we have and always finds us what we are looking for. Booking with Gaynor is seamless, wouldn't book a holiday any other way.

M Keegan

Manchester

First time flying in over 2-years and Gaynor has put me at my ease. I've been a regular traveller in the past but needed more reassurance to start again. Gaynor gave me a really good choice of hotels in New York and great flights/route. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Gaynor to fellow travellers.

S McKee

Conwy

I always recommend Gaynor and I have recently put her in touch with more contacts and they are delighted with the level of service received. Just booked another break with Gaynor for a girl's trip in Sept.

S Fleming

Manchester

Gaynor at Travel Counsellors was highly recommended to me in the first instance and having now dealt with Gaynor first hand I can understand why. Gaynor is friendly, knowledgeable, efficient and the overall customer service experience is fantastic. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gaynor to friends, family and colleagues.

Alan Maher

Lancashire

Discover the world with me

California Dreaming !

California Dreaming !

California is made for dreamers: big skies, endless coastline, iconic road trips and that unmistakable West Coast energy.

09 Apr 2026

JAPAN HANDCRAFTED FOR YOU !

JAPAN HANDCRAFTED FOR YOU !

From neon cities to quiet temples, sushi counters to serene onsens. Every detail tailored around you, every moment made unforgettable. #Travelcounsellors

03 Mar 2026

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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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0161 826 7210

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