Sent by N Mattey
Birmingham 04/08/2025
A huge thank you to Helen for listening and finding us our ideal holiday. Will use Helen again and highly recommend.
Based In Milton Keynes
Helen Maltby
Available for new enquiries
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
It's Nice To Meet You
Hi, I am Helen and I am a personal travel expert based in Milton Keynes.
After a rewarding career in teaching, I set up my own travel business because I wanted to do something that genuinely makes people smile. Holidays are often our most precious moments, so it matters who you trust with them.
What drew me to Travel Counsellors was the ethos: it is truly personal. I'm not here to push a brochure or the deal a company wants to sell. I listen carefully to what you want, then design a holiday that fits you. With the support of Travel Counsellors, I have access to an incredible range of destinations, cruises and experiences all over the world.
I absolutely love cruising, both travelling and planning cruises for my clients, and I have a particular passion for Northern Europe and all things Scandinavia. I am proud to be:
• A member of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) with Masters accreditation
• A CLIA River Cruise Champion
• A Cruise Ambassador for Travel Counsellors, one of only a handful across the country
These accreditations recognise the depth of my cruise knowledge and my passion for the industry. Many people still think cruising is only for the older generation, but that really is not the case anymore. There are ships and styles of cruise to suit almost everyone, from relaxed small ship voyages to feature packed larger ships, plus river cruises that work brilliantly as an alternative to a traditional city break. A river cruise can take you into the heart of some of Europe’s most beautiful cities, with the bonus of only unpacking once. Whether you are new to cruising or already a fan, I can help you find the right ship and style to match how you like to travel.
Although I can help with holidays all over the world, there are a few destinations and styles of trip I know particularly well:
• USA: From iconic cities like New York to family adventures in Florida and road trips through National Parks, I can help you build an itinerary that fits your interests, pace and budget.
• Canada: Great outdoors, mountain scenery, wildlife, rail journeys or stylish city breaks in places like Vancouver or Toronto.
• European city breaks: From Paris, Rome and Athens to smaller gems, I can help you choose the right area, find well located hotels and plan sightseeing that does not leave you exhausted.
• UK road trips: Especially helpful for visitors from outside the UK. I can suggest realistic routes, scenic detours, charming towns and characterful places to stay, and make sure driving times on our smaller roads feel manageable.
• Scandinavia: One of my most travelled regions, from summer fjords and midnight sun to winter snow, Northern Lights and cosy city breaks.
I can also offer specialist advice if you are travelling with autistic adults or children. I am autistic myself and my son, who is also autistic, has grown up going to Disney and on cruises. I understand how overwhelming these holidays can feel and how many details need to be considered. I can help you choose the right type of holiday, plan your days to reduce stress and sensory overload, know what to expect in airports, on ships and in theme parks, and prepare so everyone feels as calm and confident as possible.
Whatever you are interested in, big or small, I am here to help. I listen to what you want, ask the right questions, then create a tailored itinerary that fits you.
Booking with Travel Counsellors gives you access to a wide choice and the reassurance of a well-established, award winning travel company behind the scenes. You deal directly with me, not a call centre. I take away the stress, from researching options and arranging excursions to checking you in and making sure everything fits together smoothly. We are ATOL affiliated and offer excellent financial protection.
I would love to help you create your next set of memories, whether that is a cruise, a North American adventure, a UK road trip, a European city break or a special celebration.
My customer stories
Sent by A Miller
Stafford 07/06/2025
The most patient and professional person I could have asked to help me plan and boon a holiday. She has been friendly, adaptable and sent me endless quotes for the tweaks I asked for. I am positive she will continue to make this the best experience
Sent by M Morgenroth
London 07/06/2025
Helen has been awesome at helping our family navigate the huge choice of cruises on the market and has helped guide us toward the best fit for our family at this time. This will be our first ever cruise so her expert inside knowledge has been incredibly valuable. Helen has been great to work with and really appreciate that she will be our travel advisor throughout this trip. Highly recommend.
Sent by C Hollis
Milton Keynes 06/06/2025
Helen is a legend and the best <3
Sent by J Davenport
Milton Keynes 06/06/2025
Helen has been very thorough in booking our trip. She has paid attention to every detail and considered our needs in ways we hadn’t even thought of. Helen has added lots of additional information about our trip, which is very useful. She also was able to give very competitive quotes. Helen has been very speedy, professional and friendly. We will definitely recommend her to others and will use her services again!
Sent by A Hoult
Milton Keynes 21/01/2025
Would recommend Helen to friends every question answered quickly and easily
Sent by L Kemp
Northampton 21/01/2025
We heard good reviews over the years from friends who had used Travel Counsellors, so we knew it to be a reputable company. We used Helen to put together a trip to Rome for early 2025 and are very happy with the great service she provided weaving flights, hotel and excursions together. Now looking forward to enjoying the fruits of her labour. Thank you Helen!
Sent by S Hawkes
Buckingham 21/01/2025
Already passed her details on to a few friends and colleagues. Will definitely be using her again but sadly don't get away as often as I'd like these days
Sent by A Mead
Northampton 07/06/2024
Helen listened to our requirements and quickly found us a great trip which would have taken ages if I would have sorted for myself. On top of that when we paid we then got a refund as another discount came available after we paid.
Sent by Amy H
Milton Keynes 27/03/2024
Helen was wonderfully supportive in our search for the perfect holiday. She listened carefully and found holidays and locations that we wouldn't have thought of ourselves. She went the extra mile to make sure that we were looked after and our family's needs met. I wouldn't hesitate to use Helen again and would be very happy to recommend her to our friends and family.
Sent by A Hansford
Milton Keynes 27/03/2024
Helen was wonderfully supportive in our search for the perfect holiday. She listened carefully and found holidays and locations that we wouldn't have thought of ourselves. She went the extra mile to make sure that we were looked after and our family's needs met. I wouldn't hesitate to use Helen again and would be very happy to recommend her to our friends and family.
Sent by P Dorrance
Milton Keynes 18/03/2024
Helen's advice was so helpful. We loved that she was able to give us advice based on her personal experience. She made the whole process of booking our first cruise easy.
Sent by D Cottrell
Olney 15/03/2024
Very efficient service. Pleased with the personal touch. Will certainly use Helen again.
Sent by G Singh
Bedfordshire 04/03/2024
Helen was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable throughout the planning process. She organised an online meeting with me within a few days. She listened to what I was hoping for and asked probing questions to help clarify my thinking, in order to put together a quote (very quickly) that matched my ideas and within my budget. I felt that she was really invested in me, not as a customer but as a friend. I would fully recommend Helen to anyone considering booking any type of holiday.
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.
A pre-cruise New York stay (and a bit of Broadway)
21 November 2025
We were taking a Caribbean cruise out of Brooklyn and decided to fly in three days early and spend some time in The Big Apple. Despite the weather we had a fantastic couple of theatre filled days.
From hoodies to shorts in 12 days!
21 November 2025
On 1 November I embarked Enchanted Princess in New York and set off on a 12 night sailing to the Caribbean. After spending 2 cold and wet (but wonderful) days in NYC we headed out past the iconic Statue of Liberty and set sail for the warmer waters of the Caribbean.
I'm a River Cruise Champion!
24 June 2025
It is no secret that I love cruising and that I sell a lot of cruise holidays. I love finding out more about my clients to discover what cruise line, cruise ship, and itinerary will suit them. Just last week some clients who were first time cruisers disembarked their cruise They approached me as it had been a dream of theirs to cruise, but were overwhelmed by the options out there and wanted someo
'I want to go away ... but don't know where!'
28 April 2025
You get in touch with me as you want to go on holiday but you aren’t really sure where to go or what to do. So, I ask you some questions about what you like or don’t like about holidays. What you like or don’t like doing on holiday. I come away from this conversation with a nice list • You want to relax but not sit by a pool for a week or two. • You like the convenience of All-inclusive, but yo
Stepping off the beaten track
22 April 2025
As the BBC’s popular travel show, ‘Race Across the World’ returns for a new series this week, last year’s winner, Alfie Watts has talked to the media about ‘authentic travel’ and why he prefers it to your traditional package holiday. For those that don’t know, in the TV programme, contestants race in teams of two from one part of the world to another. Air travel is banned, they have a limited bud
Never cruised before?
17 September 2024
Today, I’ve been thinking about first time cruisers. I was one of these, way back in 2016. A bit of background, I hated water. We switched from travelling by ferry to France to using the tunnel, because I couldn’t cope with a channel crossing without feeling travel sick (I am generally not a good traveller and suffer from a great deal of motion sickness – I take tablets for a day at a theme park
Family Cruising
16 September 2024
Cruising as a family holiday Have you ever thought about taking a cruise as your family holiday? The cruise industry has changed a lot over the last 20 years or so. Cruise ships have changed to provide more entertainment at sea, and the demographic has come down. In recent years the average age of a cruiser has dropped to 46, and 36% of cruisers worldwide in 2023 were under the age of 40. Millen
Land of Fire and Ice - in one day
13 September 2024
What's that you say? You did the whole of Iceland in one day? Of course not. But we did what you might think of the as the essence of Iceland. We had just disembarked a Norway and Iceland cruise with NCL and the final three ports had been Akureyri and Ísafjörður in the north of Iceland, and the capital city, Reykjavik. These three ports alone were such a contrast. The first two are both in fjord
Cruising with Autism
20 July 2024
I love cruising and one specific cruise line has intrigued me since I joined the travel industry, but I was very reluctant to try due to the fact that I’m autistic. I have sensory issues which mean that I struggle with noise and crowds, and unpredictability. I always book a balcony cabin as I find pool decks hard to cope with. The cruise line I really wanted to try was Virgin Voyages. This line
Why should you do a Disney cruise
17 May 2024
That depends on what you want from your holiday. There is no doubt that the kids clubs on a Disney ship are much more expansive than other cruise lines. For example, there is no casino on Disney and the space given over to that on other ships has been given over to the kids clubs. They usually occupy most of a deck. The kids clubs also stay open later than most cruise lines - till midnight or 1am
The Hills Are Alive
13 May 2024
Has the lovely weather of the last few days got you thinking about spending some time outdoors in a beautiful location? Beach holidays not your thing or you fancy a change? Summer holidays in Europe tend to be largely about the Mediterranean, but what about somewhere more inland? Countries such as Austria and Switzerland are fantastic destinations for something a bit different. When we think of t
The age of steam (well, modern rail travel)
25 March 2024
Interesting news has come out from AITO in their annual survey. 52% of respondents said they would consider rail travel as 'a serious alternative' to flying. This is really interesting. The advent of mass air travel opened up the world in a way that had never been seen before. You could get almost anywhere just a few hours. For example, flying to New York from London takes around 7 hours, compar
Greece: a land of rich history, stunning landscapes, heavenly beaches, and vibrant culture
25 March 2024
Some of my time each day is spent learning about destinations that I've either never been to or destinations that I just want to learn more about. The more I know, the more I can help you with your perfect holiday. It is also fascinating and I'm so lucky that my job allows me - and provides me with the resources - to do this. Last week my destination of choice was Greece. This Mediterranean coun
Finding a cruise for everyone
13 March 2024
Yesterday I attended a supplier event in London to meet with some of the cruise lines that I can book with. I love cruising and have sailed with Disney, Princess and P&O. I am also a member of CLIA, giving me up to date insights into the cruising industry (and first class training). However there is a wide variety of cruise lines out there and I was keen to expand my knowledge of them. So I set
Why I keep returning to Disney
22 February 2024
I am an unashamed Disney fan. So much so that at a previous job one of my nicknames was ‘Disney’. I’m the person that friends and family turn to for advice on visiting WDW (Walt Disney World). So of course, I am very excited about being able to help people plan and go on their perfect trip. One question I always get asked is ‘why do you keep going back?’ These people do have a point. There is th
In search of the Northern Lights
08 February 2024
This has to be one of my top bucket list things to do - see the Northern Lights. And I'm guessing it is for a lot of people. But unfortunately there is no place you go can where you are guaranteed to see them, so I do get asked for advice on where is the best place to go and when. Here are some of the top locations that people travel to in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights. It will probably
Contact Me
Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you: