Louise Banks

My expertise

Indian Ocean
South East Asia
Greece
Family Adventures
Honeymoons
Families
Canada
United States

I'm based in

Birmingham

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

My husband and I are proud to run our own business with Travel Counsellors and we’re excited to help you plan your next holiday.

We love what we do and it’s such a thrill to help our clients make memories to last a lifetime. We specialise in tailor-made itineraries all over the world and whatever your dream holiday is we can make it happen - from a cheeky weekend in Paris to a month-long tailor-made tour of Southeast Asia and everything in-between.

The most important thing to us is that your holiday is just right and we achieve this by making sure we understand exactly what sort of experience you want to have - we’ll then handle the booking process and look after you every step of the way so all you have to do is pack.

In conjunction with our fabulous Duty Office, we’re on hand 24/7 including whilst you are away, and everything we book is 100% financially protected under ATOL and Package Travel Regulations, giving you total peace of mind.

Away from the office, we’re a really musical family and we even have a drum kit in our kitchen! Some of favourite family holidays with our children Molly and Charlie include Orlando, New York, Crete, Canada and Alaska – and we are always planning our next adventure!

So what’s the next step? Simply get in touch and we’d love to arrange a time to chat through your plans.

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Explore my guides and blogs

Five Go Mad In Croatia!

Five Go Mad In Croatia!

A short escape to picture postcard perfect Mlini...

13 Apr 2026 5   min read

Super Cool Copenhagen

Super Cool Copenhagen

We all fancied a city break at Easter and Copenhagen was top of the list so off we went! Just a short 1h 50m fight later we arrived at CPH, nipped on the metro and 15 minutes later we arrived in the centre of Copenhagen and walked to our hotel. We stayed at the 4* Copenhagen Admiral Hotel which is a historic building with super-swish interiors by the quayside. The building has loads of character

15 Jan 2024 5   min read

Cheeky adult only 3 night New York city break!

Cheeky adult only 3 night New York city break!

Rich and I LOVE NYC and it’s our favourite city in the world - we were lucky enough to visit in May 2019 on a 3 night child free escape! The main reasons for going were to see a noisy punk band that we love playing a gig in Brooklyn and in slight contrast to see a musical version of the movie Tootsie which is my favourite film. The gig was brilliant fun and we loved Tootsie too! So what else did

14 Jan 2024 5   min read

San Francisco and Yosemite epic family road trip!

San Francisco and Yosemite epic family road trip!

Rich and I did a California road-trip from San Francisco to Vegas for our honeymoon so we were excited to retrace our steps with the teens after one or two years! We started out epic trip with 3 nights in beautiful San Francisco staying at the swish boutique Galleria Park Hotel. We had an amazing time exploring this fun and vibrant city, riding the famous street cable cars (queueing for one hour

14 Jan 2024 5   min read

Beautiful Amsterdam

Beautiful Amsterdam

Everyone in the Banks family were really excited to go to Amsterdam at February half term. Molly and Charlie had both learnt about Anne Frank at school and Rich and I are a sucker for a gorgeous canal-side boutique hotel so we booked our flights and off we went! Amsterdam is a fantastic, super-walkable city with lots to see and do.. it’s incredibly beautiful too with insta-worthy shots on practic

14 Jan 2024 5   min read

Fun at Universal Orlando!

Fun at Universal Orlando!

It had been a few years in between visits to Universal Orlando and we all soooo excited to go back and try out the new amazing rides that had opened since our last family visit. Our visit was part of a jam-packed 3 week US grand tour so after 3 fun filled nights in Vegas, we boarded our early morning 4 ½ hour flight to Orlando and one quick Uber later, we were there! We wanted to stay in a coup

14 Jan 2024 5   min read

Luxury Crete

Luxury Crete

Whilst staying in gorgeous Elounda in eastern Crete, Rich and I were very lucky to be able to visit two of the islands most wonderful 5 star properties which are 5* Minos Beach Art Hotel and 5* Daios Cove. Minos Beach is a chic retreat an easy 10 minute stroll from the port town of Agios Nikolaos. We fell in love with this hotel… it’s super calming, very luxurious with boho interiors and refined

14 Jan 2024 5   min read

Jamaican Adventure

Jamaican Adventure

Yippee! I was so excited to discover I had a last-minute place on a trip to Jamaica hosted by the Jamaican Tourist Board. I’ll be honest – I was a little unsure of what to expect. I had heard rumours of it not being safe to visit, and that it was somewhere you would stay but in your resort without exploring. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Our five-night stay was nothing short of amazing. We

24 Oct 2018 5   min read

What my customers say

I've already recommended Rich and Louise Banks and will continue to do so....they're brilliant.

Maria French

Welwyn Garden City

Louise is very friendly, very helpful and always to hand. Had a great experience in setting up our holiday for next year. Would always consider Louise if I needed help with any other travels.

Satish Sankhalpara

Chatham

Great service, nothing too much to ask, fast service full of innovative ideas, will 100% use again

Steven Watkins

Longfield

Thank you for being so patient with our changing itinerary. Love the book on Bilbao and San Sebastian. Many thanks x

Sally Cooke

Solihull

Have been great since initial contact. Always had prompt replies to any of our questions regarding our trip even on the weekend. Would highly recommend and have told our friends and family about your services. Thankyou

Hayley Dale

Solihull

Can always rely on Richard & Louise to address any travel queries and questions promptly

Samantha Bates

Stratford Upon Avon

Rich & Lou booked our honeymoon a few years ago and it was absolutely perfect. So when we needed another holiday after a difficult few months, we didn’t hesitate to go straight back to them. They took all the stress out of booking and found us such a beautiful location, even with a very last-minute request! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

Melissa Butcher

London

Rich and Lou have organised several holidays for us and we come back every year asking them to do the same, as it has always a positive experience, resulting in a beautifully tailored holiday. Always helpful, they are quick to respond to emails and answer any queries and sort any problems without fuss. Cannot recommend them enough!

Hugh Sutherland

London

Always the BEST service with Lou and Rich! Cannot wait for my Italian Riviera trip!

Sophie Wilson

Birmingham

Louise is responsive, helpful, reliable, and gets our holiday flights sorted with the minimum of fuss. Louise and Travel Counsellors (TC) have been looking after us for a few years now and she gets it right every time. Louise and Rich' excellent customer service together with the reassurance of the TC organisation mean it's pointless looking elsewhere. We recommend them to anyone who will listen.

John Connor

Winfrith Newburgh

Great service, friendly people

Toby Nutter

Berlin

Always helpful and informative

Patricia Ellis

Guildford

Always brilliant and reliable!! Thank you.

Polly Cobb

Dorchester

You are always there to answer my questions no matter how small - this is a big thank you for all the help you have given me

Carol Scarratt

Bristol

Prompt efficient service . Friendly correspondence. Good selections provided for our consideration.

Patricia Gambles

Sutton Coldfield

Great service really helpful and knowledgeable about all aspects of our booking.

David Cordell

Tewkesbury

Rich and Louise have always been responsive to any queries we have and always go further by providing answers to questions we haven’t thought of yet!! We’ve booked 3 holidays with them in less than a year. Honestly couldn’t recommend them enough.

Anita Somerset

Warwickshire

Lou and Rich have been amazing, they listened to what we wanted and then pieced together a bespoke itinerary that kept in mind our budget and dream locations. We can't wait now for our Singapore, Australia and New Zealand Adventure to begin, the countdown is on!

Annie Laughrin

Derbyshire

Very pleased with our service from Louise, she has made booking our family holiday stress free and we would absolutely use her again.

Sarah Gallagher

Birmingham

Brilliant, knowledgable and fast service

Rachel Hardy

Solihull

I would never go anywhere else to book my holidays. Have recommended Travel Counsellors to so many friends- always so impressed with their excellent service.

Nicola Redmond

Epping

I have found working with Rich and Lou to be an absolute dream! Everything has been made so easy for us and they are super friendly and efficient! There is no way I’ll be booking my future holidays without them now!

Jessica Janneman

Birmingham

Both Richard and Louise Banks were gracious and helpful and I believe they have planned a fabulous trip for me and my husband

Jean Milofsky

Denver

Great tailor made service, even when you’re not quite decided on your destination! Louise and Richard guide you through the options based on your preferences and budget. Smooth process from start to finish for those who like me find the booking of a holiday overwhelming!

Helen Ellis

Bromsgrove

I’ve been using you guys since 2019 & I’ve never looked back. You guys are amazing at what you do. I have been recommending you to everyone who mentions holidays! I have now booked my 4th family holiday with you & many more to come in the future.

Sid Islam

Birmingham

Richard and Louise are the most wonderful people. They listen to exactly what we want and with our budget are able to cultivate the perfect travel adventures within budget. They are able to give insightful and informative information from personal experiences which is super helpful. They are fast to reply to any queries and I trust everything they say from my previous wonderful experiences with them.

Daisy Hopkins

Birmingham

Incredible as always! Rich and Lou always provide impeccable service, going above and beyond to create the best holiday plans for our family. Thank you!

Emily Harris

Chirk

Really happy with TC for the friendly and personal approach that used with me. They have been supportive and patient along the way and introduced me to a new way of solo travelling.

Paola Santostasi

London

Richard and Louise Banks have booked many, many holidays for our family, ranging from a once in a lifetime month long trip in Italy for us as a couple through to family villa holidays and a wonderful trip to Norway with friends. They organise everything down to the last tiny detail which makes the holiday completely relaxing. They're a joy to deal with and I highly recommend them .

Alexandra Fraser

Salcombe

Louise was so fantastic to deal with. She listened to our requirements and was super fast and efficient at responding to any queries and helping us identify our perfect holiday and subsequently making the arrangements. I can't wait for the end of March and our luxurious break to the Dominican Republic. Thanks so much Lou xx

Annie Laughrin

Chapel-En-Le-Frith

Absolutely brilliant service. I would definitely recommend Richard to my family and friends. In fact, we have already recommended Richard and Louise to two of our friends.

Andrew Hay

Nottingham

Absolutely fantastic service!

Mark Benger

Shrewsbury

Fantastic service which removes all the anxiety of booking a holiday and a really personal service that’s great value.

Claire Gilliam

Birmingham

Lou and Rich are just the bees knees of travel. I love being able to say 'I'll ask Lou to look into that,' and know that all our demands will be catered for, no matter how many times we change our minds and ask for something completely different! Then, once we've made the booking, I can safely forget about EVERYTHING until the travel documents drop through my letterbox. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to angst over. Travel bliss.

Monica Patel

Beckenham

Both Louise and Richard have been extremely helpful with finding us the right holiday, as we had some specific requests as mum has mobility issues. Will definitely use them again and recommend them.

Lee Brown

High Wycombe

They take all the hassle away by covering everything !

Anita Foxall

Birmingham

Always a pleasure to book with Louise and Richard - this is our fifth holiday booked with them and there will certainly be more!

Katie Parker

Solihull

Louise and Rich were recommended to me by two colleagues, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. They have been great in helping us find a summer holiday.

Helen Johnson

Sheffield

Lou and Rich could not have been more helpful, we are totally impressed by their customer service and have already recommended them to friends.

Nicola Carlyle

Hitchin

Efficient, professional and flexible service tailored entirely to your needs

Joanne Lee

Birmingham

Louise & Richard have been excellent in helping me book our holiday in Barbados to celebrate my wife's milestone birthday. Their attention to detail and the way they've accommodated our requested changes have taken all the stress out of the booking process, and I can't recommend them highly enough!

Mark Griffin

Ashby De La Zouch

Louise and Richard Banks are the absolute BEST in finding the perfect holiday for us. They listen, understand and we feel like they know us very well - despite never actually meeting in the flesh! They are so knowledgeable and we feel so well looked after. Wouldn't holiday any other way!

Joanne Scarratt Jones

Bristol

Responsive, friendly and with excellent travel know-how - and importantly, know-where!

Laura House

Bromley

Louise and Richard are incredibly organised and have arranged a number of flights for me. Nothing is too much for them to arrange and they have been wonderful at checking me in with my preferences etc. Great people, great service.

Kirsty Thompson

Wareham

Excellent attention to our needs and great communication.

Richard Butcher

Ascot

Fantastic service, couldn’t fault it and would definitely recommend:)

Alice Treanor

Horsham

Love handing over my wishes to Lou and Richard, and being presented with incredible adventures… I totally trust them to deliver as they understand what makes us tick as a family, understand our holidays needs…

Jane Zurakowski

Bristol

I cannot get over how simple the process is! I’ve told everyone I know how easy and spot on it’s been.

Claire Gilliam

Birmingham

Couldn't be more pleased with the courtesy, efficiency and expertise. Couldn't be more pleased with the courtesy, efficiency and expertise.

Betsy Carter

New York City

It's lovely to be able to have friendly email "conversations" with Louise and Richard, and know they will find the best routes for my particular needs and preferences. Their experience and efficiency ease the decision and booking processes, and it's so re-assuring that, if there is any problem at any stage of the holiday, I can just contact them for help.

Janet Southcott

Bedford

I recommend Richard and Louise to everyone I know! They are so responsive, sensitive to delays at our end, can flex to budgets and their suggestions - for example - Corfu and Finland have been the two best holidays for us ever.

Claire Gambles

Leamington Spa

Very helpful, lots of knowledge, answered all my questions and found the perfect holiday to fit all mine and my families wants and needs! Could not recommend more!

Hannah Barnett

Birmingham

Very helpful and patient service. Extremely knowledgeable and really helped us to make an informed decision for our honeymoon.

Natasha Hutton

Kidderminster

Really helped make my get dream holiday booked - thank you so much for your seamless service!

Kate Khairdean

Cambridge

I have already been recommending you to friends. You made finding a great holiday so easy. Thanks to you and Richard for all your help. We will definitely be contacting you again in the future.

Nicola Redmond

Epping

Absolutely no hesitation in using Rich and Lou's services and highly recommend them to anyone I hear is needing travel services.

Duncan Nichol

Rugeley

Brilliant service - knowledgeable and extremely professional

Nigel Still

Liskeard

I find Travel Counsellor Louise Banks to very helpful, hard working and a pleasure to work with.

Stephen Law

Guildford

Fabulous service would never go with anyone else!

Emma Barnett

Birmingham

Really helped make my get dream holiday booked! Thank you so much for your seamless service!

Kate Khairdean

Cambridge

Great service and clearly listened to our needs and found a perfect holiday match. Took all the stress out of trying to find a holiday ourselves.

Daniel Cox

Brighton

Very helpful and patient! Lots of good information and guidance.

Simon Allison

Worcester

The service provided is outstanding, from initial contact to finalising the booking. The stress of booking it totally taken away. The service is really quite outstanding.

Nicola Hack

Guildford

Yet again Richard and Louise pulled a rabbit out of the hat for our last minute plans. I don't know how they do it but they really understand us as customers and even with no time to work with they always come up with a trip that ticks all the boxes for us. Simply, they're great.

Andrew Boyle

Liss

Thank you for your great knowledge, responsiveness, personal service and for being so nice to deal with!

Gemma Malone

Hitchin

Louise and her partner Rich are always responsive, understand our detailed briefs, and always come back with appropriate destinations. They make every step of the way extremely easily.

Myles Griffin

Ashby de la Zouch

Just the best! Great communication in order to book our very special holiday.

Julie Walker

Litchfield

Louise has been fantastic, patient and very helpful throughout. We are still working through the fallout from COVID, she could not have been more helpful, to both us and our fellow group of travellers. We will definitely be contacting her for our future travels.

Lynne Connor

Dorchester

Super speedy and very knowledgeable.

Lindsey Cook

Birmingham

Always amazing, efficient and friendly service. I have before and would always recommend Louise!

Katherine Hillman

Solihull

We are extremely happy with the service and would definitely recommend to anyone looking to book a holiday. Rich and Louise have organised our trips since 2019 and have tailored them to our requirements and budget. We have enjoyed all our holidays booked with Travel Counsellors and they have been organised very well. Rich and Louise always provide a prompt response to our enquiries.

Priya Vadgama

Birmingham

Louise is incredible! She is efficient, and her service is incomparable to other routes I have tried to book travel. I recommend her to anyone wanting a hassle free travel experience. Thank you Louise!

Kirsty Thompson

Wareham

Always a perfect service!

Sophie Wilson

Birmingham

Friendly, helpful and fast service very happy to book again.

Guy Hill

Guildford

Discover the world with me

Family fun in Super Cool Copenhagen!

Family fun in Super Cool Copenhagen!

The Banks Family do Copenhagen - some highlights of our brilliant 3 night Easter escape to this super-cool city!

04 Apr 2023

Delicious breakfast in Amsterdam!

Delicious breakfast in Amsterdam!

Take a look at the gorgeous canal view breakfast room at the Ambassade Hotel…

21 Feb 2023

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Let's plan your dream trip together

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Tailor-made for you

Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.

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Personalised service. Always

When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.

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Stress-free travel, and more time
for what matters most

I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.

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Support when it matters most

If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.

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Let’s talk through your ideas, no pressure.

0121 667 9650

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Finding your match...

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