Maria Foxwell

My expertise

Adventure Travel
Accessible Travel
Multi - Destination
Honeymoons
Couples
Families
Groups
Multi - Generational Travel

I'm based in

Somerset

Available for new enquiries

Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here

Offering a truly personal service so you can simply enjoy looking forward to your holiday

Hello, I’m Maria, I was born and bred in Somerset and still live and work here today, very much part of the local community. I started in travel at 16 and have never left the industry, beginning in tour operations creating tailor‑made rugby tours, then moving into high street travel agencies and, for the last 20 years, proudly running my own travel business.

When I am not planning holidays, you will usually find me travelling the world myself visiting new and exciting places, at home watching rugby following the Formula 1 , enjoying home and family life, or doing my voluntary work with Bath Street Kitchen and Water Survival Box and I am a proud Rotarian.

When you book with me, you are never “just” booking a holiday, you are gaining a trusted travel partner who is there for you before, during and after your trip. From our very first conversation, I take time to understand what really matters to you, your must‑haves, your worries, your budget, and the kind of memories you want to create. I then design a trip that is completely tailored to you, handling all the research, planning, and organising so you do not have to. You have one dedicated point of contact: me. No call centres, no being passed from person to person, just a familiar voice who knows you and your booking inside out.

The support I offer –

Travel is exciting, but the unexpected can happen, flight delays, strikes, weather disruption, illness or changes in local conditions. This is where the service I offer really comes into its own. If there is a disruption or crisis, you are not left to navigate it alone at an airport desk or on hold for hours. I step in to help, working behind the scenes to look at alternative flights, adjust your itinerary, rearrange transfers or amend accommodation where needed. I keep you updated, explain your options and help you make calm, informed decisions at a stressful time. You have the reassurance of knowing that I am monitoring your journey, and if something changes while you are away, I am just a call or message away to support you and act quickly on your behalf.

As part of Travel Counsellors, my personal service is backed up by 24/7 duty office support in case of emergencies, so if something urgent happens out of UK office hours there is always someone available to help. You are supported both by me and by a specialist team with access to your booking details and the tools needed to assist, which means you are never left on your own to figure things out, wherever you are in the world. It is a true hand‑held service with real people who genuinely care, looking out for you at every stage of your journey.

There are many ways to book a holiday, but what makes booking with me different is the personal relationship, the tailor‑made planning and the support wrapped around it. I get to know you, your family and your travel style and stay with you for the long term, often arranging honeymoons, first family holidays and then big multi‑generational trips as life moves on. I carefully match destinations, hotels, excursions and experiences to you, so you do not have to scroll through endless options, and I save you time and stress by doing the comparing, checking, organising and double‑checking in the background. If things change or go wrong, I am there to help put them right, not leave you to sort it out alone, and your money is fully protected through Travel Counsellors’ financial trust and ATOL protection where applicable.

For me, it is not just about where you go, but how you feel throughout the whole experience, cared for, reassured and truly looked after.

If you would like that level of care and support for your next holiday, I would be delighted to help you plan it.

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Explore my guides and blogs

Goodbye 2025 Hello 2026

Goodbye 2025 Hello 2026

Celebrating 20 years of being a business owner!! What an incredible 20 years it’s been.

27 Apr 2026 5   min read

Winter Sun in Gran Canaria

Winter Sun in Gran Canaria

The Weather -Much Better Than the Apps Said Gran Canaria is a brilliant choice for winter sun. While the weather apps stubbornly showed 17 degrees, the reality was very different. Most days we enjoyed temperatures in the mid-twenties, warm enough to stretch out on a sunbed, feel that lovely heat in your bones and really unwind. Our days fell into a very happy rhythm of lying on a sunbed, soakin

27 Apr 2026 5   min read

Athens Weekend Getaway

Athens Weekend Getaway

We have just enjoyed a fantastic three-night escape to Athens and it reminded me exactly why this city is such a brilliant choice for a short break. It combines everything, ancient history, warm Greek hospitality, rooftop cocktails, and even a day by the water, all within easy reach of the UK.

27 Apr 2026 5   min read

The Magic of Brazil

The Magic of Brazil

Exploring the Magic of Brazil: My Journey as a Travel Counsellor and Encounter Latin America

18 Dec 2025 5   min read

WestJet

WestJet

We travelled from London Heathrow to Calgary with WestJet on the 787 Dreamliner. We travelled in economy class, and I have to say I'm really impressed with their seating and the aircraft itself. It was a new aircraft with smart and comfortable seating with headrests that offered an extra head cushion that bent towards your head so if you are sleeping it offered extra head support. They also offere

15 Dec 2023 5   min read

My Canadian Adventures - Part 1

My Canadian Adventures - Part 1

As most of you know I recently visited Canada and spent 2 1/2 weeks staying in Banff and then a road trip beyond including Lake Louise ,Jasper and drove all the way over to Vancouver for the last few nights. The main reason for the visit was for our cousin’s daughter’s wedding, which our two girls MJ and Ruby were bridesmaids along with their other cousin Abi. This trip was meant to happen in 2020

13 Dec 2023 5   min read

My Travel Blog to Croatia

My Travel Blog to Croatia

My Travel Blog to Croatia July 2022 Departing from Birmingham on an early morning flight we decided to have a airport hotel for the night making things easier in the morning. With Jet2 they offer a twilight check in, so we checked our luggage in the night before with no queues, leaving us with hand luggage and a small overnight bag. In the morning this was perfect as we got to the airport and li

20 Jul 2022 5   min read

New York

New York

New York What a fabulous trip we had spending the New Year of 2020 in the city that doesn’t sleep! New Year’s Eve in New York was incredible and everything I wanted it to be it was. Its busy, its bustling, and yes there is security and police and crowds but everyone is in high spirits including the police and we had a fantastic evening just on the streets full of people taking in the countdown

19 Oct 2020 5   min read

Surfs Up In Southern California

Surfs Up In Southern California

I was lucky enough to earn a place on an Educational trip to Southern California April 2018. This was a self-drive trip with 4 fellow Travel Counsellors and we were to experience the delights taking in various places such as Huntington Beach, LA, San Diego and Palm Springs. In each place we experienced the local excursions, local food and hospitality from the local tourist office and hotels that h

17 Jul 2018 5   min read

Why..Why...Why Not.........

Why..Why...Why Not.........

What can I say. Do you remember a time when looking at pictures in travel brochures or on the internet of beaches that have turquoise sea and white powder sand and think - I wonder if there is a place that really exists? Well, I can confirm there is - Turks and Caicos, the most beautiful beach and sea I have ever seen and as you know I have done some travelling. Each morning I would have to pinch

17 Jul 2018 5   min read

Dubai for the Weekend

Dubai for the Weekend

After winning a three night trip to Dubai with Qantas and One and Only Royal Mirage we jetted off to have a luxury weekend away to enjoy the hot sunshine and fantastic service and food that Dubai has to offer. We had travelled here before en-route to Australia three years ago with the girls but this time it was a trip just for the two of us, so experienced a very relaxing break. The hotel is st

08 Jun 2015 5   min read

Lapland for the Day

Lapland for the Day

For a surprise for the family and as my eldest daughter was leaving primary school this year it would be my last chance to enjoy the magic that Christmas brings so I decided to look out for a good deal to Lapland. It didn't take long before I had booked the four of us on a day trip departing Exeter departing middle of December 2014. A very long day but the best surprise ever, Waking the girls u

08 Jun 2015 5   min read

Baska Voda, Croatia

Baska Voda, Croatia

My family and I decided on Croatia for our family holiday and what a great choice it was. After booking a wedding there last year and doing a lot of research on the country it was the obvious choice for us. With beautiful scenery, fantastic coastline and very reasonable living costs it was a place I really wanted to visit so I could share this amazing country with my clients. I had flights fro

08 Jun 2015 5   min read

What my customers say

Maria has been very patient and thorough in searching for the right combination of itinerary, hotels and flights for our Indian adventure. She has shown herself to be very knowledgeable about all the options and offered us some very special experiences that we would never have thought of. We are also confident that she will continue to support us in the future.

Mark Holroyd

Bristol

I recommend Maria to all my friends and family. outstanding personable service. Would not use anyone else now after calling on Maria for the past 10 years. Maria has booked us some wonderful Holidays to beautiful destinations. Feel safe when I travel knowing Maria is always on hand if we need her. Thank you Maria for all you have done for us.

Kelly Davis

Melksham

Super professional, efficient and friendly service. Nothing is ever too hard or too much, and Maria and Jess are always willing to go above and beyond to exceed your expectations at every turn. Highly recommend.

Mark Rattary

Aberdeen

Maria really listens to your thoughts and ideas and works hard to craft a holiday to meet all your needs. I have booked a number of trips through her and am looking forward to our cruise in 2026 that she has curated for us to celebrate our ruby wedding Total star! Highly recommended

Samantha Lawn

Weston-Super-Mare

Maria was very quick and gave us exactly what we were looking for first time! We had made an amendment to spend more time in another area and she came back with a new quote within a few hours l. Highly recommend using Maria.

Hannah Gill

Bristol

Maria went above and beyond in pulling together our holiday of a lifetime and really appreciated and understood the things that were important to us a a family. Will definitely use Maria for future holidays.

Sara-Louise Lawn

UK

Maria was our perfect holiday consultant. She listened to what we wanted, and was flexible when we changed our minds as we explored the itinerary and learned what was possible. I was very impressed that she worked around us doing some parts of the ourselves, as we were being hosted by friends. Once we were in India, the level of care from the guides was fantastic. Both those representing Travel Counsellors (a suitcase got left behind in Bangalore as we flew to Agra) and it could have completely disrupted our short visit to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal. Instead, it was all sorted for us and the suitcase joined us in Jaipur! Also the guides that had been arranged to tour sites and cities. They were all incredibly well informed, and also brought the places to life, and again were flexible. We particularly liked that they used charitable organisations like women’s only rickshaw company in Jaipur. The standard of accommodation was also great, and we could eat confidently knowing that the standard of hygiene was high. This is not always the case even in five star hotels. Once again, a huge "thank you” to Maria for her care, attention to detail and contacts!

Caroline Sharley

Somerset

Maria has been incredibly helpful throughout the process. I would highly recommend her to anyone

Susan Manser

UK

Very friendly, helpful, sorted everything out for me, amazing experience, highly recommendable

Andrew Pitney

Shepton Mallet

Amazing & super helpful, Maria was such a massive help & took away all of our stress with booking our trip! All questions were answered quickly & they went above and beyond to get me all information I requested and more! Couldn’t recommend enough! Will definitely be using again!

Ellie Morgan

Midsomer Norton

Absolutely amazing! Listened to exactly what I wanted and my requirements and found something within budget that ticked all the boxes.

Amy Young

Midsomer Norton

A mind blowing, confusing & daunting exercise made absolutely simple, stress free & caring by our Counsellor - Maria. We are totally grateful for what she has done and will certainly be using her services again in the future. THANK YOU!!!

John Garland

East Harptree

Incredible service and if you get stuck abroad like I did this is just the kind of back up support you need to get you home safely. Absolutely outstanding service

Larissa Stapleton

UK

Professional, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about the travel industry and many destinations worldwide. Maria makes the whole experience very personal to your own specific needs.

Micheal Cleaves

Midsomer Norton

Maria is extremely professional and very friendly - she has provided the information required in a cohesive, organised manner that makes decision making intuitive. I'm extremely grateful for Maria's support with this slightly complicated travel plan.

Arvind Chandran

Australia

Maria was very helpful, nothing was too much trouble . First class service

Sharon Griffiths

Radstock

Maria has been really helpful and accommodating to our travel needs and has provided a first class service. This is the second time I’ve use her and I would definitely recommend her to friends and family .

Amanda White

Midsomer Norton

Maria, is awesome. We have been working with Maria to arrange all sorts of trips and holidays for a number of years and have always found her to be very professional, easy to talk to, really helpful and a real pleasure to deal with. We always (and always will) talk to Maria before arranging any trips or holidays.

Jason Cox

Bristol

Maria is the go to person - nothing is too much effort and I trust her implicitly. Great tempting teaser emails have encouraged us to book two holidays with her!! Love the seamless service! Highly recommended!

Samantha Lawn

Bristol

We have had a fantastic first experience with Maria who has been an invaluable source of expertise at a very stressful yet life-changing time. We will continue to use her services into the future.

Andrew King

Toyko, Jpan

I had an excellent experience booking our Caribbean cruise with Maria Foxwell. Maria was very informative and extremely friendly and approachable. The fact that she is on hand to answer any queries we may have is a real peace of mind when we are booking a holiday like this. I have already recommended Maria to several of my friends. Thank you for all your help Maria.

Judith Wriaght

Radstock

Just wanted to say thank you for dealing/organising our holiday what a diamond it turned out to be. We nearly didn’t come back! Would definitely recommend this resort the staff were very helpful and friendly without being over friendly. The restaurants were great and the setting was perfect for our 30th wedding anniversary. I would also like to thank you for the extra surprises we received.

Jerry Hill

Radstock

I have booked several holidays with Maria, the last one being a mini cruise for me and my daughter. From start to finish, it was a very painless process (considering Covid). The P&O Cruise was from Southampton for 4 days, no stops because of the restrictions at the time. Staff were lovely, we were all tested before being allowed to board the ship so we felt the safest we have for a very long time. As usual, food was delicious, cocktails whilst led on our sunloungers were delicious. Entertainment was a good standard, we also indulged in watching a couple of movies. Marie was wonderful, she checked in with us to ensure we were on the ship and that everything went smoothly for us, and again when we got off the ship. Fantastic standard of service, you just don't get this from a travel agent on the high street. Wouldn't go anywhere else, thank you Maria. Looking forward to our next cruise in May to the Fjords and then December to Bruge (all being well). Thank you again, the whole experience was fantastic!!!

Lisa Gill

East Harptree

Maria expertly put together our recent holiday to Antigua- we were tempted by one of her teaser emails and forum there she found us The Pineapple Beach Club nestled on a glorious white palm tree strewn beach. We were apprehensive with all the covid testing requirements especially as they changed fairly frequently but Maria was on hand to guide us through and she actually did all the work save taking the actual swabs! Good prices and great service. We took off from Heathrow and had a comfortable flight and we were transported efficiently to our hotel where we were welcomed like long lost family with a cool rum punch. Our holiday was relaxing and wonderful with not one complaint. Maria also managed to upgrade our return flight too so We came back refreshed and managed some sleep. I recommend Maria and her expertise 100%z Nothing is too much trouble and she really cares that we had a great time. She also arranged birthday fizz in our room too- I’ll bet that other operators wouldn’t do that!! She’s amazing

Samantha Lawn

Bristol

I have known Maria for several years, but not taken advantage of her travel expertise as I’ve always been happy to organise our travel arrangements myself. This year (2021) the ever changing rules for travel had become a nightmare to navigate and so having heard from so many others how easy it was to book a holiday with Maria, there was only one place I had to go! Maria took the time to understand about the types of locations and accommodation we preferred, and quickly sent use through a select few options in the places which were on the ‘green’ list for travel. She informed us of the testing requirements and sent links to testing providers who were offering Travel Counsellor clients discounts. Everything worked smoothly, we received our travel documents in plenty of time, Maria checked us in for the flights (and phoned me to make sure we had no issues at the airport), hotel transfers had been arranged. We had one issue upon arrival at the hotel where we were not given the room type we had requested, and even though Maria herself was on holiday at the time, she spoke to the hotel directly and we were soon moved to the appropriate room type. It’s very clear Maria really cares for her clients and is willing and able to take all the stress that can sometimes come with travelling away. We probably wouldn’t have managed to get a holiday abroad without her!

Alison Muir

Bristol

Maria meticulously planned and arranged our group holiday to Palma not just once, but three times because of Covid! She recommended a perfectly located hotel in a wonderful part of town, coordinated, booked eleven return flights from five different airports over three trip durations, supplied us with full and user-friendly information on testing and paperwork requirements which was invaluable and removed any anxiety about travelling in unprecedented times, checked in for us on every flight and handed us physically and electronically everything we needed to travel. She removed all the stress and hassle and no question was too much. But …. most importantly she really truly, genuinely and palpably cared that this group of mothers of young kids, emerging post-lockdown, had the most amazing and well-deserved break ever.

Sarah Myners

LONDON

My daughter and I wanted a special holiday together to get some sunshine and recharge after the difficult times during Covid. We were very nervous about leaving the UK due to all the restrictions, rules and forms that had to be filled in. Maria Foxwell from Travel Counsellors ensured us we would be fine and she would organise everything. We had one week available. Maria found the perfect cruise including all the places we wanted to visit in the Greek Islands. She also spent extra time helping us organise the Antigen Test before we departed, fill in the Passenger Location Form for Departure and arriving back in the UK, and ensuring we managed to do the most efficient Day 2 Return PCR Test. It all felt overwhelming, and Maria made the process easy. She was even on the end of the phone when I was in Greece and couldn’t answer one of the questions on the return PLF. Thanks Maria, we had our dream holiday – just PERFECT!

Clare Davis

Bristol

My husband and I have recently returned from two magical weeks away in Madeira thanks to Maria Foxwell at Travel Counsellors. We desperately needed a break and booking through Maria allowed us to travel abroad for some winter sun with complete confidence. Maria found us the perfect holiday. Two weeks away, flying from Bristol with warm sunny days in November. The hotel she recommended was just what we wanted, the private transfers smooth. Everything we asked for was delivered. In the run up to our holiday, Maria consulted us on COVID measures and helped us ensure we had the correct travel insurance in place should we be affected by COVID whilst away. As always, Maria stayed in touch before, during and after our holiday, making sure we were happy and had everything we needed. I’ve travelled a lot over the years and Maria has organised our four most recent trips – Mumbai and Goa; Kefalonia and Athens; Delhi and Rajasthan and now Madeira. I can’t wait to start chatting to Maria about our 2022 adventure!

Sarah Austin

Bristol

Just returned safely from New York City, and can honestly say we couldn’t of done it without the support, knowledge and information that Maria provide us to experience this fantastic place. I took my son for his 21st birthday, everything was so well planned and booked from notifying the hotel of the big birthday to covid Restriction passes, just perfect!!! I can’t thank Maria enough for the amazing memories we will have forever, it has made such an impact on both our lives. Thank you, Roz and Luke

Rozalyn Donson

Midsomer Norton

Me and the wife have used Maria and Gemma on a few occasions . Nothing is ever too much trouble and they go the extra mile to ensure you truly do get a fantastic holiday. They are prompt with any answers you need . We never have to worry that there will be any problems , the service is first class and very professional. Even down to writing out the luggage tags (my pet hate). We have already used them once this year where they found us an absolutely beautiful holiday destination in Cyprus , so good in fact That we have booked to go back to the same place again mid oct!! We will continue to use the guys for all our future holidays . Truly the best I have ever used and won’t be going anywhere else. Thankyou Maria and Gemma you are stars!

Jon Denning

Radstock

We have booked several holidays for our family with Maria and she is fabulous! Holidays are important family time for us, and Maria makes us feel like nothing is too much trouble to get all the little details right. We always feel like we have got a great deal and had a really gold star service. Also on occasion we have had things we wanted to sort out in resort and with a call to Maria they were all resolved for us without it disturbing our holiday... We are now exploring our next trip and Maria has really taken the time to understand what is important to us to help us pick somewhere that suits us and our budget. I don’t know anywhere else you would find such friendly and knowledgeable support to make your holidays special.

S X

Bristol

As a full time working mother of three children aged 5 and under, trawling the Internet for a holiday is the last thing I have time to do. This is particularly the case when I have pretty specific requirements that a search engine just can’t cover. Plus I needed an assurance that my first proper holiday abroad since having the kids was going to be fab. Well Maria (who came highly recommended by a friend) nailed it! I was presented with only a few options to chose from, all of which ticked the boxes on my criteria list. The options were clearly set out and priced. Booking was easy peasy. The travel documents was so well organised. I literally just had to pack and get the family to the airport. Maria sent us lovely cards with notes wishing us a lovely time. The holiday was just wonderful. Absolutely what we wanted - guaranteed sun (well, as best as possible), short transfers, lovely kids pools, good food, lovely comfortable rooms. Tick, tick, tick. Cannot recommend more and have absolutely been doing so!

Sarah Myners

Towcester

We normally book through Maria as we know we can leave Maria to sort out the best deal and it will all be handled very professionally. We also this time needed to leave the ship a day early. Maria organised the flight, not through Viking Using the points we had accumulated, this process was seamless to us. However it is just as well we booked through Maria because we were on the Viking Cruise ship that got into trouble off the coast of Norway. The Issue started on a Saturday lunch time, Viking informed one of our daughters who was listed as next of kin and Maria of the situation. Maria supported both of our daughters through the Saturday night and up to Sunday afternoon, when we were safe on land. I do not think Maria got much sleep on Saturday night Viking flew us back to Gatwick, our car was at Bristol airport. Maria organised a car to pick us up at Gatwick and take us home to Bristol at Travel Counsellors expense. As you can imagine this was a a traumatic time for us, so it was very reassuring that Maria and the TC team were behind us all the way.

Richard Todman

Bristol

Maria is always approachable and there to help in any way. The holiday organised for our Italian holiday was super. Flights hotels location trains. All very good indeed. Maria is organising a trip to Norway next year, sounds exciting and there will be 6 of us hoping to catch the Northern Lights.

Helen Button

Radstock

Maria was an incredible help when booking a family trip to Thailand. She really took the time to listen to our needs and nothing was too much trouble. It was so reassuring when we were in Thailand to also be able to contact her if we needed. The holiday was a huge success. We’d thoroughly recommend Maria and her team and won’t hesitate to use her again.

Sharon Charlton - Thomson

Bath

Maria and her team provide an excellent, first class service. Our family have used Maria to arrange our holidays for many years and she never disappoints. She has excellent knowledge and is always able to help us to find the right location and accommodation within our budget. She takes the stress out of the booking process and does all the little things I don’t have the time to do. Maria also makes herself available to answer any questions or queries whilst we’re away which gives us that extra level of comfort. It’s holidays with a personal touch and we wouldn’t use anyone else!

Karen Marshall

Malmesbury

Maria is excellent knowledgable and helpful - can't recommend her enough

Maxine Denham

Vancouver & Hawaii

Quick response to everything, No stress for us, three holidays being booked through Maria and Gemma this year. Great service.

John Denning

Cruising the Med

Very helpful with our trip to Canada. Maria has fitted so many extras in our trip for the value almost the same price from a well known travel agent. I will definitely recommend Maria to friends.

Avril Pearce

Canada

Yet again, with a limited time frame, Maria came up trumps sourcing the perfect guide and driver for our Omani mountain and market tour. We had a day to remember and so many fabulous photographs, special moments and many new friends! Thank you

Paula Carnell

Oman

Very friendly and extremely helpful, couldn’t have asked for better or more!

Susan Key

Cyprus

The support and help we have recieved has been brilliant, especially with the insurance claims. I have already handed out all the Travel Counsellors cards to people.

Tanya Shuttleworth

Iceland

Thank you so much to Maria for booking our accommodation last minute due to Monarch cancellation. Hotel was clean and in a perfect location as was close to the Barbour, bars and restaurants and meant we were still close to my families hotel that were booked into. Very happy xx

Lisa Lovesey

Swindon

Thank you Maria for the wonderful service you have given me and my family 2nd year running by finding us the ideal holiday to share with our friends. Maria's personal service, excellent advice and knowledge is exceptional. The comfort of knowing Maria was on the end of the phone during our holiday if we needed any help with our itinerary was great! It was so nice to be able to send her photo's of the lovely holiday she had found for us was lovely as she was so keen for us to have a great time! You don't get service like this on the high street! Then to come home and receive flowers welcoming us home was just delightful and a lovely touch! I am now in touch with Maria to book our holiday for next year as I know she will put her special touch on our next adventure and look forward to see what she will find us!! Thank you Maria for all the time and effort you put in to making our holidays so special!!!

Kelly Davies

Wiltshire

Maria has worked tirelessly on various quotes for holiday destinations for my family. We looked at the Maldives, Sardinia and Greece. Maria came up with various options for all three destinations. Nothing was too much trouble even though I felt at times I was asking too many questions! In the end we settled for Crete in Greece. The place that Maria has chosen ticked all the boxes with regards to what we wanted as a family. Maria had obviously taken on board what we required for a holiday and this shows a great level of customer service and customer care. I would highly recommend Maria to anyone who is looking for a holiday . Kind regards , Helen and Rich Jay

Richard Jay

Bristol

Maria helped us plan and book our wedding in Croatia. She was there every step of the way, from finding the perfect destination to our big day. Her knowledge, experience and great communication, both with myself and the wedding team in Croatia made the organisation very easy and enjoyable. She also helped many of our guests find and book holidays to be at our wedding. We would like to thank Maria for all her hard work to make our holiday and wedding so special.

Charlotte James

Radstock

We have used Maria from travel counsellors for the ten years, can not fault her, always gets us what we need for are holiday, excellent service

Anthony Dunford

Salisbury

Based on knowledge from family members and their experiences I would definitely recommend to my friends

Pauline Brown

Bristol

Brilliant service from Maria, very helpful and knowledgeable

Jodie Crook

Bath

Maria has been fantastic arranging our holiday this year and previous years. It takes the pressure of arranging it ourselves. Well done Maria. Thanks

Marcus Riddle

Midsomer Norton

I am writing this recommendation from my seafront sunbed in Bali. A 2 centre holiday with Singapore that Maria organised for us. The gift of Maria is that being quite particular with what I want from a holiday, where I want to stay and the sorts of sights and places I want to visit, meant that if Maria had not organised this for me, being so busy with work, I don't believe I would have had the time to research and book. Maria's choices have been absolutely spot on, the hotels are exactly what I look for and both locations are faultless. Maria has clearly listerned and understood exactly what I wanted from this holiday. I shall never book my own holiday again and why would I, when Maria is far better at it than I ever could be.

Hayley Chiba

Bristol

Maria is always wonderful. She goes the extra mile, yet professionally, and it's obvious she really cares (and I'm not the easiest client!) I trust her completely for all my travel needs.

Celia Mannings

Bath

Maria has booked two cruises for us and just last week she booked us a Sandals holiday in Jamaica The best thing about dealing with Maria is that she gets to know your likes and dislikes very quickly. So it makes booking a holiday very easy as all you have to do is state the location or cruise and you can rely on Maria to find you the accommodation or ship at a good price.

Richard Todman

Bristol

Maria Foxwell was outstandingly helpful and efficient, very professional and went out of her way to help me book flights, car hire and deal with the Canadian Visa waiver at very short notice. She was absolutely delightful to deal with and I will certainly be using her again and recommend her.

Gemma Ospedale

London

A Very personable service and really keen to find us our ideal holiday! Thanks so much Maria!!!

Kelly Davies

Melksham

Maria was super helpful and really took time to get to know what I wanted. I've always sorted my own holidays but this was all very last minute and a friend recommended her to me. I'm so pleased as it took all the effort of the planning away from me but achieved exactly what I wanted! It was a really fantastic holiday. I would highly recommend Maria and definitely plan to use her again.

Laura Cowan

Bath

“I had the difficult task of having to organise a family holiday for my 4 children, husband and in-laws last Summer. My husband requested that we go to Croatia. I knew nothing about Croatia and really didn’t know where to start. I knew Maria Foxwell as she was a coaching client of mine and she reassured me she would organise the perfect holiday, and she did. Maria was extremely careful when deciding where we should go, finding the perfect villa for our needs. She told us a lot about the area, giving us information to read up on. She also organised the transfers top and from the airport in Croatia – very easy in a country we had never visited before. Maria is efficient, really caring about your specific requirements and making sure you have the perfect holiday."

Clare Davis

Bristol

First of all, Thank you Maria for taking the time to meet with us at our home, to find out what we like as a family and listen to what we wanted for our holiday & the wedding. You put together a brilliant itinerary, nothing was too much trouble, you were always on hand if I had a question, and quick with the responses. Our holiday was fabulous & our wedding was perfect - exactly what we wanted. We loved the little extra touches you did, the wedding card and huge bunch of flowers on our return. Thanks again and I thoroughly recommend booking with Maria, Travel Counsellors.

Rebecca Sanigar

Bristol

First of all, Thank you Maria for taking the time to meet with us at our home, to find out what we like as a family and listen to what we wanted for our holiday & the wedding. You put together a brilliant itinerary, nothing was too much trouble, you were always on hand if I had a question, and quick with the responses. Our holiday was fabulous & our wedding was perfect - exactly what we wanted. We loved the little extra touches you did, the wedding card and huge bunch of flowers on our return. Thanks again and I thoroughly recommend booking with Maria, Travel Counsellors.

Rebecca Sanigar

Bristol

I have booked a couple of holidays with Maria and have found the service to be excellent. We went on a fairly complicated trip to Canada last year and the thought that went into satisfying our requirements meant we ended up with a holiday that worked like a dream. All details were sorted out in a very professional manner, which coupled with a friendly personality, made the whole process a pleasure. Thanks for all your help.

Jonathan Ryman

Frome

We decided to approach Maria to help us book the honeymoon of a liftetime following a recommendation from a friend. Safe to say we definitely weren't disappointed. Maria was absolutely brilliant from start to finish, we gave her a rough outline as to what we wanted to do, which parts of our trip were the most important, what splurges we wanted to include and the areas we wanted to penny pinch. She really did put together the trip of our lives, from booking the airport parking, flights, hotels, transfers and excursions we were not disappointed. With a wedding to plan, it took the burden of planning the details of our honeymoon away from me. Every so often we would get updates with how things were progressing and everything was perfect. Maria set up our very own website where our family and friends were able to contribute to our honeymoon fund and leave messages for us, and also gave us information cards with the log in details for us to include with our wedding invitations. If you want to book the holiday of your dreams but dont want the added pressure of tying everything in together, then Maria is your girl. Friendly and approachable, she gave us the feeling that she was genuinely excited for our big adventure and that just added to the occasion. Thank you Maria for everything you did for me and my husband. It truly was better than we could have ever expected.

Harriet Park

Plymouth, Devon

The trip to New Orleans and New York which Maria arranged for us was indeed very special as it was to mark our ruby wedding. The final package, after much correspondence, was just what we wanted and made the special memories we now have. We already recommend Maria to our friends and colleagues so if the personal touch is a prime requirement for any travel plans you may have, then contact Maria and you will not be disappointed. Thank you Maria and we look forward to seeking your help in the future!

Clive Turner

Tunley, Bath

I can confidently recommend Maria as someone who will help you plan your holiday and take away the stress of wading through brochures, prices and calendars. She has given great and prompt attention to detail in every aspect of my holiday planning and booking, making helpful suggestions and I am very impressed by her professionalism.

Joan Cooper

Corsham

Excellent service as always. Makes booking holidays stress and hassle free.

Doreen Bond

Bath

I recently contacted Maria to organize a holiday for my birthday, after many recommendations from family that have used her services multiple times before. The whole experience was fantastic, Maria is so polite and easy to talk to! I often get a bit confused with booking holidays and making sure all the transport and hotels are sorted out, no clashes etc, but Maria handled it all for me, no stress! Everything was made so easy, I would most definitely recommend her, and go through her again and again for future bookings! Not a bad word to say about such a lovely lady :)

K Marshall

Bristol

Maria is nothing short of an angel! She reads our minds (she has to, as we only ever seem sure of what we don't want!) and always finds us incredible holidays. We have travelled with Maria to many great destinations and they have always been more than we could have dreamt of. The process is always calm and thorough, even when there are circumstances that nobody could predict. Maria is always there. She is extremely professional while maintaining a really fun and very patient client relationship. We recommend Maria to all of our friends as she takes the pressure off trawling through a million holiday destinations and flights (often finding some flights that wouldn't appear on our search). We can't thank you enough Maria.

Gavin Shorter

Bristol

For all our travel plans over the past five years we have asked Maria to make the bookings for us. She is very knowledgeable regarding places, hotels, flights etc. and also knows what people need to make their travel a pleasant experience. Our last trip was spoiled because of bad weather, the flight was 24 hrs late and we missed our connection to the cruise we had planned. Maria sorted out alternatives for us and we had a great time anyway. Our next trip is Australia for Christmas with the family and of course Maria has made all our arrangements. It's so easy to let Maria take all the pressure off, all we need to do is decide where and when to go, and ensure our passports are up to date. she'll even arrange visas where needed. I recommend her to everyone whenever I have the chance.

Maggie Bennett

Manchester

Dear Maria Thank you so much for you help and assistance with booking our special trip to Istanbul. You have taken all the stress and worry away and we are looking forward to setting off tomorrow. Many thanks again Donna

Donna Dury

Radstock

I would like to thank Maria for a fantastic holiday. She listened to all of my needs from having my dog on holiday to my budget. She fulfilled all of my needs and in return I had a fantastic holiday. I will be recommending her to everyone as she is a fantastic agent. Thank you so much Maria for my holiday and I will be calling you in the next week or so to book my next trip.

Lisa Iles

Radstock

We have recently purchased two holidays through Maria, a Scandinavia cruise and a Caribbean holiday. These are quite different holidays, however Maria's knowledge on both types of holiday was outstanding. She found the exact locations we were looking for, also managed to obtain for us the best cabin and the best room in the holiday and obtain a good deal on both. I have already recommended Maria to our close friends. You just feel Maria is in control, she takes all the stress out of booking a holiday.

Richard Todman

Bristol

Maria has been looking after our travel for over five years now, and I cannot recommend her and the company highly enough. The service is exceptional, first class, and very personal. I totally trust that Maria knows exactly what we want, and she has never failed to disappoint. When it comes to holiday ideas, different destinations, Maria is very knowledgeable and will suggest places that we would not have thought of. Thanks for your help, and we will speak soon I'm sure for our next trip!

Philippa Constable

Bristol

We've been using Travel Counsellors and Maria for the last eight years and we cannot fault Maria in anyway She's been great, she makes things so easy for us, we just ring her up tell what we're looking for and that's it holiday sorted. A brilliant sevice!

Tony & Sonya Dunford

Salisbury

Maria has been dealing with me and my future husband for two years, she has been very patient with us as we changed our wedding date! When it was all steam ahead Maria was fantastic, dealt with all our needs and gave us a brilliant quote and also helped our family and friends with quotes! We only have a few Lil details left to go and we can sit back and relax will our wedding in las vegas, I couldn't fault Maria she is amazing, friendly and caring person who will make your special day easy and relaxed!

Kirstie Phillips

Magor, South Wales

Maria was incredibly professional and helpful in every aspect of booking our training trip to Massachusetts. I would gladly recommend her and definitely use her again. Huge thanks.

Emily Jolliffe

Bath

Maria was so helpful and kind from start to finish in helping with our travel arrangements. All of our questions were answered quickly and fully, including web links. Maria went beyond the call of duty to ensure that our travel went smoothly. Guess what, it did! Thank you Maria, HIGHLY recommended!

Ross Thompson

Peasedown St John

It is CERTAIN that I will recommend Maria. Maria saved my holiday! After being delayed at Manchester Airport, due to snow, we missed our cruise to the Bahamas. Our airline took us out the next day. (Despite us having 24hrs grace we missed the ship). Maria answered my phone call out of hours and found us a hotel in Orlando at VERY short notice. She then ensured we knew what we were doing when we got there, giving us options for the weekend, with costs and suggestions. Our friends arrived back to collect us a few days later and even though we had missed the cruise, and our friends, we could tell them we had had a great time! I cannot recommend Maria highly enough. Her understanding and willingness to help us in our hour of need means that she gets my business every time from now on. THANK YOU!!!!! I have NEVER had such service

Petra Stapp

Manchester

Maria went above and beyond for us from day one. We had all these different ideas for our wedding abroad but could not make a decision on where. Maria was brilliant and came back to us with options for different destinations and wedding options. We both fell in love with Cyprus. The quality of Maria's work was outstanding from start to finish, and we cannot fault a single aspect from the planning, to the wedding and our stay in Cyprus. Maria always kept in close contact with us, keeping us updated and also if we had any questions we knew Maria was always at the end of the phone. Not only for us but also our guests, Maria was brilliant with them and ensuring all their needs were met prior to our departure for Cyprus. This ensured all our minds were at ease and ready to enjoy Cyprus. We thoroughly enjoyed all the planning for our wedding with Maria because she has such a positive attitude and gave us every option possible to ensure the day was exactly as we wanted. Nothing seemed too much for Maria, even when we then announced we were expecting a baby. Maria sorted everything - all we needed to do was get a passport! It would be impossible for us to list everything about our wedding and stay at Capo Bay Hotel but all we can say is from start to finish it really was a pleasure to have Maria and her knowledge and experience of wedding planning and Cyprus. Maria made us fully aware of any costs prior to any bookings and made sure we got best value for money in every aspect which really helped with budgeting. We were worried we were a bit too relaxed about it all before leaving for Cyprus but Maria is a perfectionist and ensured everything was covered. She arranged a private car to pick us up from the airport, even this was perfect for us as a baby seat has been organised for our daughter. We stayed at Capo Bay Hotel in Cyprus and could not fault a thing, and again for our guests Maria was able to organise perfect accommodation depending on their needs and finances. We met with a colleague of Maria's on our second day to ensure all our needs were going to be met for our big day, and we went through everything from the music, ceremony and wedding breakfast. She even assisted us on our visit to fill out the paper work prior to the wedding. We cannot praise Maria enough for all her hard work and dedication to us for our wedding. We would recommend anyone to Maria. In fact Maria is helping some friend’s plan their wedding in Cyprus for 2014. It gives us great satisfaction in recommending Maria to them and seeing their faces glow with excitement for their big day and seeing how happy they are with Maria's work. Thank you so much Maria!

Kate Pearse

Stroud

Hi Maria Thank you so much for booking such a fab honeymoon for me and Scott. We loved every minute of it from flying out first class to the hotel, food etc. We could not fault any of it was such an easy stress free process and we will definitely recommend you to friends and family and will be in contact when we go away again. Thank you again. Sarah Jones Administrator – Facilities Management & Industrial Service

Sarah Jones

Bristol

We were more than happy with Maria arrangements for our recent trip to Zakynthos to stay at the Lesante Hotel for 11 nights. Our only criticism was on the part of the hotel. Maria was told of our inconvenience she handled the matter in a very professional way and we even received a bottle of wine. We would definitely recommend Maria and will book with her again.

Jan Lockett

Midsomer Norton

Maria Working full time and studying is demanding but if it wasn't for you I would never have found the time or energy to take a holiday earlier this year. It was your enthusiasm, dedication and determination to find a holiday that was right for me which meant so much -Thank you. I look forward to your help again in September.

Sheila Leeden

Bath

A friend recommended that I contact Maria to book my recent wedding in Cyprus. Maria was above and beyond great! Anything I wanted or couldn't source, Maria was the lady in the know. Her knowledge of the Island and her experience of getting married there herself gave me great confidence. The Olympic Lagoon had just had a recent 18 million pound revamp and we were not disappointed. Thanks for all your help and advice and for coming to the Wedding party!

Kelly & Chris Greenslade

Bristol

I was very pleased with Maria's service and will definitely be using her again. She was 100% reliable and fulfilled every promise she made, as well as being genuinely friendly and professional. Thank you Maria!

Nicola Hartley

Northants

Maria surpassed all expectations, totally professional at all times taking the considerations of her customers. Exceeds the call of duty going that extra mile ensuring everything is to your satisfaction. Takes the stress of booking holidays, her freindly manner and exceptional customer service has made it an absolute pleasure dealing with her. Will book all holidays with Maria from now on

Martyn Webster

Bristol

I have used Maria to book two holidays in the last 12 months, one a sun holiday and the other a ski trip. On both occasions she has spent time to find out exactly what we wanted and has gone out of her way to find the right holiday at the right price. She is very efficient and a pleasure to deal with. I would highly recommend her to anyone.

Christine Wonnacott

Bath

I am delighted with the service that Maria provides for us. Whether it is for a luxurious holiday or a business trip Maria knows exactly what I like. What I particularly like about Maria, is she understands her customers needs and responds to them. If there should ever be any problem whilst we are away Maria or a colleague is always available at the end of the phone. A real personal service.

Sue Hill

Radstock , Bath

Maria is alway a delight to speak to. Her knowledge and understanding has been invaluable to us as a family when booking our holidays. I can not recommended her or sing her praises enough. 5 star service everytime **** :)

natasha milsom

radstock

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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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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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