Sam Nightingale
My expertise
I'm based in
Oakington
Are you looking for expert help with your travel arrangements?
Hi there, and welcome to my webpage.
My name is Sam and I am a personal Travel Counsellor specialising in long‑haul, tailor‑made itineraries and villa holidays. I live in Oakington, Cambridge with my family and have two children aged 17 and 20, so I understand first‑hand how travel needs evolve as families grow up.
I have over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, including 15 years as a Branch Manager. This has given me a huge depth of knowledge which I love using to create holidays that feel genuinely personal, whether you are planning a once‑in‑a‑lifetime trip or a much‑needed escape.
Over the past few years I have developed a particular passion and expertise for long‑haul destinations such as the Far East, the Maldives and Australia. I have explored Australia with my family and I recently joined a dedicated familiarisation trip to the Maldives where I stayed on four different islands. This first‑hand experience means I can give honest, detailed advice on which islands and itineraries will best match your style and budget.
I also have a strong niche in designing backpacking and independent trips for clients’ older children, especially around South East Asia and Australia. These itineraries balance freedom and adventure with the reassurance of a carefully planned route, safe and suitable accommodation and sensible budgeting.
One of my key specialities is villa holidays. I have personally taken at least one villa holiday almost every year for the last 20 years, so I have a wealth of practical knowledge to share. Whether you are travelling as a family, a multi‑generational group or a group of friends, I can help you choose the right style of villa, location and set‑up to suit everyone.
I became a Travel Counsellor so that I can really look after my customers and provide a 5* experience from the moment you get in touch until you arrive back home. Working from home means I can be flexible around you, offering daytime or evening appointments by phone, email or even a personal visit to your home or office if that suits you better.
Whether you are looking for a luxury Indian Ocean escape, a Far East adventure, a tailor‑made Australian journey, a first big backpacking trip for your son or daughter, a villa holiday, ski trip, cruise or a simple UK or city break, I will listen carefully to what you want and design something around you. I will also save you the time and stress of trawling through the internet, and with Travel Counsellors you have the peace of mind of full financial protection on anything you book with me.
You can follow me on Facebook by searching “Sam Nightingale Travel Counsellor” to see special offers, inspiration and travel tips.
If you like the sound of the personal, flexible service I offer, please do get in touch. I would love to help turn your travel ideas into reality.
I look forward to speaking to you soon.
Sam
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Radio Interview
Have a listen to a recent radio interview I had with Cambridge 105 Radio sharing all my travel tips. Tim & Liz did a fantastic job and made me feel very relaxed. https://cambridge105.co.uk/tim-liz-05-03-2019/
31 May 2019 5 min read
Barbados
What an amazing holiday I've just returned from. Barbados was fantastic and all the family thoroughly enjoyed it. This was a surprise trip for our two children, Callum and Izzie as they had no idea until the morning we travelled that they were even going away. I created a great little video on the iPad detailing the trip, which I could happily share with people to help with a surprise holiday.
20 Jun 2016 5 min read
Sicily August 2013
I have recently returned from a lovely family holiday to Sicily, travelling with my partner and 2 children aged 4 and 7. We flew to Palermo airport on the Northern coast of Sicily where we had arranged to collect a car for our journey onto the Acacia Resort near Cefalu. I had done some research into transfers or car hire as driving is very different in Italy or Sicily to the UK. My advice would
12 Sept 2013 5 min read
Norfolk Broads Boating Break
As promised I am sharing my experience of my boating break on the Norfolk Broads. I can highly recommend this for a family holiday as it was a great experience for the children and they saw it as a real adventure. Your boat can be collected from various points across the Broads, ours was a place called Brundall which was perfect for a 3 night break. From here we managed to visit Norwich, Loddon,
03 Aug 2013 5 min read
Reviews
What my customers say
Additional offers
More destinations to enjoy
Why use a Travel Counsellor
Let's plan your dream trip together
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get in touch