Samm Avis
I'm based in
Rayleigh, Essex
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
It's Nice To Meet You
Hello, I’m Samm, a Travel Counsellor based in Essex.
Travel has always been a huge part of my life, and I am genuinely passionate about helping my clients explore new places and create unforgettable memories. I take the time to really listen to what you want from your trip, so I can design a holiday that feels personal to you and build a long‑term professional relationship based on trust and care.
I specialise in creating bespoke holiday arrangements, carefully searching a wide choice of trusted travel operators and suppliers. Your holiday is 100% financially protected and covered by ATOL, giving you complete peace of mind. I look after everything from your very first enquiry right through to the moment you arrive back home, and I am always on hand if you need support along the way.
I can help with almost any type of trip: skiing, cruises, family holidays, Disney breaks, UK escapes, short‑haul beach getaways and long‑haul adventures.
My love of travel started when I was very young. My parents eventually stopped telling me in advance when we were going away, because I would get so excited they had to wake me up on the morning of the holiday to break the news! I travelled independently from a young age too, visiting a pen pal in France at 14 and completing work experience in Germany at 17. Later, I went to university in Devon, spent a semester studying in the USA, then travelled and worked in the Philippines after graduating.
Since then, I have been fortunate to enjoy incredible experiences across Asia, the USA, Africa, South America, Australia and Europe. I love immersing myself in different cultures and meeting local people wherever I go.
I am happiest when I am planning my next adventure or writing a list for an upcoming trip. I love being outdoors and keeping fit, and my husband and I often take off in our campervan to explore the beautiful countryside. I also enjoy writing, especially travel blogs. The only thing I do not love about travelling is having to leave my lovely cats behind!
If you are starting to think about your next holiday or adventure, I would be delighted to help.
I can’t wait to hear from you.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Christmas markets Paris
Joyeux Noel! Just back from a few days in Paris to visit family and check out the Christmas markets. Yummy food with a bit of a mix from Greek, French and Korean!
03 Feb 2025 5 min read
Fabulous short break ski holiday
So easy with flights from London Southend Airport with easyJet to Geneva and then 1 hour transfer with Ski Lifts Airport Transfers to the lovely resort of Les Gets in France Yummy mountain food from raclette, fondue and hot stone. Good ski conditions even though we did get very wet one day! Les Gets is a lovely family friendly resort that links up with the Portes du Soleil so there's lots of sk
03 Feb 2025 5 min read
April sun in Crete Greece
Just back from 6 days in Crete, Greece. Had a lovely time. Flights with Ryanair to Chania then about 45 min transfer to our resort in Georgiopolis a village with several hotels, tavernas and a small church out on rocks that you can walk to. We stayed at the Mare Monte Beach Hotel, about 10 min walk along the beach to the village. The hotel had a stunning pool and right on the beach with sun lounge
23 Apr 2024 5 min read
Dracula v Santa in Romania
I have had a fantastic long weekend in Romania with great friends. We flew from Stansted on Friday morning; flight was 3 hours. Arrived in Bucharest early afternoon and they approx. 40 min transfer to the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Central which lived up to its name and was very centrally located. Dumped our luggage and they set off for the Christmas market. This was one huge market outside the
13 Dec 2023 5 min read
Canada Part 2 - Vancouver Island
Leftovers came in handy for breakfast then off to pick up our hire car. Avis, of course! Love checking in for car when the ask for my last name! The off we drove up to Deep Cove for some paddleboarding. We couldn’t go a whole 11 days without paddleboarding!! Amazing experience and such stunning scenery. Slightly challenging with a speedboat/water-skier getting quite close and making lots of waves!
04 Oct 2023 5 min read
British Colombia - Part 1 Vancouver
Just back from an amazing adventure in British Columbia, Canada. This was a trip that’s been postponed since 2020 due to Covid. It didn’t disappoint. Flew from Gatwick to Vancouver (approx. 9.5-hour flight), slight delay out but not too painful. Arrived Vancouver mid-afternoon. Bit jetlagged but after checking in to central hotel, Sutton Place, headed out to explore and for some food. Booked tab
27 Sept 2023 5 min read
P&O Britannia short break from Southampton
Just returned from a short break cruise from Southampton on P&O cruises Britannia. The cruise began and ended in Southampton and was 5 days in duration. I booked parking at Southampton which meant we could drop the car right at the port and it was valet parked for us whilst we entered the cruise terminal to check-in for our cruise. We dropped our luggage off outside for it to be delivered to our c
28 Oct 2022 5 min read
Israel – Jerusalem (Part 3)
Israel – Jerusalem (Part 3) After an early start as we needed to disembark from the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas by 7am (see Israel part 2) we headed to the station. Located very conveniently right next door to the ship. We managed to buy one-way tickets to Jerusalem for about £20 from the very helpful and good English-speaking lady at the ticket desk. Then waited about 5 mins for the tra
12 Oct 2022 5 min read
Israel trip (part 2)
Royal Caribbean cruise from Haifa to Limassol and back on Rhapsody of the Seas Our transfer from Tel Aviv to Haifa port took just over an hour and we were dropped right near the baggage drop area. It was well organised that our luggage was taken from us, and we were free to board the ship. We went through security, passport control and checked in to receive our Set Sail passes. Then it was along
12 Oct 2022 5 min read
Israel – Tel Aviv (part 1)
Israel – Tel Aviv (part 1) I booked early morning flights from Luton to Tel Aviv, so we arrived early afternoon. We then stayed at a central hotel in Tel Aviv for 2 nights in the main street called Dizengoff Street. It was a good location for the beach and exploring. As we arrived early afternoon after 5-hour flight we decided to explore and find somewhere for some local food. On a road towards t
11 Oct 2022 5 min read
Madrid long weekend Sept 2022
Madrid long weekend Sept 2022 After a 2 year delay my family holiday with my parents and sister and her husband to Madrid for a long weekend happened. The holiday started with an overnight stop at the Hampton By Hilton at Stansted then Ryanair flight to Madrid. I booked a private transfer from the airport to our centrally located hotel, The Pestana Plaza Mayor for 3 nights. Lovely hotel right on
26 Sept 2022 5 min read
Please don't ignore me
Here are some things I’ve learned in my new sales career. I’m new to a sales role and one where it’s my business so I really care about making people happy and making my business successful. I’ve learned a lot so far, to become more ‘thick skinned’ and not take things to heart. It’s taken me out of my comfort zone but in a good way. Thick skinned – do we grow more layers? When I speak to potenti
29 Jul 2022 5 min read
Campervan roadtrip June/July 2022
Just back from an epic roadtrip around England on a mission to reach the Lake District in our 1998 VW campervan called Kermie. And we succeeded! Yay! Part 1 - Lincolnshire We set off on Thursday 23 June from Essex with our first campsite for the night in Brant Broughton in Lincolnshire. We had a few quick stops to stretch our legs including services, visit to Brewster’s Brewery to collect suppl
05 Jul 2022 5 min read
Top 10 travel myths of travel counsellors
It’s been nearly 3 months that I have been loving my job as a travel counsellor and I thought I’d share some myths that I have come across from clients either asking me about or using someone else as they assumed I wouldn’t be interested. So here are my top 10 Travel Counsellor myths: 1. We have a minimum spend – I am happy to look at any enquiry regardless of my client’s budget. I get a real se
22 Apr 2022 5 min read
South Africa Adventure
In November 2015 I finally managed to convince my husband we should travel around South Africa. He was reluctant but agreed. We arrived in Cape Town and checked into our guest house. They were so friendly and welcoming. We then set off up Table Mountain …as they say if you can see Table Mountain then you should climb it. We took the gondola up which rotated so everyone had a good view. It was am
07 Apr 2022 5 min read
Holiday ideas to distract a teenager
A client asked me where he could take his 16 year old son on holiday in June after his GCSEs. My client is pretty active and didn’t want to just stay on a beach and wanted lots of distractions to stop his son being glued to his phone. So here are my 6 suggestions including budget friendly and also including a bit more extravagant. 1. Greece - it’s not only the food that makes Greece one of the
16 Mar 2022 5 min read
My top 5 adventures so far …
I have had some amazing adventures and experiences, studying in Pennsylvania and working in The Philippines but of my adventures my greatest ones have to be … 1. South America 2018 This was amazing, I loved planning it almost as much as experiencing it! We covered Chile, Patagonia and Argentina (and Brazil – sort of). People were great, food was great, scenery was out of this world. There will be
14 Feb 2022 5 min read
Husband’s 50th birthday UK road-trip
So, we had planned to ski for 4 nights in Les Gets in France but since we weren’t allowed into France we settled on a small UK road-trip. Suffolk fun with friends and family For the first 2 nights I hired a youth hostel in Suffolk to celebrate with friends and family. It was great fun! And I even manged to organise a p**s up in a brewery! Northampton rest and relaxation We headed off from Suffo
08 Feb 2022 5 min read
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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.
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