Sharon Matthews

My expertise

South Africa
Cambodia
Greece
Vietnam
Abu Dhabi
Canada
Ecuador
United Arab Emirates

I'm based in

Arnside

Available for new enquiries

Looking for a dream holiday?

Bespoke travel expert; creating memories with a personal touch.

Do you love to travel? Do you need a travel expert to help you with your holiday plans?

I believe that the planning of your trip should be exciting and stress free, and I am here to help from the moment the thought of a holiday pops into your head, to the moment you return.

If you enjoy exploring new places, immersing yourself in local culture, enjoying traditional cuisine and spending quality time with your family; I’d love to take the strain away from you and make things as plain sailing as possible.

I have over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry, and I'm very fortunate to have a career in something I am very passionate about. I enjoy researching holiday ideas for you, saving you precious time and turning your holiday dreams into reality, whilst enhancing holiday experiences to ensure you create memories.

15 years ago I joined Travel Counsellors because I believe that excellent service costs nothing and I pride myself on the service I provide. I take time to get to know you and your travel requirements, your likes and dislikes and make sure I offer you a holiday that matches what you are looking for.

I have enjoyed a variety of holidays including city breaks, multi centre, fly drives, ski and various cruises. I have travelled extensively in Europe, Asia, America and Canada. I have also visited the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia and Australia, and my cruising experiences have taken me to Europe, the Baltic and Alaska. I got married in Lake Tahoe, California and have a teenage family so understand what's important when planning both a wedding abroad, a honeymoon or a family holiday.
Please read my customer testimonials and hear their experiences first hand, along with my travel blogs so you can see the destinations I have visited over recent years.

I am provided with award winning technology which gives me access to a wide variety of airlines and travel suppliers. So whatever you may be looking for; hotels, flights, a cruise, a holiday with family or friends, perhaps something for a special occasion, I work from home and I can be available at a time to suit you.

PLUS whilst you are away - I will provide 24/7 emergency contact should any issues arise, for your peace of mind.

Please pick up the phone or send me an email and we can have a chat and your holiday can start here…it won’t cost you anything and I would be delighted to try and help.

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Explore my guides and blogs

Beautiful Bardados

Beautiful Bardados

This trip took me quite by surprise! Someone invited me to a running event, and I already wanted to be involved before I found out the location! Then they tell you it’s in the Caribbean! It didn’t take long to get excited about this. I can tell you. There is something very special about being able to leave the dark December nights and extremely chilly temperatures of the UK for a good promise o

07 May 2023 5   min read

Norwegian Cruise Line - sailing from Iceland to the Netherlands

Norwegian Cruise Line - sailing from Iceland to the Netherlands

Norwegian Cruise lines - Prima I’ve been very fortunate to travel on a few cruises during my career and one I have been desperate to visit with my family is Norwegian cruise lines. I had the opportunity to do join fellow colleagues on the inaugural selling of Norwegian Prima in August 2022 sailing from Reykjavík in Iceland and visiting Cobh in Southern Ireland, Bruges, Le Havre and Amsterdam. Nor

06 May 2023 5   min read

Italian Lakes & Cities

Italian Lakes & Cities

This was not my first trip to Italy, but it was my 1st to explore some places I had not been, and in more detail than in previous trips . Italy ticks so many boxes for me, the food, the cities, the scenery, the sunshine, the wine and its accessibility. Italy is not just about the pizza and pasta as we know it, in fact it stretches far beyond catering for a tourists palate. Don’t get me wrong, th

06 May 2023 5   min read

Regent Seven Seas cruising

Regent Seven Seas cruising

I was very fortunate to be invited on a Regent Seven Seas pre re-launch of their ship Voyager back in March 2022. The first time she had taken to the seas post Covid, and with all the staff back on board and ready to roll we had three luxurious nights before the paying guests boarded for their holiday. A very simple flight through to Rome and coach transfer of just over one hour got us to Civitav

05 May 2023 5   min read

Iceland

Iceland

Well, this was a place that was always on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. Okay, so I know everyone heads here to see the Northern Lights. Well it’s not quite as easy as that - with no guarantee that you will witness this natural phenomenon, what you have to do is make sure you enjoy the searching for them. The 'will we, won’t we' see the lights adds much excitement on its own, but let

04 May 2023 5   min read

Paphos

Paphos

I was fortunate to be one of the lucky (if not a little brave) travellers of summer 2021, testing the new Covid fit to fly certificate and boy was it worth it! It was my first visit to Cyprus, and we flew to Paphos, and I was actually surprised at how close the array of Paphos seafront hotels are to the airport. Within 15 minutes of getting in the taxi, we were checked in and in the room and head

04 May 2023 5   min read

Summer sunshine in Dorset

Summer sunshine in Dorset

I’m all for a holiday in the UK, it’s just always the weather that can be the key difference with travelling overseas, but it’s a beautiful island we live on and worth exploring from one end to the other. This was possibly the furthest I have been since I went to Cornwall as a child! Dorset was completely new to me and I had the promise of seaside towns and villages, stunning beaches and great fi

04 May 2023 5   min read

Namibia Air safari - Trip of a lifetime

Namibia Air safari - Trip of a lifetime

I have to say, safari is possibly my favourite holiday pastime, perhaps somewhat because it's a treat, but also chances are few and far between, so when a chance came my way through work, it was too good an opportunity to resist. 8 nights, 5 locations, thousands of miles covered, all in a private jet. I appreciate these chances are limited, but if you have a safari trip on your bucket list, I'd

24 Feb 2020 5   min read

City break by the sea

City break by the sea

This was a February half term break for me so with family in tow and only 4 nights to spare, it needed to be reached easily. And whilst I generally have a bit of a rule of '5 nights is a maximum for a city break', being by the coast adds a different dimension. There is so much to do in Barcelona, you could easily be entertained for a week. Access wise it's very straightforward to get around. We

24 Feb 2020 5   min read

Cavtat, Croatia

Cavtat, Croatia

Following a few nights in Kotor, Montenegro, we opted to take the bus to Croatia for the second part of our holiday. You can read more about this in my Croatia blog. It was very reasonable at less than €15 a ticket, however is has to be said that with that, you do get the unpredictability of a border crossing. What was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour journey became almost five. That said, the

24 Sept 2018 5   min read

Mountains of Montenegro and Cultural Croatia

Mountains of Montenegro and Cultural Croatia

Still untouched by many despite cruise ship passengers arriving in their thousands, Montenegro still retains its charm and 'oldy worldy' approach to welcoming these numbers. In Kotor it is almost like stepping back in time, even outside of the Old Town walls - it is definitely not overly commercial (no fast food chains here) and copes incredibly well with the visitors. Inside the Old Town walls

24 Sept 2018 5   min read

Elephant Hills, Khao Sok, Thailand

Elephant Hills, Khao Sok, Thailand

Our stay in Thailand was the ultimate in luxury adventure. Elephant sanctuaries are quite popular In Thailand, but I believe if you can ride the elephants, chances are, you need to look further afield for a more ethical and real experience. We opted for a 3-day, 2-night stay at Elephant Hills and have enjoyed an experience that will stay with us forever. In addition to bathing and feeding this

06 Jun 2018 5   min read

UK city break

UK city break

Do you fancy a UK city break in the North but not York or Manchester? What about Leeds? Having not visited since 2005 I was really pleasantly surprised to see how smart a city it is, with endless shopping opportunities. As well as the usual high street stores, (and unlike many large towns these days I didn't see an empty shop space) there are also larger department stores - John Lewis, Debenha

06 Jun 2018 5   min read

Hamburg

Hamburg

This was my first visit to Germany in years, and the first summer visit since a school exchange trip, but many memories came flooding back, as did my GCSE German when faced with ordering food, or asking for directions! Hamburg is a port, so quite industrial, but there are opportunities to ride the ferries out to some small beaches and see the city from the water are fun. Leaving from in front o

30 Nov 2017 5   min read

Majestic Madrid

Majestic Madrid

This was just a two night city break with my girlfriends, and we stayed in an apartment just off the main shopping and entertainment street, Gran Via. Whilst I would always look at staying central to make the most of everything being close to hand, the metro system was clean, cheap and very useful, the efficiency of European underground transport never ceasing to amaze me! It's quite a large ci

09 Nov 2017 5   min read

Alternative Orlando

Alternative Orlando

This is how you do a whistle stop tour of Orlando, and don't even step into Disney or Universal, but spend a week exploring all the alternative attractions on offer within an hour or so of Disney. I visited on a work educational tour, with family trips at the forefront of my mind. Day 1 - The first is a bucket list item for many. It involved being up and ready at 5am to head to Orlando Balloon

03 Nov 2017 5   min read

Bustling Bangkok, Serene Singapore and the beach

Bustling Bangkok, Serene Singapore and the beach

When you're in my role, it is difficult to bypass a city you aren't too bowled over by, particularly when your flight is passing through. I didn't backpack in my youth so the Far East was new territory for me. But this time I had a family to consider, so I chose carefully to stay close to the River, away from the real hustle and bustle and I cannot express how much fun we had in Bangkok. Bangk

20 Sept 2017 5   min read

Tips for travelling with young children

Tips for travelling with young children

Pace yourself. If this is your first trip with your children, aim for a slightly slower paced break than usual. Go with the flow and don’t pack in too much. Avoiding stress is the name of the game, so build in rest days and be realistic about what you might see and do. Travel is great for broadening the mind, even if you’re a five-year-old. Start getting your little ones prepared for their holi

20 Sept 2017 5   min read

Sunshine and fun in St. Lucia

Sunshine and fun in St. Lucia

On one of the beautiful sun kissed islands of the Caribbean, you can do as little or as much as you like. There is always time to do nothing, but relax on a gorgeous sandy beach and lose yourself in your favourite novel. On the other hand, you can stay at one of the more active resorts where I stayed – BodyHoliday, or leave the resort to explore, and in this case, the list of what you can do is

24 Aug 2016 5   min read

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Dubai & Abu Dhabi

Well the one thing I can never be sure to guarantee when I arrange your holiday is sunshine. But I knew the chances of blue skies were pretty high when I jetted off to the United Arab Emirates in February. Just over a seven hour flight from the UK takes you to Dubai, and a swift taxi transfer to Abu Dhabi found us in our hotel, and more importantly glorious temperatures, less than 10 hours late

23 Nov 2014 5   min read

Amazing Algarve

Amazing Algarve

Gorgeous white sandy beaches, rocky coastline and fun for all the family...on the Algarve. The Algarve stretches most of the southern coast of Portugal and provides something for everyone. Hot days and warm evenings and welcoming temperatures from Easter through to November. I would highly recommend a car for this holiday, it’s the best way to get around and discover so many places, neighbou

23 Nov 2014 5   min read

Vienna – Now or Never!

Vienna – Now or Never!

I thought I would write and tell you about a recent weekend trip to Vienna. Less than 20 minutes from the airport to the city centre and with cheap transport options Vienna is very accessible and a well-kept secret! With few tour operators selling city breaks to this destination, it’s a great option for a tailor made break using low cost flights and accommodation (although remember, we offer fu

10 Aug 2014 5   min read

On Safari in South Africa

On Safari in South Africa

Three days might seem like a long way to go to South Africa for, and it is. But if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity to experience a safari in this wonderful country, it's absolutely worth it. There is only a two hour time difference so jet lag is not an issue. The majority of people don't go to South Africa just for a safari, but what they easily do is incorporate two or three night’

20 Nov 2012 5   min read

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris

I have been waiting for the right time to do this trip – my children are 4 & 6 and I think I got it just about right. We travelled by Eurostar from London St Pancras and chose a train with a 90 minute break in the journey, at Lille. This allowed us to stop and sample a French patisserie, but there is a direct train to and from St Pancras daily and the journey time is around 2 and a half hour

13 Sept 2012 5   min read

Icmeler, Turkey

Icmeler, Turkey

This is my second experience of Turkey, but my first for some 15 years and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a family holiday and we stayed in Icmeler, but at the end of the resort, some 2kms from the town, promenade and beach. This was a fabulous choice. Getting to most places in Turkey is fairly easy. Their local bus services - dolmus, are cheap and efficient. Ours left within 50m of the

09 Jul 2012 5   min read

Costa de la Luz, Spain

Costa de la Luz, Spain

Vejer de la Frontera, Costa de la Luz, Spain Vejer de la Frontera is a picturesque hilltop village in South Western Spain, approximately 2 – 2 ½ hours drive South of Seville. Vejer itself is typically Spanish, there are not many people speaking English and menus are more often than not in Spanish only, but that’s all part of the enjoyment and the locals are very friendly and welcoming. Ve

26 Apr 2012 5   min read

Canada & Alaska

Canada & Alaska

Canada & Alaska Vancouver is the city that has it all – bright lights, shopping, parks, wildlife, skiing, sports and beautiful beaches, all set against a backdrop of dramatic mountains! There are unlimited options to what you can do, in and around this city, but too numerous to mention so here are my highlights: Grouse Mountain – Here you can take the sky ride to the top, which is 1242 metre

23 Apr 2012 5   min read

Baltic Capitals

Baltic Capitals

Having been bitten by the cruising bug, and tempted by the opportunity to visit 7 destinations from one floating hotel - I booked my 2nd Celebrity cruise with the added bonus of departing from the UK – which also meant I had an unrestricted baggage allowance. This time we travelled in May unsure of what those chilly Baltic countries may bring so early into Spring and made sure an extra layer wa

23 Apr 2012 5   min read

Lake Tahoe & Northern California

Lake Tahoe & Northern California

My Jewel in the Californian Sun (and even snow)! I have such fond memories of this part of America as it is where I got married. Lake Tahoe holds that special place in my heart, not just for that but because it is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking views and scenery I have ever experienced. I have been to Lake Tahoe three times and whilst all my visits have been in what we call the

17 Jun 2011 5   min read

What my customers say

Bespoke Travel Agent Sharon came to our house and helped choose our trip, great advice, fantastic knowledge. We travelled around the world starting in Dubai, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand & America etc. 133 days 30+ hotels 24 flights boarding passes all downloaded for us, transfers, boats, cars all on time. Where problems arose all sorted before we knew about it Contact available 24/7 gave confidence knowing back up in place this took a lot of organising, I thought it very good value.

Graham Barnfield Louise McGivern

Cumbria

I could not recommend Sharon any higher, from a short initial conversation she understood exactly what we were looking for! Sharon gave us the confidence to be far more adventurous with our itinerary and she created a truly unforgettable holiday!

G Benson

Cumbria

Sharon organised a fantastic holiday to New Zealand for us recently. We went to Thailand for the first week, followed by a quick stopover in Singapore before flying to Queenstown, via Auckland. We had six weeks to explore South and North islands of NZ before we flew home via New York, where we had 4 nights in a hotel near Times Square. We cannot praise Sharon enough for her efficient organisation of the flights and accommodation. We were able to relax as everything went smoothly. We were able to keep in touch via WhatsApp and Sharon responded as soon as she could, considering the different time zones. Her personal touch on everything was fantastic and we will definitely be using her expertise for future trips and recommending her to all our friends. N and C Beech

N & C Beech

Yorkshire

Sharon has been great at finding last minute, high-quality bookings for us. We're people who like to book holidays across a number of different locations so that we can explore - but that makes bookings challenging. Sharon has been great at sequencing everything together to make sure that we can go from hotel to hotel - always being assured that she will have found us great places to stay. Because we're always trying to do things at the last minute it can be hard to find good hotels but Sharon always finds them - and has made sure that we've stayed in some great locations.

Alastair Richards

Lancaster

Having Sharon organising our trip to Greece this year marvellous. The holiday went like clockwork...flights taxus ferries all went smoothly. No paperwork to deal with and Sharon kept us upto date with the plans. Highly recommended.

Mary Tyson

Kirkby lonsdale

Sharon makes the whole stressful process of finding and booking a holiday a complete delight . We use Sharon every single time we go away and could not do it without her ! Sharon always finds us exactly what we are searching for and always brings it in within our budget . Thank you Sharon for your continued help and support ! We are now looking forward to our 2023 booking !

Ann-Marie White

Kendal

Sharon always goes above and beyond for our perfect holiday. Nothing is a problem and you know that everything from the preparation, to the journey, the hotel to the return trip, will be perfect and run smoothly. I won’t go anywhere else to book our holidays. She has my full confidence.

Joanne Holgate

Yealand Redmayne

I have booked several holidays through Sharon and have always been very impressed by the level of service I am given. Everything is arranged down to the last detail. It is hugely reassuring to know that everything has been sorted, and if there are any hiccups along the way these will be smoothed out almost before you are aware of them. The personal touch that Sharon provides cannot be beaten. I am sure I will be using her for future trips.

Gretchen Siviter

Arnside

Sharon was super helpful sorting out our recent holiday to Cyprus. Our first holiday after lock down would have been a nightmare to sort out, considering all the covid restrictions. Sharon made the whole process seamless. We would definitely use Sharon again to book our family holiday and we would not hesitate to recommend her.

Elise Booth

Kendal

Sharon has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure every little detail of our trip was taken care of in the manner we wanted. She was always available at any time (despite world time differences) and was always happy to help. Sharon has taken most of the stresses involved with a family vacation away, leaving us to enjoy the holiday. I will continue to have Sharon look after our future foreign vacations and certainly would not hesitate in recommending her services for anyone considering the same.

Christos Christou

Milnthorpe

At the start I had a complicated travel plan and Sharon did an excellent job in very quickly working and booking a schedule that would meet my requirements. However, shortly after booking, my plans changed with the rapidly developing new covid strains and we had to consider many variations before deferring the trip. Throughout this process, Sharon was relentlessly cheerful and attentive when my plans changed on a daily basis. I will be using Sharon again and recommending her to my friends.

Stephen Ross

Edinburgh ( formerly Kirkby Lonsdale)

Thank you Sharon for all your help. As our requirements were so complex with different people flying on different dates, trying to meet up and then flying back together, there is no way we could have organised this ourselves. Thank you for the time you took to help our daughter as she had never flown on her own before, and for the first trip being to the USA this was very daunting for her. You talked her through the transfer at Heathrow and what to expect when reaching the USA. Everything went to plan and every silly question (sorry) we had you answered promptly and gave us the information we needed. Navigating all the visa and Covid19 requirements went so smoothly as did all the holiday arrangements. I could not have imagined trying to sort all of this out ourselves. We really appreciated the personal touch that you provided and that nothing was too much trouble for you. Here's to the next holiday which I promise won't be as complicated. Thanks Andyx

Andy Bloor

Lytham St. Annes

Sharon is amazing at what she does - we have used her for many years and have had nothing but excellent service from her. She goes above and beyond to help, nothing is too much trouble for her. We would highly recommend her to anyone.

Alan and Marilyn Wilson

Kendal

We had our perfect destination decided on and asked Sharon to give us some choices. The personal service given and the attention to detail with everything we had asked for when looking at our holiday were fantastic . Sharon gave us options and choices to choose from as well as advice. She booked us the most amazing holiday which we will be asking her to look at to rebook next year to. Thank you so much!!

Robin Adams

Holme

Sharon has been very helpful throughout and made the holiday booking experience so much easier. It became a bit stressful when my husbands passport was delayed, Sharon offered lots of reassurance and a plan B, incase he could not travel with us. As we had never visited the area before Sharon provided us with lists of places to visit and restaurants to try. Her recommendations were brilliant and we ate at a few of the restaurants and they did not disappoint! We will definitely be recommending her to friends and family, and be using her again.

Nicola Spedding

ARNSIDE

Sharon was a truly amazing travel counsellor. She did everything for us from start to finish, in a very professional and caring way. Could not fault her, and will definitely go with her again

Sandra Wilkinson

Kendal

Hi Sharon, thanks for another amazing holiday. Every time we book with you we think it can't match the last holiday, but it always does. Dubai, Grenada, Mykonos, Santorini were all amazing holidays and hotels. Looking forward to booking our next holiday with you. Thank you so much for being so awesome Matt, Sarah & family x

Matt Robinson

London

Sharon was absolutely fantastic helping us book our family trip. So nice to have the personal touch back! Nothing was too much trouble and we would definitely recommend :)

Ben Waterhouse

Arnside

Sharon Matthews organized our once in a lifetime trip to Peru and the Galápagos Islands and that it was. Superbly organized from start to finish. Sharon is a fabulous counselor in which we have given her our trust over ten years. I will never change that. We are completely satisfied and advertise your firm and Sharon widely. Thank you Travel Counselors.

Brenda Ocana

Gibraltar

I would just like to say a big thank you to Sharron for booking us a fantastic holiday in a cottage in Somerset. She sourced a few for us to choose from and really listened to what we were looking for and really came up trumps. Was so good to get away during the pandemic and she really took the stress out of finding somewhere. She checked to make sure everything was ok and we even got a welcome home card hoping we had enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend Sharron to anyone looking for a holiday. Thanks again Sharron

Andrea Graham

Lancaster

Very pleased with the organisation of our recent holiday. Thank you to Sharon.

Heather Roberts

Arnside

I would like to thank Sharon for her assistance in booking our special family holiday to Australia. From the 1st moment we spoke she couldn’t of been more enthusiastic coming up with some good suggestions and advised us well on the best flights to suit our family. When it finally came to booking the flights it couldn’t of been simpler and also making sure we are all sat together and this was all within our budget. I would not hesitate in recommending Sharon to anyone wanting to book a short or long haul break. Many thanks.

Louise Banks

Kendal

We would just like to say a huge thank you to Sharon for finding and organising the honeymoon of our dreams to Mauritius. It was just perfect and she made the whole experience really enjoyable and completely stress free. From start to finish we could not fault Sharon's hard work and constant communication throughout the whole process from deciding where to go to retuning back with our seats booked and checked in, in advance. At the beginning of the planning process, Sharon spent time getting to know us and listened to our honeymoon requirements to tailor and personalise the honeymoon for us. With her experience and expert destination knowledge she suggested places to visit from previous recommendations or her own personal visits and had direct contact with the hotels, to answer all our questions. Sharon provided us with comparison lists of destinations, to help us narrow it down and make our final decision easier to make, knowing we had picked the perfect destination. Once the honeymoon was booked, Sharon carried out further research of activities to do on our visit and this gave us the opportunity us to plan and book things in advance. We used the wedding gift registry service to allow our wedding guests to help contribute to our honeymoon. All our wedding guests thought this was a brilliant idea and easy to use. When we arrived at our hotel, the hotel had been told in advance by Sharon that it was our honeymoon and we were welcomed by a honeymoon meal and gifts in our hotel room. This was a lovely finishing touch. We would highly recommend Sharon for her outstanding service and will certainly be using her again for future holidays. She gave us so much time and covered everything we needed to know... certainly a service you wouldn't get by booking a holiday online or going into a travel agents shop. Mr and Mrs Shipperd.

Simon & Jeanette Shipperd

Burton in Kendal

Having used Sharon over several years we can recommend the personal and helpful service we have received. Sharon's attention to your requirements and her recommendations regarding your needs has always made holiday booking a more simple task. All aspects of the travel industry seem to be within her remit and we look foreward to her imput in the future. Thanks Sharon.

Norma Owen

Arnside cumbre.

Sharon booked our Florida holiday this year. The service she provided from beginning to end was first class. She responds promptly to queries, is always available, has a fantastic knowledge of the industry and nothing is too much for her. We have already recommended her to friends and we will be booking future holidays with her again. Thank you Sharon!

Paula Fulwood

Billericay

During the years that my family have used Sharon for winter or late summer holiday bookings, there have been just a couple of instances where we have had to call upon all of her expertise, customer support and wisdom to help us out of a difficult situation. On both of these occasions Sharon has immediately taken the initiative, making all communications and arrangements necessary and keeping all parties informed and updated. With her proactivity and attention to detail, Sharon has drastically reduced our stress and allowed us to continue with our plans as closely as possible. We don't all appreciate customer service, or measure value for money until something goes wrong! However, the service and value that Sharon delivers is second to none and, having put that to the test, we cannot recommend her strongly enough!

White Family

Kendal

Sharon has now organised two major trips for us, one 'around the world'. Both experiences were great and we had absolutely no issues at all. We will be asking her to organise another trip in the near future and have total confidence in her services. The personal touch she offers is particularly appreciated.

Peter Swinburne

Grange over Sands, Cumbria

We were so glad that a friend recommended Sharon to us to plan our holiday in Mallorca. She took away all the usual internet trawling and decision agonies from us and came up with package options that fitted our requirements with perfection. All the travel and transfers worked flawlessly and the chosen apartment was perfectly matched to our varied needs. We had all confidence in Sharon's expertise and look forward to using her skills again. Thank you Sharon.

Andrew Leavett

Grange over Sands

I recently asked Sharon to organise a trip to Florida for me to attend a wedding. At the same time I wanted to see some of the sights of Florida but not go to the main Disney parks. Sharon put together a very well thought out itinerary. The hotels she arranged were in good convenient locations and were of a decent standard. The hire car was exactly as arranged and no hassle to collect or return. In addition her advice on where was the best places to stay meant I had several good options for sight seeing and enjoying the local restaurants and amenities. I have no hesitation in recommending her and will certainly be using her servicesagain for my next rip.

Richard Gill

Kendal

I am unable to thank you enough for your hard work and thoughtfulness in organising my 70th birthday party. All the personal touches from the beautiful flowers you sent to my room on my birthday to the welcome home letter when I got back. All those little things that mean so much including us all sitting near each other on the flight, having our apartments almost next door to each other and the transfer transport being on time. I cannot thank you enough as I am so very impressed with everything you have done. We all had a fantastic time, with the age range of our party of 18 people from 6 years - 70 years, there was something for everyone to do.  All of our apartments were very near the beach which was alive with activities day and night which I loved.  We spent days at the pool, boogied the night away at the beach clubs, took a ferry and explored the caves and found amazing restaurants  We laughed a lot and partied hard. The boys spent a day fishing which they loved, came home with smiles from ear to ear to barbeque their catch on the roof top.  They also spent a day on the golf course which they thoroughly enjoyed.  So thank you for all your hard work in putting it all together and making it happen for us.  I am sure it was not the easiest of holidays you have done. A million thank you's Sharon. We all had an amazing time which was down to your hard work, attention to detail and thoughtfulness.

Joan Robinson

Leatherhead

Sharon last helped us book a family holiday to Dubai and quite simply.....we couldn't have asked for better service or expertise! Sharon listened to our needs, provided great initial feedback for us to hone down our choices and made the booking process painless. Excellent communication throughout; either email or 'phone call and it helped she knew the location and what there was to do for a family, so she could really give that extra bit to help make our holiday the great relax that we wanted. We've used the services of a Travel Counsellor for over 10 years and have no intention of changing! Now, where to next...any ideas Sharon ?!

James Fishwick

Buckinghamshire

Sharon booked our family holiday to Thailand, the holiday was fantastic, we did two nights in Bangkok. So pleased we did that, such a fun place, the hotel was amazing, and I've never seen such a fabulous restaurant. Then off the khao lak for some relaxation, and that's what we got, our hotel was right in the beach, with lovely beach bars along the beach serving scrumptious local Thai dishes for next to nothing. We wanted a hotel that was near a town so we could go out to eat and soak up the local culture and that's absolutely what we got, just a 5 min walk, with lots of restaurants, and shops to look around, and everything is so cheap. We had a fabulous holiday and Sharon went above and beyond to make our time in Thailand very special, we will definitely be booking our holidays with Sharon again. The Meyrick family

Kelly Meyrick

Kendal

Sharon arranged a cruise for us in March 2017. I cant praise her professionalism highly enough; it was our first cruise so we weren't exactly sure what we wanted but Sharon guided us smoothly through the different package options, suggesting what was worth pre-booking and what we should leave until onboard. We changed our minds numerous times on ship/destination but Sharon was patient with us throughout as we sent her back to the drawing board! She arranged hotel accommodation for us at either end of the cruise and again used her knowledge and experience to ensure we stayed in great places in great locations. If you want a hassle-free holiday where you know everything is going to be right then I'd recommend utilising Sharon's expertise without question. Thanks again for a fantastic trip.

Nigel Ralphson

Lancaster

Sharon is absolutely great, very patient and knowledgeable, and was on hand to sort out a few last minute niggles. I wouldn't hesitate to use her for future trips, or to recommend her to friends. Thank you for helping us have an amazing family holiday in Florida.

Amy Forrester

New Haw

From the first meeting with Sharon we were impressed by her thoroughness and efficiency with the itinerary which we had asked her to put together for our 3 month trip to the Southern Hemisphere, travelling around the world. The organisation of all the flights worked very well even down to our seats being booked where possible and Sharon writing all details on our luggage labels. It was reassuring to have contact, by email, with Sharon all the way through the trip. The companies used for our organised trips recommended by Sharon's company in Malaysia and Australia were excellent. We will be using Sharon in the future and have already recommended her to our friends

Eric Judge

Arnside

Sharon is a dedicated travel advisor. Her wealth of knowledge is outstanding and she always goes above and beyond the call of duty when I am travelling. Highly recommended and very professional. Someone with a conscience and will always get you the best possible deal available.

Heather Buckel

Lancaster

Our four week holiday to Alaska in 2016 , was the best holiday we had experienced. Sharon's attention to detail was second to none, carefully listening to our requirements and using her knowledge and experience so our trip ran like clockwork . Highly recommended.

Rosemary Ingram

Steppingley Bedfordshire

Sharon gave us an excellent personal service with great communication. Nothing was too much trouble for her. The paperwork that she gave to us before our trip was absolutely excellent and on the trip everything ran like clockwork. She was completely correct on all the advice that she gave us, but didn't give us so much that we felt overwhelmed or left us with nothing to discover ourselves. We've already recommended her to family and friends. It was like having a friend organise everything for you, a friend with all the answers! We can't thank her enough.

Angela Gregory

Carnforth

Sharon organised a complex trip lasting 7 weeks to Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong for us. We had the most brilliant time, due in large part to her excellent organisational skills. All travel, transport and accommodation arrangements worked well. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her and will certainly be using her excellent services again when we have saved up! Thanks again, Sharon.

Sarah Mantell

Grange-Over-Sands

Sharon took all the stress out of the planning of our Disney holiday and was a pleasure to deal with. Nothing was too much trouble and we were kept updated all the way through the process. I have no doubt that we will book through Sharon in the future and we are more than happy to recommend her to others.

Anna Wright

DIDCOT

We would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Sharon as your holiday organizer. Sharon arranged a complicated holiday for 3 of us to Cambodia by firstly offering us several choices and then confirming a holiday that involved a lot of correspondence with us and the destination operator. Sharon met with us to give us all our documents and was even available to us whilst she was on her own holiday. We had a minor incident while we were away and Sharon helped us in a very considered and appropriate way. We had an amazing holiday which was very well organized and gave us exactly what we wanted. Thanks to Sharon for everything she did in a professional, helpful, cheerful and considerate manner. We will definitely be using Sharon again.

Heather Pakeman

Sedbergh

I can't recommend Sharon highly enough. She helped me organise a wonderful family trip to America at an emotional time. She took on board all my wishes and was great at making helpful suggestions that enhanced our trip away. Everything from start to finish ran like clockwork! I am now looking forward to a skiing trip planned for Easter which Sharon has fine tuned for me. Here's to future holidays!

Sharron Lewis

Kendal

Excellent and efficient service from Sharon. Nothing was too much trouble when I wanted to get the best price for our trip.

Emma Dinneen

Kendal

Sharon has been recommended to me by very good friends of mine. From the first moment she made me feel at ease. She is patient and friendly. If anyone would ask me if I'd know a reliable, knowledgable Travel Counsellor, I would say, Oh yes, go to Sharon Matthews. She is a gem.

C Stam

Cornwall

Sharon worked hard to find the holiday we wanted within our budget. This is the second year running that we have booked our family holiday with Sharon and we have always been happy with the service we have received. Thank you.

N Crossman

Arnside

I find it difficult to find suitable hotel accommodation for my disabled wife but Sharon is always there to help. Her task isn't always easy, but she deals with it in a very professional manner. She also organised my daughter's honeymoon on my recommendation, as well as my recent trip to the Far East. First rate service.

D Hazeldine

Lytham St Annes

Really happy with the service Sharon provided. Felt she was very well informed and nothing too much trouble.

P Wilde

Lytham St Annes

We have once again had excellent service from Sharon. She continually goes the extra mile to ensure the holiday is perfect in every way. Nothing is too much trouble and she is always more than happy to help with any queries or problems, thus taking all the stress away from arranging a holiday.

A Parkinson

Blackburn

Sharon Matthews has been amazing! I will without doubt be contacting Sharon in the future to help plan our holidays. A massive thank you Sharon.

R Cornell

Wakefield

Clear, friendly and valuable assistance given at all stages. Sharon made everything so easy from the beginning. Will definitely be recommending (actually have done already). Very happy with the service.

A Hazeldine

Preston

Sharon was extremely pleasant to deal with and we are very pleased with the itinerary she has put together for us. We value her knowledge and are certain we could not have come up with the same itinerary on our own.

B Leslie

Cumbria

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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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