Wendy Farrar
I'm based in
Market Harborough
It's Nice To Meet You
My name is Wendy Farrar and I am a Gold Travel Counsellor . I am originally from Cheshire, but moved away 26 years ago due to my husbands job to live in Market Harborough, Leicestershire , well now I am back on home turf, and I love it. I live with my husband Ian and our adored cocker spaniel Ebony.
I have been in the travel industry for more than 40 years, so have a wealth of experience. After many years managing High Street travel shops, I became a Travel Counsellor in April 2002. One of the main reasons I became a Travel Counsellor was that I wanted to give my clients the highest level of customer service coupled with unbiased independent travel advice.
Travel Counsellors is one of the largest independent travel agencies in the UK and provides agents like myself with the latest technology. This technology enables me to work from home which means I'm available to discuss your travel needs when it suits you, and that isn't always during office hours! We also offer the best Financial Protection in the travel business... book with me and your money is safe.
Below are just a selection of the awards that Travel Counsellors have won...
2020 - Sunday Times Top Track 250
2020 - Queens Award for Enterprise
2019 - Winner British Travel Awards - Best National Travel Retailer
2018 - Winner British Travel Awards-Best Independent Agency
2014 - 2019 - Queen's Award for Enterprise
2014 - Sunday Times Profit Track 100
2013 - Sunday Times Profit Track 100
2012 - Sunday Times Profit Track 100
2012 - Red Ribbon Award
2012 - Investec - UK's Hot 100 Fastest Growing companies Award
2011 - Sunday Times/HSBC International Track 100
2011 - Telegraph 1000: Britain's Brightest Businesses
2010 - Guardian Travel Agent of the Year
2009 - Guardian Travel Agent of the Year
2007- Guardian Travel Agent of the Year
2006 - Guardian Travel Agent of the Year
2003-2008 - Queen's Award for Enterprise
Travel Counsellors is the only travel company to have won the Queen's Award multiple times....... An accolade in itself!
In September 2006 I became a Gold Travel Counsellor, which means I am one of Travel Counsellors' top performing agents.
One of my areas of expertise is tailor-made holidays, whether that be in Europe or further afield. I'm also able to arrange all other aspects of travel... that might be a flight to Barcelona, a romantic break on board the Orient Express, ski or golf packages, Mediterranean or Caribbean cruises to name but a few... and all this the from the comfort of your own home, what could be easier?
I am well-travelled myself, so can offer personal recommendations and impartial advice turning that dream holiday into reality!
Hassle free, no more wasted time in travel agencies. I guarantee excellent customer service at better than high street prices, what more could you want?
Please do not hesitate to email or give me a call.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Fab U Lous
This year the annual Travel Counsellors Gold Conference was held on the beautiful Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean at the Beachcomber, Trou Aux Biches Golf Resort and Spa located on the north west side of the island just above Grand Baie. The Gold Conference is attended by those Travel Counsellors who have achieved the much coveted Gold sales status and excellence in serving their customer
27 Nov 2019 5 min read
Paradise
Ever wondered what paradise looks like, sounds like and feels like? Well, wonder no more because I have just seen it’s stunning views, enjoyed the aura of peace and tranquility and experienced the sensations of harmony and oneness with the universe. We have just returned from a part business/part holiday visit to the beautiful island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. For our short “holiday tim
06 Nov 2019 5 min read
Secrets Silversands,... dont keep it a secret!!
Secrets Silversands luxury adults only, all inclusive, resort and spa, Riviera Maya, Mexico 18 March to 2nd April 2016 In May 2015 AM Resorts hosted our annual Gold conference weekend at their Secrets brand property “The Vine” on the strip in Cancun. (See the review in my travel blog, “Gold weekend in Cancun”) I enjoyed the concept so much that along with my husband we decided to visit an
22 Apr 2016 5 min read
Skiathos.....I can see why people go back year after year
For a one week break in September with my husband and my parents I chose somewhere new for me, the Greek island of Skiathos. The island is quite small being just seven miles long and four miles wide but does have a small international airport which offers some spectacular views when landing on the short runway over boats and a beach! It is also very green due to an abundance of pine forests coveri
20 Oct 2015 5 min read
Wedding Anniversary in London
To celebrate our wedding anniversary we opted for a weekend in London to see a show, have a nice dinner and take the updated tour of the Tower of London. We stayed at the Guoman Tower Hotel right by Tower Bridge and a perfect base for what we had planned. Our room was spacious and comfortable with a good view across the Thames to the South Bank and we enjoyed access to the Club lounge for comp
22 Jul 2015 5 min read
Gold Weekend in Cancun
I travelled with my husband to Cancun for my annual Gold Conference held in the luxurious all inclusive Secrets the Vine Resort and Spa, one of the many resorts in the portfolio of our main sponsors AM Resorts. With a superb beach location right on the Caribbean sea, it has 495 rooms and suites, seven restaurants, seven bars, all day coffee lounge and 24 hour room service so you are never far from
28 Jun 2015 5 min read
Anthem Of The Seas - Naming Ceremony- Southampton
I was one of 60 Travel Counsellors selected to spend 2 days on board Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines brand new ship, Anthem of the Seas. This ship is certainly big at 168,000 tonnes and a maximum capacity of 4180, having said that the design is very clever meaning there are numerous places on board you can go to spend some time other than the obvious sunbathing. The interior design is beautifully
26 May 2015 5 min read
Fabulous Fort Lauderdale & Celebrity Caribbean Cruise - Equinox
I was delighted to leave the UK winter behind with a few days in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before joining up with two close friends for a ten night Cruise in the Caribbean on Celebrity’s fabulous ship Equinox which sailed out of Port Everglades. We flew out to Miami with Virgin and picked up a yellow taxi from Miami airport for the 45 minute drive to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale which cost $80 plus
26 May 2015 5 min read
Celebrity Silhouette Caribbean Cruise
For a holiday with two very close friends we chose to spend four days in Fort Lauderdale, Florida followed by a seven night cruise on Celebrity “Silhouette” around the western area of the Caribbean. We flew to Miami with Virgin and had a private transfer for the 45 minute journey to our hotel the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The Hilton offers comfortable spacious rooms, pool terrace, tw
24 Oct 2014 5 min read
Gold Weekend Orlando
I travelled to Orlando in Florida with my husband for the Travel Counsellors Gold Weekend. As it was several years since my last visit to the area it gave me an opportunity to update my knowledge of the hotels and various attractions that the area has to offer. Universal Studios were the main sponsors of our event and we stayed at the spectacular Loews Portofino Bay Hotel right on the Universa
20 Oct 2014 5 min read
Magical Mykonos
I flew out to the Greek island of Mykonos with my husband and my parents for a week of chilling out in hot sunny weather to help us through the winter! We travelled on an Easyjet flight which took just under four hours. A twenty minute transfer from the airport soon had us arriving at our chosen hotel, Myconian Imperial Resort and Thalasso Spa Centre on the South of the Island at Elia Beach.
20 Oct 2014 5 min read
Emerald Princess Ship Visit
I was very fortunate to have been offered the chance to go on-board the fabulous Emerald Princess. Due to operational reasons (dredging of the channel) the berth was moved to the quintessentially British terminal ”Mayflower”, its like walking back in time to a bygone era and after check in we were encouraged to board the ship…. easier said than done in this case. Me and a few others followed th
20 Oct 2014 5 min read
Mauritius Gold Conference - A Truly Tropical Paradise
The tropical island of Mauritius was the chosen venue for our Travel Counsellors Gold Conference. An opportunity to relax for a few days as well as network with fellow gold Travel Counsellors and senior colleagues from Head Office. I flew out with my husband via Dubai with Emirates, one of the sponsors for our event. A nice touch on arrival outside the airport was a welcoming performance of the
05 Feb 2014 5 min read
Celebrity Silhouette- Italy & Croatia Mediterranean Cruise
One of my goals had always been to sail from/into Venice on a luxury cruise ship so when Celebrity offered a cruise itinerary doing just that on their fabulous new ship Silhouette I was delighted to book it with my husband and two very good friends. On arrival in Venice it was just a 20 minute transfer from the airport to the Cruise terminal where we were soon being welcomed aboard with a glass of
05 Feb 2014 5 min read
Arabian Adventure Onboard Brilliance Of The Seas
We flew to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with Emirates Airlines. We spent a couple of days relaxing and acclimatising ourselves at the excellent Palm Tree Court & Spa Hotel, Jebel Ali before joining the ship for our 7 night Arabian Gulf Cruise. Jebel Ali is approximately 40 mins away from the main Jumeirah Beach/Marina/City area and is more suited to someone wanting a quieter stay in Dubai. Th
05 Feb 2014 5 min read
Oman........Truly Arabic
Seeking some sunshine and relaxation to keep us going through the UK winter, I flew with my husband on Oman Air from Heathrow to Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. The private transfer to our chosen resort, the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort, took 45 minutes and our driver, an Omani, spoke perfect English. During the journey he gave us a fascinating insight into his country. Located in bet
21 Nov 2013 5 min read
Abu Dhabi - ideal winter break
I travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates with my husband to attend our Travel Counsellors Gold Conference. We flew out with Etihad Airways one of the sponsors for our event and voted the Middle East’s leading Airline 2013. The Conference provided an opportunity to familiarise with the attractions Abu Dhabi has to offer as a holiday/stopover destination, visit a selection of hotels and
08 Nov 2013 5 min read
Vibrant Vienna
I flew out from Gatwick on an easyjet flight with my husband and a couple of friends for a weekend break in the Austrian Capital of Vienna. The transfer from the airport to our hotel took about 25 minutes. We had chosen to stay at the Das Tyrol Hotel which has member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World status. It has thirty spacious rooms all with air conditioning, Satellite TV, Safe, compl
31 Oct 2013 5 min read
Divine Dubai
Last year we travelled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for the dual purpose of attending the wedding of our niece and to enjoy a short break away from the UK winter! We stayed at the luxurious 5 star Westin Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina which has a superb location on Jumeirah beach. It also has an excellent choice of restaurants ranging from the Blue Orange for breakfast which al
29 Oct 2013 5 min read
Budapest - Breathtaking Beauty
We flew out to the lovely City of Budapest in Hungary for a weekend break with a couple of friends. Our transfer from the airport to our hotel in the City Centre took 30 minutes. We had selected the Corinthia Grand Hotel as it is very well located for many of the city’s main tourist attractions as well as being close to the City Circle sightseeing bus route. First built in 1896 the Corinthia wa
28 Oct 2013 5 min read
A Piece of Paradise in Phuket
I flew from Heathrow on Thai Airways for a 10 night stay with my husband at the luxurious tropical Cape Panwa Resort at the south eastern tip of the island of Phuket. The flight to Bangkok took 11.5 hours and we had a 2.5 hour wait in Bangkok airport before the 1.5 hour flight to Phuket. Phuket is Thailand’s largest island at about 210 sq miles and over the past thirty years has been transform
26 Oct 2013 5 min read
Stunning Crete
A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to win a stay at this luxury beach resort just outside Aghios Nikaos. We arrived in style by private taxi and were greeted with a welcome drink and a view which was priceless. The hotel is built into a hillside and overlooks its own private bay with a small sandy beach. The rooms are reached by funicular, or golf carts which are readily available outsid
09 Jul 2013 5 min read
Kalkan, Turkey's Hidden Gem
We decided to indulge ourselves a little for this trip by booking a meet and greet service to park our car. It was a fabulous service - you just drive up, hand over keys and stroll into the airport. On our return someone is waiting for you in the same spot so there is no waiting around or stress. We had also booked the VIP Lounge before we flew which was excellent – the perfect way to start our
09 Jul 2013 5 min read
Charming Carcassonne
Charming Carcassonne 3rd to 6th June 2011 We flew with Ryanair from Stansted for a weekend break in Carcassonne in the Languedoc – Roussillon region of France about 56 miles south east of Toulouse. The town of Carcassonne has been a popular tourist attraction for years but since the publication of Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” and film of the same name, which featured Carcassonne in the
22 Jun 2011 5 min read
Fairytale Prague
We flew from Manchester with Jet 2 for a weekend break with a couple of friends in the beautiful historic city of Prague in the Czech Republic. The transfer to our hotel in the city centre took about 30 minutes. We chose the Hotel Paris which is superbly located in the historical centre, a short walk from two of the cities main attractions, the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square and close to
15 Dec 2010 5 min read
Queen Elizabeth Inspection Tour
At Southampton docks I met up with ten customers who were interested in cruising with Cunard and who had been invited for a guided tour of the new liner Queen Elizabeth. This latest addition to the Cunard fleet, came into service in October 2010 and weighs 90,000 tonnes, is 964.5 feet long and 106ft wide and has a top speed of 23.7 knots. When full it can accommodate 2,068 passengers and 996 crew,
13 Dec 2010 5 min read
Posh in Portugal
We flew to Faro from Luton on a scheduled flight with Monarch, meeting up with my parents who flew in from Manchester, for our one week stay in a villa at Parque Da Floresta Golf & Leisure Resort near Salema at the Western end of the Algarve region. We collected our pre-booked hire cars and set off from the airport. Our journey time to the resort took about one and a half hours, with all but t
18 Nov 2010 5 min read
Romantic Santorini
We flew to Santorini from Gatwick on a weekly Thomson’s charter flight. Our Hotel in the village of Pyrgos was only ten minutes inland from the airport. Our transfer taxi dropped us at the village square where waiting for us with two donkeys was a lovely old man. He put me on one donkey, the lovely Marika and our suitcases on the other and told my husband that he, like the old man, would make the
18 Nov 2010 5 min read
Venetian Celebration
We flew to Venice for my birthday weekend from East Midlands airport with Easyjet to Marco Polo airport. You can transfer to the city by taxi, water taxi or bus but we chose to use the motor launch ferry service which leaves from a pier just a short walk or shuttle bus ride from the airport terminal. It takes just over an hour and is a great way to arrive into the heart of the city and links in wi
18 Nov 2010 5 min read
Tasty Tuscany
We flew from Stansted to Pisa airport with Ryanair. We chose to add a night in Pisa on our way to a two night stay at a newly opened luxury Spa hotel just south of Siena. We picked up a hire car and set off for the city of Pisa about 20 minutes away from the airport. Driving in the city was challenging due to the one way system and pedestrian precincts but we eventually managed to find our hote
09 Nov 2010 5 min read
Amazing Japan
We connected to Kyoto and arrived late evening into Kansai International Airport. From there we headed to the Hyatt Regency Kyoto which is located in the traditional and secluded area of Higashiyama Shichijo, the heart of Kyoto. Upon arrival we were treated to the most fabulous meal at the hotels’ Touzan restaurant which consisted of seven courses of typical Japanese cuisine, including many delica
20 Nov 2009 5 min read
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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.
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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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