Based In Muswell Hill

Brian Telfer

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

It's Nice To Meet You

Hi,

If personal service, expert, impartial travel advice and peace of mind is important to you, please contact me for a chat about your holiday and travel plans.

As your personal Travel Counsellor, my aim is to make booking your holiday an enjoyable experience. You may not have time to research your well-deserved break or special occasion. That's where I come in - I'll gather a list of your likes, dislikes & more, during our initial chat, and then I'll get to work on researching options based on your preferences. I have the expertise and knowledge to provide recommendations tailored to any requirement. Your role is to relax....

You may still have that niggling doubt - is my money safe? You can book with confidence because our unique combination of ATOL protection and independent Financial Trusts provides you with 100% protection in the event your booking is affected by the failure of any airline or other travel provider, or even in the highly unlikely event that Travel Counsellors became insolvent. So, even in the event of an operator failure, you’ll never lose a penny. We use our own capital (not your money) to operate our business, so your money is kept safe.

I will look after you, from your booking until you're safely home. In addition, our 24/7 Duty Office keeps an eye on world events (including ever-changing entry requirements), so you are supported whenever you need it. So even if I’m asleep on the other side of the world, our team is taking care of you.

My clients book with me time and time again, because they know I listen carefully to their need & I've got to know their preferences. It makes me very proud that my loyal customers recommend my services to their family, friends and colleagues, and also go to the trouble of providing lovely testimonials about me. You can read them on this page.

Recent accolades for Travel Counsellors include Winner Of A Queen’s Award For Enterprise 2020 (our third Queen's Award) and Winner Of “Best National Travel Retailer” at The 2020 British Travel Awards. We also ranked No 1 In Moneysaving Expert’s Covid-19 Travel Survey https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/07/latest-travel-survey/

I have been in the travel industry for over 35 years & love running my own travel business - I'm Travel Counsellors' longest serving counsellor. In fact, our wonderful Head Office team put together a special video for me. Please click on "My Video" and let me know what you think.

I have access to all the big travel industry names as well as many niche companies that many high street agents do not deal with. My clients can also use our free, convenient MyTC app to see the quotations which I send to them, make secure payments, and have all their travel documents in one place.

I'm here to help at a time to suit you, including evenings and weekends, not just 9-5 Mon-Fri. Therefore, I offer a level of choice and personal service that simply can’t be found on the high street. And no hard sell - just friendly, impartial advice and exceptional levels of customer service. If you have a problem, you call me. No calling expensive after-sales number and being put in a queue

I specialise in the Caribbean, North America, Far East, Australia, New Zealand, winter sports, group travel (golf, ski, spa), safaris, activity holidays, weddings, honeymoons & cruises. I handle business travel too, due to my expertise in complex itineraries. However, wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do, I can help.

I will be delighted to look after all your travel needs, so please do contact me.
You can reach me direct on 020 3432 2510 or mobile 07930 387629 - both come through to me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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My customer stories

Sent by Mr & Mrs Pra-Lopez

Brian is amazing - he makes booking so easy and the MyTC app is so, so helpful when travelling. Having all the documents ordered and in one place makes it very straight forward.

Sent by Mike and Margaret

We haven’t travelled much during the last few years but when we did decide to make a trip we didn’t hesitate to use Brian’s services. He’s always friendly and helpful but more importantly he has an eye for detail which we really value.

Sent by B. Pelster

We always get a fantastic service from Brian and he has been our contact for many years now. I would highly recommend.

Sent by K Pugh

As always Brian provides an impeccable service - he listens, makes thoughtful and considered suggestions and is efficient, keeping me in the loop. I recommend him to all my friends and family and am delighted that having used his service they have done the same to their friends and family.

Sent by D. Clark

Brian gives a first rate, personal and thorough service, quick to answer any queries one might have and cheerful to boot. Excellent!

Sent by P. Major

Brian has always gone above and beyond to make sure our holidays are to our specifications. He’s always extremely helpful with any questions or queries we may have. I would recommend Brian to anyone, he is knowledgeable, very experienced and friendly and you will definitely receive a first class service.

Sent by L. Peck

Having used Travel Counsellors for my recent trip to the Maldives, I can't thank Brian Telfer enough ! Such a professional, personal and friendly service ! Highly recommend.

Sent by D. McLean

I don’t even know where to start with the praise to give our travel counsellor, Brian Telfer. We wanted our honeymoon to be something special and he has exceeded even those expectations. From a very vague beginning of ‘Italy’ as a destination, Brian patiently and gently teased out our thoughts and preferences and by getting to know us, he has curated the most fantastic trip for us from start to finish. From “little known boutique hotel” to the luxury car service from the airport, to restaurant reservations on the first night to settle us in, he has held our hand and taken care of us every step of the way. The service that Brian provides is beyond just travel agency. He is so passionate about his job and determined to get you the experience that you want at all times. I would describe him as a travel craftsman! It’s a bespoke service every step of the way.

Sent by A. Melvin

Always excellent service from Brian Telfer right from exploring options for your holiday as well as knowledge and availability of options available. The fantastic service does not stop at booking, as I've found with other travel companies, but even after the holiday. Brian managed to get my valuable sim card with holiday photos all the way back from Chile to home in the UK when I left it on a tour there.

Sent by P. Slevin

Reliable, solid, good value, professional, personable, knowledgeable, flexible........

Sent by A. Bussell

Very efficient, friendly service with a lot of thought and care taken. As usual.

Sent by A. Tudway

Brian’s service is outstanding. My wife and I wanted to plan a ‘big trip’ to South America after retiring. We were introduced to Brian by friends who swear by his service. We sent him an email setting out where we wanted to go and roughly when and sat back and waited. Within 24 hours Brian was in touch, he had fleshed out a basic itinerary but wanted to know our interests to suggest trips and visits. He then built it all into a really exciting multi site holiday, all booked within a week! I cannot speak highly enough of this service, you’ll wonder why you ever booked things yourself.

Sent by J Trigg

As usual, Brian's help and service was first class, nothing is too much trouble for him and he goes the extra mile to ensure that the holiday is exactly tailored to our needs. He has a very pleasant manner and I have no hesitation in recommending him to friends, colleagues and acquaintances.

Sent by J. Winnington

It was easier and hassle free to deal with Brian at Travel Counsellors. Brian keeps updated time line and has a professional approach to our needs. We have had many successful holidays arranged by him.

Sent by P. Kilgour

Just back to normality after jetlag. We would like to say many thanks for your excellent arrangements for our holiday at Dubai and Australia. Booked three hotels, six flights and four private cars. Nice to take off the pressure of booking etc. We've been with you for ten years and you've never failed us. Also thank you ever so much for rearranging two days stop over at Sydney at the last minute. Thanks again.

Sent by J. Poluck

Brian always provides a first class service from the first phone call all the way through until the end of the trip. I have recommended his services in the past and will continue to do so

Sent by R. Pawson

Just wanted to say we had the most amazing holiday in South Africa. It truly was a holiday of a lifetime, so thank you so much for all your effort. You created the perfect honeymoon for us! Sensational!

Sent by G. Bloor

Brian has lots of patience, and can even recommend places that you hadn't thought about. All our holidays through him have been very successful, and that is why we carry on travelling through him.

Sent by P. Pugh

Dear Brian, Thank you so much for all the special touches which made this holiday even more memorable. All the hotels that we stayed in gave us a special welcome and we felt completely spoiled. We were the envy of our fellow travellers and have passed your details to several of them. We should be used by now to the extra care and attention that you always show , however this exceeded all our expectations. We have passed on your contact details to many friends and they have all had similar excellent service.

Sent by S. Lee

Brian has been most helpful in arranging our trip and has answered all our questions promptly and patiently. He is willing to listen to our needs and suggest alternatives where necessary. He is always available when contacted and nothing seems too much trouble.

Sent by J. Taylor

My wife and I along with the rest of my family have used Brian on a number occasions and he has never let us down. He is conscientious and thorough in his advice and I have no hesitation in recommending his services

Sent by H. Orme

We have entrusted our travel arrangements to Brian for at least twenty years -- which should say it all. He's great.

Sent by A. Booth

Brian has been absolutely wonderful in assisting me with my travel arrangements. He is a pleasure to deal with and is both knowledgeable and thorough with his research to make sure he arranges you the best holiday to meet your requirements. I would not hesitate to recommend him to my friends and colleagues. Thank you so much Brian!

Sent by M. Richards

Brian has always been fabulous and very patient with changing locations, times, dates, family members. All our holidays with him have been great - however this one was amazing.

Sent by G. Sharp

Hi Brian. Sorry not to have been in touch sooner. Feet have not touched the ground since we returned. Want to thank you for your amazing service Everything went so smoothly as promised. Hotel was perfect and a great find in high season at such short notice. Your own personal attention to detail and to us was faultless and way beyond what we could ever have expected. Thank you so much for looking after us so beautifully. 10 out of 10!

Sent by J. Fulford

Brian has always been a trusted friend who could be relied on to recommend holidays suited to us. It's good to be planning another break with him.

Sent by R. Sullivan

Very assiduous and thorough, went out of the way to be helpful, kept in touch and did more than I expected (ie booking aeroplane seats) which is very welcome to somebody not too happy with internet bookings.

Sent by N. Lutwyche

Brian is a very pleasant and efficient man to deal with and shared his experiences and knowledge of the destination we chose. Although we had a destination in mind we went with Brian's suggestion that we hadn't even seen before. It has all our requirements and more and we now can't wait to enjoy the experience. A very easy way to book a hassle free holiday.

Sent by D. McRae

Brian, as usual, gave us terrific service and help when making our recent booking. Of course we would recommend him to friends and family without any hesitation...which is why he has been booking our holidays for over 20 years!

Sent by D. Smith

Brian has always been helpful, efficient and knowledgeable. He never fails to rise to the challenge of what we want, and usually exceeds expectations. I have already recommended him to others and will do so again.

Sent by D. Ashbrook

Brian is brilliant! He looks after every aspect of our holiday and even phones us the night before we go. What service! I wouldn't hesitate recommending Brian Telfer to anyone looking for the ultimate service. If you think you've already got a good travel agent try Brian - you will never book another holiday or any type of travel with anyone else.

Sent by N. Walden

Brian has been amazing in finding us some great options for the trip and patient and professional in handling the booking. I have already recommended Brian to colleagues and friends for their future holiday bookings.

Sent by P. Wilson

I have chosen Brian to look after my family travel plans for some years now and I always find his friendly, helpful service to be the best. I always recommend my friends and colleagues to him. He will look after you at all times.

Sent by P. Bagshaw

Well Brian, we’re home now and such a huge success! We've had the most wonderful trip ever. Thank you for such perfect organisation and such wonderful accommodation. Everything went like clockwork and we've got you to thank for that. We fell head over heels in love with the Safari lodge and the wildlife and such a knowledgeable and friendly guide there. It was tremendous, terrific and we just didn't want to leave. When we did, we also had such a great Cape Town and area experiences. Brian, thank you again for everything.

Sent by Katy Barwick

Brian helped my husband and I plan and book our honeymoon to Thailand. He was very informative and easily contactable whenever we had questions or wanted to make changes to our plans. Brian found us great deals on flights and hotels and provided us with a lovely travel wallet containing all the documents we needed from flight booking to hotels and transfer vouchers as well as some extra goodies, but I won't spoil the surprise. He also organised on call agents in Thailand who answered questions and planned day trips for us. I would highly recommend Brian's service and will be sure to use his help in planning future trips.

Sent by P. Pra-Lopez

Brian Telfer has organised travel for us for fifteen years or more and has never let us down in any aspect of the service he provides. We have recommended him to other family members and friends over the years.

Sent by P. Wilson

I've been using Brian Telfer's services for a few years now and I would always - and have - recommended him to friends. He is always willing to help with any issue and promptly. Thank you, Brian you're a legend!

Sent by D. McRae

Just back from another trip - superbly organized by Brian as always. After using his expert services for the last 25 years, I know there's not a better travel agent out there!

My Videos

“Brian, we couldn’t have done it without you!”

10/12/2024

A celebration of my 30 years with Travel Counsellors, put together by our wonderful Head Office

My Blog

I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

Vibrant Bratislava - capital of Slovakia

19 May 2021

Today’s excursions started at 3.30pm, which gave us time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and then up to the sun deck to enjoy the scenery as we cruised by. And then enjoy a leisurely lunch! We then returned to our suites to get ready to visit Bratislava, the world's only capital city bordering with two other countries - Austria (west) and Hungary (southeast). We boarded the Crystal coaches fo

Change of tempo: IIz River Nature Walk

03 May 2021

After a busy day yesterday in Munich and at Oktoberfest, the choice of guided excursions today from Crystal Mozart, moored at Passau, included a tour of the Bavarian country side by bike, a Discovery tour of Roman Times and Roman dishes, a Passau Walking Tour or an IIz River Nature Walk. There was also a shuttle service into Town if you wanted to do your own thing. Mind you, it was always tempt

Full day adventure to Munich and Oktoberfest

29 April 2021

Once Crystal Mozart had docked at Passau, Germany, my next excursion was a full day, with the morning to be spent in Munich on an escorted city walk, followed by my first visit to the iconic Oktoberfest. MUNICH Marienplatz Square & Town Hall is always in the top 10 attractions lists. One of Munich's most impressive buildings, the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus) on Marienplatz offers fantastic vi

Ceský Krumlov, Czech Republic - A Bohemian Rhapsody

01 July 2020

Next stop on our river cruise itinerary was Linz, Austria. After breakfast, we departed on our Crystal motor coaches for a full day adventure to Ceský Krumlov, in the Czech Republic (passports required!) There was also an excursion to Salzburg, and if you wanted to stay closer to the ship, there was a Linz City Walk and Tramway Ride. You could also jump on a Crystal shuttle bus to Lentos, if y

Hiking to Durnstein Castle Ruins & a Visit back in time

15 June 2020

Our ship departed Vienna at midnight and we cruised through the night on the Danube to arrive in beautiful Krems next morning. Krems is located about 70 kilometres west of Vienna, at the east end of the Wachau Valley which has a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. After breakfast, we set off on our chosen shore excursion, a hike to Durnstein Castle Ruins, where Richard the Lionheart

Vienna - the city of music ... and much, much more.

03 November 2019

Until recently, my own experience of Vienna had been limited to watching their concert on New Year’s Day on TV. Certainly, this city’s cultural heritage is mainly musical, the great composers like Strauss, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, and Mozart all having lived and performed here. However, when I flew out to Vienna to join my river cruise ship, I discovered all the other aspects of the cit

Singapore - marvel of the modern world

12 June 2019

After a serene retreat in Ubud, Bali, followed by a full-on week at Club Med, Bali, I flew into Singapore for a few days on my way back to the UK. What an amazing place! It was the run up to the Formula 1 Grand Prix too, which made my stopover even more exciting. On the flight over, the Singapore Airlines safety video showed off iconic sights and sites of Singapore – really clever. Singapore is t

Fun for everyone at Club Med, Nusa Dua

11 June 2019

As sorry as I was to leave the lovely, serene retreat in Ubud, I was looking forward to my stay at Club Med Nusa Dua, with golf, tennis and other sports on the agenda. Club Med is a great place for families, couples and groups, with a kid’s club for ages 4 months -17 years old, and activities on land and water to keep everyone happy. There’s 500 metres of beach to enjoy with the Java Sea beyond

Dominican Republic: Blue skies, beautiful beaches & the beat of the bachata

08 June 2019

I love the Caribbean – however, I’d never visited the Dominican Republic, so jumped at the chance of a week there, to find out more about it. Discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus after a two-month voyage (I stand to be corrected on that!), today Dominican Republic is just eight hours from most European cities. SETTING OFF IN STYLE I’ve got used to kicking off my holidays in the most relaxi

Bali, a Serene Paradise

26 November 2018

Thanks to a travel agent ‘fam’ trip some years ago, I had already experienced Bali – the “Island of the Gods”. This time, I arranged a 2-centre break, with 3 distinct holiday experiences – serene Bali, then active Bali, and finally a city break in Singapore. My Journey Begins Ever since I had to spend a miserable 30 minutes in the rain waiting for an airport minibus to collect me and take m

Celebrity Cruises : Equinox Launch

31 January 2018

Ships in the Celebrity Solstice Class promise an extraordinary experience. I found this to be so true. Recently I had the privilege of sailing on the new Celebrity Equinox, the latest addition to Solstice class, and it offers everything you'd expect from ships of this size - but delivered with a touch of class that sets it apart from the rest. The highly personalized service, exceptional dini

Club Med Kamarina : Authentic Sicilian charm for the whole family.

31 January 2018

The main appeal of Club Med is the great mix of sporting activities, good food, childcare and an opportunity to relax. It's a perfect family destination which includes great club facilities for children specifically devised for the different age groups and run by professionals. Flying out from Gatwick was very relaxing, with civilised flight times. We took advantage of the Meet and Greet car

Jamaica packs a punch

27 June 2017

Being a Caribbean specialist, I jumped at the chance to visit two more resorts in chilled, laidback Jamaica – the home of Bob Marley, Usain Bolt and where Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond novels. I’m also a Sandals & Beaches specialist, and this was the perfect opportunity to experience these resorts for myself. I’m pleased to say my expectations were exceeded. Having once waited for a coach for

St Lucia : Rejuvenate your body and soul (and have fun doing it)

08 December 2016

The small paradise that is the island of St Lucia in the Caribbean certainly packs a punch – and I’m not just meaning the rum punches. If you’re looking for a romantic escape in a secluded, upmarket adults-only resort, or a family holiday on all-inclusive or a spa-sports break where you can easily mingle as a single, there’s something for everyone. This year it had got to October before I reali

Delicious Mauritius

29 January 2016

I was invited to spend a week at the Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa in Mauritius, as a guest of Francis Longueve, General Manager and it was a fabulous way to spend my birthday. BA had an offer available, so we booked Club World Class for our night flight out and World Traveller Plus for our return. We’d booked Meteor Meet and Greet for our car and as usual, this worked like clockwork. After a

First stop in paradise: Taj Exotica Resort & Spa

19 January 2016

The view from our plane as we flew into Male gave us a glimpse of the beautiful islands awaiting us. After a short speedboat transfer from Male airport, we were greeted at the jetty of the award-winning Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, and then taken to the serene Welcome-Pavilion for a refreshing drink, served by Raj, our very own butler! This set the tone for our stay – wherever we went, the staff

The Maldives: paradise? I should Cocoa!

09 November 2015

Our seaplane flew us all the way from the Thaa Atoll where we’d been staying up to South Male Atoll, and the seclusion of Cocoa Island by COMO. A private island with just 33 overwater suites, the lagoon and the white sandy beaches are just stunning. We were welcomed with the traditional coconut drink, before being taken to our new home for the next few days. All the accommodation is over wa

Island Hopping around paradise: Maalifushi by COMO, The Maldives

03 November 2015

I had been invited to the luxury COMO Resort in Phuket earlier this year (see my write-up), & my stay led to an invitation to visit their two resorts in the Maldives. Lucky me! It was so good to return to the Maldives. What a beautiful part of the world - truly a paradise. We flew by seaplane to the first island, from Male all the way to the Thaa Atoll in the archipelago’s southwest. The v

Thailand – but not as you know it

01 July 2015

If Thailand is on your wish-list – or if you think you’ve “done” Thailand – read on. Invited onto a very special educational trip to Phuket, I was privileged to visit a stunning area on the lesser known, less built-up side of the island. It’s a region of outstanding beauty, with the UNESCO site of Phang Nga Bay right on the doorstep. We stayed at a new luxury resort, Point Yamu by Como, set

A city break in Granada - a brilliant weekend

27 May 2015

What I love about city breaks is that you can leave a rainy UK and only hours later, you can be sitting having a drink in the sunshine, and enjoying the culture and people of another city. Recently we flew out to Malaga and then went onto Granada and had a fabulous weekend there seeing the sights of this beautiful city. We did the usual meet & greet for the car at Gatwick which is such a str

Kalkan…a Turkish delight

25 October 2014

Perhaps it was eating breakfast while enjoying a fabulous view. Or taking the plunge before breakfast in our own plunge pool. Or maybe it was the sunny skies and the beautiful clear water. Or the lovely people and plethora of bars and restaurants on our doorstep for us to try each evening. More likely it was the combination of all these things that made our stay in Kalkan such a relaxing holiday

Barcelona - brilliant for a city break

22 July 2013

What comes to mind when you think of Barcelona? For me I always think of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé singing ‘Barcelona’. The song is exciting and slightly over the top – which sums up this amazing city perfectly! With this in mind I was very excited about our trip to Barcelona. We flew out early on a Thursday morning, and returned on a Sunday evening. The flight was on time

Mauritius - even better the second time around

28 May 2012

Because our Gold Travel Counsellors Conference was being held in Mauritius, I took the opportunity to stay a few extra days at Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort, in Bel Ombre. This is a beautiful, colonial hotel with ocean frontage and an 18-hole championship golf course. Despite the similarity in our names, one of the key reasons for staying there was that I had some clients staying there

Classy Anassa

19 September 2011

Anassa is a five star luxury holiday destination, with a great sense of space, peace and natural beauty. The resort is a serene collection of well-maintained houses and villas, arranged like a traditional Cypriot village and facing the Mediterranean. Anassa is a hotel famous for its cuisine and service, and it certainly lived up to expectations on my visit. On arrival, we were greeted by St

Beautiful Bermuda...within your reach

20 May 2011

If you’re looking for a holiday with lovely pink beaches, spectacular azure waters, and the possibility of chilling out or getting as active as you want – Bermuda might be your answer. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the flight to Bermuda is less than 7 hours from London, so you arrive feeling relatively fresh and ready to start your holiday. Bermuda has been described as the Switzerland o

Cyprus - the year round island

25 October 2009

Cypriot hospitality is legendary, and you’ll be given the warmest of welcomes in Cyprus. As we flew out to Cyprus for our second visit to the 5 star Le Meridien Limassol Spa and Resort, we were resigned to the fact that our holiday could not possibly measure up to our previous stay there two years ago. How wrong we were. We flew out on a night flight and had booked the airport lounge

Malta and Gozo

18 October 2009

With 7,000 years of history, the Maltese Islands are steeped in culture and heritage. The Maltese archipelago (Malta, Gozo and Comino) lies virtually at the centre of the Mediterranean, with Malta 93km south of Sicily and 288km north of Africa. With superbly sunny weather, expansive beaches, a thriving night-life and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do. Th

Historic Paris

11 September 2008

There is never a bad time to visit Paris. It's the home of gastronomic cuisine, designer shopping and wonderful architecture, and on a city break to Paris you can experience it all. It had been some while since I'd been there, so I treated my girlfriend to a long weekend there to celebrate Valentine's day. Travelling Eurostar, Leisure Select (first class) is travelling the way it should be

Heavenly Maldives

10 September 2008

Seeing The Maldives for the first time from the airplane is something that I shall always remember. If you look at the photograph in this journal, you'll see the incredible colours of the reefs. No wonder the Maldives are popularly known as 'the pearls of the Indian Ocean'. They are located to the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 is

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