Sent by Mary K
Coventry 09/08/2025
Steve is always helpful, polite and friendly . He works hard to search to your budget and provides an efficient and fast service. We book all our holiday's with Steve now.
Based In Newcastle & Northumberland
Steve Garside
Available for new enquiries
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
It's Nice To Meet You
Discover the World Your Way — With a Travel Expert You Can Trust
Hi, I’m Steve, your personal Travel Counsellor. With 27 years in the travel industry and first-hand experience across 110 countries, I create tailor-made adventures that are safe, seamless and packed with unforgettable moments.
From luxury escapes and cultural deep-dives to family holidays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, I bring travel to life with warmth, care and a genuine passion for helping others explore the world.
Why Travel With Me?
Over nearly three decades, I’ve worn many hats — from travel agent to tour operator, and from working with cruise lines to airlines, airports and beyond. I’ve lived in Greece, Turkey, Miami and Australia, and backpacked my way through South Africa, Thailand, Laos, Bali, New Zealand and more — always in search of those authentic, local touches that make a trip truly special.
Whether it’s sipping wine in quiet vineyards, skydiving in New Zealand, sailing a catamaran off the coast of Greece, or campervanning through Scotland, I’ve done it — and I’ll help you do it too.
As a cruise expert with over 7 years at Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club Cruises, I know the ins and outs of life at sea. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a seasoned sailor, I’ll guide you through every detail.
The Travel Counsellors Difference.
With the award-winning support of Travel Counsellors behind me, I can offer you:
-Full financial protection through the TC Financial Trust — your money is always safe.
-24/7 global duty office to support you while you travel.
-Personalised, one-to-one service from the moment we chat to the moment you return home.
-End-to-end care: flights, hotels, cruises, transfers, seat selections, check-ins and more — I’ll handle it all.
Travel For Everyone.
Travel should be for everyone. I specialise in accessible travel, helping people with disabilities enjoy stress-free adventures. Whether it’s booking a trip to Orlando with medical equipment and mobility support or simply ensuring your journey flows smoothly door-to-door, I’ll make it happen with care, clarity and compassion.
My Promise To You.
Every itinerary I design is crafted around you. I take the time to understand what you love, what matters most, and what makes travel magical for you. Then I bring it all together into one beautifully planned experience — with plenty of personal touches and expert recommendations along the way.
Whether you’re dreaming of dazzling sunsets, local flavours, adrenaline-filled adventures or just a relaxing break where every detail is taken care of, I’m here to make it happen. Let’s build your next adventure together. Get in touch today.
My customer stories
Sent by Elaine B
Newcastle 09/08/2025
10/10! So helpful and friendly. With a large complicated booking and all done out of hours on a Sunday evening. Sterling service!
Sent by Cath D
Leeds 09/08/2025
I can't recommend this enough - Steve was incredibly helpful and we are going somewhere we never would have thought of. His knowledge is unreal!
Sent by Elaine B
Newcastle 09/08/2025
10/10! So helpful and friendly. With a large complicated booking and all done out of hours on a Sunday evening. Sterling service!
Sent by Bryce and Sonni Singh-Barrett
Trefwrdan, Wales 23/04/2025
A massive thankyou to Steve and the team, for organising and executing our 20-day excursion across India. Our brief did alter slightly from the initial concept. You managed our changes with professionalism and aplomb, kept us informed at all stages and the proof was in the end result - A perfect journey with faultless execution at every stage.
Over the 20 days we stayed at 9 different hotels, had 6 train journeys, 4 flights and 18 car journeys. Greet and meets totalled 19, at railway stations, airports and hotel meets.
Our guides were prompt, accommodating and well versed in local knowledge. Extremely happy with the service!
Sent by Sally D-C
Boston, UK 23/04/2025
Fabulous, helpful, personal service way beyond my expectations. I was so grateful my friend put me in touch with Steve just in time to plan a short break using two different airports at very short notice. So helpful. Steve’s knowledge, guidance and support saved me a lot of time and potential errors and made the trip a lot more fun and stress-free.
Sent by Katie Portbury
Cheltenham 23/04/2025
Steve can’t do enough for us. Finds the perfect trips/holidays with the brief we provide him with. Communication throughout the whole process is spot on.
Sent by Cath Reed
Hexham 23/04/2025
Steve Garside is an excellent travel professional, he is efficient, very patient, and the process has been a very good experience. I would recommend him to anyone!
Sent by Vikki Coles
Hexham 23/04/2025
Steve has been great and most helpful in planning our family trip and keeping to our budget. He has kept us informed, gave us choices and came back to us promptly with any queries that we had. I would definitely recommend Steve Garside, 100%
Sent by Naomi Kitchen
Hexham, Northumberland 23/04/2025
Can't recommend highly enough. I only met Steve Garside-Brown from Travel Counsellors last week. We ended up chatting about a bucket list trip I’ve been dreaming of — taking the kids to Lapland. Next year feels like the sweet spot: our youngest will be old enough to understand the magic, and our eldest hopefully still young enough to believe in it. Steve totally got it. He listened, he cared, he’s been super responsive, and I now have every confidence this really will be a trip of a lifetime! I also won't be going anywhere else for my travel needs, and I will be recommending Steve to anyone who listens!
Sent by J McKenzie
Farnham, Surrey 03/04/2025
10/10! Steve takes the worry or any hassle out of finding/booking your holiday/trip. He is experienced & absolutely thorough with all the details & explaining it all. He will look at options to suit your budget & is v helpful. A proper service.
Sent by Nathan H
York 09/12/2024
It's been a breeze organising our honeymoon with Steve. His knowledge and insider tips have made the process of crafting a bespoke trip really easy and we can't wait to get there!
Sent by Evylene M
Guildford 09/12/2024
Steve is great, he researches and suggests the best ideas. he's also flexible enough to look at some of our own suggestions to get the more suitable fit for our break. I haven't dealt with anyone better!
Sent by Chloe M
Bristol 09/12/2024
Steve has been a pleasure to work with, and we couldn't fault him. So efficient!
Sent by David A
Hexham 09/12/2024
No stone unturned. Steve listens and offers very appropriate travel options covering all basis while also going the extra mile to ensure your travel is a real holiday experience and as relaxed as it can be.
Sent by Chris D
Hexham 09/12/2024
Steve's amazing. He's helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I've already recommended him to my family and friends.
Sent by Robyn C
Manchester 09/12/2024
Steve was so helpful and friendly. He made travelling a stress free dream! Will definitely be asking for his help again.
Sent by William W
Harrogate 09/12/2024
Steven is fantastic. Informative and makes you feel at ease throughout.
Sent by Sarah R
Prudhoe 09/12/2024
Highly recommend! Steve has been fantastic and has helped us book a truly personalised adventure holiday for a special occasion, taking everything we were looking for into account. Great prices too!
Sent by Amy D
Guildford 09/12/2024
Steve was super responsive, very helpful and committed to helping us find the holiday that we wanted - thank you Steve
Sent by S Driver
Ipswich 07/08/2024
Great , friendly and knowledgeable service.
Sent by Carly Smith
Newcastle 07/08/2024
Steve has been very helpful and efficient in sending over information for our honeymoon. It has been hassle free and Steve has been super-quick in responding to all of my queries, I would highly recommend him to friends and family.
Sent by Alistair Smith
Hexham, Northumberland 01/04/2024
Using Steve was a a joy, so much so that we have already recommended him to our friends!
Sent by Saumy Jani
Hounslow 01/04/2024
Steve is always easy to communicate with and very patient with all the queries and questions.
Sent by Denise Hopper
Newcastle 01/04/2024
Steve has been so amazing in finding the perfect 'dream trip' for myself and my family! He has been so attentive and precise in planning it and we can't thank him enough! We have told all of our friends and family about how fantastic our experience has been.
Sent by Michelle W
Godalming, Surrey 12/03/2024
Steve was super efficient and knowledgeable in helping me book my holiday. Nothing was too much trouble and I can’t wait for our summer holiday! Thanks Steve!
Sent by Jennie M
Downham Market, Norfolk 12/03/2024
Steve has been fabulous sorting out my holiday to Italy . He gave me options to suit what I was looking for , nothing was too much trouble . Will be recommending him and using him again myself.
Sent by Stephanie S
Farnham, Surrey 12/03/2024
We approached Steve with no clue where we wanted to go other than somewhere special and within our budget. Steve worked his magic and within less than 24 hours, we had a honeymoon created and booked and we cannot wait! He has been on hand any and every time of the day. I’m convinced he doesn’t sleep :). He has answered every question we’ve had and reassured us when we’ve had any questions or concerns. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and a dream to work with. His friendly manner has also been fantastic. Would absolutely recommend and use his company again to book our holidays.
Sent by E McKenzie
Farnham, Surrey 12/03/2024
Steve is attentive and always looks for a broad choice of options. With his deep travel knowledge he can pulls together the most diverse trips and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend his services.
Sent by Sarah B
Luton 12/03/2024
Steve is efficient, extremely helpful, friendly and supportive!
Sent by Kate B
Prudhoe, Northumberland 12/03/2024
I highly recommend Steve, He got exactly the itinerary we were after & has booked us a family adventure that we are really looking forward to.
Sent by Carol N
Haydon Bridge, Northumberland 12/03/2024
Steve is the best agent i have ever dealt with so helpful. Thanks again Steve for all your help!
Sent by Mary K
Coventry 12/03/2024
Friendly, helpful and super efficient. My dream became reality in just a couple of days. Perfect!
Sent by Aidan Dunphy
Hexham, Northumberland 12/03/2024
I'm one of those people that normally sorts out the family holiday myself, but it's a chore and I was interested in how Steve could help. I'm really glad I did, because he saved me a lot of time, brought expertise and experience I don't have, and was really nice to deal with. Thoroughly recommended!
Sent by Foz Nusrat
Guildford, Surrey 12/03/2024
First class service from an excellent travel counsellor! Steve is warm, engaging, informative, knowledgeable and fast! I felt I was in very safe hands. Cannot wait to work with Steve again on future holidays!
Sent by D Atkins
Hexham 15/01/2024
Steve listened to our requests and found great options. From an initial fantastic package that ticked all the boxes that unfortunately we had to change. This wasn’t a problem for Steve, who went the extra mile to find a completely different and superb holiday with all the boxes ticked. Particularly those things we wouldn’t normally think about.
Sent by A. Pierri
Peterborough 15/01/2024
10/10. Very helpful!
Sent by Amy Wilson
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 29/09/2023
Excellent service provided by Steve, he went above and beyond to ensure we found our perfect holiday!! I will continue to recommend him to family, friends & colleagues. We are already thinking about our next trip!!
Sent by J Hunter
Farnham, Surrey 29/09/2023
10/10! Top notch!
Sent by Emma Mercer
Peterborough 29/09/2023
10/10. Steve has been amazing in helping me arrange a dream escape to the Arctic. I cannot thank him or praise his skills and service highly enough.
Sent by B Barrett
Newport, Pembrokeshire 31/08/2023
10/10! Knowledgeable, prompt in response, approachable and professional.
Sent by David Pink
Newcastle-upon-Tyne 29/08/2023
Steve was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. He listened to what we were looking for and came back to us with a fabulous choice of destinations and packages. He talked us through each trip and made us aware of the individual benefits of each package. All of which suited our expectations and ultimately made the whole process stress free. We couldn’t be happier with the holiday we chose and have would and in fact already have recommended Steve to our friends and family. We will 100% be contacting Steve when we are ready to book our next trip. 10 out 10 service!
Sent by Amy L
Prudhoe, Northumberland 01/08/2023
10/10! My experience was really good, as a first time solo traveller, Steve reassured and organised a holiday taking the stress out of booking everything and was readily available for any questions when needed.
Sent by Catherine Bowman
Hexham, Northumberland 17/07/2023
In used Steve for my travel requirements and he saved me time, money, provides fantastic service, with fully financially-protected holidays for peace of mind. He knows his stuff, just tell him what you love, where you might fancy and it will be sorted. Top job! Will be using again for my next holiday.
Sent by Will Thompson
Hexham, Northumerland 17/07/2023
10/10! Steve has been a fantastic help in organising our trip across Croatia - we wouldn't have been able to do it without him! Top notch service, he continues to support and check in with us even after booking the holiday! Highly recommend.
Based in
My Videos
Why choose me as your travel professional?
19/05/2023
Here I detail the reasons to book with me, from financial peace of mind, to my wealth of experience.
Why I chose Travel Counsellors to open my travel business.
19/05/2023
This video describes the reasons I chose to open my travel franchise with Travel Counsellors.
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.
Jubilant Japan: A Journey Through Time, Tradition, and Technology - Part two.
01 April 2024
Last time, we started our journey in Tokyo and made our way to Hakone National Park, on what’s known as the Japanese Garden Route. Today we shall continue on our way, and we pick up our journey as we arrive in Kyoto. Kyoto: A Journey Through Time Step back in time as we journey to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Here, centuries-old temples, majestic palaces, and meticulously manicured garde
Jubilant Japan: A Journey Through Time, Tradition, and Technology
01 April 2024
Recently I have been inundated with enquiries to Japan, thanks to a marvellous influencer marketing campaign I took part in with Sara Davies (Dragon’s Den). Sara travelled to Japan with us, and tried loads of cool stuff with her family! Thanks to the interest, I feel now is a great time to write about Japan which has quickly become one of my busiest selling destinations, along with Italy, Thailand
Top Travel Tips LGBTQIA+
01 November 2023
Have you ever felt like you must see somewhere in the world, but aren’t sure if you’d be welcomed with open arms? As a gay man, I have often wondered how other people in the LGBTQIA+ community feel when travelling. I think a certain amount of ignorance in my younger years took me to places I may now reconsider, however – there’s still places I would go and just take more caution. That got me think
Accessible Cruise Ships Launching 2023/24
31 October 2023
Ahoy, fellow travellers! Let's embark on a unique adventure at sea, exploring the most incredible cruise ships of 2023 and 2024. Join us as we set sail and redefine the meaning of fun, luxury, and accessibility. Celebrity Ascent: A Stylish Voyage Discover the marvellous Celebrity Ascent from Celebrity Cruises, launching in November. This ship offers innovative features that promise an unforgettab
Top 10 LGBTQIA+ Friendly Destinations in 2024
16 October 2023
I’ve often been asked by friends and clients, where is it safe for me to go travelling? Sometimes that statement didn’t need any further explanation than that, as coming from anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community, I knew what they meant. After all, safety is a significant concern for LGBTQIA+ individuals when travelling, and it varies widely from one destination to another. To learn more about how to s
Discovering the Treasures of Victoria, Australia.
10 October 2023
Having extensively travelled through Victoria during my time living in Australia, I've discovered some truly remarkable gems that the state has to offer. In 2023, this stunning state continues to shine with a wealth of new openings and experiences, making it an ideal time to explore the Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island, Melbourne's laneways, and the Yarra Valley. Moreover, Vi
A Solo Adventurer's Christmas in Tenerife
03 October 2023
The allure of spending Christmas in a place where sun-kissed beaches meet rugged volcanic landscapes led me to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. As a solo traveller, with constant itchy feet, I yearned for an adventure that would combine the joy of the festive season with the thrill of exploration. Little did I know that this magical island in the North Atlantic Ocean would captivate my
Navigating the Complex Terrain of Travelling with Wheelchairs: A Guide to Smooth Skies
03 October 2023
Travelling can be an exciting and enriching experience, offering us the chance to explore new horizons, cultures, and experiences. However, for individuals who rely on wheelchairs for mobility, the joy of travelling can come with an added layer of complexity and stress. One of the most challenging aspects of travelling with a wheelchair is ensuring that it can be safely accommodated on an aircraf
Leaving no stone unturned in Far North Queensland (Part 2 of 2)
20 June 2023
Hi, thanks for coming to check out the second instalment of my adventures in FNQ. Let’s pick up in Kuranda. Kuranda, The Village in the Rainforest Surrounded by World Heritage Rainforest, 1,000 feet above Cairns, lies the picturesque village of Kuranda. The journey to Kuranda is an experience in itself. You can take a gentle drive up through the rainforest, float above the trees aboard Skyrail Ra
Leaving no stone unturned in Far North Queensland (Part 1 of 2)
20 June 2023
Hi, thanks for taking the time to visit my travel blogs. Here is part 1 of my Far North Queensland adventures. Cairns is a city in tropical Far North Queensland (FNQ) and just one of the many places to visit when travelling around North-Eastern Australia. I am lucky enough to have travelled around this region extensively and lived there for a few months too, back in 2013. More recently, I visite
Contact Me
Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you: