helen knowles travel counsellors

• Netherlands
• United Arab Emirates
• South Africa

Based in Lincoln

Helen Knowles

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• Netherlands
• South Africa
• United Arab Emirates

Meze and magic in the Mediterranean

9 nights from £3,475 per person for 2 sharing

• Begin your odyssey in Istanbul, where echoes of the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires resound through awe-inspiring architecture, bustling markets, and iconic landmarks like the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. • Marvel at the majestic Acropolis in Athens, stroll through the winding alleys of the Plaka, and immerse yourself in the treasures of the Archaeological Museum. • In Santorini, explore the ancient ruins of Akrotiri and witness the fiery spectacle of Palea and Nea Kameni, two volcanic islets steeped in myth and legend. • Indulge in the serene beauty of Gythion’s coastal landscapes and savour the flavours of fresh seafood in traditional ouzeries. • Lose yourself in the labyrinthine streets of Kotor’s old port and admire the mediaeval marvels that earned this coastal gem its UNESCO World Heritage status.

Istanbul | Mykonos | Athens | Santorini | Gythion | Corfu | Kotor | Dubrovnik | Split | Trieste

What's included: • 9 nights aboard Seven Seas Voyager in a Deluxe Veranda Suite • Included and unlimited beverages, including fine wines and spirits • Flights and transfers • Unlimited shore excursions

Terms and Conditions:

Subject to availability. Please give me a call for further details. Price based on 2 sharing. Prices correct at time of posting. Offers are subject to change. I can advise on travel insurance at the time of booking.

The Small Print

These offers are brought to you by Travel Counsellors Ltd and all are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Where we have created the package ourselves, the holiday offer will be covered under our own ATOL. Our ATOL number is 6751. Where the offer has been sourced through another tour operator, it will be protected under that tour operator's ATOL. Full details on the individual ATOL protection that applies to each holiday offer will be given at time of booking. Prices and information contained in this page are correct at the time of distribution, are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or amended at any time without notice to you. Prices shown may be subject to departure tax, ticket on departure or a passenger APC charge. Please ask your Travel Counsellor at the time of booking.

Helen Knowles

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Stress free booking for fussy family …

What a great choice for a last minute Easter holiday Matt Newman! I hate booking holidays for my fussy family and he took all the stress out of finding somewhere that ticks all their boxes- hot weather, the right accommodation type, good food. Above expectations! Sorted the hotel’s last minute double booking for our 1st night, so I didn’t have to deal with that either… and got a discount too. Thank you!

Date of experience : 04 April 2024

Helen is fabulous

Helen is fabulous! She goes above and beyond and is there at an instant before your holiday, during and after should you need assistance. Our trip to Thailand went perfectly as planned.Transfers and excursions arrived on time with text contact beforehand etc. Helen offers a first class service. She works so hard to make sure your trip is amazing. She has a vast of knowledge and experience. The whole service offers confidence and reassurance.

Date of experience : 23 March 2024

It was a very good experience booking…

It was a very good experience booking this trip to New York through Claire Spicer and Travel Counsellors, knowing that Claire was there in the background helped tremendously before, during and after. Getting to know us and listening to what we wanted out of our travels over a period of time. The narrowing down of the choices and presenting selections to us just helped us to focus on what we wanted to do, choosing the right flights/accommodation and placing us in the right location for all the visits and events we attended. We would like to thank you very much for that. Looking forward to planning further holidays soon.

Date of experience : 17 March 2024

Highly recommend

We can't speak highly enough of our Travel Counsellor Sarah Martin. She was recommended by a colleague who had booked a family trip to New Zealand with her, so we decided to do the same. Sarah was very generous with advice and tips when we first started planning our trip. We felt very confident in her advice and arranged everything with her, apart from some of our accommodation (we were a party of 9 so opted for a couple of house rentals). We were provided with all the information we needed in good time and everything Sarah arranged was faultless. Sarah was particularly helpful when one of our party experienced a medical issue with a few weeks to go, which meant she required oxygen for the flights. Sarah offered to contact the airline immediately and helped to get answers quickly. Her support helped to alleviate some of the stress and the flights went without a hitch.

Date of experience : 16 March 2024

Costa Rica organized by Katharine Totoni

Katharine Totoni at Travel Counsellors made us the perfect holiday in Costa Rica. We saw all the animals; Sloths, lizards, snakes (including a close encounter with a Boa Constrictor and Scorpion!). The jungles and plants were amazing with the added thrill of zip lines in Arenal (a picture perfect volcano). Loved it! The fly drive worked really well. The hotels were great and the people so friendly and helpful. I am so glad I asked for Katharine to organize this for us. My 10yr old son loved it and has such amazing memories and experiences from this trip. Using her local team's knowledge, she took our brief and brought it to reality. This saved us days of trawling through other sites looking for good deals and you have a team in the country who can help out 24/7. I would definitely use Katharine again for another holiday and would highly recommend her! Brilliant work. Thank you!

Date of experience : 01 April 2024

Excellent service by Vikki she went…

Excellent service by Vikki she went above and beyond from the start with getting quotations together then through to the booking process. Vikki thank you so much. Will be recommending to friends and family xx

Date of experience : 27 March 2024

Seamless holiday- perfectly organised by June

June organised our holiday to Germany perfectly. She really understood our preferences and chose a perfect cottage for us which was well placed for walks and driving on days out. Everything was seamless. She had even written out our luggage tags and provided the plastic bags for the airport. We toured north, west, east and south then finished off with 2 amazing days at Europa Park and Rulantica, which were only a 25 minute drive away. This had been taken into account by June when planning where we could stay as she knew this was a big part of the holiday. Thanks to June for organising this special holiday. It was going to be the last family holiday with our eldest son who wants to go away with friends from now on, and he said what a holiday to go out on!

Date of experience : 29 March 2024

Always happy to book here.

I always trust to booking with Peter, every years I go to Vietnam to visit my family. In 2022 we have very enjoyed summer holiday in Mallorca, everything he arranged good. One more to thanks Peter.

Date of experience : 13 April 2024

Disney Paris

Can’t speak highly enough of our experience with Alex, super efficient and responsive on any queries. Every detail of our trip was planned perfectly and we wouldn’t hesitate to ask her to help plan any future trips. Thanks for taking the stress out of all of the planning for us Alex, you have been brilliant.

Date of experience : 06 April 2024

Jo Williams Travel Counsellor

Jo Williams Travel Counsellor recently booked our holiday for this summer 2024. From the very initial enquiry, Jo has shown an abundance of knowledge and expertise in Travel. She was friendly, thorough, approachable, and patient with my ideas. Jo gave me various options which ticked all the boxes to my brief and I wouldn’t hesitate to book with her again and will be recommending Jo to everyone.

Date of experience : 10 April 2024

Excellent trip thanks to Nadia.

I moment I spoke to Nadia and told her of my travel plans, I knew I was in safe hands. She was so helpful as I told her it was my first solo journey and understood that I was very anxious about flying alone . She got me the flights that I needed and great seats knowing I was on my own. She organised everything for me. I can’t thank her enough. My flying journeys were great thanks to her. She was so efficient patient and caring . I cannot recommend Nadia the Travel Company enough. I have since given her another challenge and she was so prompt and efficient she sorted me no problem.

Date of experience : 22 February 2024

Florida family holiday

First time we’ve used Travel Councillors and Sharon Wetherley for a holiday booking. It was for a big family (9) lifetime holiday to Florida. She organised everything from flights, lounge passes, car hire, villa and Disney park tickets! Couldn’t have been better. Perfect holiday with loads of photo memories. Big thanks to TC and Sharon!!

Date of experience : 22 March 2024

Great service from Jayne Lomax

Great service from Jayne Lomax We've just returned from our second holiday organised by Jayne Lomax.  Once again, she did an amazing job at finding the holiday we wanted. The hotel was fantastic, in the perfect location, and the transfers from the airport to the hotel went smoothly.  Communication from Jayne was spot on, even sending us messages to check on us during her own holiday - definitely above, and beyond! Thank you again Jayne. 

Safari Honeymoon

This is the first time we’ve used Travel Councillors and Jen Crowe for our honeymoon. From the very first brain storming session, Jen was helpful and knowledgeable on lots of different locations around the world. This gave us a greater understanding of where we wanted to book for our honeymoon. The holiday was fantastic and was organised down to a fine detail. All flights, transfers and hotel check-ins were completed without a hitch. Thank you Jen for all your hard work and making our honeymoon so special!

Absolute pleasure booking my holiday…

Absolute pleasure booking my holiday again with George Takes care in every little detail to make our holiday memorable First class treatment.

Date of experience : 12 April 2024

The most amazing family holiday in Thailand

We have just returned from the most amazing family holiday in Thailand, fully planned from start to finish by Vicky. The location was absolutely stunning. Vicky covers everything - it’s the most personal service & for a family of six it completely takes away any anxiety about booking the wrong location/resort/ or holiday experiences. We cannot recommend her highly enough. She is available throughout the whole process to ensure the holiday is perfect.

Fabulous Trip to Rome

I think this is the third time we have used Mel Halloway and she is great, her attention to detail is fab! We have just returned from 3 nights in Rome and everything as always was spot on - the cars picking us up at the airport and hotel were lovely, hotel was in a brilliant location we would definitely stay there again! Mel even arranged for the sun to come out and it never went below 23’ 😁

Date of experience : 08 April 2024

Transformed our travel experience!

Our agent Zoe Palmer has transformed our travel experience! She's taken our dreams and turned them into reality after a period of illness for us that made travel all but impossible. Complex dietary requirements have been handled with ease and we've been able to visit with confidence destinations that we simply thought beyond us. We know that Zoe 'has our back' if there are any issues - and she's handled airline generated chaos with the backing of her team at TC in a way that reassures me we're with the right people. I could not recommend her highly enough!

Date of experience : 03 March 2024

Simply the best !

We always book our holidays through Sally @ travel counsellors as no question is too silly, she is very responsive and on the odd occasion we have had issues whilst away she has always spoken to me in person regardless of the time of my call which is just above and beyond! Highly recommend and we wouldn’t use anyone else.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Fantastic experience

It was an absolute pleasure to book our holiday with Gillian. She had everything sorted out for us and was contactable at all times. Nothing was too much for her. I would highly recommend Gillian to anyone wanting to book a holiday. Best decision we ever made.

Date of experience : 07 April 2024

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What to do with a few hours in moscow march 25, 2013 12:43 pm   subscribe.

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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• International edition
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The experts: travel agents on 20 ways to book a sustainable and sensational summer holiday

Keen to get away? Here is how to find a great deal, pick the perfect destination and support the local community

A holiday should be relaxing, but booking one can be a fraught experience, with days lost to endless scrolling, comparing reviews and prices. How can you be sure you are getting a good deal? Travel agents share their tips for the most affordable, sustainable and memorable trips.

1. Book like an agent

“Everybody views themselves as a travel agent and they can be up to a point,” says Paul Sharp from Newcastle upon Tyne, who operates as part of the Travel Counsellors network and has 30 years’ experience in the industry. He says the rise of budget airlines and online booking have led to people feeling confident about organising trips themselves. What is the one thing we should know when doing so? “It is a false economy to book things separately because you have no protection,” Sharp says. He gives the example of someone planning a trip to South Africa to watch rugby, who booked flights with the airline and hotels directly and rugby tickets elsewhere. The game was cancelled but the flights and hotel were non-refundable. If they had been booked together, the trip would have been covered under package travel regulations. “Book with a company you trust and know – there are a lot of sites that crop up and you don’t really know their provenance,” he says.

2. Be an early bird

“Planning in advance is always going to be better value,” says Helen Youngman , an independent travel agent and partner at 360 Private Travel , based near Norwich. “Late deals do exist, but a lot of hotels use ‘dynamic pricing’, which means prices increase as availability goes down. Flights are only going to increase in price the closer you get to the departure date because the fuller the flight gets, the more expensive it will be.” Sharp adds: “Don’t hang on for a last-minute deal because you could end up disappointed. Scheduled flights tend to be available about 11 months in advance, so that is the best time to book. Also, at that stage, a lot of hotels and accommodation providers will have early-bird specials.”

3. If you do book late, be flexible

Jessica Bollinger, who works in the Bristol branch of Danish travel agent Kilroy , which specialises in youth and adventure holidays, agrees that late deals are now something of a myth. “They are not unheard of, but with a last-minute deal there are certain things you’re not going to get. So you have to be really open-minded as to where you’re going to go,” she says.

4. Avoid peak season

The cheapest time to travel is always outside the school holidays, says Youngman, with Christmas and new year the most expensive times. Can you get a good deal if you fly on Christmas or New Year’s Day itself? Sometimes, she says, “but a lot of people are catching on to that trick”. If you have to go in the school holidays, be open to going somewhere off the beaten track. “Being clever about destinations is a good plan,” says Youngman. “In Europe, look farther east at places such as Montenegro, Albania and Georgia. And Morocco is a good summer destination for families.”

5. Midweek can be more affordable

“Midweek can be cheaper, it just depends on availability,” says Youngman. “A Thursday to Monday trip is going to be slightly more expensive than Monday to Friday, but all travel fares are based on availability, so the further in advance you can book, the better.”

6. Take out travel insurance when you book

A lot of people sort out their insurance at the airport, says Sharp, but it is best to do it as soon as you have booked your trip. He says: “Travel insurance doesn’t just cover you if you lose a bag or are poorly while you are away. It also covers you should you need to cancel for an insurable reason before you travel.” This includes illness or a bereavement.

7. On solo trips, consider a group tour

If you are travelling alone, “pretty much anywhere is possible”, says Youngman. “Embarking on your first solo trip can be daunting, which is why small group tours are an amazing way to travel with like-minded people. Some companies I work with are doing specialist female-only tours with visits to female entrepreneurs, co-operatives, makers and bakers. Small group tours are great because they handle all the logistics, include really immersive experiences and are safe. They pick you up from the airport, and from that point onwards, you’re travelling with other people and you’ve got an expert guide.”

8. Have a daily budget

“We advise setting a daily limit for yourself while travelling and then multiplying that number by the days you are away to get the amount to save for your spending money,” says Bollinger. “When you work it out like this, it makes a lot more sense in people’s minds, especially young people who don’t have much budgeting experience. It also keeps you accountable to yourself, so you don’t blow everything right at the beginning and then have nothing left for the end.” To stick to a tight budget, she says: “Cook food as you go along and use public transport instead of tourist buses – this will really help you save money.”

9. Consider all-inclusive options

“If you are going to spend a lot of time eating and drinking in the hotel, I recommend upgrading to an all-inclusive option if possible,” says Youngman, “especially if you’d like a cocktail or two and you’re grazing throughout the day. Otherwise it can all add up and when you check out it costs a fortune.” With active holidays such as skiing or safaris, she adds: “If you have the option to choose an all-inclusive package that includes the activities, food and drink, that is usually a more cost-effective way of travelling. Because sometimes they will really sting you on the extras and it will be more expensive.”

10. Work your way around the world

“A working holiday is a great way to fund your trip,” says Bollinger, who helps people book travel to Australia, New Zealand and Canada by organising working holidays so they can extend their stay. “A lot of jobs will be hospitality-related, but if you go to a more rural spot you can do farm work, and if you have qualifications already, sometimes those can be used. Working holidays in Canada are often at ski resorts near Vancouver, so you get the added benefit of being in a beautiful place to take advantage of the winter sports.”

11. Travel as sustainably as possible

“You can get to most places in Europe by train , so if you are open to slowing down and having a more relaxed itinerary, not only are you travelling more sustainably, but you have more time to absorb the culture surrounding you,” says Youngman. “Be good to the environment you are travelling to see.” She stresses the importance of limiting flights as much as possible, especially internally, and avoiding indirect long-haul options. “We highly recommend ‘open-jaw flights’, which means you fly into one destination and out of another, to limit the number of flights,” says Bollinger. “We also promote travelling for longer in one destination as opposed to trying to go to many in a short time, and travelling overland when possible, instead of taking multiple flights.”

12. Offset carbon emissions with a reputable company

When considering carbon from flights, says Thomas Power of Pura Aventura , a B Corp sustainable travel company in Brighton: “Don’t believe the airline schemes, or anyone else who promises you absolution for a few quid. While 85% of offset schemes may be worthless, there are high-quality carbon credits starting at about £20 a tonne.” These can be bought to compensate for CO 2 emissions. Companies such as “ C Level ​ ​help you at least take positive action to balance your impact”, says Power.

13. Think of responsible travel as a ‘fair exchange’

When travelling, says Power, consider: “What are we giving and what are we receiving? Is it a fair exchange? Is somebody getting something in return for what I am receiving in this transaction?” This applies to everything from “taking a cruise to Venice and not giving anything to the city, to going camping in Sussex and getting a supermarket delivery to your tent instead of going to the village shop or buying eggs from the house down the road”. This concept of “fair exchange” can be beneficial for everyone, he says, by giving you access to unique experiences. “In terms of the economy, the less money that leaves the village, town or city, the better,” he says.

14. Embrace the great outdoors

If you camp out “you are closer to nature than any other accommodation option”, says Brodie Farrow, of the online camping and touring travel agent Pitchup . There are many benefits to this, she says: “It is really good for mental health. It is also a much more sustainable option: the carbon footprints of outdoor holidays tend to be much lower than hotel stays, as people travel by car rather than flying and it promotes local produce and low-impact activities such as hiking in the surrounding area. The accommodation or pitches are much less carbon intensive than hotels, too. And you have a positive impact on the community that you are visiting: camping attracts a higher number of customers at a lower cost than hotels do, which can help to underpin the viability of local facilities such as the shop, the bar and takeaway, and that benefits the wider community.”

15. If you are camping-phobic, glamp

“There really is something for everyone,” says Farrow. “You can get glamping accommodation with four-poster beds if you prefer camping in luxury, or you can go really wild and remote, with no facilities, out on your own and back to nature. I think you would be hard-pressed to say that there is nothing that appeals.” Although glamping has become a fairly pricey option, she says: “Some types are much cheaper than others. You can get some ‘pod-only’ camping accommodation, where you bring your own bedding, starting from £15 a night.”

16. If the weather is terrible …

… And you are under canvas, “try to keep your bedroom a wet-gear-free zone”, says Farrow. “Store and dry wet stuff in your porch area rather than in your bedroom compartment. Protect your equipment by putting it in plastic bags or dry bags. Don’t let anything touch your tent walls or you will have soggy socks.” For activities, she suggests, “swimming in the sea, because you are wet already, or going to the pub”. If you are disappointed by the weather on a non-camping holiday, “as annoying as it is, try to embrace it”, says Sharp. Many people come back from their holidays exhausted because they try to see and do everything when they’re away. Instead, he says: “Have a lie-in, ask local people which is the best restaurant for a long, lazy lunch and, most of all, relax and recharge your batteries – it’s a holiday after all.”

17. For best value destinations, try …

“Go for Belgrade over Berlin,” says Youngman. “It has an underground culture scene very similar to Berlin 20 years ago.” For backpackers, Bollinger suggests: “Some places in Central America can be really affordable. Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala are good options for someone wanting to think outside the box.” Sharp says there are more affordable options in “Cyprus, Bulgaria, Turkey and Egypt, compared with Spain and the Balearics, which are becoming increasingly expensive due to cost of living increases”. If you are looking for a staycation, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Cornwall are some of the most popular UK locations on Pitchup, says Farrow, which can inflate the price. Locations such as Pembrokeshire and the Isle of Wight are cheaper.

18. For a trip of a lifetime that doesn’t cost the earth …

“North Macedonia is just amazing,” says Youngman. “Ohrid has beautiful cobbled streets, Ottoman architecture , fantastic food and wine and you can visit the most biodiverse lake in Europe.” Farrow says: “I camped at the foot of Ben Nevis last year before hiking up it. The weather was terrible but it was worth it for the unreal views.” While Bollinger’s most memorable trip was “Interrailing in Europe and finding a way to do things on my own. It was before smartphones, so it was a very interesting experience and built up my confidence in travelling.”

19. If in doubt, follow local people

“Live like a local person by taking local buses and eating in local spots,” says Bollinger. “It is going to save you money, and will also let you experience life in a different way.” Power adds: “People want to go to Peru but they never come back talking about Machu Picchu, they come back talking about the people they met. Buy local and connections will happen for you. In the absence of interaction with your host community, the things you see are just wallpaper.”

20. And remember: you get what you pay for

“If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is,” says Sharp.

• The experts

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