Ian Gilmour - Travel Counsellor

Ian Gilmour - Travel Counsellor I create tailor-made holidays, cruises & tours that are all about you. I create tailor-made holidays, cruises and tours designed around you.

From first idea to flight home, I make travel effortless, personal & fully protected with Travel Counsellors. ๐ŸŒโœˆ๏ธ With nearly 40 years of travel experience and visits to over 60 countries, I use my knowledge and trusted global contacts to craft unique journeys that combine expertise, care and a touch of luxury. From inspiring ideas to the smallest detail, I take the stress out of planning and offe

r 24/7 support โ€” so you can relax and enjoy every moment. Every trip is 100% financially protected through Travel Counsellors, giving you complete peace of mind wherever you travel. ๐ŸŒโœˆ๏ธ

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ถ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜†, ๐—œ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜?Celebrity Cruises has just announced ...
15/08/2026

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ถ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜†, ๐—œ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜?

Celebrity Cruises has just announced its biggest-ever European programme, and one part particularly caught my eye.

Celebrity Beyond will be sailing from Southampton, with itineraries taking in destinations including Norway, Iceland and Scandinavia.

Beyond is one of Celebrity's newer Edge-series ships and feels much more like a contemporary resort than some people's idea of a traditional cruise ship. Great restaurants, lots of outdoor space and a much more relaxed atmosphere than you might expect.

But the bit I increasingly like about sailing from the UK is much simpler.

You arrive at the port, unpack once and the holiday starts.

No airport. No baggage carousel. No connecting flight.

Then you wake up somewhere new.

For anyone who would still love to explore Europe but is getting a little tired of the way we sometimes have to get there, that has quite a lot going for it.

Would you like more details? Get in touch at:

โ˜Ž๏ธ ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜€๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿณ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿด ๐Ÿด๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฐ
๐Ÿ“ง ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป.๐—ด๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ@๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€.๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ
โœ…Book with a Trusted Travel Expert
โœ…Full Financial Protection and Fully ATOL Bonded
โœ…24/7 support

A great holiday shouldn't feel like a project to manage.I spotted an interesting piece of travel research this week.71% ...
15/08/2026

A great holiday shouldn't feel like a project to manage.

I spotted an interesting piece of travel research this week.

71% of UK travellers surveyed said they now place greater value on holidays where the planning, logistics and other stresses are taken care of for them.

I completely understand that.

There is something wonderful about exploring somewhere properly, eating in local restaurants, discovering places you might never have found yourself and having experiences that feel genuinely personal.

But that doesn't mean you need to spend weeks working out transfers, flight connections, hotels, guides and how everything fits together.

For me, the best journeys give you the freedom to enjoy the adventure while somebody else worries about how all the pieces join up.

Who decided Europe had to be a summer holiday?One of the more interesting travel trends I've been reading about this wee...
14/08/2026

Who decided Europe had to be a summer holiday?

One of the more interesting travel trends I've been reading about this week is the growth in European river cruising during traditionally quieter months.

And it makes a lot of sense.

Travel in spring or autumn and you can often enjoy cooler temperatures, fewer crowds and a completely different atmosphere along Europe's rivers.

Imagine the vineyards along the Rhine or Moselle in autumn, or wandering through one of Europe's great cities without doing it in 35-degree heat.

If you're no longer tied to school holidays, choosing when you travel can be every bit as important as choosing where.

Sometimes the best version of a destination isn't the busiest one.

13/08/2026

๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฐ ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—œ๐—ธ๐—ผ๐˜€ ๐—ž๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜€ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ธ๐—ฒ?

Well, rather lovely as it turns outโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ท

Ikos Kissamos is the newest addition to the Ikos collection, set on the western coast of Crete, and this little glimpse gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Beautiful surroundings, excellent food, a very high standard of service and, as with all Ikos resorts, an all-inclusive concept that goes far beyond what most people imagine when they hear the words โ€œall inclusiveโ€.

If Crete is on your radar for next year, or you already know and love Ikos and fancy trying somewhere new, this is definitely one to have a look at.

And if youโ€™d like me to talk you through how Ikos Kissamos compares with the other Ikos resorts, just get in touch. I know the differences between them can make a big difference to which one suits you best.

Here's somewhere you may not have considered: Armenia.Getting there has just become considerably easier, with the first ...
13/08/2026

Here's somewhere you may not have considered: Armenia.

Getting there has just become considerably easier, with the first direct flights between London and Yerevan launching this summer.

Yerevan is sometimes called the Pink City because of the distinctive volcanic stone used in its architecture, but there's much more to Armenia than its capital.

Ancient monasteries, mountain landscapes, local wines, fabulous food and one of the oldest winemaking traditions in the world all make this a fascinating corner of the Caucasus.

It's certainly not somewhere everybody will have on their list.
And perhaps that's exactly the appeal.

When the journey becomes part of the holidayThere is growing interest in European river cruises that begin with a rail j...
12/08/2026

When the journey becomes part of the holiday

There is growing interest in European river cruises that begin with a rail journey rather than a flight.

It is not difficult to see the appeal. Instead of airport queues and baggage restrictions, you can settle into your seat, watch Europe pass the window and arrive in the heart of the city ready to join your ship.

The combination works particularly well on the Rhine, Danube and the rivers of France, where the journey can feel every bit as civilised as the cruise itself.

For anyone who enjoys seeing Europe at a gentler pace, a rail and river holiday could be well worth considering.

๐ˆ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐œ ๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐€๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐‚๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐’๐ฎ๐ง-๐’๐จ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ ๐’๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐Ž๐œ๐ž๐š๐ง๐ข๐š ๐‚๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ˆ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ ๐Ž๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐š ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ’,๐Ÿ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ— ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง...
12/08/2026

๐ˆ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐œ ๐ˆ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐๐ฌ, ๐€๐ง๐œ๐ข๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐‚๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐’๐ฎ๐ง-๐’๐จ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ ๐’๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐Ž๐œ๐ž๐š๐ง๐ข๐š ๐‚๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž๐ฌ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ˆ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ ๐Ž๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐š ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ’,๐Ÿ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ— ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง

Discover five-nights of relaxation, discovery and tranquillity pre-cruise at ๐ˆ๐ค๐จ๐ฌ ๐Ž๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐š in a Double Bungalow Garden View | Veranda Stateroom before boarding ๐Ž๐œ๐ž๐š๐ง๐ข๐š ๐€๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š to coast historic harbours, island escapes and culinary delights.

Highlights:
โœ” Halkidiki, Greece
โœ” Athens, Greece
โœ” Milos, Greece
โœ” Katakolon, Greece
โœ” Catania, Italy
โœ” Malta, Valletta
โœ” Palermo, Italy
โœ” Salerno, Italy
โœ” Rome, Italy

Stay Includes:
โœ” 5 or 6 nights pre-cruise stay at Ikos Olivia in Halkidiki
โœ” All Inclusive
โœ” Double Bungalow Garden View

Cruise includes:
โœ” 7 nights cruise onboard Oceania Allura, sailing on 7 of May 2027
โœ” Veranda Stateroom
โœ” Full board on ship
โœ” Included gratuities
โœ” All speciality dining
โœ” All soft drinks & speciality coffees
โœ” Complimentary Wi-Fi
โœ” Complimentary wine and beer with meals OR US$200 Your World Included Shore Excursion Credit
โœ” Private transfers and internal flights
โœ” ATOL and ABTA protection

โœ” ๐‹๐จ๐ง๐๐จ๐ง ๐†๐š๐ญ๐ฐ๐ข๐œ๐ค ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐„๐š๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฃ๐ž๐ญ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ’,๐Ÿ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ— (๐Ÿ“ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ž-๐‚๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ž)
Payable locally ยฃ32/โ‚ฌ37

As always this trip can be adapted, tailored and changed to fit your requirements exactly, just get in touch:

โ˜Ž๏ธ ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜€๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฝ ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿณ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿด ๐Ÿด๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฐ
๐Ÿ“ง ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป.๐—ด๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ@๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€.๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ
โœ…Book with a Trusted Travel Expert
โœ…Full Financial Protection and Fully ATOL Bonded
โœ…24/7 support

12/08/2026

๐Ÿ˜ It's World Elephant Day ๐Ÿ˜

A little extra time at the airport could make a big differenceThere have been further warnings about delays at passport ...
11/08/2026

A little extra time at the airport could make a big difference

There have been further warnings about delays at passport control at some European airports as the new Entry/Exit System continues to settle in.

Experiences vary considerably by airport and time of day, but the sensible advice is straightforward: do not cut things too finely, particularly when returning home.

Allow enough time to reach the airport, complete any formalities and clear passport control without turning the final hours of your holiday into a race against the clock.

It is one of those small details that can make the journey home considerably less stressful.

A new European city break without the airportFrom December, Eurostar is set to introduce direct trains from London to An...
10/08/2026

A new European city break without the airport

From December, Eurostar is set to introduce direct trains from London to Antwerp, making one of Belgiumโ€™s most interesting cities much easier to reach.

Antwerp is sometimes overshadowed by Brussels and Bruges, but it has a lot going for it: beautiful architecture, excellent restaurants, the historic diamond district, impressive museums and a compact centre that is easy to explore.

For anyone who enjoys European city breaks but would happily swap airport queues for a train journey, this could be one to consider.

I suspect Antwerp may become rather more popular once the direct service begins.

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Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Umm Suqaym

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