Based in Kettering

Lucy Althorpe

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

TRAVEL IS BACK! I am are here with you every step of the way to make sure you are looked after and I take all the travel stress away. With access to thousands of suppliers, hoteliers, airlines I can pretty much book anything and everything! I can help you by providing ideas, suggest itineraries and supply full travel advice prior to departure. To give you that peace of mind why not book your next trip with a bonded independent agent!

As an award winning expert in the travel industry with over 30 years travel experience I specialise in long-haul travel , honeymoons, destination weddings and bespoke tours and itineraries. From relaxing Caribbean beach holidays to multi centre tours as an independent travel expert I can tailor make that trip of your dreams. Being independent means we have more suppliers to choose from as well as a host of fabulous in-house deals from our contracted suppliers around the world.

So if you don't have the time to search for your own holiday and you want some security and peace of mind knowing you are covered then look no further.

I am here to help!

So if you fancy grabbing a coffee to chat about your next travel plans then please do get in touch.

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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:

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My Videos

Sani Resort - Greece

11/9/2020

Sani Resorts in Greece have offer high end luxury holidays with world beating facilities.

Beyond The Horizon

10/16/2020

As travel arrangements continue to change and caution lingers, we’re looking ahead to start making plans to get excited about, beyond this year.

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.

Scarlett Lady Cruise Ship Visit

24 February 2020

AHOY SAILOR! Lucky Nick Markham (another fabulous TC) got to experience the amazing new Virgin Cruise ship this week. Here is what he had to say about his visit. This is an adult only ship. On arrival on board deck 6, we were immediately met by young vibrant crew. ‘Ahoy Sailor’ was the greeting throughout the day by the plentiful crew, and their enthusiasm was infectious. You found yourself easily returning this greeting with the same abundance of enthusiasm. The Roundabout, Deck 7 — This is the equivalent of other cruise ship’s atrium. But if you are looking for an open span area covering the usual average of 3 floors then you won’t find it on this ship. It has a sweeping staircase that takes you up to the next level but it is enclosed so there is no view up to the next floor, and the staircase is plain. Coming off the roundabout are several closed areas; such as ‘Sip’ where you can get a glass of champagne or maybe ‘Lick Me ‘Till Ice Cream’ is more your thing; an ice cream serving area. On the other side of the Roundabout is a nice coffee shop ‘The Grounds Club’ serving pastries etc. The Stairwell/Lift Areas - These areas were in my opinion plain. No artwork on the stairwell walls that is usually found on ships and the majority of the ship public areas are tiled floors. The lifts themselves are creative with a visual effect of being underwater with bubbles in glass walls and when you come out of the lift there is on the far end of the ship’s lifts contemporary moulded structures of seaside art telling you what floor you are on. Eating on board - Sir Richard Branson was keen to not have the ‘main dining hall’ experience. Instead there are several eating areas where you are encouraged to sit in big groups with your fellow passengers; after all this is a ‘party ship’ where mixing and getting along with your fellow ‘sailors’ will add to this party vibe. An intimate meal for 2 is not really what this ship is about; but if you enjoy the social, interacting side to cruising then this way of eating, albeit relaxed in nature, (no formal dining) may be for you. On our tour we were taken into ‘Razzle Dazzle’ a vegetarian eatery with a ‘Virgin’ twist! For two days on every voyage Drag Brunch can be enjoyed, a spectacular drag queen will take over this space to provide some entertainment. Gunbae was our next stop; a Korean BBQ dining experience. This is a diner style area with big sweeping booths where sailors will be encouraged to start their voyage. It was said to be a great way to meet your fellow sailors and indulge in the ‘drinking games!’ There are menus on the table giving examples of drinking games in case you are struggling for your own. The BBQ chicken we were served in a Tapas format was delicious; I would recommend this dining experience; I can’t comment on the drinking games, although we were served a shot off Soju, there was not enough time on our tour to throw ourselves into a round of drinking games! Cabins - We were shown to the ‘Rock Star’ cabins. (The black and white stripped carpets that are throughout the corridors leading to the cabins won’t be for everybody. One of our tour did have to step out of the corridor due to feeling dizzy! - see image). The Rock Star suite category are cabins that will give you access to private areas on the ship. There are 2 types of this category with a ‘mega’ experience which is a large suite, separate room areas and a balcony with your own hot tub etc. Music can be played in these rooms with the multiple guitars available with an amplifier. All cabins are where the party starts and probably ends! The Rock Star rooms have record players with a selection of vinyls, ingredients and paraphernalia to create you own cocktails and a swinging hammock on your deck (hammocks are on all balcony grade cabins). Your cabin bed is packed away in the daytime so that your room becomes lounging space for you to bring back your friends for socialising. The beds in all rooms are created so that they can be folded back into seating for the daytime so no longer do your fellow sailors have to sit on your bed. Smart technology operates your mood lighting, curtains, air conditioning etc and the bathrooms are modern. Although I like to escape to my bed at times in the day (it takes the cabin steward approximately 15 minutes to make up your bed), the cabins were fantastic in design and general comfort. Accessible cabin - We were shown the accessible Rock Star cabin. It was a huge space with easy access on to the balcony and a large bathroom. It would easily meet Nick’s needs as wheelchair dependant. Pleasantly decorated with all the gadgets. We were told by the steward that there are 29 accessible cabins. Nick found it easy to mobilise the ship in his wheelchair. The Manor - This was not open for our tour but the entrance area was - see the image I have posted of the bright dangling lights that meet you as you walk in. It really stops you in your tracks! Squid Ink - This area was closed. A tattoo shop; the first one at sea. As you can see from the image this is a seriously technical area. With world famous artists reported to be working this area this looks like it is for the modern inking of full leg and arm sleeve additions that are currently popular. The Open Decks - Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour to showcase this area. It is difficult to give an opinion as the seating was packed away and all the pool and jacuzzi’s covered over. There was not obvious accessible hoists for the pools to be seen. The decks were open plan and again the seating was large areas encouraging the socialising with your fellow sailors. The Athletic Club - This is a small ‘dark’ area. It is set up for sailors to have personal HIIT sessions with TRX, painted floor areas for HIIT and rowing machines. There is a boxing ring outside and gloves are provided; there is a punchbag dangling down into the middle of the ring so I imagine this is to be punched rather than a fellow sailor sparring match! The ‘Wellness Team’ member that we met was again young and vibrant. It was made clear that ‘wellness’ was felt to be an important part of the ‘sailor’ experience. There is also an on board gym with all the traditional equipment you would expect; we did not get shown this. All in all a fantastic ship and will an amazing Virgin experience when it sets sail.

Sandals Star Awards

09 February 2021

It’s official! I’m so pleased to announce Travel Counsellors have been named Best UK Homeworking Agency by Sandals Resorts for 2019. It was an honour to represent Travel Counsellors and collect the award in person at the stunning Beaches Turks and Caicos property. The star studded Gala dinner was hosted by Sandals and over 500 amazing travel agents from around the world were in attendance. Representing the UK team for Travel Counsellors we were honoured to pick up the top Home Working Agency Award. Myself and fellow TC Nadine Judd share this award with every other home working Travel Counsellor - we are so very proud.

Sandals Holidays - WINNER

15 October 2019

On Tuesday I was invited to the regional Sandals Agent Appreciation Dinner at the Hilton Northampton. We arrived to be greeted by a glass of fizz and a room full of local travel colleagues. After a delicious 3 course dinner with wine we sat down to receive an update from Faye our Sandals representative on all things new and exciting with the brand. Followed by an awards ceremony. Little did I know that I was up for one of these awards. Well done to me - Rising Agency for Northamptonshire. Being a Sandals Specialist Silver Agent I sell a lot of their holidays and I have a great wealth of knowledge and experience of the hotels. It was so amazing for Sandals to recognise this achievement being a homeworker on my own. I honestly LOVE selling Sandals holidays to my customers. I know they will receive the highest level of service from Sandals which they get from me, so its a win win for everyone. For more information on Sandals holidays please see my Sandals Blog.. For all the latest Sandals offers visit www.facebook.com/lucyalthorpeTC

Win a Honeymoon

02 July 2019

Lucy Althorpe Travel Counsellor and Icon Bridal are pleased to offer a fantastic competition to win a honeymoon. Simply purchase your wedding dress from Icon Bridal between 1st July - 31st August 2019 and you will automatically be entered into our grand prize draw. Terms and Conditions: The winner will be selected at random on Monday 2nd September 2019 and will win £500 towards a honeymoon of their choice booked with Lucy Althorpe - Travel Counsellor. Dress cannot be purchased in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Honeymoon destination can be selected by the couple up to the value of £500. Should the trip exceed this amount the couple have the option to pay the difference. Our honeymoon gift registry service is also available to all couples who book to help towards the cost of the trip.

Honeymoon Gift Registry Service

08 February 2019

An easy, stress-free way to manage your dream wedding and honeymoon online - courtesy of your personal Travel Counsellor - Lucy Althorpe Our Honeymoon Gift Registry service allows your wedding guests to give you the most memorable gift of all – your dream honeymoon tailor-made down to the finest detail. You may already have all the bed linen and towels you need, or you may have a perfect honeymoon in mind but need a helping hand making your dream trip a reality. Whether it’s the ultimate adventure trip, a romantic city break, or a luxurious retreat to faraway shores, the Gift Registry means you can have the honeymoon you always wanted. Your unique Honeymoon Gift Registry web page will be personalised with your photo and messages, allowing guests, friends and family to log in easily and contribute towards your honeymoon. As part of this unique service, you can also purchase a Honeymoon Registry pack, which includes guest cards designed to send out with your wedding invitations, to let guests know how they can contribute to your dream honeymoon. The Honeymoon Registry pack also includes thank you cards and envelopes, to let your guests know how much you appreciate their contribution. Testimonial - Paula Conde Jay and I made use of this fantastic Gift Registry service for our honeymoon to Antigua and we were so glad we did. It took away the headache of asking for gifts or collecting presents/cash at the reception. All our guests found the online service very easy to use and a secure way to donate towards our honeymoon. Every time someone donated, we received an email alerting us to who and how much which we found fantastic. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this service to anyone else booking a honeymoon with Lucy. Both Lucy and this service are amazing!

Lux Maldives - paradise found

29 December 2015

This was our third trip to the Maldives following stays at Medhufushi and Banyan Tree. We were slightly nervous about booking for this hotel due to the size of the island! We like to keep ourselves to ourselves on holiday with peace and quiet - however we need not have worried too much. Private Lounge - when we arrived at Male we were greeted by the hotel rep who took our cases and guided us to the shuttle bus to the sea planes. We were dropped off prior to the main building at the hotels private lounge which was a nice touch. Cold towels, drinks and snacks available and the chance to refreshen up before your sea plane transfer. Accommodation - Upon arrival we were greeted by the staff and this was where their amazing hospitality started! After a quick chat in reception we were guided straight to our water villa which was simply stunning. Comfy bed, great shower, bath robes and lush toiletries.. flat screen TV, large terrace with two sunbeds, table and chairs plus outdoor shower and total privacy from next door. Beautiful! Our room boy was extremely attentive and couldnt do enough for us. Each day he would stop by for a quick chat but this never distracted him from doing an amazing job, he really looked after us. Food - there is a good selection on the island with 5 main restaurants to choose from. Staying in the water villas meant East was our nearest restaurant and hosted a fabulous breakfast every day! We are early birds so had breakfast around 8am each day which was fabulous - nice and quiet with amazing views of the Ocean. Dinner at East provided a good selection of authentic Thai and Asian cuisine in buffet style. Noo was the "family" choice for the buffet but we avoided this as we found it a bit more like a canteen than a restaurant. Senses a la carte provided sensational curry dishes and Allegria again provided good quality a la carte Italian food. Every night was different and the sevice was generally excellent. On the night of our anniversary the hotel arranged a special treat of a private dinner on the beach which we hadnt asked for and did not have to pay a suppliment - this was a wonderful gesture and we had the most amazing night dining under the stars. To Do - Ok so there isnt a house reef as such however around the water villas there is a good selection of small corals with some decent fish viewing for those who dont want to venture into deeper water. The daily snorkelling trips (either morning or afternoon) were a must for those seeking amazing marine life - no charge for these trips and worth the daily visit. We also paid $80pp for the half day whale shark safari and were not dissapointed. We swam with 2 of these amazing creatures and the staff were especialy careful when briefing everyone on what to do and not to do with these creatures which is more than can be said for other "tourist" boat trips which just tipped up and jumped in on top of us without a care for us or the whale shark! Very annoying!!! Back on the island there is daily shark/stingray feeding plus cooking classes, sunset yoga, tennis and much more. For the kids there is a decent kids club and kids pool but we stayed well away from that! There are a few gift shops but as expected for the Maldives they were incredibly expensive. One of the nice touches was the "phone home phone box" where for two minutes off peak you could call home free of charge. A lovely idea! We didnt use the nightclub so cannot comment on that! Spa - I visted the spa for three treatments during my 10 day stay and although it was a lovely experience it didnt compare wsith Banyan Tree or Medhufushi. In my opinion this is one area they could improve upon. All inclusive - I have to say this is the best AI resort I have been to anywhere in the world! We are not huge drinkers however the choice and selection available on the AI plan was fabulous -not just your usual cheap non branded "house" drinks. The wine list was extensive and we were introduced to some wonderful new wines which we are still drinking upon our return to the UK. The cocktail menu was so varied we had a different drink after dinner every night in one of the choices of three bars on the island! Ok - so the island is huge (compared to others in the Maldives) and to walk round it will take your around two hours or you can use the complimentary bikes to get around. But this kind of added to its appeal as you didnt feel you were on an island with 100's of other guests and it gave you something different to do each day. While we were there the resort was undergoing its re-brand to LUX (we stayed while it was Diva) so it would be interesting to return and see what changes have been made. Recommendations - there is only one main change we would make and that would be to get rid of the tacky awful entertainment that rotates round the bars each night. This girly duo looked and sounded awful and we actually planned our cocktails around where they were NOT performing! It cheapened the experience and we found it totally un-necessary for this type of holiday. We would definitely return to the island and recommend this to anyone who is seeking luxury accommodation, excellent service, amazing food and breath-taking Maldivian beauty. I have added some "informative" photos of the island rather than just generic beach shots to help potential guests choose this great resort. I hope you have enjoyed this review!

My customer stories

Sent by Jessica Grannon

Very supportive and approachable. Lots of ideas, experience and advice given when discussing potential honeymoon ideas. Very helpful and would recommend 100%.

Sent by Susan Turner

Helpful, knowledgeable, efficient, thorough and extremely patient service. Thank you. Can't wait to go now!

Sent by Maria Simpson

Always available you answer any questions and making booking holidays feel less stressful especially in such challenging times. I feel safe & secure in Lucy’s hands!

Sent by Sachita Patel

Lucy has been superb through out making every step hassle free! Despite several amends we finally go to Barbados and it was fantastic. Amazing service!

Sent by Zoe Mackintosh

The support Lucy has given in booking my daughters first holiday & my holiday for early next year has been amazing. I shall never book online again!

Sent by John Hennedy

We have had to put our holiday back now to 2022 like a lot of people but Lucy has helped us all along the way! Lucy was very easy and professional at answering our mounting questions and putting our minds to rest . Thanks for the help Lucy ??

Sent by Joanne Alexander

I would just like to say how amazing Lucy has been as our Travel Counsellor especially during Covid. Unfortunately we should of been packing our bags now ready for our Caribbean Cruise and stay but sadly we have had to reschedule. What could of been a really difficult task was made so easy by Lucy, who rearranged every part of our journey and gave us advice along the way. We even managed to upgrade the flights on our new booking for no extra cost. Definitely recommend booking through Lucy who has been fantastic.

Sent by Debbie Bullen

This week we should have been flying if to Singapore & Vietnam with friends but, like everyone else, have had holiday hopes dashed. But I wanted to say a HUGE thank you for helping us through this matter and securing rebooking to Australia. While we will have to rethink Vietnam we are extremely excited at what you have booked for us in December for Singapore, Melbourne, Whitsundays (sooo excited about the option you found for the reef experience) and then our fave Sydney... It’s going to be a special visit for us and friends/family are so excited too. So just a big thank you until we speak next. I’m sure it was nice to book something vs cancel and I hope the loses if 2020 soon grow into bigger adventures for people in 2021/22... All thru ‘Althorpe Tours’! Thank You.

Sent by Nigel Lashbrook

I cannot recommend Lucy more strongly - she is an outstanding travel counsellor. She has given us really good advice over many years and has organised some quite wonderful holidays for my wife and I. Although we have not travelled in recent times for obvious reasons, Lucy's support in reorganising a planned trip to the Caribbean has been superb - she has taken all of the worry away with her calm advice.

Sent by Leanne Keenoo

I always book with Lucy and value her time and efforts. However with todays current situation I value her service even more. 3 of our holidays have been cancelled so far due to Covid and she has handled everything so efficiently I have had no stress or hassle whatsoever. This service is priceless and I can't imagine ever booking without her. If you don't book with Lucy then do it today. You won't regret it!

Sent by Katie Mclellan

Lucy has been absolutely amazing. We unfortunately had to cancel our original honeymoon due to my husband needing unexpected surgery. Lucy took care of everything for us and made everything stress free. I cannot thank her enough for everything she did. We then wanted to rebook for 2020 and Lucy was so patient when I took longer than usual to reply due to my husband being back in hospital. She listened to everything we wanted and has recreated an incredible honeymoon for us! We can’t wait to book our 2021 holiday with her!

Sent by Camilla Dahl Veevers

Lucy saves me hours of looking through millions of holidays. We are a fussy bunch and a large family so it is never straight forward to book holidays. But Lucy takes all that stress away. Everything I throw her way - she comes back with a solution and an answer, always trying to get me the best holiday at the best price. I have recommended her to lots of my friends. Would never hesitate to recommend her to anyone! She is great!

Sent by Emma Chapman

We wanted a special holiday for our silver wedding anniversary and Lucy certainly delivered! Her recommendation of a trip to New York and cruise around the Bahamas in addition to our planned stay in Florida made it truly memorable for us all. Lucy also arranged special assistance for our son who is autistic. This included help at the airport and supported check in for the cruise which proved invaluable. We had a fantastic time and would recommend Lucy for all her help.

Sent by Paul Clarke

Just back from an amazing trip to Disneyland Paris!! Lucy arranged everything for us and gave us lots of tips before we went as well!! All in all a fantastic experience, I would definitely recommend Lucy and will always be our first port of call for all our travel needs!!

Sent by Heather Thornton

Looking for a holiday can be so stressful and I'm happy to say that Lucy takes all the stress away. She listens to where you want to go, what you would like to do and when, then as if by magic she finds you the perfect holiday. I would and do recommend Lucy to anyone who's looking for that dream break but doesn't quite know where to start. I can't wait to book my next holiday and Lucy's already given us food for thought as to where we should go. Thanks Lucy!

Sent by Joanna Walton

Lucy found us the perfect holiday! We told her what kind of holiday we were looking for and she found us the most amazing place, giving us everything we hoped for and more. She was their to answer any questions we had and give advice.

Sent by Constance Sigsworth

I contacted Lucy for my travel needs based on recommendations from my daughter-in-law. Even though I live in the US, Lucy has been very responsive to travel requests. I had some ideas where I wanted to go and she gave me she compared the resorts giving me complete outline of each place. So far, Lucy has booked 2 trips for me. All travel arrangements are available on her app which is user friendly giving payment due dates, etc. I highly recommend using Lucy Althorpe for all your travel needs.

Sent by Hannah Shepherd

My daughter and I had the time of our lives on our recent trip to the Maldives, booked through Lucy. From start to finish Lucy was amazing! Professional, knowledgeable, dependable, reliable, empathetic, passionate, enthusiastic etc etc etc!!! We could not fault anything! She found our DREAM holiday; delivered our tickets; checked us in; sorted our inflight requirements; arranged a surprise 18th birthday cake and other unexpected surprises; touched base with us when we’d arrived to check all was in order; went above and beyond in every way, and was incredible throughout. I would not hesitate to book through Lucy again and have already recommended her to loads of family and friends. Literally fantastic and totally hassle-free.

Sent by Matthew Moody

Lucy is a one-of-a-kind helpful knowledgeable and enthusiastic travel advisor. I will be using her for all my business trips and holidays going forward - thanks Lucy! I'd heartily recommend her to anybody who doesn't have the time to search the best deals but wants to get away for business or pleasure. And at no extra cost than you'd pay normally - awesome service!