Rachael Higgins

My expertise

Adventure Travel
Cruise
Multi-Destination
Honeymoons
Peru
Ocean Cruise
River Cruise
Safari

I'm based in

Mayo

Because You Deserve A Travel Expert Who Genuinely Cares

Travel has always been my passion. After more than 30 years in the industry, I still genuinely love helping my clients turn their travel dreams into real, lifelong memories.

For me, it’s never just about booking a holiday... it’s about really looking after my clients. Many have been travelling with me for over 25 years, so I understand what they like (and what they don’t!) almost instinctively. That means I can quickly guide you towards what will suit you best, with those little details that make all the difference.

My approach is simple: it is personal. I take the time to listen, to ask the right questions, and to understand what really matters to you. Whether it is a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon, a special family adventure, a luxury cruise or a long-awaited escape for two, every itinerary I create is tailored around you and the way you like to travel.

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to explore much of the world myself, from Australia and the Far East to Africa, the Americas, Canada, the Caribbean and throughout Europe. Cruising is a particular love of mine, and with first-hand experience of many of the major cruise lines, along with my CLIA membership, (Cruise Lines International Association; the world's largest cruise industry trade association), I can offer honest, practical insight to help you find the ship and sailing that feels like the perfect fit.

A large part of my business comes from recommendations, and I never take that trust for granted. It means a great deal to me that so many clients return year after year, knowing I will always go the extra mile, keep an eye on the detail and be there when they need me, before, during and after their trip.

If you are starting to think about your next holiday, I would love to chat. Whether you already have ideas or you are not quite sure where to begin, just get in touch and we can start planning something that feels exactly right for you.

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Star Princess Inaugural Season Med Sailing!

Star Princess Inaugural Season Med Sailing!

I had the pleasure of sailing on Star Princess in October on her second-ever voyage, and I can honestly say… I came home genuinely impressed. This sailing ran from 15th–22nd October, round-trip from Barcelona, calling into Malaga, Gibraltar, Cartagena and Marseille. I was on board with a group of fellow travel agents and Princess representatives, and it gave me the perfect opportunity to experien

30 Dec 2025 5   min read

Honky Tonks, Hot Chicken & Hiking: A Guide to Nashville & Beyond

Honky Tonks, Hot Chicken & Hiking: A Guide to Nashville & Beyond

In October 2022, my husband and I finally took a long-overdue break—the first with just the two of us since our Honeymoon! Destination — Nashville, Tennessee! As someone who has spent nearly 30 years in the travel industry, I’d always been curious about this legendary music city, even though I wouldn’t have considered myself a huge country music fan. But l can tell you that Nashville was everythin

12 Mar 2025 5   min read

My Med Escape with Silversea Cruises: A Journey of Luxury

My Med Escape with Silversea Cruises: A Journey of Luxury

This summer, I had the privilege of sailing aboard Silversea's Silver Ray, an incredible ship that made its debut this year. Alongside a few of my Travel Counsellors colleagues, we embarked on a Mediterranean adventure that I can only describe as unforgettable. But before we get into the details of the cruise, let’s start at the beginning of my journey. Athens: A Perfect Pre-Cruise Treat Before bo

21 Nov 2024 5   min read

Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey, Orlando! - Part 3

Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey, Orlando! - Part 3

Next on our itinerary was Orlando! While it wasn’t our first visit, it was just as special and exciting as ever. One of the most interesting things about returning to Orlando with our kids at different ages is how the experience changes and evolves. This time around, our trip to Orlando felt like a whole new adventure. When you visit theme parks like Walt Disney World or Universal Studios with ki

02 Oct 2024 5   min read

Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey, Florida - Part 2

Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey, Florida - Part 2

Welcome back to our road trip adventures... After soaking up the charm of Savannah, we hit the road for Daytona Beach. The drive from Savannah to Daytona takes about 3.5 hours, but we (or should I say ‘I’) decided to add a little extra fun by making a quick stop in the historic city of St. Augustine. Here’s a peek into our journey! St. Augustine St. Augustine was a great surprise! Known as the ‘

02 Oct 2024 5   min read

 Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey - Part 1

Southern USA Road Trip: A Family Journey - Part 1

In March/April, my family and I embarked on an unforgettable trip to the USA. We flew directly from Dublin to Charlotte with American Airlines, which meant we cleared immigration before we left Ireland—a convenience that always makes the journey smoother. We also used the new MPC app, speeding up the immigration process even further. The American Airlines staff were very friendly, the aircraft was

15 Aug 2024 5   min read

My advice for booking your honeymoon

My advice for booking your honeymoon

For most people, a honeymoon is one of the biggest trips they will ever take, and understandably, it comes with high expectations. It’s an incredibly exciting time, but it can also feel overwhelming. With over 28 years of experience in planning and booking these special trips, I’ve put together some helpful hints and tips to ensure your honeymoon is everything you dream of. Not sure where to star

04 Sept 2019 5   min read

New England Adventure

New England Adventure

Our adventure started in Boston (you can read all about it on my ‘Quackers about Boston’ blog!) Coming from the traditional damp Irish summer, the weather in this part of the world was just perfect for a road trip – sunshine and blue skies – what more could you ask for?! A short 45-minute drive from Boston, our first stop was the historical city of Salem which was made famous by the Witch Trials

22 Aug 2019 5   min read

Quackers about Boston!

Quackers about Boston!

Our adventure started in the city of Boston, just over a 6-hour flight – direct from Dublin with Delta Airlines whom offered a great and very comfortable service. America’s oldest city is charming. It has bags of character within its different districts, but best of all it is a fairly small city, so you can pretty much walk all of it and that is exactly what we did…. Although for a small city the

24 Jul 2019 5   min read

The Canadian Rockies!

The Canadian Rockies!

This October I was reminded of how amazing our world is and the very reason I love my job! I was fortunate enough to be invited on a trip to Western Canada with Rocky Mountaineer, British Airways and American Airlines along with the tourist boards of Alberta and Vancouver. So where better place to start than at the beginning with our flights? Sometimes a laborious part of an adventure, but w

25 Oct 2018 5   min read

Awesome Abu Dhabi

Awesome Abu Dhabi

‘Awesome’ – not a word that I draw on very often, but it’s a great way to describe my brief encounter with Abu Dhabi at the start of May. We flew out of Dublin on a direct flight with Etihad Airways. The flight was comfortable, and the food, entertainment and service were nothing short of excellent. Etihad Airways aircraft are a young fleet, modern with the best of facilities. Not a long journe

12 Aug 2016 5   min read

Escape Completely... Med Cruise

Escape Completely... Med Cruise

Work, politics, bills, cooking, cleaning, childcare...the list goes on... Sometimes life is a daily struggle, and we all need somewhere to escape to. Long ago I was sold on the idea of cruising. I have been fortunate enough to have personal experiences of many of the cruise lines and I personally think it’s a perfect holiday – after all, how else can you see so many places, enjoy great food, fa

21 Aug 2015 5   min read

Pangkor Laut and Kuala Lumpur

Pangkor Laut and Kuala Lumpur

From the moment we checked in with Emirates the holiday of a lifetime started. We were lucky enough to travel business class, which was immensely comfortable and the service was second to none. This was a whirlwind trip so the extra comfort was a huge bonus. Although not my first time in Asia, this was my first visit to Malaysia, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. We touched down in Kual

28 Apr 2012 5   min read

Family Cruising

Family Cruising

When we booked our family holiday, I must admit I was a little sceptical. I had cruised before, but this time was to be different as we were travelling with our 20 month old daughter... On the 15th August we flew from Dublin to Barcelona, and checked in for 1 night at the Renaissance hotel Barcelona Airport. Our flight arrived into Barcelona quite late, so we opted for convenience. The hotel ha

24 Nov 2009 5   min read

Cruising the Caribbean

Cruising the Caribbean

Having enjoyed a ‘mini-cruise’ in Europe in 2006, I was really excited about cruising in the Caribbean, and the trip certainly didn’t disappoint....... Flights I flew with a group of colleagues from Dublin to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus, and then Heathrow to Miami with British Airways. Both airlines were comfortable, in particular British Airways. In my opinion they offer great facilitie

03 Mar 2009 5   min read

Riva del Garda and Venice

Riva del Garda and Venice

This was my first visit to Italy and I’m sure it won’t be my last! My husband and I enjoyed a fabulous week in the Hotel Villa Nicolli in Riva Del Garda. Lake Garda is stunningly beautiful and with several towns surrounding the Lake we found it hard to decide where to stay. Riva Del Garda is set at the north of Lake Garda and approximately 1hr 30 minutes coach transfer from Verona airport.

14 Nov 2008 5   min read

Rachael was so easy to work with and knew everything about anywhere I was curious about. Explained everything I needed to know really well and quick correspondence too.

Gemma Gibbons

Castlebar

Rachael has been wonderful. Very understanding, extremely patient, and very, very helpful in all our travel plans. She's a really lovely person to speak to , I would definitely recommend her to my family and friends. Just to note, it was family that recommend Rachael to us, as they where also pleased with her her work...... Many thanks

Jennifer K

Kiltimagh

The best Travel Agent I have ever used, Rachael Higgins was kind, professional and excellent at her job. I look forward to my family holiday knowing that Rachael has everything covered for us. I would definitely recommend Rachael to my friends and colleagues.

Ann Marie Tolan

Claremorris

Thank you Rachael so much for our Barbados honeymoon trip. You went above and beyond to organise such a perfect trip for us. We could not have done it without you and thanks so much for taking all the stress away from me. We asked for something a bit different boutique hotel, surfing. You also helped Dermy organise a perfect birthday for me and also contacted the hotel to let them know of the birthday celebration. They were just so adorable and treated me like a queen thank you so much for that. It really was a trip of a lifetime!

Junnat H

Westport - barbados trip

Rachael is extremely good at her job , professional, knowledgeable and so helpful at all times

Majella Kennedy

Co Mayo

Rachael has been such a help, sorting out every detail of our holiday. Would highly recommend Rachael

Kathleen Cannon

Co Mayo

Rachael is excellent, makes life easy when booking a holiday. I can be confident that the accommodation will be of a good standard and transfers will arrive. I have and will in the future recommend Rachael to friends and family

J Sammon

Westport

I would highly recommend Rachael to my family and friends. She went above and beyond to help us plan the perfect holiday. Her knowledge and expertise made the entire process completely stress-free.

Catherine Cosgrove

Claremorris

Rachael was great from start to finish. Once she established what we needed, she did the rest. Sorted out great itinerary options for our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia. She had wonderful advice re things to do and where to stay as well as some useful tips to make our trip as good and as trouble-free as possible. I would highly recommend her for whatever trip you’re planning.

MJ Keane

Belmullet

Excellent service, very helpful, delivered exactly what I was looking for ! Lovely person to deal with.

John M

Co Mayo

Not only would I recommend Rachael, I already have to friends and family who were equally delighted with the trip Rachael planned for them! I look forward to the next trip we plan with Rachael!

Elaine Kennedy

Cork

Rachael was suggested to me by some work colleagues to help with finding flights to Canada. Rachael made the process headache free and within a few days I had my trip booked with best route with short, but realistic layovers. I would highly recommend and will definitely consider working with Rachael again for another trip !

Eadaoin M

Castlebar

I have recommended Rachael to several people and can’t speak highly enough. The hassle of booking a holiday is no longer an issue with the fantastic service Rachael provides. Such an efficient Travel Counsellor and no questions are off limits. Rachael is absolutely fantastic!

T Cullinane

Claremorris

Rachael Higgins will always give 100% to make sure your trip is everything that you want. Thank you Rachael for all the trips you have organised for us.

Carmel Sloyan

Kiltimagh

Rachael was just super. Her quick response to my initial request. Her knowledge & advice to us was so reassuring. Rachael made everything so simple. Looking forward to our trip in April. I have passed on her details to my friends to help them with their holidays. Keep up the great work Rachael.

Annette Duffy

Co Mayo

Rachael went above and beyond in helping us book or trip next year. Top class.

Nicola Murtagh

Swinford

Rachael organised the most amazing honeymoon for us. From the first phone call she went above and beyond for us. She covered every detail for us and made the whole process stress free. The actual honeymoon itself was amazing! The accommodation she booked for us was absolutely unreal! Will definitely be looking to book our next big holiday with Rachael again!

A E

Galway

Rachael was just brilliant. She made the whole process very easy for us. She came up with various itineraries for us and guided us through the best options. She was so thorough in her explanations of each itinerary and never had a problem adapting them to suit us. She was very quick with her responses and was generous with her time.

Saoirse O'Connor

Tuam

Rachael is super efficient, she takes time to explain all aspects of your trip. She so pleasant and knowledgeable when answering my questions. I’m confident that once my flights are booked through Rachael and I have my travel insurance that I am in a position to just go and enjoy my trip and that I have nothing to worry about

Betty Hernon

Galway

Rachael is excellent! So helpful and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is planning a holiday. I will definitely use her services again.

Margaret Ruane Finn

Kiltimagh

Rachael is absolutely brilliant ! Have recommended her and will continue to do so.

Sharon Mulroy

Castlebar

Rachael is amazing what she does!! Always knows what’s best for us as a family.

Mary Mulroy

Castlebar

Rachael is always so helpful. She has great knowledge and any trips we have booked through Rachael have been a success. She is always very prompt in returning calls and emails.

Audrey Gillard

Stillorgan

Rachael was absolutely fantastic to deal with, very responsive with all my questions. Highly recommended and look forward to my holiday.

Suzanne Murphy

Ballinrobe

Rachael thank you for all your help and assistance while we were on honeymoon and all the help from the start with booking it all for us. Rachael was so great to deal with. We had an absolute ball and the cruise was honestly 10/10.

Shauna Finan

Melbourne

Rachael was very helpful and efficient; everything was sorted in no time at all!

Lorna Horan

Sligo

Rachael was extremely helpful in planning our trip. Her itinerary was amazing and included information on absolutely everything. She gave us various different options and quotes and didn’t put pressure on us to book anything. We had priced around a few different agents but went with Rachael as her attention to detail and the amount of helpful information she gave us was second to none. I look forward to planning more holidays with Rachael in the future.

Caitriona McTigue

Headford

Rachael always goes above and beyond to make sure all angles are covered to meet everyone's needs, whatever age!

Carmel Monaghan

Balla

Where do I begin. I have found Rachael extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive in looking after our queries. Her customer service has been amazing with constant updates. She provided great options and went over and beyond to secure my dream holiday. I will 100% be recommending Rachael to my friends, family and colleagues. A pleasure to do business with!

Philip Ronan

Dublin

Rachael has been such a joy to work with, from initial enquiry to fine tuning our trip. Her knowledge and intuition for understanding her customers requirements are exemplary! We look forward to planning future adventures together!

Margaret Rourke

Westport

Rachael was absolutely brilliant, I really appreciate her help.

Anne Murphy

Castlebar

I'm so delighted to use Rachael's service. I have already recommended Rachael to my friends and I hope that they use her service. On a personal note, I would not use anyone else. 10 out 10 from beginning to end. Thank you so much.

Aisling Prendergast

Mayo Abbey

Booking with Rachael made our holiday arrangements so easy, and it is reassuring to have her to answer questions and deal with any issues. It saves so much time booking through a Travel Counsellor. Rachael is so professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. I’d highly recommend booking through her.

Sharon Boyle

Castlebar

Rachael has been a brilliant help organising my flights and accommodation for my stopover. Everything you ask of her is no issue. She gave us a wide variety of options for flights and stopover locations to choose from . She is very professional, and you would feel very assured that your trip is well looked after.

Jean Morrin

Ballinrobe, Co Mayo

From day 1 when I got talking to Rachael Higgins, she went above and beyond for us. We had the most wonderful honeymoon in Italy and Rachael was on hand when we had a few hiccups(not Travel Counsellors fault) along the way. I would recommend her to anyone I meet.

Mary Collins

Ballina

Having Rachael organise everything from transfers to great accommodation takes all the hassle off me. I can look forward to a great holiday and know everything is taken care of. I recommend Rachael 100%.

Tara Brady

Claremorris

Fantastic deals and always in constant contact to answer any questions.

Barry Jennings

Castlebar

Rachael is excellent at what she does, so knowledgeable, competent, polite and helpful. She is truly one of the best!

Maggie Ruane Finn

Kiltimagh

Top class service as always from Rachael , she is brilliant at what she does, and she thinks of everything. There is no one else I would book with.

Majella Kennedy

Castlebar

Rachael is absolutely a pleasure to deal with and most efficient in her response.

Annie May Reape

Swinford

Rachael was absolutely amazing and so patient with us as we tried to decide on our perfect honeymoon! She was always just an email or phone call away and honestly could not have been more helpful or accommodating if she tried! 10/10 would recommend and use again and again

Elaine Rothwell

Ballina

Both holidays were amazing and we had a great time, locations were spot on. We will definitely be booking with you again, thanks for everything.

MJ Cleary

Claremorris

Rachael has been absolutely incredible booking our dream honeymoon. As travel isn’t as straight forward as usual at the moment, she left no stone unturned with options to make the whole experience as smooth as possible. This trip is our second to book through Rachael and we have recommended her to so many of our friends and family as she is amazing at her job. So looking forward to our dream trip that she has planned for us and we will definitely be booking through her again!!

Elaine Morgan

Co Roscommon

Excellent lady, very supportive.

Angela Lavelle

Charlestown

Rachael has being an absolute gem trying to organise our honeymoon for next year. She's so patient and thorough with everything and I mean everything.

Breda O'Connell

Listowel

Rachael is very well informed, courteous and really nice to deal with.

Josephine Walsh

Ennis

I would definitely recommend Rachael to my friends and family and I already have! She’s an amazing agent and she’s so thorough. I wouldn’t travel without her!

Dominque Cosgrove

Kiltimagh

Rachael was amazing and provided us with an excellent service. So approachable, she always followed up on queries and has great knowledge and competence in planning holidays and listened to our needs.

Josie Doolan-Ruane

Castlebar

Thanks so much for putting such a wonderful holiday together. It really was a trip of a lifetime. Thanks for all your help, patience, attention to detail & kindness.

Louise Coughter

Kiltimagh, Co Mayo

I would definitely and have frequently recommended Rachael to family and friends as I never had anything but a very positive and professional experience when dealing with her. She is fantastic.

AnneMarie Gallagher

Kiltimagh

Rachael is so friendly and supportive when booking a holiday. Nothing is too big or small and she always answers every question I ask. I love doing business with her.

Deirdre Currivan

Castlebar, Co Mayo

Rachael Higgins is excellent; prompt in replying, very knowledgeable and helpful, and I trust her!

Margaret Rourke

Westport, Co Mayo

Rachael went above and beyond to help us find our ideal holiday! We can't wait to go.

Patricia Joyce

Castlebar, Co Mayo

I have booked with Travel Counsellors for vacation travel on the past. Rachael has always made the experience a pleasant one. I have holidays booked and I have every confidence they will run smoothly thanks to Rachael’s efforts and advice.

Kathleen Moran

Aghamore, Co Mayo

Rachael was excellent she made everything so simple and away came back with answers so quickly. I'd recommend this service to anyone.

Catherine Heffernan

Glenmore

Rachael is amazing. She thinks of EVERYTHING and makes booking a family holiday so much easier.

Kate Joyce

Galway

Rachael is always very helpful and prompt with feedback. Makes booking a family trip hassle free and should problems arise she is there to help resolve them.

Lorraine McCloskey

Dublin

I just wanted to email to say thank you so so much for organising our honeymoon. It really was out of this world and we would never have managed to pull off a trip like that without your help! Everywhere you booked for us was stunning and so safe! We had an amazing time and it was all thanks to your hard work in planning the perfect trip for us!!

Roseanne O'Carroll

Kiltimagh

We could not have received any more help than we received from Rachael, she went out of her way to arrange our honeymoon a few years ago and we use her any time we need to arrange our holidays.

Michael Kelly

Easkey, Co Sligo

We can't thank you enough for the wonderful honeymoon you planned for us. We had the time of our lives, we are devastated it is all over, but all good things must come to an end. We will be recommending you to future brides and grooms or families who are looking for a trip with such attention to detail.

Donna Taaffe

Sligo

Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, trust worthy and really nothing too much trouble!

Bernie Browne

Galway

Rachael was fantastic and I've recommended her already to people.

Grace Creighton

Kiltimagh, Co Mayo

Rachael was super efficient and very effective. We really appreciated her guidance on the order of how we should visit our multi destination as this had an impact on price! We will be using Rachael's services in the future. Thank you so much.

Noeleen Cowley

London

We recently booked our honeymoon with Rachael. I found her to be extremely helpful and friendly. She was extremely professional and she tailored our honeymoon to suit our tastes and needs. Rachael was always available to discuss the different options on offer and she was very accommodating. Rachael made the whole process so easy for us, she did everything, from organizing our flights and accommodation, to organizing our car rental. All we had to do was choose which options we wanted to go for. I would highly recommend Rachael to anyone.

Sarah McHale

Ballina

Rachael was extremely friendly to work with and was very helpful to both of us when we were planning our honeymoon. Would recommend Rachael if you are planning a holiday or honeymoon as she makes it very easy.

Stephanie Gilger

Ballina

Myself and my husband have been extremely happy with the service we received from Rachael and the team in Travel Counsellors. We booked our accommodation in Lanzarote with her last year, on a friend's recommendation, and have done so again for this year. Despite the fact that we ended up 'only' booking accommodation and not a full package with her, Rachael has been nothing but professional and hugely accommodating both years, and nothing has been too much trouble, even my many emails back and forth! We would highly recommend her. Thank you Rachael

Emer Corbett

Dublin

We have booked several weekend breaks and family holidays through Rachael Higgins and have always found the experience a pleasure. Rachael takes out the stress of booking a holiday and ensures a guaranteed good time. It's the little extra touches that make us keep returning to her as our Travel Counsellor. Would without hesitation recommend her to anyone!

D Smyth

Kiltimagh, Co Mayo

I have been dealing with Rachael for many many years and 'followed her' when she moved from a local travel agent to Travel Counsellors. I have always found her to be very professional, her attention to detail cannot be surpassed. When we are planning a holiday, I don't need to tell Rachael that we like central hotels and the airline we'd prefer not to use unless we have to, she always remembers. Rachael takes the hard work out of booking a holiday, I just tell her where we're planning to go, she forwards options and then it 'just happens'. It's a pleasure dealing with Rachael because we know there won't be any hassle and all the paperwork will be forwarded to us in plenty of time. It's been wonderful to have her look after our holiday needs throughout the years. I cannot recommend Rachael highly enough.

Carmel Fitzgerald

Castlebar

Rachael helped us decide on our honeymoon in Vietnam! She was so patient and knowledgeable in replying to my countless emails along the way, nothing was a problem for her and she checked every hotel I asked in order to bring our trip in on budget. She even managed to beat a quote we received from a leading competitor. I have since referred 3 more honeymooners who have all booked with Rachael.

Tracy McDonagh

Co. Mayo

Thanks Rachael for arranging a great holiday for my family and I. We had a fab time in Costa Teguise. Looking forward to seeing what you can arrange for our (Brian and I)10th wedding anniversary next year. Rachael is the Perfect person to arrange the best holidays.

Lorraine Mcloughlin

Newport

I first heard of Rachael through a friend and from the very first contact with her she was just so helpful. I didn't have anything to organise as Rachael had everything under control. She was efficient, helpful and always there at the end of the phone, nothing is too much trouble. We are heading again next week, stressfree, as once again Rachael has it all organised, I can't recommend her highly enough.

Tanya Morahan

Castlebar

What I ate on a 7 night Princess Cruise!

What I ate on a 7 night Princess Cruise!

Well, almost everything I ate!

30 Dec 2025

Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises Webinar 15th Oct 2024

05 Dec 2024

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Finding your match...

Every unforgettable journey starts with the right person by your side.