WHY BELIEVE US?

traveltruth.com is a collaborative effort designed to offer the vacation consumer real world advice without exaggeration, deception, or sales bias. It is the ultimate insider’s view of how things really work, written by an award-winning team of travel consultants and journalists. We are the owners, managers, and staff at Churchill & Turen Ltd.

Churchill and Turen Lts. is a vacation-planning firm that is entirely devoted to "The Vacations in Your Life that Trult Matter." We are currently celebrating our 21st year in business. Our telephone numbers are all unlisted and new clients are accepted exclusively by personl referral from our current clients or from readers referred to us in the pages of the world's leading travel publications. Everyone at Churchill and Turen is committed to providing visitors to this site with hard-hitting, unbiased travel reporting and ratings. Our commitment to travel consumerism is real and one of the ways that we demonstrate that commitment is by refusing to accept advertising or promotional support for this site. Although we remain devoted to servicing the needs of our clients, we are also willing to help any serious travel consumer with questions regarding the relative merits of travel products.

In our current environment, the travel consumer is bombarded by misinformation and outright lies on a daily basis.. Bait-and-switch “from $499” ads are the rule – not the exception. A half-inch is defined as "extra legroom" and a moldy hot tub may be a "luxurious spa". Google virtually any travel-related topic, from hotel properties to destinations and you are smothered in a sea of tens of thousands, perhaps millions of ads disguised as information. No one seems willing to help. Everyone wants your credit card number. We hope that traveltruth.com is just the first step toward changing that perception.

Do we have an exclusive on the “truth” about travel? Of course not. But we do have the ability to tell-it-like-it-is based on our unique experiences as travel writers, travel consultants, and travel supplers. And we speak from a position of strength with a loyal cadre of discriminating clients nationwide who keep us fully booked. Finally - we have no advertisers - by design. We answer to no one. That is why we are free to just tell you the truth about travel.

Angela Turen handled travel arrangements for the television series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” She was a Tour Manager at Abercrombie and Kent, the fabled luxury tour operator. Angela has traveled the world as an international tour escort. Conde Nast Traveler Magazine has named her the nation’s “Top Spa Specialist” for the fourth consecutive year. She consults with spas throughout the world and creates Spa and Wellness vacations in luxurious surroundings on a global basis. Angela has clients throughout the United States including many in the arts and entertainment fields. She is a strong believer in the rights of consumers to know both the up side and the down side of all vacation options.  She is nationally recognized as a family vacation planning specialist Angela has won Top Producer awards from travel firms such as Tauck World Discovery, Celebrity Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Richard Turen enjoyed a career as an executive with Princess Cruises during the “Love Boat” years. He appears frequently on talk radio and hosts the local cable travel talk show “Timbuktu and Points Beyond”, now in its fourteenth year. Richard has won more than a dozen prestigious “World’s Best” Travel Specialist awards from Conde Nast Traveler, more than any other travel consultant in the United States. For ten years he wrote a popular syndicated column dealing with consumer travel issues for Copley Newspapers. He currently serves as a Contributing Editor at Travel Weekly Magazine, the nation’s most influential industry publication. He has been a dedicated advocate of consumer travel education. He is the author of two books, “Turen on Travel” and “Turen on Restaurants”.He has appeared on CNN, ABC, and NBC News.

Although all Churchill and Turen Ltd. clients deal personally with Angela or Richard Turen, the firm’s Concierge staff is unusually well qualified.

When Travel + Leisure Magazine compiled a list of the world’s Top Travel Planners. Only two travel agencies, Bill Fisher Travel in New York, and Churchill and Turen Ltd. made the list. C&T was cited for its excellence in providing “bespoke” custom travel arrangements for a roster of discriminating clients.

Churchill and Turen Ltd. has been profiled in The New York Times in an article that hailed it’s dedication to upscale niche vacation planning. The article pointed out that Churchill and Turen was thriving while many so-called “full service” travel agencies were floundering. The firm’s expertise has been cited in the pages of USA Today, Consumer Reports, The Washington Post, Forbes, and Smart Money Magazine.

Travelrtruth.com was never launched as a vehicle to produce thousands of new clients via the internet. It is, instead, a continuation of the consumer approach to travel that has been the company’s hallmark for the past eighteen years. In a profile of the business written more than a decade ago, Travel Weekly Magazine wrote that “truth in travel is clearly the motto at Churchill and Turen Ltd.”  The truth is that we do not solicit those who enjoy a current relationship with a travel agent.  We believe in the principles of loyalty and trust. We do not wish to take away business from other professionals. In fact, we do not take on large numbers of new clients. Our telephone numbers are unlisted to the general public. We have decided to list our telephone number on this site and it is available to the readers of Conde Nast Traveler and those who come to us via the personal referral of an existing client.

This site was first conceived when one of our writers was researching an upcoming article for a magazine. She tried to find honest rankings of the various cruise lines on the internet. She wanted to find out which airlines had the best safety records. The information did not exist. Now it does.

Here is what a few industry leaders have said about us:

“You and your  team should be proud of your status as “Top Producers” worldwide for Tauck World Discovery. While sales figures are great, I have always put quality over quantity as a measure of success. From this perspective, you and your team deserve an encore. Like us, you put your customers first.”

Peter Tauck - President Tauck World Discovery

"It takes a dreamweaver like yourself to turn our readers's wishes into reality. Thanks for serving them so well."

Thomas Wallace - Former editor in Chief Conde Nast Traveler Magazine

"Congratulatons of yet another industry acknowledgement of your status, expertise, and professionalism. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with you."

Simon F. Cooper - President and Chief Operating Officer Ritz Carlton Hotels

"Congratulations. This just confirms what we've always known - your hard work and efforts have now received the recognition you so richly deserve. We at Radisson Seven Seas Cruises consider it a privilege to be associated with you."

Mark S. Conroy - President and CEO Radisson Seven Seas Cruises

“I particularly appreciate the counsel and feedback you have given us over the years as members of our Top 100 Club.”

Allistair Ballantine  - Frm. President, Abercrombie and Kent

“Considering that there are tens of thousands of travel agents in our industry it is statistically easier to get into Harvard than to be named to Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 70 agents list.” Congratulations.

Dennis Pinto - President Micato Safaris

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your recognition by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the nation’s Best Travel Agents. I was very pleased to see your name among this esteemed group of individuals and I whole-heartedly agree with their choice. Your professionalism and dedication to the industry has brought you this well deserved recognition.”

Kirk Lanterman - Chairman and CEO Holland America Line

“Have you ever been called a Virtuoso for your level of skill and professionalism? Well you have now! We ernestly thank you for setting a higher standard that will ultimately benefit an entire industry."

Matthew Upchurch - CEO Virtuoso

“In an industry where the smallest of details can make the difference between a great experience and an unpleasant one, it is notable for the nation’s leading travel magazine to single you out as an outstanding practitioner in your field.”

Ellen Gerchick - Director of Luxury Sales, Park Hyatt Hotels

"There is no finer honor than that which is bestowed upon us by our peers and clients. I join Conde Nast in recognizing you not only as "a conscientous and well-connected advocate" but a truly stellasr expert within the greater travel and hospitality marketplace."

J. Turnbaugh - The Regent Beverly Wilshire

"Congratulations on being named a Dream Maker, and in multiple categories no less. That's quite an honor and I know well deserved. You should be very proud ......"

Canyon Ranch Health Resort

Here is what a few of our clients have said about us:

The following comments are unsolicited. Originals on file.

" Just wanted you to know that absolutely everything you touched was gold. Every accommodation and plan was

perfection. From the moment we arrived in Istanbul (and the way in which we were greeted and expedited through customs etc.) the Hotel, the tour guides etc. Just a masterful production.

R. Danziger (former CEO of Carlson Wagon Lits. Travel)

"..you are exceptional travel consultants who go "extra miles" to insure that all passengers booked through your firm have a great voyage."

R. Egner

"We selected Churchill and Turen to plan our land and cruise arrangements in Alaska. The staff met with us, listened to our plans and ideas, and focused on what our interests are and what we enjoy in a vacation. The trip was planned with those interests in mind. Their insights and advice enabled us to concentrate on enjoying our vacation, rather than managing it. We particularly valued their help with our optional excursions. These recommendations provided us with the fondest and most endearing memories of a truly wonderful vacation. It is very clear that Churchill and Turen has clients whose travel budgets exceeds ours. However, throughout the process, we were made to feel that we were the firm's most cherished clients."

J. Galati

"Congratulations on your recent accolade; we've told all our friends and they want to know if they do business with you can you guarantee them a miracle on their next trip, say something along the lines of winning a million Francs at the casino in Monte Carlo? Of course, I said, if it were possible, Churchill and Turen could make it happen. We live in a world of retail mediocrity. It's everywhere and it is polluting the travel industry and the airlines they represent as never before. We expect much more and those at the top of the list are clearly identifiable. Sitting from where C&T is perched, I would suggest that your future is secure and very bright indeed."

T. Bartlett

"Thank you for organizing a truly wonderful trip. We really cannot say enough! Both Villa La Massa and the Savoy were impressive. Our tours were incredible. Our guides offered a wealth of insights into Florentine and Tuscan lives. We will share more travel experiences with you in the future."

K. Lombardizzo

"What can we say" This cruise was everything you said and more. Everything has gone beautifully. Your suggestions for side trips were exactly right. I passed your name on to many folks unhappy with their agents..... Thanks so much for everything. You are a fantastic consultant. The trip was wonderful and you can be assured that we will be booking our next trip with you."

K. Mandel

"John and I can't thank you enough for such an incredible, amazing, and special honeymoon! Your added touches made us feel like royalty and we couldn't imagine having it any better and wouldn't change a thing about it. Thanks again."

S. Parkhurst

"Many thanks for your usual extra efforts that made our trip sp memorable. The day off the ship at La Samana was beyond perfection."

A. Haeussler

"David and I wanted to thank you for a memorable trip aboard the Mariner. Your enthusiasm, and professionalism are a winning combination. We are experienced travelers, both independently and with groups, and your services, attention to detail, and interest made the experience memorable."

D. Bellezo

"Many years of continued success and happiness with your business, Thank you for making so many of our travel dreams come true."

M. Junkrowski

"Have your ears been ringing? We've been singing your praises at NBC 5. You are awesome at what you do."

Allison Rosati Anchor NBC News

CHURCHILL AND TUREN LTD.

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