As a former helicopter pilot and lifelong aviation enthusiast, Karen McNally launched McNally Travel to combine her love of flying with her passion for exploring the world.
Karen’s favourite destination is Canada. Between flying helicopters to offshore rigs in Australia, she also flew onshore oil and gas employees by helicopter in Northern and Western parts of Canada. Karen became an unofficial tour guide, enjoying remote (and sometimes secret) fishing spots, amazing wildlife and breathtaking landscapes, not to mention meeting a host of very friendly people.
Hanging up her flying boots to raise her children, she was jet-setting with her first-born when he was just 10 weeks old. Karen's extensive travel through Canada, and her love affair with the place and it's people is why we specialise in holidays and adventures of all kinds to Canada, offering travellers some unique experiences that showcase this extraordinary country.
Karen's a bit of a foodie, a keen photographer, loves weather-watching, and is a big fan of adventure and the outdoors.
Submitted by Wanda Sadowski on Friday, Dec 06, 2024
Karen has provided me with travel services for many years. She has proven herself to be kind, compassionate, timely and knowledgeable. During Covid times, I urgently had to travel to Canada. As people might remember, this included not only buying tickets but obtaining permissions to leave and enter countries. Air travel during this era also involved vast amounts of personal funds floating around the universe due to inflated prices, cancelled flights and alternate bookings. Karen not only booked flights and arranged refunds, but she provided relevant and much-needed advice with poise and remarkable ease. We are endlessly grateful to Karen, and we look to her as an example of someone who can manage affairs during challenging times – just like she would have managed to fly a chopper in hectic conditions.
Submitted by Joy on Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024
We found Karen through a friend, and booking our multi-stop trip through Singapore, Denmark, Finland and back through London was seamless. Her communication was clear and found us the perfect itinerary at a competitive price. Karen is extremely responsive, and when there may be a very slight delay she is proactive to let us know in advance if she may be out of range for a day or so. We have since strongly recommended her to all of our family and friends for all future travel bookings!
Submitted by Bec on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024
I have used McNally Travel for several holidays now and every booking has been seamless. Karen’s attention to detail is second to none, even when we were travelling with a toddler to the snow in Canada and with multiple surfboards to the Maldives nothing was too much trouble. Thank you McNally Travel for giving me the confidence and peace of mind to travel stress free any where in the world.
Submitted by Klaas & Nettie Jonker on Saturday, Oct 26, 2024
Early this year we - Klaas & Nettie, being widowed - met each other and agreed to give each other the promise of marriage. That love promise brought us into a complicated situation since we had children and family on 3 continents: Canada, the Netherlands and Australia. Nettie hardly had left her birthplace while Klaas was a globetrotter. We decided to settle in the place of Nettie's family but arranged our wedding in Canada after which we would visit Klaas' family in the Netherlands. Thus we needed 'around the world' travel arrangements. A friend mentioned Karen McNally 'as a good start'. Well, it turned out to become much more than a start. Karen organized all our travel needs very expediently, professionally and friendly! We highly recommend her as Travel Agent! Klaas & Nettie Jonker.
Submitted by Kevin And Sue Wilkins on Wednesday, Oct 09, 2024
My husband and I have returned from the holiday of a lifetime and thanks to Karen's guidance, expertise and attention to detail as inexperienced overseas travelers, we had the confidence to relax and enjoy all aspects of the holiday. McNally travel kept us fully informed from the planning stage right through the trip to when we returned home. Karen's approach has always been warm, friendly and helpful. We highly recommend Karen as a skilled and knowledgeable travel agent.
Submitted by Felicity on Wednesday, Oct 09, 2024
Karen has supported us with many bookings for Canadian travel, and has been responsive and timely in the services provided. She has considered the different requirements of our family members (as individuals and as a group), creating itineraries that have made for fabulous and trouble-free travels. She has also been responsive in situations of unpredictable changes to airline services, providing remote support to reschedule and rearrange for the best experience possible.
Submitted by Andrew Frazer on Friday, Oct 04, 2024
My wife and I highly recommend Karen McNally without reservation. Karen’s professionalism is top class and her genuine care for my families travel needs has been second to none.
Submitted by Nicole ...Springer Foods on Tuesday, Oct 01, 2024
Hi, We have booked many holidays with McNally Travel (Karen) Japan /Bali /Gili Meno /Maldives /Queensland/ Melbourne / Hawaii. We love her help and expertise as she goes above and beyond to make sure flights are the best price and connect with next flight or hotel booking times, also matching with lifts to the best hotel to match your needs (We had Virgin cancel flights due to weather and she fixed it for us, organising the next flight ASAP). Karen really listens to what experiences you are looking for in your holiday and makes them a reality. We have recommended her to so many family and friends who have all had the same experience. Thanks Karen. Nicole Kristy
Submitted by Raquel A on Tuesday, Oct 01, 2024
We have used Karen for several trips; having her knowledge in booking, travel assistance and connecting flights, Karen has gone above and beyond each time to understand our family and individual needs. We cannot thank Karen enough for her time, expert knowledge but mostly her caring nature to ensure a smooth travel experience.
Submitted by Amanda Mace on Thursday, Sep 26, 2024
Karen was absolutely incredible in helping us plan our first family trip to Canada. From organising our preferred flights at a great cost to tips and tricks for future trips, (frequent flyer points are your friend!) to sorting out multiple city car rental as we showed the kids the beauty of 5 provinces and flew out from a different city than we landed in. I would absolutely use Karen for any future trips to the Great White North.
Submitted by Stuart Robertson on Thursday, Sep 26, 2024
Karen always goes above and beyond to ensure your travel plans from start to finish run as smoothly as possible. If the unexpected should happen and plans need to change, Karen works tirelessly to ensure the most suitable solution is achieved.
Submitted by Matthew on Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024
My wife and I wanted a bucket list trip to Canada and were going to book an easy off the shelf tour online to tick the boxes we wanted. We contacted Karen through her website and were immediately impressed by her friendly and professional manner and the amazing knowledge she has all things Canada. Karen put an incredible trip together making sure we saw everything we wanted to, taking care to ensure we never were rushed and had plenty of time to enjoy everything that each destination had to offer. Her tips for each destination took us to places you would never think to visit unless you had local knowledge and she even gave me confidence to make it a self drive trip which I was so pleased I did, especially when driving the Icefields Parkway. We are hooked now and will visit again in a different season. We absolutely will go straight back to Karen when that time arrives.
Submitted by Chris Stewart on Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024
My husband and I used McNally Travel to book a 4 week holiday to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska, including a Glacier Cruise. A bucket list trip that Karen made so much easier to plan. She has extensive knowledge and tips about all the key attractions. (ie which side of the ship to book cabin and pre book Athabasca Glacier - this in particular proved to be invaluable. Many people being turned away on the day we went) She not only gave us advice on where to stay in each location to give us the best access point, but also seasonal advantage/disadvantages. Our trip was seamless, even though it included 6 plane trips, numerous transfers and 5 different hotels. Thank you so much Karen
Submitted by Alan Rose on Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024
What a pleasure it was to have all the hard work done for us. Karen dealt with any changes and issues that came up due unexpected events so we didn't have to bother with them. She came up with a great idea for the Alaskan Cruise called 'Uncruise' which was far more adventurous than the normal Cruises on offer. To say the least we really got to see parts of Alaska that one would not usually be able. She has a great App she utilises that has all the trip information on it saving fumbling through paper work to find information such as accomodation, car hire and hotels. I would highly recommend Karen to plan and facilitate your next holiday adventure especially since she takes such a personal interest and pleasure in it. One would almost think she was coming along as well.
Submitted by Karen Walsh on Tuesday, Sep 24, 2024
Karen McNally has been our go-to travel agent for years, and she has planned some truly unforgettable trips for our family, including trips to Thailand, Japan, New Zealand, Peru and numerous domestic destinations. She has a remarkable ability to understand exactly what we need as a family and always goes above and beyond to make each trip special. One of Karen’s greatest qualities is her promptness—no question or request is ever too much for her. During COVID, when travel plans became incredibly complicated, Karen was an absolute lifesaver. With our two youngest daughters locked out due to border closures, she managed every detail of our constantly changing plans with precision. She always seemed to know about border openings and closures before anyone else and guided us through the process with ease.We look forward to the day Karen can help us plan our dream holiday to Canada—her SUPERPOWER! I truly don’t know what I would do without her expertise and support. Thank you, Karen!
Submitted by Andrea on Saturday, Sep 21, 2024
Thank you Karen for your assistance in both planning our international trip, and advice during our holiday due to delayed flight. Using a travel specialist meant that we were able to plan a trip that was very comfortable, fly the most direct routes, and your advice around different airlines and luggage was perfect. Every little detail was taken care of and we had THE best seats! I would not hesitate to use McNally Travel again, rather than try to figure out all the travel details myself, especially with multiple destinations, stopovers and flights, your knowledge was invaluable. Thanks again.
Submitted by Dianne And Darrin McKenney on Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024
McNally travel went above and beyond to help my husband tick a holiday in Canada off his bucket list. Karen made sure we did everything that we wanted to do while there. She kept in constant contact with us to let us know of anything of interest that was happening in the area that we were visiting like the freak snow storm while we were in Banff and how to find out when the best time was to see the Northern Lights. Everything ran so smooth and seamless. We could not have asked for a more knowledgeable, friendly travel agent.
Submitted by Lesley Ballantyne on Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024
As a lifelong traveller, I always booked my own travel. Then I had kids. Then covid hit. So I tried booking through Karen for my first overseas trip post covid, and i could NOT have been more impressed! Her flight routes, her price and her assistance before, during and after takeoff were so greatly appreciated. She was able to secure us great flights at great prices, assisted with insurance, and kept us posted on any delays etc. Best of all, we were able to reach her at any time in case of cancellations (which did happen!), and we didn't have to deal with waiting to speak to airline staff. We booked with her again this year for our trip last month, and once again, her customer service was second to none. She was able to secure us bassinet seats on our overseas flight which was a life saver.If you are ever heading overseas, especially to Canada, do yourself a favour and book with Karen. She will not disappoint!
Submitted by Jonty on Tuesday, Sep 03, 2024
In June 2023, I had the pleasure of traveling to Greece, Macedonia, and Croatia, with Karen’s invaluable assistance. Karen expertly handled all the logistics, from booking flights to arranging bus transportation, which proved especially challenging due to a website in a foreign language. Her deep industry knowledge and meticulous approach ensured that everything went smoothly. Karen’s prompt responses and effective problem-solving were immensely helpful, and her thoughtful travel advice greatly enriched my trip. For a stress-free travel experience, I wholeheartedly recommend Karen. I’ll definitely be turning to her for my future travels.
Submitted by Francis on Sunday, Sep 01, 2024
Thanks for organising our overseas trips in 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023 and this year. Earlier this year and at a moment's notice, Karen organised my trip to Belgium, it is great to have a very capable travel agent to organise my flights to Brussels. And come to my rescue to reschedule my return as I was too sick to fly back,I would highly recommend Karen for your next overseas travel.
Submitted by Susan Moss on Friday, Aug 30, 2024
Karen has been handling my Photography Tours to India for the last few years and I am delighted with the results. She is a delight to deal with, our packages being handled very efficiently, I couldn't ask for any more. My guests all happy with the way everything is done. I recommend Mc Nally Travel to handle your bookings.
Submitted by James Fisher on Friday, Aug 30, 2024
Karen McNally has booked all our overseas and domestic holidays for the last decade. Her expertise and knowledge is second to none. The reasons I use McNally Travel are numerous, however her professional and availability when something doesn’t always go to plan set her apart from other travel agencies. A last minute change of flight, problem with accommodation or unforeseen circumstance is when Karen and McNally Travel go the extra mile. Nothing is too much trouble. Our holidays have provided special memories and exciting experiences, and McNally Travel has been a consistent building block for this. Don’t take my word for it , contact Karen at McNally Travel and experience this for yourself.
Submitted by Rita Willard on Friday, Aug 30, 2024
Thank you Karen for looking after the tiniest of details to make my July trip was absolutely perfect. Talk to you about next booking soon! Thank you.
Canada is a country that shines in every season, offering a unique experience year-round. At McNally... View More
