Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 129

Getting Through Airport Security with Your Sanity

The holidays are here and that means more travelers hitting the airport to visit friends, families or possibly just take advantage of a rockin’ travel deal. There’s no doubt that the airport will be crowded with travelers and lovely people picking up and saying goodbye, but the busiest place won’t be the stores or eateries, or even the waiting room, but the security line. No one likes to wait in it and everyone thinks it’s a hassle, even though it’s kind of exciting, because you’re going some...

Travel is Good for Your Health

I'm not going anywhere this holiday season. Luckily, almost all our family and friends live close by, so we can see everyone pretty easily through Christmas and New Year. We also feel like using your hard-earned vacation days (and budget) to visit family doesn't really count as a real vacation. When you only have finite dollars to spend on trips, you have to pick an choose carefully. Go visit your aunt and uncle in Ohio or take that cruise to Mexico? You can justify a trip to Ohio by also see...

Stocking Stuffers and Email-Worthy Gifts

So, you're still working on your gift list for the holidays and you've run out of ideas or have no idea what to get for the people who don't live nearby? Well, you're in luck It's not too late to stuff stockings, buy real gifts on a budget or buy for far away friends and family. If you missed my main gift list, go check it out first. Remember that though Amazon doesn't wrap gifts, they will put a nice note in the box for the recipient, and if you're a Prime member, shipping is free or su...

5 Underrated U.S. Cities to Put on Your Travel List Now

Tourists are always flocking to the big cities of New York, New Orleans, Orlando and Los Angeles, but there are lots of other cities out there that get passed over because they just don’t sound exciting. If you don’t have these next five cities on your travel list, you could totally be missing out. Aside from being cool destinations, they may just be a lot more affordable.
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Won’t you take me to “Funkytown”?Fort Worth, Texas, often gets overshadowed by its big brother Dallas. It has...

Free and Cheap Activities in Washington, D.C.

When you arrive in our nation’s capital, you might be afraid of how much everything will cost, especially when you find that most parking garages will run you $20-30 per day. So, that’s like a big chunk of your daily budget, right? Bummer. Well, believe it or not, if you plan it right, you can do a lot of cheap and free things on your visit.


Lunch at the Farmers’ MarketThroughout the city there are farmers’ markets open on specific days. We parked in the Ronald Reagan Building – which is super...

Traveling on a Budget in Expensive London

London is right up there as one of the most expensive cities in the world to travel to. It’s unfortunate for me that it is one of my favorite places to visit, but aside from the airfare to get there, you can make a trip to London quite affordable. It will take some planning and budgeting, but you can do it. True, you won’t be able to do it every year. We like to hope we can get there every five. Of course, with so much time in between visits, it means you also want to make the most of your tr...

5 Great Warm Weather Destinations in the U.S.

So, you’re already sick of the cold weather and want to head somewhere warm? I feel ya. It seems like fall whizzed by and we went straight from summer to winter. We’ve got biting cold winds to go with the rainy chilly weather, which does not make for a good combination. What’s worse is that with the holidays coming up fast, and at least four December birthdays, we’re also short on cash. If you have the same issue, then here are five destinations in the U.S. that are warm and might just be a c...

The 411 on Overbooked Flights

These days, it’s almost mandatory that airlines overbook flights in order to make money and also fill each and every seat on the plane. There is a small percentage of people who arrive too late to make their flight or just don’t show up and the airlines take this into account when booking seats on each flight. Unfortunately, this means that planes are often crowded and many people each day get bumped and have to sit around the airport for hours waiting for the next flight going to their desti...

Budget Hotels for a Winter Surfing Getaway

Heading to the beach in winter sounds like it might be a great idea, but even if you live near a beach like we do, it’s probably way too cold to actually enjoy it. Wearing three layers to build sandcastles is never fun, so why not head to a place where it’s warm in the winter and won’t bust your budget? Colima, Mexico is one such place that has lovely weather all year, a tropical feel with banana and coconut trees all over – giving it the name “City of Palms” – and is ideal for surfing, too....

How to Be a Good Plane Passenger

Okay, so the holidays are here and that means you're going to be faced with bigger travel crowds than usual and crabbier passengers and all that other good stuff nobody likes about flying and going to the airport. Everyone needs to do their part to make the experience less stressful and annoying for everyone else. Be the best passenger you can be and maybe inspire others, too.

Put your bag in the overhead as quickly as possible, but move into your row to let passengers further back go by so yo...