Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 21

How to Save Money for Travel ON Travel

Did you know that you can basically get paid to travel and shop (for your travel gear and clothing) for things you buy every day? You can and Rakuten will pay you for it. I never buy or book anything without first checking Rakuten. So, what IS Rakuten? It's a fantastic - and free! - site that offers you cash back for purchasing from online merchants. If you plan to make a purchase anyway, you might as well get something for being a loyal (or even a new) customer. 

Here's how it works: Sign up i...

Shereen Travels Cheap Turns 13

I'm a little behind this month, because so much has been going on, but I couldn't let my blog birthday go by (too much) without acknowledging it. My blog is, officially, a a teenager now! We're finally back to pre-pandemic levels, though this year has been almost 100% trips to California (Palm Springs, San Francisco, Los Angeles), but we're doing our fall trip to Vancouver, BC, and we'll see if there's another short trip before the end of the year. What else can you look forward to?

Photo by Deva...

Travel Advisory: Help Maui By Not Traveling There

By now, we've all heard about the horrible wildfires in Maui. The historic cities on the island are being evacuated and many people are facing homelessness, because they have nowhere to go. If you have plans to travel to Maui, change them, and if you were thinking about going to Maui, don't. So, what can you do? 
Photo by Logan Armstrong on Unsplash
Traveling enables us to see new places and help preserve them by putting our vacation dollars into those communities. While you can't see Maui right n...

Family-friendly Las Vegas Attractions

A friend of mine said she was taking her daughter for the first time to Las Vegas. She's under 21, so going to the casinos or bar is not a thing. I haven't been to Vegas this year, which means I didn't actually write any updated lists for cool things to do for all ages, because Vegas is a town that has something for everyone, if you know where to look. 

You can take an elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Usually, people only know about Circus Circus, which is not the best hotel to stay at, but...

10 Tips For Saving On Travel Food

Food isn’t like souvenirs. No one goes on vacation withoutbuying it. You have to make room in your travel budget to eat, but there aremany ways you can make that part of your expenses smaller. Just because you aretrying to save money doesn’t mean that you have to eat fast food or sandwichesfor every meal or can’t experience the best cuisine a place has to offer. Belowis my top 10 list of ways to stretch your food funds.

Ask the locals where they eatOdds are,people who live whe...

Apps for Connecting With Home

When you travel, it can sometimes be hard to keep in touch with home, especially if you're traveling out of the country.  I'm not about to just cut off all communication for a week or two just because I don't want to pay $.60 for a text message or much more than that per phone call minute. Some international phone plans are better than that, but a lot still aren't. Here are the ways I stay connected with home when I travel. 
Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash
You could rely on email, bu...

Your Perfect Barbiecore Vacations

With Barbie taking over everywhere and pink vibes around every corner, maybe you're thinking of more ways to get that lovely hue into your life. Did you know there are so many places you can go that a covered in pink homes, castles, beaches, and even religious sites? This isn't an exhaustive list, but a sprinkling of destinations that can pink up your travels.

If you're looking for a great destination that can also be budget-friendly and easier to get to and get around in, check out Palm Springs....

Use Travel-Sharing for Budget Vacationing

It's no secret that travel share is a booming industry. With fewer mainstream ways to travel on a budget, it's easier than ever to travel the world without going broke. I'm all for going independent when I can to save some bucks, especially if I have plenty of traveler reviews to back up the safety and legitimacy of it all.

Instead of staying in a hotel or eating at a traditional restaurant or going to the big box car rental places for some wheels, why not go local and more affordable?


Accommodati...

My Favorite Travel Podcasts

As much as I would love to be traveling all the time, I can't actually do that and we both have jobs and a house and a dog. I spend a lot of time planning travel, but I also listen to podcasts. As I've gotten into more of them, I've accrued quite a few travel podcasts into my rotation. 

If you're looking for some inspiration or just want to learn new things, here are some of the ones I listen to regularly that you might also be interested in:
Atlas Obscura If you like to learn weird and wonderful t...

When To Get Travel Insurance

Travel is never truly inexpensive, unless you camp or stay in hostels. Most of us are more interested in sleeping in hotels or going on cruises. Nobody likes to be screwed out of their hard-earned money by unforeseen circumstances beyond their control and travel insurance can prevent that from happening. 

Now, you may have been traveling for years without taking this precaution, or you may have been in a situation where you wished you had taken out insurance to protect you. Fortunately, travel in...