Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 35

Mother's Day Travel Gift List

Can you believe it's already halfway through April? That means next month is Mother's Day, and if your mother (or grandmother, sister, daughter, friend) is a traveler, you might want to get them a little something fun for when they get back on the plane, or on the road. I've included some of my favorite items for any budget you may have. 

My mom loves to travel and we take trips together at least once or twice a year, and she also goes on her own trips with friends, so she can always use new trav...

Do You Need a Real ID?

Travel restrictions are easing and disappearing in a lot of places, meaning people are traveling the world again. If you want to be one of them and not sure if you have the correct identification, you're not alone. Many states have already switched over to Real ID, which is going to be necessary to fly domestically soon. If your state hasn't switched and you still want to travel, there are ways to get in compliance with this new rule going into effect. 

Oregon is one of those states that makes yo...

How To Pack For A Cruise

With travel bouncing back and cruising becoming safer than before, you might be planning a cruise trip. While there are lots of ways to save on a cruise, what about packing for a cruise? Just because there are so many different things to do on the ship, it doesn’t mean you need to bring your whole closet. In fact, you can still pack light and have everything you need for your cruise.

Photo by Adam Gonzales on Unsplash

Bring multi-purpose items, like a top that you can dress up or down depending on...

Know Your Travel Rights

We've all been there. You get to the airport and sit down to wait for your flight and then wham! Flight Delayed! Or worse, your flight is totally cancelled. What the??? Now what? 

With staff shortages and fewer routes due to Covid, delays and cancelations are becoming more normal. Airlines are still trying their best, even if they are also still overbooking. 

If your flight is cancelled
In this worst-case scenario, the airline will rebook you on the next available flight. If there's another flight ...

How To Travel With Your Dog

Traveling with your dog is not always cheap, or easy, but with a little bit of prep, you can make it more enjoyable for everyone. We did quite a big of road travel with our dog

WHEN YOU DRIVE
Bring their comfortsDogs can be stressed when they're away from home and in unfamiliar situations. Even if your dog loves the car, it doesn't mean he's going to love it for hours and hours. My pup has her own seat in the car so she can see out the window, but I also bring a dog bed for when she starts to get ...

How To Spend 3 Days in Tucson

Back in January, I took a trip to Arizona with my mom and husband. This was his first time there, which was an interesting perspective considering I spent my entire school-age life there. Since this was our first trip where we didn't drive during Covid, we planned to do quite a bit outside, which was great, because the weather was perfect for this kind of visit.

We were there for just 4 days, but we made the most of those days. If you are looking for a short getaway and want to enjoy the outdoors...

Travel Is Educational

Travel always teaches me something, whether it's something big or something small like researching dining options before regretting your dinner choice. We haven't had any big trips since September of 2019, but that gave us a lot to marinate on for the next couple years. 

Just when you think you've got your travel style perfected, you learn something new or need to change your mindset. 2019 was a cool year for me travel-wise. I had fantastic trips and I also learned a lot of things Here are the fo...

Do You Need 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...

Make The Most Of A Long Layover

Sometimes you just can't help ending up with a long layover. We've had ones from 4 hours to overnight and we've always viewed it as a challenge in fun. I am always disappointed when I only have an hour or so and can't explore a new airport, because so many are becoming cultural hubs.

How much time do you have? Here's how to fill it!

Under 3 hoursCheck out the airport's art collection. Lots of airports have art installations and some even have galleries. Grab a bite to eat. Most airports have resta...

Be A More Frequent Traveler

Every successful budget traveler knows the importance of frequent flyer miles. If you want to save money on your trips, then doing everything possible to get free plane tickets - or upgrades or even a partial ticket - is going to help you greatly when trying to spend less and still get to where you want to go. 

Traveling on a budget doesn't mean that you can't visit far off and exotic places. It just means you have to be more creative with your planning and spend a little more time searching for ...