Shereen Rayle's Blog, page 53

10 Must-Have Travel Items

Since travel is off the table right now, it's the perfect time to stock your travel bag for when you get out there again. I travel mostly the same way every time I go anywhere, no matter where I go. I have perfected my packing list and having a packing plan that works for me makes life so much easier. Part of my plan is taking the same things every trip, because it's familiar and it works. Here are the things I'm always packing, wherever I go.
Ziploc bagsYou  never know when you'll need to separa...

10 Cheap + 5 Free Things To Do In Venice

While we aren't traveling, we're trying to keep our wanderlust at bay by doing our own destination staycation date nights.  We're very adamant about being responsible travelers, and right now that means not traveling at all. We still want to travel though, so we've gotten creative. 

This gives us a great chance to start looking at things we want to do when it's safe to get out in the world again (and we're not bound by travel restrictions). Since we "went" to Venice last date night, I decided to ...

It Might Be A While Away, But That Means More Time To Plan Your Next Trip

Due to the pandemic, it might be a while before you feel like it is safe to travel again. We know that this isn’t ideal, but it does mean that you have more time to plan! The good thing about this is that you know when you do get back out there and start seeing new places again, you’re going to have the most amazing time imaginable. So, in this post we’re going to be looking at some of the things that you should consider when it comes to your next trip! Keep reading if you want to find out more....

Traveling to Venice From Home

People liked my creative streak in this travel-at-home series, so you'll be getting more. I'd love some suggestions on where you think we should "go", what we should do or menu items. This time we traveled to Venice, and I was not disappointed.

I, originally, planned to eat on the lawn, but this weekend was also chilly and windy, and we didn't eat until late, so it was also getting dark. I turned my backdrop around on our porch and made a cozy "indoor" space that sheltered us from the wind. The p...

I'm Traveling Today

Well, not really, but we will be doing a destination date later today. The world is getting to me this week and I'm taking a break from my regular post schedule today. I'll be back to my regular posts on Wed, and there will be a newsletter this week. 


Please stay safe. Covid is still very much a thing. Be kind to others. Keep your eyes and ears open for those that tell you one thing and show you something else. Remember that Black lives still matter. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-...

Pandemic Money-Saving Tips

With stay-at-home orders (either official or self-imposed)right now, a lot of us are bored and dreaming of travel. I'm looking on the bright side, because it's the only way to get through sometimes. By staying home and not buying unnecessary things, except for the occasional treat, I'm paying down my bills and will be actively saving more for my trips soon. What does that mean? 


It means I'll be going on more trips when it's safe to do so. It also means I can go on bigger trips instead, if I want...

Getting Money Together for Your Next Getaway

Travel may be on hold for a little while with the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t start planning for your next trip when restrictions are lifted and we’re all able to go on holiday again. If anything, this is a good time to get organised and start saving so that you’re able to take the trip of a lifetime when things are back on track! Whether you fancy a city break, a week in Europe, a couple of weeks in the Caribbean or anything else, you’re going to have to be financ...

My Athens Wish List

In my last post, I started my new travel-at-home series with Greece. We virtually went to Athens and we had a great time getting away from the real world for a few hours. I'll be continuing the series ever couple of weeks or so throughout this pandemic (and possibly longer, because it's a lot of fun, honestly, and a great way to get in the feeling of travel for a lot less money while you save up for that next big trip). 
Photo by Darryl Low on Unsplash
Today I want to show you my Athens wish list,...

Traveling To Greece From Home

It's no secret to anyone right now that I won't be traveling anywhere until at least 2021. Well, that started to get depressing, so I decided to do something fun and new for our weekly date night. This week we "went" to Greece. 

In June, we threw my husband a travel-themed front yard quarantine party. We had food and drinks from the "snack cart", put up a plane backdrop, gave away travel "souvenirs", and socially distanced on the front lawn with family and friends that dropped by during our 3 hou...

Shereen Travels Cheap Turns 10

Thursday marked a whopping 10 years of doing this blog and it both feels way longer than that and also way shorter. Generally, I like to reflect back on the previous year and talk about the coming year. The last 6 months have been pretty unusual, so this is going to look a bit different.
Photo by Chris Jarvis on UnsplashDespite the uncertainty of the world, we were still able to take our usual fall trip last year. We went to Edinburgh for a family wedding, where I worked with Visit Scotland to br...