I have come to find on my travels that there are some things I would have loved to know before I arrived in a place abroad. Specifically, things like "you can't drink the tap water, but you can brush your teeth with the tap water." As this can seem like an ignorant and obvious question and answer to many, this was a serious concern when many of us arrived in Thailand to study abroad.

Although I should have done more research before I traveled, sometimes this can seem like a daunting and time-consuming task to do for each country one plans to visit. Anyways, here are a few general things I learned along the way that I feel to be important suggestions for the aspiring and savvy (maybe a little cheap, too) world traveler.

1. Try all the food

Obviously, but seriously. Don’t stick with the basics. Avoid American food at all costs. Support local food joints and ask for their specialties, like “what’s your favorite?” or “what’s a classic _____ dish?” I highly recommend doing research online beforehand to check out some of the signature dishes of that country so you don’t miss out on their delectable traditional dishes that cannot always be truly replicated in America.

2. Engage with the locals and other travelers

My favorite part about traveling and one the most memorable aspects is the people along the way. They impact your experience and engrave in your memory the most. Also, these are great connections to keep in the future! When I visited Ireland a middle-aged Irish man chugged half a Guinness in about two seconds to prove to the bartender and me just how Irish he was and to show off a little bit too. Unforgettable.

3. Be cheap

Seriously, eating street food and drinking cheap beer on the streets saves you time (and money) from being tied up in a restaurant for a couple hours. It also allows you more time to explore more of the city and meet more people during that dinner pint.

4. Be sure to prepare your transportation in advance and carefully

If you rent a car, make sure to check the driving laws and tolls! And be sure the highway you are on does not require you to pay the highway toll at the gas station and put a sticker on your window. Many countries do monitor this on the highways as you leave and there can be hefty fines with no turning back at that point. We got a fine of 120 euros for not having one in Austria. Also, if you do rent a car, some agencies, like Hertz, will take very large holds on your credit card and will make you pay extra for doing so. If you are taking a train or bus, check the prices beforehand and possibly buy your tickets before to avoid higher fees once you’re there and save yourself some hassle as well.

5. Don’t expect to have free use of toilets or bathrooms

Bring change or make sure you use any free or paid bathrooms along the way or expect to find a nice spot in the woods. In most of my travels in Southeast Asia, most bathrooms charged a small fee unless you were at a gas station or restaurant. The same went with the parts of Europe I visited. Many places, especially tourist areas and even restaurants occasionally expect you to pay a small fee or at least leave a tip. This may not seem like a huge deal, and especially in SE Asia it certainly is not spendy, but in some spots in Europe some are up to 1.50 euro. Again, this is not an insurmountable price, but once you are traveling and are on somewhat of a budget even the little things count. I mean, you can save that money on three restroom trips for a beer at the very least...

A side note, it is a good idea to bring toilet paper or kleenex in your bag. It can be very handy at times, even paramount I found in Thailand when bathrooms are lacking thereof.

6. Don’t expect free water either!

Buying water can also become a bane for your income source. A suggestion is if you forgot your own water bottle or would rather not lug one around, buy a water bottle at a gas station or convenience store before you go into a restaurant. They will usually let you bring this in without it being awkward and this will save you some extra coins (for those bathroom trips), and you can refill that in drinking fountains along the way. I found out that water was almost the same price as beer in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. I know this is similar to wine in countries like Spain. Not entirely a bad thing, but if you are like me, you tend to get dehydrated a bit with all the touristy site-seeing and walking around.

7. Rate your Airbnb, guest house, hotel, or hostel

Also, check the rating on these as well, particularly the written, specific reviews by guests. There are a couple reasons I suggest this, one being that it helps out other travels when you rate honestly, and same goes vice versa. Things like “loved it, but you had to pay extra for _____,” “the hosts were very helpful,” “it advertised wifi but they did not have it,” etc. These small details can help you make a decision and will help future guests as well. Secondly, on Airbnb, your host can rate you as well, which can help you out in the long run when you are looking to book a place because the host must accept you as well. So if you rate your host, they will most likely rate you back and this can be good for your overall demeanor on the site. It also helps on the reviews when guests say that the hosts were very helpful and offered a lot of information about the town. This way you will know if you can wait to gather information about what to do once you are there. I have found hosts are 9/10 very involved and helpful with your stay in their town.

8. Always prepare for the season

Check the weather so you are not paying extra for ponchos, umbrellas, or cabs. Again, just extra pocket change that you would probably rather be spending on cheap souvenirs for your friends. You know you can’t resist that shot glass with the cheesy saying on it...

9. Bring meds for all circumstances

Especially if you’re not going to a place where English is their primary language. Bring some NyQuil, DayQuil, Tylenol, etc. so that you know exactly what you are taking and you don’t have to mess around with figuring out pharmacies and medications. This will save you a little bit of money as well. It is always nice to have something in your bag when you’re starting to get sick. As this happens to me almost every time I fly long distances and travel for a while, it is nice to have some early onset meds to save me for the long flight back.

On that note, a first aid kit can be extremely handy as well. I cannot count the number of times I needed Neosporin and band-aids in Thailand from the coral reefs.

10. Set an itinerary

Apps and websites can help you do this, such as Tripit and Google Trips. Search the top things to do and see when you are going to a place (and to eat) and write them down. This can help you get an idea about how long some activities might take and how many things you want to do in a city so that you can get a good idea about how long you should spend in an area. Personally, I suggest a day or two in the city and most of my other time in the country or smaller towns. Depending on what type of traveler you are, however, keep in mind that tourist season never really ends in the cities you probably want to visit. This gets very old to me, even though I am the tourist as well. Oh, and it also saves you a little bit of money to get out of the expensive cities and get into the local small diners around the towns, as well as cheaper lodging.

While traveling can be neither cheap nor easy, here are some tips and tidbits for your next adventure exploring the world. It is not the ultimate guide and is more of a generalization, but I found these things come in handy in all the places I have visited abroad so far.