If you know someone who traveled in Europe, then you know Ryanair. It’s the American equivalent of Spirit Airlines and is touted for their cheap prices, some as low as 17 euro for a round trip between Milan and London.

It sounds too good to be true, and let me tell you that it is. Ryanair has a lot of caveats that make customers spend more if you aren’t careful, like pay 15 euro for a boarding pass (still bitter).

So here’s a listicle for my world-travelers on a budget on how to survive Ryanair, based on my own and others experiences.

1. Don’t trust your mobile boarding pass

First off, they don’t provide mobile boarding passes if you check in on their website. But, you might be able to get one if you download and check in on their mobile app. There’s no guarantee, however, and I’ve found that I can get a boarding pass for only some flights.

2. You will pay an unreasonable price if you choose to print your boarding pass at the airport (and waste a lot of time)

Ryanair doesn’t have a kiosk for you to print out your ticket, but they do provide computers that can access the Internet. It’s 0.40 Euro/minute, but you can’t pay less than 10 Euro for a service. And on top of that, it costs 5 Euros to print a sheet of paper. So you’ll pay at least 15 Euro just to print out a boarding pass in black and white, which is exactly what I had to do so I could get my boarding pass stamped (check #3).

3. You might have to get your boarding pass stamped before security

Read the fine print on your boarding pass! If you have “Visa Check” above your scanner bar, then you have to get your boarding pass stamped at the check-in counter before security. I honestly don’t know why they require this (especially because you still have to go through passport check if you’re traveling outside the EU/UK), but I learned this after waiting in line for security for 20 minutes and promptly turned away.

4. Your flight may be INCREDIBLY delayed

I only had 24 hours in Seville, so I was hoping my flight from Barcelona would depart on time in the morning so I could spend my entire day there. But my flight was delayed an hour and a half and was continuously pushed back, which was not ideal for my schedule.

5. Forget personal space

Get comfy with the people next to you! There isn’t much space between, in front of, or behind the people you’re sitting with, so claustrophobes, be warned.

6. Be prepared to check in your large carry-on

The overhead bins are tiny and fill up quickly, so be prepared in case they wrap a check-in tag on your luggage. Luckily it’s free of charge, but it wastes time since you’ll need to wait for your luggage at the carousel.

7. Beware the perfume carts

They try to sell anything during the flight, and one of them is luxury perfumes. I don’t know who thought it would be a good idea to have people test perfume on an airplane, but clearly, Ryanair thinks that its passengers breathing in various scents in a vacuum is logical!

8. Bring food and water in advance

Ryanair won’t give anything for free, but they do have carts with refreshments and average food. You might as well stop by a DutyFree store or restaurant inside the airport and get yourself a proper meal/snack.

9. Get in line early if you want to secure a spot in the overhead bins

You might notice a long line of people outside the gate before boarding begins. This is because they want to secure a spot in the overhead bins and don’t want to risk having their luggage checked in (check #6). Besides checking in larger carry-ons, they will also do the same if they notice that the bins are filling up. You still won’t get charged, but you'll have to spend time waiting for your luggage after the flight.

10. You get what you pay for

Ryanair is a discount airline. It doesn’t market itself as having a luxurious and/or a comfortable experience, and their competitive advantage is their prices. If you want an airline that has more perks, like leg room, complementary refreshments, and boarding pass kiosks, then Ryanair isn’t for you. If you want to get away at a decent price, then consider Ryanair or its competitors like EasyJet (which I personally prefer).