Ragrets: we all have them. But just to make sure yours aren’t expensive, foreign ragrets, I have compiled some advice that my friends and I have agreed would have made our travels far better if we had this knowledge before we left the country.

So, make what you will of it, and boa viagem, sretan out, bon voyage!

1. Disposables are a must

On my last trip abroad, I stuck to two main forms of photographing: my iPhone and my Polaroid camera. What I totally slept on though were disposable cameras. The beauty of disposable cameras is that they are perfect for capturing shots of the greatest places and moments, while not wasting your battery life or risking your safety. You see, when you’re out sight-seeing for long days, having a fully charged phone is ideal—maybe not realistic, but you should still try to do what you can to save your phone’s charge. You never know how much you might need it. Plus, when you feel you aren’t in the safest of areas, but you want to freeze that perfect memory with a flash, it’s just more practical to pull out something less valuable, like a 10-dollar disposable. Because disposable cameras are cheaper, there’s less harm in using them at, say, the highest peaks of Machu Picchu. If you’re as coordinated as I am... the odds are not ever in your favor.

I know it’s easy to use your Polaroid and phone because you can see and keep the picture instantly, but what’s so underrated about a disposable is that there’s a quiet delight in waiting to get home to develop the film, and looking back on all the moments you immortalized on your trip. So, my suggestion is to take one or two with you and use them at your discretion. Disposables are a fun backup to have, and I totally wished I would’ve used them during my past travels. A bonus is that the photos you take come out so cute and vintage-y! Like these my friend Alliyah took in Paris with her disposable:

2. Prepare for the worst

No one wants to get sick in their dream destinations but trust me, it happens. My friends and I can tell you from experience. We, as California girls, did not understand that there are real seasons out there—which is why we found ourselves suffering from mild hypothermia in the midst of a January in Germany. So, be aware of the weather, like aware-aware—like play it safe AF and expect extreme weather conditions so there are no surprises. If you’re traveling to a place that will be cold, bring thermals and boots made to withstand freezing temperatures, go on a North Face shopping spree if you must. (No, not #sponsored unfortunately but if you know someone hit me up.) If it’s going to be hot, make sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated and be on the lookout for safe spouts where you can refill. Limit your layers and heavy clothing, especially because it can get claustrophobic in some spots that are heavily populated with tourists.

And make sure to bring meds! Advil, Tylenol, Pepto, Mucinex, all that stuff; prioritize it in your suitcase! This way, you don’t find yourself walking around Amsterdam with a fever and runny nose in 20-degree weather at 10:35 pm looking for a green cross pharmacy sign. I say it from experience people, better safe and healthy than sorry!

3. Study hard to travel hard

This might go without saying, but do your research and get super familiar with your destination ahead of time. Whether you are going on your own, with your school, or with a tour group, there will be pockets of free time you will find yourself having, so compile a list of places you are ready to head to in case you find yourself in the middle of Indonesia with nothing to do. Your time abroad is limited and precious and must be treated as such. The best ways I have found to do research is both on and off the internet.

A good way to begin your quest is at Barnes and Noble, ideally one with a Starbucks attached. Once you’re there, grab a couple of books from the travel section, bring a notebook and just go ham at the Starbucks in the store! Write down anything you find in the books that looks interesting, from restaurants to museums. That way, when you are at your destination, you’ll be an expert. Once you’re done using the books, put them back nicely and maybe buy something because, you know, Barnes and Noble is awesome (again not an #ad but if you know people you know the drill). This is what my friends and I did after a couple of trips, and if we would have known to do so the first times around, we would have saved ourselves a lot of lost time spent in our hotels.

As for good places to continue your search online, TripAdvisor, Pinterest, and Instagram are your best friends. Searching tags on Instagram is always a great way to look stuff up, anything as simple as tags like “Paris” or more specific ones like “Romeeats” will lead you to amazing and unpredictable finds. Pinterest is inspiring because you are able to find very aesthetically pleasing places while searching things like “unusual things to do in Barcelona,” etc. TripAdvisor is good for anything from hotels to eateries; it’s a great all in one app for those going abroad.

Also, make sure to also tailor your interests into your searches-- if you’re a Harry Potter lover, make sure one of your stops in England is at the Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station in London, or the Elephant House café in Edinburgh. If you are a lover of all things math and science going to Munich, you’ve got to go to the Deutsches Museum, and if you are a lover of books, Shakespeare and Company and the Abbey bookshop in Paris are for you!

4. Bone apple tea the right way

Food is an important and often overlooked aspect of the travel experience. Things obviously get busy in your days out discovering new places, and sometimes you’re hurried to decide on a spot to stop and chow down amidst sightseeing, but at the same time, you don’t want to end up spending your whole trip eating overpriced, soggy sandwiches from random stands and shops. Time may be limited, but food is part of the experience. If you’ve got to eat, you might as well eat right! Yelp isn’t that useful internationally, so use TripAdvisor, Google, or Foursquare to look up places you can dine at while out and about. If you know the different destination points you are going to be visiting, (which you should) then look up what's in the vicinity of those places ahead of time. And if you find yourself in a place you did not plan for, using your map apps is always a great way to go! Just find your location and look into the places that appear near it.

5. Send them a postcard but that’s it

Mistakes I’ve made during my travels include buying an unnecessary amount of souvenirs. So, plan and budget specifically for them before you’re purchasing the cutest and most useless teddy bear wearing an “I heart Prague” shirt at a gift shop. I think a cool thing which my friend Angie does to not only limit her monetary amount on souvenirs, but give them meaning and purpose, is to buy one similar thing from each place she visits whether it be a mug, a postcard, keychain, or t-shirt. That way, you not only save from the impulse of buying a million other things, but you create a cute tradition and collection! As for buying souvenirs for others, my rule of thumb is to only buy something that costs more than a pack of gum for your immediate family and 3 other loved ones—everyone else you are considering gets a postcard.