One of the most important reasons we road trip is for the relationships we build along the way. First and foremost, this means the people kind enough to open their doors and give you a place to sleep for the night. They may be a family member, distant friend, or complete stranger—either way, your job (if you want to be a kind and decent person and/or have any hope of staying there again) is to show them the utmost gratitude and respect from the beginning to end of your stay.

So how can you make sure you do that in all the excitement?
Here are our top eight tips and tricks.

1. Come bearing gifts. The golden standard. Although we don’t always come bearing gifts, we almost always leave them on our way out.

2. Respect their space. Treat it better than your own. Remember, you are a guest. They have every right to kick you out if you make them unhappy.

3. Talk to them. Wait, what? Believe it or not, it’s actually a huge sign of respect if you take the time to engage them in conversation and really get to know them while you’re there. Everyone you meet is interesting if you understand their story. Use your stay as an opportunity to discover what makes them tick.

4. Cook for them. Now we can’t say that we’ve ever been able to do this, but it’s definitely a great idea if you want to show your host how much you appreciate them. Appetizers, meals, dessert—you know your strong suit. Here’s the perfect chance to show it.

5. Immerse yourself in their culture. If they go to bed at a certain time, you go to bed at that time. If they only eat dessert for breakfast, you eat dessert for breakfast. With people you’re closer with, this may be less of an issue, but when in doubt always follow their lead.

6. Leave the place cleaner than when you got there. Is that even possible? Yes. Yes it is. Even if you can’t straighten out the space you were staying in back to perfection, helping out in other, unexpected ways will leave them with nothing but the rosiest memories of you when you’re gone.

7. Send a thank you note from the road. Show them how much you appreciate them while you’re there, thank them genuinely and profusely before leaving, and after you’ve gone, go as far as sending a thank you note from the road if you can.

8. Offer to return the favor if they’re ever in your area! We love this one because it encourages more people to travel by taking the stress of finding somewhere to stay off their shoulders. Offering up your place is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to thank your host for letting you stay on your journey.

What do you usually do to thank someone when you stay with them?