Airline pilots tell their juiciest secrets

I consider it blasphemous to visit San Francisco without eating a burrito. The best taquerias in town are in the Mission District (near the 16th street and 24th street BART stations). But for out-of-towners, the giant menu on the wall behind the counter can be intimidating (even for avid Chipotle eaters!) I'll often see a local offering up advice to travelers while standing in line, so consider this my ultimate primer to all you future visitors to my city. When ordering, choose a meat (see below) or go vegetarian, then a type of bean (pinto, black, or refried), salsa (spicy or regular) and then decide to stay "regular" (meat, beans, rice, and salsa) or upgrade to the "super," which adds cheese, sour cream, and guacamole or slices of avocado. Seems simple, right? What usually confuses non-locals are the additional terms people throw out to customize their burrito—as in "Super, no sour cream" or "regular with cheese." But go ahead, try it! You'll feel like a local in no time. As a side note, the usual meat options are: carne asada (thinly sliced beef), pollo (chicken, either regular or grilled, which is called pollo asado), carnitas (chopped pork cooked in its own fat, seasoned to be sweet and spicy), al pastor (rotisserie-style pork), chile verde (pork or chicken cooked, stew-like, in a green salsa like stew) and chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage). And for the brave: lengua (beef tongue) and sesos (beef brains). And a warning to vegetarians and vegans—at most traditional Mexican taquerias, the rice and refried beans are almost always cooked in lard, a fact most local vegetarians tend to play ignorant about. Wash your burrito down with a cold drink, such as horchata (a divine milk-based drink with cinnamon). MORE ON SAN FRANCISCO Quiz: 12 Things You Didn't Know about San Francisco Cheap Eats: San Francisco's Best Street Food Getting Around: Decoding the New Clipper Pass

It's the 150th anniversary of the first London fish and chip shop, or "chippy." I tell you that in case you need an excuse to buy a plate of batter-fried fish and chunky golden French fries. Here are some spots worth checking out: Rock and Sole Plaice An excellent chippy that's convenient for visitors to London Near Covent Garden Piazza (with its shops and street performers), Rock and Sole Plaice has been praised for its consistent quality. Its broad selection of fish includes rock, sole, and plaice of course. You'll pay a premium because you're in SoHo: About £9–11 a plate, or about $14 to $17. 45-47 Endell St. George's Portobello Fish Bar Jamie Oliver's favorite shop The celebrity chef once named this Notting Hill establishment as serving the city's best fried fish. It's well located for lunch after shopping in the city's top outdoor market on Portobello Road. Cod, skate, and haddock are served up with chips in a traditional British style. About 8 pounds, or about $13 a plate. 329 Portobello Rd. Fish Central The gourmet version of the classic dish Time Out London's pick for best fish and chips is Fish Central. Located in the City, or financial district, this upscale restaurant has a wine list that draws bankers from miles around. Cod and chips from £9.60, or about $15. 149 Central St. Tip #1: Don't forget to add tartar sauce and vinegar. Tip #2: Save a few pounds by eating take-out, or "takeaway". The typical "chippy" charges a fee for eating in.** (typo corrected) Just want the fries? Check out Londonist's picks for top chip shops. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Check out our London coverage

Stressing over the bill is no way to end a fantastic meal at a Roman trattoria. You'll have a smoother experience interacting with locals in restaurants, taxis, and hotels if you're familiar with Italian etiquette. The most renowned book of manners, The Galateo, dates to the 16th century, but since they didn't have taxis back then, I consulted Sabrina Carollo's recent Galateo per tutte le occasioni (Etiquette for All Occasions) as a starting point. She recommends leaving a mancia (tip) for these customer-service professionals: theater ushers, porters, waiters, housekeeping staff, taxi drivers, and hairdressers. At restaurants, Carollo suggests adding at least 10 to 15 percent to the bill, but that strikes me as very generous by typical Italian standards. I took an informal poll of Italian friends on Facebook and most commented that they tip waiters less—between 5 to 10 percent—or they simply don't tip period. This is mainly because they say that they are already charged a coperto, which covers expenses like the price of bread, cleaning linens, oil and other condiments, plus a servizio fee. The servizio, which goes towards paying the waitstaff, is often not listed on the bill at all but rather already factored into the price of your meal. To investigate further, I called two of my favorite Roman restaurants: La Campana (011-39/06-687-5273, vicolo della Campana, 18) and La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali (011-39/066-798-643, via della Madonna dei Monti, 9) in Monti. I found that the servizio is actually not always included in the price of the meal and that some restaurant owners no longer charge a coperto. La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, for example, said they do not charge either fee. Rather they charge for bread and leave tipping to "the discretion of their clients." My Italian father-in-law, an all-around classy guy, says he keeps in mind how elegant or casual the place is, the age of who is serving you and also whether you are being served by the business owner, waiter or a waiter-in training. He feels a 10 percent gratuity is a more-than-generous tip for any meal. "Sometimes the generosity of the tip may also depend on the cash I take around," my father-in-law adds. "Since in almost every restaurant in Italy, it is impossible to tip by credit card." In taxis, most Italians don't pay tips at all, unless they know the driver took you on the fastest route possible. In that case, if you are feeling generous, you just round the bill up and tell him to keep the change. There are no hard-and-fast rules, but here are my personal recommendations for what to tip in 6 scenarios. • Pizzeria: €1 for each person, unless you are alone, then leave €2 or €3 • Restaurant: About 5 to 10 percent • Taxi: Round the bill up, if you're feeling generous and the taxi driver took the short route • Hairdresser: About 5 to 10 percent • Hotel porters: €1 to €5 • Bar: Maximum €2 And remember that it is perfectly okay to abstain, if you are not happy with the service provided—waiters are paid a living wage, and the expectations for tipping are lower in Italy than in America. MORE ON ETIQUETTE A Guide to Tipping in 10 Countries (PDF) Menu Decoder: Translations of Italian Food Terms and Popular Dishes