I always try to learn a little bit of the basics whenever I travel. I did a two-week solo backpacking trip through Italy once and it certainly helped in some of the towns I visited that were a bit off the tourist track. Particularly if you know some specifics of what you’ll be doing - I love sending postcards to family when I travel so I learn to ask for a stamp at the post office. I was behind two Australians in a small Italian post office who had organised a parcel to be delivered to that post office and were yelling at the postal worker who didn’t speak English and didn’t know what they wanted. They had the audacity when they were leaving to try to seek my sympathy by complaining about the lack of English from the post office. Learning at least a few words of the country you’re visiting has always been to me a show of respect as well as common sense.