1. Make sure you're a bed-and-breakfast person. If you hate talking to strangers, climbing stairs and looking at a room filled with antiques and flowers, you might be happier in a hotel. 2. Do your homework. Check out a B&B's Web site and make sure it's what you want. Is the location right? It is too small for your comfort level? Is there parking? Members of the Texas Bed and Breakfast Association are visited and checked to make sure their Web sites are truthful. 3. Anticipate your breakfast needs. Decide the night before if you're going to sleep in and skip the meal; it's only fair to alert the owner. Tell him or her if you have special dietary needs or if you, say, hate eggs. 4. If you don't want to chat, say so. Innkeepers try to get a good read on you, but it's not always easy. You can say, 'I'm really not a morning person' and the owner will probably (well, usually) leave you alone. 5. Keep the noise down. You're in a house, not a hotel. 6. If it's a shared bath, be meticulous. Don't leave your stuff in there, and wash the toothpaste out of the basin. Helen Anders writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: handers@statesman.com. 