The 7 worst types of people to travel with

Are you in need of a fun gateway to de-stress after a long semester? Before you book your flights and plan your trip, you may want to think very carefully about who you want to travel with.

The people who accompany you can make or break your trip – and you want to make sure it’s memorable for the right reasons. This means travelling with people who complement the group dynamics.

After all, you’ll be in close proximity with them for several days and so will see them at their best and worst. Travelling will test even the tightest of friendships, so be sure you know your travelling mates and their peculiarities.

So before you jet set across the world – or make that short trip out of state – here are the seven worst types of people to travel with and why you should avoid them.

The primadonna

The primadonna is the friend who’s used to the finer things in life.

‘Roughing it out’ is not in their vocabulary, so you’ll need to stay in a decent hotel and forget about your budget with this travel partner.

When it comes to transportation, the primadonna can throw everyone’s budget off-track when they insist on taking a cab rather than affordable alternatives, such as walking or taking public transit. They prefer not to eat at quaint hole-in-the-walls and may opt for Instagram-worthy cafes or restaurants, which can burn an a bigger hole in your already suffering wallet.

The overly-conscientious one

This travel partner is probably the ‘best-worst’ travel partner.

While it can be frustrating to have everything planned down to a tee, their conscientiousness can come in useful because they’ve done all their homework prior to the trip and know the best place to go for a panoramic view of the sunrise, by what time and how to get there.  

But this person may not be a flexible travel partner, often getting upset when the group deviates from their carefully-planned itinerary – which, by the way, they took the trouble to print and hand out!

The whiner

Whether it’s the food, the accommodation or how the locals drive, the whiner always finds something to complain about.

They are averse to soaking in the moment. They are people who focus on problems rather than solutions.

One day into your trip, you’ll be wondering why you invited them in the first place…

The soak-in-the-moment person

This travel partner is akin to travelling with an older person. He or she likes to take it slooow – this means not rushing through the trip and scheduling limited activities within the day to soak in the ambience, people watch and smell the roses.

Unfortunately, you and your travel mates may not have enough time (or patience) to accommodate their overly slow and laid-back nature without cutting out the other places your friends are looking forward to visiting.

The narcissist

As the name implies, the narcissist, either male or female, loves taking selfies or getting their friends to photograph them as they pose with their #OOTD, food or Instagrammable moments while on holiday.

This can get annoying for their travel partners who constantly have to photograph – or video them – numerous times during the day just so their friend can fuel their need for ‘Likes’ on social media.

The worrier

The worrier worries so much that it can get vexing for their travel mates.

Whether it’s about missing their flight, straying too far from the hotel, going out at night or getting lost in translation, this friend simply worries too much to relax and soak up the moment.

You may need another holiday to recover from this one when you have a worrier in your midst.

The cheapskate

There’s nothing wrong with being frugal, but this travel partner can take it a notch too high.

They might haggle at every opportunity they get to the point where you feel embarrassed to be seen or associated with them when visiting street markets and bazaars; they might steal towels from hotels, or stuff their bag with free coffee and sugar sachets at every restaurant or cafe they visit.

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