Traveling is a great experience, but no matter where you go in the world and what type of trip you take, you’re not going to love everyone you meet. To help ensure you don’t get stuck with someone you’d rather not spend time with, we’ve come up with a list of five types of travelers who are best avoided. Read on to find out who to steer clear of on your next vacation.
The clinger
There are people you meet – whether it’s on a tour, at the swim-up bar at your resort or simply in the lounge or common area of your hotel or hostel – who, once they meet you, assume you want to be their new best friend. This person can’t or won’t take no for an answer and seems to know exactly where to find you – at all times. You can’t shake him even if you try (the clinger is impervious to even a blatant cold shoulder) and he wants to go everywhere you go. Making friends while you’re away is one of the perks of traveling, but there is a fine line between someone who’s friendly and someone who’s there every time you turn around (whether you like it or not).
The loudmouth
We suggest avoiding the loudmouth at all costs because she will embarrass you. As the name suggests, she’s loud and can’t be bothered to rein in her boorish ways, even when the situation calls for solitude or at least something resembling maturity. If you’re in a cathedral or checking out a temple, the loudmouth will be oblivious to the fact the location requires silence. She will get a lot of dirty looks from locals and fellow tourists — and likely won’t even notice them. Hanging out with or even near her means that you will be associated with her and her obnoxious behaviour, so we recommend staying as far away from this gal as possible.
Related: 10 tips for being a better traveler >>
The jerk
Traveling can get stressful and not everything will go your way all the time. There are language barriers to consider, cultural differences to think about and no matter where you go, chances are you’ll be doing things differently than how you’re used to doing them back home. The jerk, however, doesn’t understand why no one speaks English, thinks the local customs are weird and is often heard wondering where he can get a decent cheeseburger and fries. The jerk is difficult to be around and makes everyone feel awkward as he yells at taxi drivers and shopkeepers, offends the locals and loses his patience with everyone in his path. The only way to deal with this type of traveler is to try to stay out of his way.
The negative Nelly
Being around someone who never seems happy or satisfied can make your trip miserable. The negative Nelly hates everything and nothing ever quite lives up to her standards. It’s either too hot or too cold, the food is too bland or too spicy, the beach is too crowded or too empty, and goods are either too expensive or look too cheap. You can never please her and she spends most of her time complaining about something, be it the low water pressure in her room, the cost of souvenirs or the lack of whole-wheat toast at the breakfast buffet. If you don’t want to be sucked into her vortex of pessimism, avoid the negative Nelly at all costs.
The know-it-all
The know-it-all is well-read or well-traveled — or sometimes both — making him a self-proclaimed expert in everything. Whatever you say will likely be wrong and your ideas will never match his own creativity and intelligence. Having a conversation with the know-it-all is almost impossible, as it is usually one-sided. He knows more about the local customs than the locals do, he knows more about the food than the people cooking it and all of his travel gear is better than yours (according to him). The best (and only) way to handle the know-it-all is to ignore him. Nod and smile, but don’t engage him in debate — you’ll just end up frustrated and annoyed.
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