Having one or more fellow travellers will probably create the closest relationships you’ll ever have with another person – physically, at least. You and your fellow travellers will sleep in the same hotels for your whole trip; you will eat in the same places, you will take bus trips together, take plane flights together, visit attractions together and make every single little decision … together. Always with your fellow travellers.

That’s why it is so important to choose your fellow travellers wisely: you get to see people at their best, and you see them at their worst. Travel can reveal your fellow travellers for who they really are, so we’ve put together a list of the types of people you should avoid when you are looking for a companion for your travel adventures. If your potential partner sounds like any of the following, maybe rethink that big trip with them.

The worst fellow travellers to travel with

fellow travellers

The expert

With a copy of Lonely Planet in one hand and Wikipedia on their iPhone, the expert isn’t a bad person – they’re just annoying. They mean well and may even come in handy when you’re trying to make yourself understood by your taxi driver, but their attitude may make it hard to get them out of the shiny tourist district and into a hole in the wall restaurant.

You’ll have a hard time convincing them that a world exists beyond the tourist districts of the world. They’re going to be a lot of help in plotting out your trip and in making it happen, but have a talk with them before you leave about your desire to see something that doesn’t have a mile long queue and isn’t necessarily listed in the Lonely Planet guide.

The one who doesn’t want to spend

In everyday life we can all be pretty tight with money, but when the moment comes to going on a holiday, you know activities will be involved like partying, cooking classes, tours, water sports etc. And you know it means sometimes you will have to spend a bit more money than you would usually do.

Different travellers have different budgets, of course – but there are also people out there who just seem allergic to spending money. When you’re travelling together, that’s a nightmare. Well-suited fellow travellers will usually have similar budgets.

The drunk buddy

There’s nothing wrong in having a drink at the end of a great day. But there is a big difference between a drinker and a drunk. Drinkers use a drink as a sweetener to an already great experience; for drunks, the booze is the experience. Travelling with someone who needs to be carried home every night because they’ve drunk too much can get pretty annoying pretty quickly.

The fussy eater

Everyone is entitled to follow the diet that’s best for them. When it becomes a problem is when you travel with someone whose diet is very restricted or very different from your own. Food is usually a huge part of the travel experience – and travelling with someone who has a very strict diet which is difficult to find in the place where you are travelling to can become a real nightmare and lead to many fights.

The one who only wants to sleep

There is so much to do and to explore when you are on holiday, why would you waste all your time, money and energy just to go across the world to sleep/do nothing? Sometimes, these types of people will try to make you join them in doing nothing also – don’t fall for the trap! Get out, explore and come back to tell them all about it.

The coward companion

The world is basically one terrifying labyrinth of rusty nails, diseased water, and crumbling buildings for them. They’re fine travel companions while you’re exploring museums or visiting well run tourist traps, but take them out of their comfort zone and they’re jumping at shadows. Best to leave them at the hotel if you’re planning to venture off of the beaten track. Even better, choose a more suitable companion for your entire trip!

The stressed out buddy

Stress is contagious. If the person you’re travelling with is stressing, then you’ll start stressing. To travel with ease, you need someone who doesn’t stress too much over the little problems and inconveniences that always occur during a trip. Stressheads just make those things worse.

The one who takes forever to do anything

You watch them getting ready in the morning, and you gauge how long it’ll be before they’ll be set to go. They wander around the room picking things up and putting them down again, remembering things they’ve forgotten, deciding to change their outfit, reconsidering the day’s plans … Argh! Let’s just go. Or just let go of them and take your trip without them!