7 types of people you should think twice about traveling with

As someone who loves traveling, I can tell you that travel can reveal more about a person than months of friendship ever could.

It’s one thing to share coffee and conversation in the comfort of routine; it’s another to share a cramped hotel room after a delayed flight, or to navigate a foreign city together when both of you are hungry, tired, and slightly lost.

I learned this the hard way. In my twenties, I once went on a group trip to Thailand with friends from work. We were all smiles at the airport.

By day three, we’d silently divided into factions: the “early risers,” the “beach loungers,” and the “complainers.” By day five, I was fantasizing about my own return ticket.

That trip taught me something valuable: who you travel with can make or break your experience, no matter how beautiful the destination is.

Here are seven types of people you might want to think twice about bringing on your next trip. Because sometimes, self-preservation is the most underrated travel skill of all.

1. The “It’s all about me” traveler

You know the type. They want every activity, meal, and photo op to revolve around them.

If the group votes for a morning hike, they insist on brunch instead. If plans shift, they sulk or manipulate the situation until they get their way.

Traveling with someone like this can feel like being cast as a background character in their personal travel movie.

You find yourself compromising again and again, until you realize you’re not even doing what you came for.

Travel should be about shared experience, not constant negotiation. If someone shows signs of chronic self-centeredness in everyday life, imagine that magnified in airport lines or when choosing restaurants.

You’ll thank yourself later for setting boundaries (or booking a solo trip instead).

2. The over-planner who forgets to enjoy

Structure can be great. I really appreciate it when someone takes over the planning and all the headaches that come with it.

However, traveling with someone who plans every hour down to the minute can turn your vacation into a boot camp. They’ve got color-coded itineraries, laminated maps, and backup restaurant options for every possible scenario.

I know it can simply be their enthusiasm speaking, but even so, the rigidity can be a real problem.

You see, spontaneity is part of what makes travel magical. When every moment is pre-scripted, there’s no space for serendipity. No room for pleasant surprises like the unexpected local cafe, the random street musician, the detour that becomes the best memory of all.

I once traveled with a friend who scheduled “free time” in 30-minute blocks. The irony was painful. I learned that it’s better to have a loose plan and room for surprises. Some of the best discoveries happen when you get lost on purpose.

3. The chronic complainer

Airports are too crowded. The beds are too soft. The food is “different.” The Wi-Fi is too slow.

Traveling with someone who finds fault in everything will slowly drain your excitement, period.

Negativity has a way of spreading. What begins as small annoyances can snowball until even you start seeing what’s wrong instead of what’s wonderful.

And suddenly, a stunning view becomes “too touristy,” and a charming guesthouse becomes “too basic.”

Of course, everyone has moments of frustration while traveling. But if someone’s default mode is complaint, they’ll rob your trip of its joy.

The best travel partner is the one who can laugh through chaos and say, “Well, that was an adventure.” Otherwise, you’re better off traveling alone.

4. The reckless risk-taker

Okay, I know I’ve said a little adventure keeps things exciting. But a word of caution: there’s a big difference between spontaneous and reckless.

You know the type – climbing unsafe trails for “the perfect photo,” ignoring local rules, or treating safety warnings as optional.

I once had a travel buddy who thought helmets were “uncool.” Well, after one scooter mishap in Bali, that opinion changed fast.

The problem with reckless travelers is that their choices don’t just endanger themselves. They endanger you, too.

Confidence and curiosity are great qualities on a trip. But if your companion’s thrill-seeking overshadows common sense, you’ll spend more time managing damage than making memories.

5. The penny-pincher who takes it too far

We all love a good deal, but some travelers treat budgeting like a competitive sport.

They’ll walk two miles to avoid a cab, skip meals to “save money,” and guilt you for ordering dessert. Every decision becomes a debate about cost.

A friend once insisted on staying in a place so cheap that even the geckos looked uncomfortable. The constant focus on cutting corners turned what should’ve been a fun escape into an endurance test.

I’ve been that person who needs to opt out of the more expensive experiences, so I get it. I don’t have an unlimited travel budget, so I’d be the first to say that being mindful of money is smart.

But when someone’s obsession with saving overshadows the experience itself, the trip stops feeling like a joy and starts feeling like a chore.

6. The glued-to-the-phone traveler

Some people never really arrive anywhere because their attention is always elsewhere. They’re constantly filming, scrolling, or uploading.

You’ll be standing in front of a breathtaking waterfall, and they’ll be busy adjusting filters or checking who “liked” their last post.

Technology has its place, but when the screen becomes the main focus, the present moment fades.

The best travel memories don’t live in your phone. They live in your senses: the smell of unfamiliar spices, the hum of a foreign city, the feel of wind in your hair on an open bus ride.

If your companion can’t go five minutes without checking their feed, you may end up exploring the world beside someone who isn’t really there.

7. The energy vampire

Some people bring light wherever they go; others seem to dim every room they enter.

The “energy vampire” drains your enthusiasm with constant drama, self-pity, or emotional neediness. On a trip, where patience and flexibility matter most, that can feel exhausting.

You’ll find yourself comforting them through every inconvenience, absorbing their stress instead of savoring your own experience. By the end, you might feel more like a therapist than a travel partner.

Before agreeing to travel together, ask yourself how you usually feel after spending time with that person. Energized or depleted? That question alone will tell you if your trip will refresh you or require recovery afterward.

Final thoughts

Travel magnifies everything: our quirks, our habits, our tolerance levels. The right company can turn a missed flight into a funny story. The wrong company can turn paradise into purgatory.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to value harmony over excitement when choosing who to travel with.

Give me someone who laughs easily, adapts quickly, and knows when to enjoy silence. A person who can find wonder in small things and doesn’t crumble when plans change.

In the end, travel isn’t only about where you go. It’s about the energy you bring and the energy you share.

When you’re traveling with the right people, you make memories worth revisiting, long after you’ve come back home.