If you do these 7 things while traveling, you're probably a difficult person to get along with

Traveling brings out everyone’s quirks. There’s something about airports, tight schedules, and foreign bathrooms that reveals who we truly are under pressure.

Some people glide through it with calm efficiency, while others morph into the kind of travel companion who makes everyone else count down the hours until it’s over.

Whether it’s a weekend road trip or a two-week group tour, our travel habits say a lot about how we deal with life and with people.

If you’re guilty of some of these, don’t worry. This isn’t a judgment list; it’s a gentle nudge to reflect on how we can all be better travel companions.

1. You insist on doing everything your way

Every group has one: the self-appointed “itinerary boss.”

They’re the ones who dictate where to go, what to eat, and how long to stay at each stop. They’ll say, “Trust me, this is the best way to see the city,” and everyone else reluctantly follows.

I once traveled with a friend like that. On our first morning, I suggested a café I’d read about, and she looked at me as if I’d proposed we skip breakfast entirely. “No, that’s out of the way,” she said, flipping open her color-coded schedule.

By day three, her enthusiasm had turned into quiet tension, and by day five, even the Eiffel Tower couldn’t cheer her up.

Travel becomes stressful when one person clings too tightly to control. In my experience, the best adventures often happen when plans go sideways. I've discovered lots of pleasant surprises when that happens, like a cute little bakery on a detour or a missed train that leads to an unexpected conversation.

That's why I no longer get fussed when things go off-script. A good traveler knows how to balance structure with spontaneity.

2. You complain. Constantly.

There’s a difference between venting and chronic complaining. A few grumbles about a delayed flight are understandable.

But when every hiccup turns into a full-blown drama, the energy of the entire group sinks.

On a trip to Bali years ago, I shared a villa with three friends. One of them complained about everything, from the breakfast fruit being “too tropical” to the Wi-Fi being so slow to the sound of roosters in the morning.

The irony was, she had planned the trip herself. By the end of the week, we started calling her “TripAdvisor” behind her back, not because she gave great advice, but because she had a review for everything.

If you find yourself complaining often, pause and check whether your comments add value. Sometimes, the best thing to do is shrug, laugh, and remind yourself that imperfection makes travel memorable.

3. You’re glued to your phone

I don't know about you, but I get so frustrated with people who treat travel like an Instagram campaign.

Every meal, every view, every hotel hallway gets documented. Meanwhile, their travel buddies sit across the table, quietly eating while the “content creator” adjusts their filter.

Taking photos is fine. Sharing moments is lovely. But when you’re so busy capturing the experience that you stop experiencing it, you miss the very thing you came for.

Put the phone down sometimes. Look around. Savor the sounds and smells that no photo can capture.

4. You don’t respect other people’s energy levels

Not everyone wants to be out from sunrise to midnight. Some people like slow mornings. Others need breaks after a few hours of sightseeing. A difficult travel companion ignores these signals and pushes the pace relentlessly.

During a trip to Italy with my husband and two sons, I learned this lesson the hard way. I wanted to visit every museum, market, and piazza, but by the third day, my younger son looked ready to mutiny.

When we finally slowed down, we stumbled into a small park in Florence and spent an hour watching people just walking by. It ended up being one of my favorite memories from that trip.

Respecting people’s limits doesn’t make a trip less exciting. It actually makes it more enjoyable for everyone. Sometimes, the best travel memories happen in moments of rest, not motion.

5. You ignore local customs and manners

Traveling isn’t only about seeing new places; it’s also about entering someone else’s world. That means it's so important to pay attention to how people live, greet, and behave.

The difficult traveler acts as if the rules of home follow them everywhere. They speak loudly, dress inappropriately for sacred sites, or scoff at local food.

Not to mention expecting everyone to know English. I remember watching a tourist in Thailand argue with a street vendor because she didn't know how to speak English. The vendor smiled politely while the tourist grew more frustrated, unaware she was being rude.

A bit of cultural curiosity goes a long way. Learn a few local phrases. Notice how people line up, eat, and interact. When you show respect for another culture, you experience the world more deeply.

6. You take things personally

Travel can test patience. Flights get delayed, bags get lost, restaurant staff misunderstand your order. I completely get it.

But some travelers interpret every inconvenience as a personal slight. The airline “ruined” their day. The waiter “ignored” them. The world becomes one big conspiracy against their comfort.

On a layover once, my husband and I met a woman who was fuming because the hotel didn’t upgrade her room. She said, “They clearly don’t value customers.”

It was hard not to feel secondhand stress. We ended up having a perfectly fine stay, even in our modest room, while she kept complaining at the front desk.

Taking things personally turns minor annoyances into emotional landmines. Most of the time, nobody’s out to get you. Learning to let small things go makes you more peaceful and easier to be with.

7. You forget that travel is a shared experience

The most difficult travelers are those who see a trip as a solo mission with extra baggage — that baggage being everyone else. They talk over others, ignore group input, and rarely ask, “What do you want to do?”

When I was younger, I used to pack every day with activities. My goal was to “see everything.” After all, I'd saved up for the trip and I wanted to get my money's worth.

But eventually, I realized something. Getting every destination ticked off feels less meaningful if you didn't really share that experience with the person you're traveling with.

True enough, when I look back at my travel memories, some of my fondest moments happened during long, unplanned dinners where we just talked and laughed until the restaurant closed.

Travel becomes richer when you remember that the people beside you are part of the adventure. You’re not only collecting photos; you’re building stories together.

Final thoughts

Travel has a way of magnifying who we are. If we’re patient and curious, that shines through. If we’re anxious or controlling, that shows too. But the beauty of awareness is that it gives us the power to change.

The next time you pack a suitcase, take a little self-reflection along with it. Ask yourself, “Am I making this trip easier or harder for others?” Because being a great traveler isn’t about how many countries you’ve visited — it’s about how well you travel with people.