Kelsey is a freelance writer based in Southern Virginia. She enjoys traveling with her family to destinations from national parks to amusement parks and loves sharing tips and stories from along the way.
Curious if you’re guilty of being an annoying traveler? Brace yourself for the top 12 cringe-worthy behaviors that instantly tag you as a travel nuisance.
Get ready for a wild ride as we uncover what it takes to earn the title of an annoying traveler, according to 12 internet users.
Playing The Who-Is-Most-Local-Game
One frequent traveler complained about people who insist on bragging about their local ties. “Who has more local friends? Drinks only (insert location) beer? Buys only local branded cigarettes? I’m ten times more local than you, so don’t bother.”
Referring to a City by Its Airport Code
If you’ve just been to Bangkok, don’t tell us you’ve “just spent two weeks in BKK!” It’s confusing and becomes impossible to understand when you’re talking about cities like Toronto. (YYZ).
Playing Loud Music
If you’re thinking of whipping out the boombox in a public travel spot, think again! When asked, “What kind of people annoy you during traveling?” one person complained that the most annoying travelers are “playing music on speaker. It’s always terrible songs, never good.” Good taste in music can be subjective, so maybe it’s best to keep your tunes confined to your earbuds.
Blocking the View For Your Photo Shoot
When you travel to a new and exciting place, it’s natural to want to snap a few photos of the views! However, if you spend a long time hogging the vistas with an extended photo shoot, other travelers will surely get ticked! Take the picture and move on; influencers, that means you!
Boarding the Plane With a Huge Suitcase
One person was quick to complain about airplane passengers who squeeze a massive suitcase into the limited space of the overhead compartments. “People… get on aircraft with ridiculously outsized ‘hand luggage’ that they then stuff into overhead lockers, taking up all the room so that nobody else can place their reasonably-sized little rucksack or handbag or something,” this person complains.
Misusing the Local Language
When asked about the most annoying traveler behaviors, one person said, “People who just add an “O” after every word in a Spanish-speaking country, assuming that by doing so, and by being LOUDER about it, locals will understand.” We hope no one is doing that! How rude.
Blocking the Road For Wildlife Viewing
One person says, “This may be specific to certain locations, such as natural parks, but if you want to stop your car to take pictures of the wildlife, pull over to the side of the road!” On the one hand, it’s good that these travelers take pictures from their cars rather than trying to approach or even touch the wildlife. However, people do need to drive! Pull over!
Gawking at Accidents
Nothing slows down a road trip and turns it from an adventure to frustration faster than a traffic jam. One Redditor complained, “When there’s an accident on the opposite side of the highway… traffic is moving at a snail’s pace because rubberneckers have to slow down and gawk.” Move over to keep disabled cars and their drivers safe, but there’s no need to slow down and stare.
Pushing the Airplane Seat Back
When it comes to air travel, it’s essential to be respectful of the other people traveling in a relatively small, confined space with you. Of course, some people don’t see it that way and feel fine taking up more than their fair share of space. One person pegs “people who push the seat all the way back like there’s no one behind” as the most annoying type of fellow traveler.
One-Upping Everyone Else’s Travel Experiences
Have you ever shared stories of your travel experiences with someone else, only for them to explain how much better their own trip was? One Redditor is sick of this exact behavior! They complain that the worst travelers are “the one uppers who have to tell you how [terrible] the thing you just did was and how much better and more authentic the thing they’ve done was.” They add, “You’d think all that worldliness would help them understand that it just makes them unbearable.”
Talking Too Much on an Airplane
While you may occasionally find yourself with a friendly seatmate, most passengers just want to arrive at their destination in relative peace. When asked about the most annoying types of travelers, one person was quick to reply, “People on airplanes that won’t shut up. Talkaholics.” Being cordial is fine, but too much chatter will make you one of those airplane seatmates that no one wants to be stuck with.
Expecting Locals to be Part of the Experience
The number-one most-liked response to the question of “what is the most annoying type of traveler” was, “Those who don’t understand that the locals are just living their lives and aren’t there to act as Disney characters.” What exactly does this mean? The answer could vary, but we say that when traveling, you shouldn’t expect the locals, especially those that are part of a culture that is foreign to you (but normal to them!), to be part of the experience. They’re just trying to live their everyday lives.
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