Group trips can be a great way to create lasting memories with friends or family, but they can also be a breeding ground for tension, frustration, and downright annoyance if someone in the group doesn’t quite grasp the art of travelling well with other people.
Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a fortnight-long adventure, certain behaviours can quickly turn a dream holiday into a nightmare for everyone involved. While most of us try our best to be considerate travel companions, certain behaviours can drive our fellow travellers up the wall and need to be avoided.
1. You insist on being the unofficial group photographer at every turn.
Nothing disrupts the flow of a trip quite like someone who can’t seem to put their camera down. You halt the group at every landmark, scenic vista, or vaguely interesting street corner, insisting on taking countless photos from every possible angle. Your travel mates find themselves constantly posing, re-posing, and waiting as you fiddle with your camera settings. The spontaneity of exploring a new place is lost as everything becomes a potential photo op. Your friends start to feel like they’re on a never-ending photoshoot rather than a relaxing holiday.
2. You treat the group’s itinerary as a mere suggestion.
While everyone else is ready to head out for the day’s activities, you’re nowhere to be found. You consistently show up late, throwing off carefully planned schedules and making the group miss reservations or tour start times. Your laid-back attitude towards time-keeping might seem carefree to you, but it’s causing stress and frustration for your travel companions. They’re left with the choice of either waiting for you and altering the day’s plans or leaving you behind, neither of which contributes to group harmony.
3. You become the self-appointed DJ for every car journey.
Source: Unsplash As soon as the group piles into the rental car, you immediately commandeer the aux cord. Without consulting anyone else’s musical preferences, you blast your personal playlist at top volume. Your eclectic mix of obscure indie bands and guilty pleasure pop tunes might be perfect for your solo road trips, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. You ignore subtle hints and even direct requests to change the music or lower the volume, insisting that your selections are “setting the mood” for the trip.
4. You treat shared accommodations like your personal living space.
Source: Unsplash In the holiday rental or hotel room, you spread your belongings across every available surface. Your clothes, toiletries, and random purchases from souvenir shops seem to multiply overnight, encroaching on your roommates’ space. You leave wet towels on beds, shoes in walkways, and your personal items in common areas. Your lack of consideration for shared spaces creates tension and discomfort among your travel companions, who feel like they’re tiptoeing around your mess.
5. You become a walking complaint box about local customs and cuisine.
Source: Unsplash From the moment you step off the plane, you start a running commentary on how everything is different from home – and not in a good way. You turn your nose up at local dishes, loudly proclaiming how much better the food is back home. You criticise local customs and traditions, making no effort to understand or appreciate the culture you’re visiting. Your constant negativity embarrasses your travel companions and sours the experience of immersing themselves in a new place.
6. You insist on splitting every bill down to the penny.
While financial transparency is important on group trips, you take it to an extreme. At every meal or shared expense, you whip out your calculator app, meticulously dividing costs based on who ordered what. You keep a detailed spreadsheet of every purchase, no matter how small, and send daily updates on who owes what. Your obsession with exact change and refusal to simply take turns paying or round up amounts turns every transaction into a tedious ordeal, sucking the joy out of shared meals and experiences.
7. You monopolise the bathroom during prime getting-ready times.
Every morning and evening, you lock yourself in the bathroom for extended periods, oblivious to the queue forming outside. Your elaborate skincare routine and perfectionist hairstyling leave your travel mates rushing to get ready in the remaining time. You seem unaware of the mounting frustration as people check their watches, knowing you’re making the group late yet again. Your bathroom hogging becomes a daily source of tension, with passive-aggressive comments and eye-rolling becoming the norm.
8. You constantly compare the current trip to your “amazing” solo adventures.
Source: Unsplash Throughout the holiday, you can’t help but remind everyone how much better your previous solo trips were. Every activity prompts a story about how you did something similar, but more authentically or extreme, on your backpacking adventure through South America or your spiritual journey in Southeast Asia. You inadvertently make your travel companions feel like their experiences are somehow less valid or exciting. Your constant comparisons create a competitive atmosphere and make people feel like the current trip isn’t living up to your lofty standards.
9. You refuse to adapt your sleep schedule to the group’s rhythm.
While everyone else is trying to make the most of daylight hours, you stick stubbornly to your usual sleep pattern. You stay up late, making noise in shared rooms, and then sleep in until midday, forcing the group to delay morning activities. When you do join outings, you’re groggy and irritable, complaining about being tired. Your refusal to adjust creates a constant push-pull in the group’s schedule, leaving everyone feeling out of sync and frustrated.
10. You volunteer to navigate but have no sense of direction.
Despite your clear lack of orienteering skills, you insist on being the group’s navigator. You confidently lead the group in circles, refusing to admit you’re lost or ask for directions. Hours are wasted wandering aimlessly, missing scheduled activities or reservations. Your stubborn insistence that you know where you’re going, even as evidence mounts to the contrary, tests everyone’s patience. The group’s faith in your ability to guide them dwindles with each wrong turn, creating tension and resentment.
11. You turn every meal into an Instagram photoshoot.
The moment any food arrives at the table, you whip out your phone and start arranging the dishes for the perfect shot. You make everyone wait to eat while you adjust lighting, move plates, and take multiple angles. Your travel mates watch helplessly as their hot meals go cold and their hunger grows. Your obsession with food photography turns every dining experience into a tedious ordeal, robbing the group of the simple pleasure of enjoying a meal together.
12. You constantly try to change agreed-upon plans.
Despite the group having settled on an itinerary before the trip, you continually attempt to derail it with last-minute suggestions. You discover a ‘must-see’ attraction that’s hours out of the way, or insist on trying a restaurant that requires cancelling existing reservations. Your disregard for the agreed-upon schedule creates chaos and conflict within the group. People become frustrated with the constant need to re-negotiate plans, feeling like their preferences and the group’s decisions are being disrespected.
13. You become overly chummy with locals, ignoring social cues.
Source: Unsplash In your enthusiasm to have an ‘authentic’ experience, you latch onto every local person you meet, ignoring clear signals that they’re not interested in extended interaction. You ask invasive questions, try to join their gatherings uninvited, and insist on taking photos with reluctant strangers. Your behaviour makes your travel companions cringe with embarrassment. They find themselves apologising for your actions and trying to extract you from uncomfortable situations you’ve created.
14. You treat the trip like a competition to be ‘won’.
Source: Unsplash For you, the holiday becomes a series of challenges to prove your superior travelling skills. You race to be the first to spot landmarks, brag about how many local phrases you’ve learned, and constantly one-up everyone else’s experiences. Your competitive attitude turns relaxing activities into stressful events. The rest of the group begins to feel like they’re on a reality show rather than a holiday, with you casting yourself as the star and them as your rivals.
15. You refuse to carry your own weight in group responsibilities.
When it comes to shared tasks like researching activities, making bookings, or even carrying supplies, you’re mysteriously absent. You happily benefit from other people’s planning and efforts, but never volunteer to take on responsibilities yourself. Your freeloading behaviour creates an imbalance in the group dynamic. Resentment builds as other people feel they’re carrying your weight, making the trip feel like work for them while you enjoy a carefree holiday.
16. You overshare personal information with the entire group.
You treat the trip like an extended therapy session, sharing intimate details of your life with little regard for other people’s comfort levels. From graphic descriptions of your medical issues to the minute details of your recent breakup, no topic is off-limits. Your constant oversharing creates awkward situations, especially in close quarters or during shared meals. The group finds themselves walking on eggshells, never knowing what uncomfortably personal revelation you’ll make next.
