4 Types of Difficult Travel Companions

Karen Chan
 Guest Blogger

How to deal with 4 types of difficult travel companions

It’s that time of the year again – the time when everyone who’s anyone will be planning his or her annual jaunt overseas. Whether you’re travelling with a bunch of buddies or just one or two close friends, it’s important to find out more about their travel style. You might really click with your high school lab partner, but she might turn out to be a nightmare to share a room with.

Here’s a handy guide to the types of travelers out there. Read it, learn from it, and never be stuck in a hotel room with a companion-from-hell again.

The Penny Pincher

The signs:

• Calculating each tip down to the nearest cent… or even leaving none.
• Willing to do a 16-hour layover and two flight changes just for a cheaper ticket.
• Never leaving without all the free hotel snacks and amenities in their luggage.

How to travel with them:

• Work out your eating arrangements in advance. Let one person choose the restaurants for one day, and then alternate throughout the trip.
• Find out their anticipated budget for the trip, and try to match it. If there’s something you want to splurge on, like an expensive meal or a night at the theatre, tell them way before the trip and let them decide if they want to join.

The Constant Worrier

The signs:

• Traveling with pepper spray, two safety wallets, and a portable alarm.
• Refusing to stay out late or going to ‘seedy’ areas.
• Planning all routes in advance and sticking with them.

How to travel with them:

• If you want to do something that might be perceived as ‘dodgy’, plan out the travel arrangements and schedule far ahead in order to give them peace of mind.
• Save all emergency service contacts on your phone just in case, but assure them that they won’t need it.
• Rent a pocket Wi-fi for the trip – this way, you can keep in contact with them at all times without racking up a hefty phone bill.

The Jet-Setter

The signs:

• Scheduling one whole day just for luxury shopping.
• Spending way too much time in Duty Free.
• Wearing heels, even though when you’ve got a whole day’s worth of sight-seeing planned.

How to travel with them:

• Bring along bandages for the inevitable blisters that will blossom.
• Plan fun, budget-friendly activities that you can do while she’s shopping.
• Stand your ground. If she’s demanding first-class enjoyment for everything, tell her that you only have a limited budget to spend, and let her prioritize her demands accordingly.

The Blogger Wannabe

The signs:

• Stuffing her suitcase with outfits that are stylish rather than practical.
• Taking selfies in any and every situation – including using the hotel bathroom.
• Instagramming every single dish before actually digging in.

How to travel with them:

• If you’re going to a place where cameras are not allowed, warn her before going in, and explain that taking a sneak shot is only going to make her look disrespectful rather than cool on social media.
• Go ahead and eat first if she’s busy taking photos of her food. After all, dishes taste better when they’re piping hot.
• However, be gracious and oblige her once in a while. Photos make great mementos, and you’ll appreciate her later when you’re sharing your experiences to your family and friends back home.

Karen Chan is a local English copywriter who churns out social posts and taglines for a living. Inspired by her fellow copywriter, she has discovered the joy of working out, and is currently on a quest to live as healthily as her sweet tooth allows. In her spare time, she also loves trying new cafés and restaurants around the city.