This is Ben. Ben is a consultant and travel influencer from Seattle who makes videos ranging from first-time traveler tips to travel etiquette. You may have seen his video about proper airplane etiquette.
Let's get into it.
1. "People that need to recharge their battery in the middle of the day and force you to go back to the hotel or Airbnb to do that."
I definitely get this take, like, I don't want to waste my whole vacation inside. But also, as a girly with social anxiety, a nice mid-day or end of day recharge definitely helps me out.
2. "People who sleep in on vacation."
I probably would have disagreed with this one in a past life, but after planning a vacation for the first time by myself this past summer, I realized just how much more accomplished I feel when my day gets moving early. Like, we can be hitting the sights at 10 a.m. and be horizontal by 3 p.m. Perfect!
3. "Picky eaters. That. Just picky eaters."
4. "On that same note, people who want to always, like, eat meals at the place that you're staying."
I'm all for grabbing a few easy things to save money on meals, but yeah, as someone who detests cooking and usually eats shitty girl dinners, I will not be chef-ing it up on vacation. I will leave that to the many chefs who are experts in the local cuisine.
5. "People who will not stipulate a budget until they get there."
Misaligned budgets are a recipe for vacation tension. I've made a pass on a-many vacations I could not afford, but it's better that I knew what the expectations were upfront! Like if I go in with hostel money, I can't expect to afford the Four Seasons (though I would like to).
6. This tip is definitely a bit of a joke, but I kinda get it: "If you're going international, anyone named Rachel. If you're staying domestic, anyone by the name of Brad, Chad, or Thad."
7. When I asked Ben if there were any other people you shouldn't travel with, he had one more to add: "People who refuse to do ANY research before the trip. A Google search is but a click away, but you're telling me you're willingly going to show up ignorant to the a) culture, b) customs, c) common etiquette, d) social interaction style, etc.?"
We've spent a lot of time talking about everyone we shouldn't take trips with, but what about the people you should travel with? Here's what Ben had to say:
Now, of course everyone travels differently, so Ben's ideal vacation might be vastly different than your own. And that's OK! What matters is that everyone's expectations are communicated upfront. Like, sometimes it's best to realize you'd be better off not traveling together at all:
