Marcy MinianoTravelling with other people is fun and all — unless they’re unbearable. Or worse, a couple that’s unbearable together. Most of the time, people don’t mind travelling with a romantic pair. But sometimes, that pair tends to suck the fun out of a supposed-to-be-great trip. Whether or not they intend to, it’s best to consider the ‘couple factor’ before saying yes to that trip!
That said, here are the types of couples that many of us avoid travelling with. Or if you’re 1/2 of a travelling couple, you might want to check if you and your bae fall under any of these dreaded categories.
Also read: Here’s Why People Hate Travelling With Their Partners
1. The #PDANation Couple
We get it, guys, you’re in love and having the time of your lives seeing the world together. You guys are obviously in love — with ‘obviously’ spelt out in bold, red, glowing, size 50 font. Maybe it’s the way that you’re practically eating each other’s faces. Or the way that you two are almost glued together and holding hands the entire time. Or the way that you two are talking in weird baby voices to each other.
Whichever it is, we’d like to inform you that yes, we get it. We’re happy for you. But please bear in mind that excessive PDA is not as cute as romcoms make it look like. Especially when it’s in the company of other people you’re stuck with for a few days in a foreign land. Please get a room.
2. The TMI Twosome
A.K.A the identical twin of The #PDANation Couple. Don’t ask us which one is less annoying — we can spend all day discussing this. While not explicitly doing anything that makes their travel companions uncomfortable, The TMI Lovers sure love sharing a lot of explicit details that are just way too descriptive.
I mean, do your travel buddies really have to know your plans of joining The Mile High Club? Or a vivid recap of why you two barely got any sleep the night before? Or a detailed itinerary of spots around the city where you want to hold a makeout session? For the love of all things fun and adventurous, we’d really rather not know.
3. The Indecisive Duo
You know that person who just can’t seem to decide without first consulting his/her significant other? Imagine travelling with him/her. Now imagine travelling with that friend and the aforementioned significant other. And you have to make decisions as a group time and time again.
As if deciding on — for example — where to eat isn’t already time-consuming (at times), this couple will make the selection process even harder. They know they can present another option, and they’ll be backed by their S.O. all the way. Yes, Janet, we already know your boyfriend voted for dinner at the wagyu place downtown. That wasn’t even one of our initial options. Though honestly, is that really your pick? Whatever happened to individuality?
4. The “Can You Take Our Photo Again?” Couple
Ah yes, the couple whose photos together garner at least a hundred likes within the first 30 minutes upon posting. And why wouldn’t it? They practically spent half of the trip trying to get a perfect couple photo — in almost every place you visited. This would have been fine if: a) they didn’t ask you (or your other travel buddies) to take all those photos, or b) they didn’t ask for so many retakes.
Okay, you want to show your love off to the world — but do you really need to take that many photos? Oh, you want lots and lots of options for Instagram? Let me refer you to a professional travel photographer then. But wait, even they have shot limits too. So maybe actually enjoy the actual sights then? We signed up for a vacation, not a prenup photoshoot.
5. The Wandering Pair
Imagine walking along a busy district, and then turning around only to notice that your couple friends are nowhere to be seen. Did they lose sight of the group because of the crowd? Nope, they did not. For some reason, they decided to stop by this sneaker store on a whim. Letting others know first so the group stays together and no one worries? Oh, they haven’t thought of that.
Alternatively, this could also be the couple who forces everyone to stick to the itinerary. And mind you, this itinerary they mapped out themselves sans consulting their other travel companions. Which begs the question — why did you two decide to travel with others in the first place? We don’t get it, man.
6. The “Let’s Find You A Soulmate!” Lovers
This goes out to all the couples who think their single friends need to find someone right away. Yes, even when it’s on a trip to a foreign land. And who cares if they probably might never see that new person again? Hello, have they seen Before Sunset and Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong? Life’s too short!
While life is definitely short, you know what else is shorter? This trip. And your S.O.-free travel buddies just want to make the most out of it. No, they probably don’t want to go out with Chad The Cute Barista or Trina The Pretty Tour Guide. They’re fine discovering new sights and sounds without a hand to hold. Maybe save the matchmaking for when you come back home.
7. The ‘Complicated’ Couple
They say couples who travel together, stay together. But for this one, we sort of hope this isn’t the case. They have toxic traits and they’re sure not afraid to show it. While they won’t necessarily fight in front of you, you’re fairly certain these two aren’t exactly good for each other. They have habits that might seem okay (or at least tolerable), but actually aren’t. And oh boy, how you wish you weren’t stuck in some far-off place with them.
Some top-of-mind examples: the boyfriend who calls his girlfriend fat; the girlfriend who says mean jokes about her boyfriend; or that friend who dictates what his/her partner can and can’t wear. Let’s be real — these things call for an intervention. But do you really want to do an intervention when you’re supposed to be on vacation?
8. The Lion and the Tiger
Or alternatively, the cat and the dog. Of course, we’ve saved the worst for last. These “star-crossed lovers” are constantly fighting over something — and they’re not afraid to show it. It can be about something as mild as forgetting to bring the camera. Or hanger-related mood swings. Or someone taking too long to shop for a souvenir. Whatever the reason, the rest of their travel buddies will definitely know there’s trouble in paradise.
It could be a glaring contest at best, and a full-blown fight at worst. While it’s normal for couples to argue (especially while travelling), it’s best to consider the other people with you. If you really must, please do so away out of your friends’ earshot. No matter how close you are as a group, they do not want to hear you air out your dirty laundry.
More importantly, it stresses the people who are travelling with you. And your friend/s definitely did not travel all this way just to be stressed out by a fighting couple. Whatever the reason may be, talk about it privately and don’t make a scene. Or, really, if it’s something that you can talk about later after the trip, then please do so. Your travel buddies will thank you.
Also read: Call Me Weird, But I Hate Travelling in Groups. Here’s Why
If you think your couple friends fall under any of these types, then we recommend taking a long and hard think before saying yes to a trip with them. Is it something you can tolerate, or would it possibly ruin the trip for you? We’ll let you be the judge of that! On the other hand, if you and your S.O. are travelling with friends, and you suspect falling under some of these types — well, it’s not too late to change!
