Travel Etiquette 101: 6 Annoying Habits That Ruin Trips (and How to Avoid Them)

​Why Travel Etiquette Matters

Traveling etiquette is vital for all people planning a trip locally or overseas.

After a whirlwind last week of traveling, I’m back safely in Morocco. Whether it was flying, taking the bus, or train, it was clear across continents that either people don’t know any better, or they simply don’t care about being considerate travelers. I don’t know about you, but traveling can be a double-edged sword. While it’s fun and at times relaxing, the process of getting from one location to another can be a stressful time, to say the least.

To help my fellow travelers and, frankly, people who don’t know the proper etiquette to be a good person, here’s a list I came up with while traveling on the train back from Casablanca. Yes, I understand this will come across as a rant, but how else are people going to know how to act? I simply want the travel experience to be better for everyone involved. These are in no particular order. Please let me know if you agree or disagree, or if I left something out.

1. Phone Etiquette While Traveling
It doesn’t matter what mode of transportation you are traveling in, no one wants to hear your music, your phone calls, or you scrolling through your social media accounts. If you are too old to know what headphones or earpods are, just put the phone down and remember what it was like when you were a little kid on a road trip. For those proficient in technology, there are no excuses for not exercising restraint in their daily phone habits. If your phone can’t wait, then go somewhere where you won’t disrupt others.

2. Parenting and Kids on Trips
They are wonderful and, for the most part, excited to be traveling wherever you might be going. Going on a trip doesn’t give parents a reason not to be parents. This isn’t true with all parents, but it’s clear in some parts of this world that many of you feel like kids should get free rein. Newsflash, your kids should be in their assigned seats, not sitting on luggage racks. They shouldn’t be sitting in the aisle or jumping from seat to seat when others are trying to find their assigned seats. Whatever you do, don’t just give your child the phone or iPad without headphones. There’s nothing more annoying, yes, this is a nod to many Italian flights I have been on, than kids watching movies on full volume because there was no planning or consideration. Then again, nothing beats the parents watching the latest soccer match on full blast as well.

3. Respecting Quiet Zones
One would think this is a no-brainer, but then again, either people think they are more important than everyone else, or just don’t care. Don’t act like a hotshot, and if the area you decided to sit in on the train is a quiet zone, respect the fact that that is why the majority of people bought tickets for that specific seating area. If you want to make some enemies quickly, please take out that phone and answer those calls. Make sure not to silence your phone. There was nothing more entertaining on the train to Warsaw than seeing a conductor interrupt those individuals with a scathing lecture.

4. Assigned Seating Etiquette
If there's a pet peeve about traveling that bothers me more than anything else, it has to be assigned seats. I don’t get why this is such a challenge for people to sit in the correct seat. Truly, look at your ticket and find the exact seating number. If you don’t like it, that’s tough; perhaps you should have chosen your seat more carefully or planned when buying a ticket. This is everywhere and in every country I have visited. How can I forget the Polish Karen on the way to Plock, who wasn’t sitting in her assigned seat and wanted to chew me out for asking her to move. I thought it was going to be a quiet bus ride, and this lady spread out and made a face the entire two-hour ride.

We all know those people who want the window seat and just sit there, whether on a plane or train, and they are assigned to the center or the aisle. You don’t get to dictate where you sit. Whether it’s holding up everyone else trying to get to their seat or just creating an awkward moment, be a better person and don’t be like those people. This also ties into the armrest, if you have the window seat, shift your body and use the window. If you are on the aisle, you already have one armrest. The middle armrests are for the person stuck in the center. Give them some hope for the ride, and also keep your feet out of their area.

One last comment, speaking about feet: whatever you do, don’t be like Nancy on my flight back to the States, who decided to put her sweaty feet on the back of my armrest and on several occasions graze my elbow. Truly…as if :)

5. Luggage Etiquette

This might be a bigger deal than seats. If you have ever flown on a budget flight like Ryanair, you know why I am mentioning this. Let’s keep it simple: if you have a small backpack, it goes under the seat. If you have more than one carry-on, you may want to consider checking some luggage and not hording up all the overhead space.

If you aren’t flying, but instead taking the train, don’t be like Grandma Jospehine, who decided to block the aisle so she could still see her bags. Not only is this a fire hazard, but just because there is no space in the luggage rack, doesn’t mean you have the luxury to block people from exiting the compartment, or in my case, have the gaul to ask me to pick up these 40-50 pound bags onto the seat so other passengers can make way with their luggage. And for my fellow Americans, pack lightly, you don’t need twenty pairs of underwear for a five-day trip. Other countries have laundry and clothing stores, should you need something done.

6. Smoking and Vaping Consideration
Out of the other five, this is the least annoying and inconsiderate because I don’t have to sit next to the smoking section at the airports. With that said, should someone have to sit near the smoking areas, it would be wonderful if the smokers stood inside them. If it’s too crowded, wait your turn, because if the door is open, all that smoke has to go somewhere. The same is true with the vapers; you don’t have to do your best Triple H imitation with only your foot at the smoking threshold while your head is turned to the general population. And when you are done smoking, I’m just sharing for those with allergies, you don’t need to spray yourself down with cologne in front of any onlookers. Take care of that in the bathroom.

Final Thoughts: Becoming a Considerate Traveler
What do you think? Would this improve or worsen the traveling experience? Do we need to add more to this list?

#TravelEtiquette #BadTravelHabits #ConsiderateTraveler #PlaneTravelTips #TrainTravelTips #TravelRant #TravelTips #TravelGuide

---