10 Commandments To Avoid Talking Like A Bratty Traveler

A list of do’s and don’ts to help us all talk about our travels without being that bratty traveler.

I have, on more than one occasion, found myself in a situation where I was unintentionally extremely obnoxious. Since I love to travel, I also love to talk about traveling. In doing so, I frequently try to find common places where my conversation partners have been or experiences they may have shared. Embarrassingly, this has sometimes come across as bragging. I have also been on the other end of the conversation, where someone seems to only want to use their travels as ways to gloat about their adventurousness and knowledge. Here, I’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts to help us all talk about our travels without being that bratty traveler:

Don’t:

1. DON’T  pronounce foreign cities and countries with an exaggerated accent. There’s no need to call Paris “Pah-rhiz” when you’re having a conversation in only English…

2. DON’T list an extremely obscure place you’ve been to without giving it any context. And on the same note, don’t make someone feel dumb for not knowing where or what something is.

3. DON’T  assume that just because something happened abroad means that it’s a great story.

4. DON’T roll your eyes at a destination. Even if it’s not your dream vacation, the person who brought it up is obviously excited about it. I’m sure it has something to offer you as well!

5. DON’T  start every sentence with “Oh my gosh, ya, like this one time in…”.

6. DON’T make traveling a competition.

7. DON’T dominate the conversation. I know, this should be common courtesy. But seriously, no matter how exciting your adventures have been, let the person you’re talking to share some of theirs too!

DO:

8. DO respect other people’s trips. Never tell someone any part of their trip “didn’t count” or they “should have done… instead”. Yeah, maybe they only had a day-long layover somewhere, but good for them for at least trying to see something new!

9. DO be aware that not everyone wants to always talk about traveling.

10. DO respect other people’s travel styles – unless someone is being horribly inappropriate or insensitive. Everyone has their own motivations to traveling and there’s no need or way to rank which ones are the best.

Lizzy Monroe

Originally from Eugene, OR, Lizzy graduated from Stanford University. She's a coffee & street market enthusiast, her travel style involves planning ahead but never hesitating to improvise. Her favorite country is South Africa, she never travels without her Swiss Army Knife - mostly because of the hidden pen, tweezers and corkscrew.