12 Guaranteed Ways to Drive Everyone Mad When You Travel

It's summer time in Europe and people, myself included, are flocking to the much sought-after tourist destinations like Berlin and Prague.

As a result, I've quickly discovered just how maddening other tourists can be.

Most of the time it comes down to ignorance or selfishness, two things that can be easily avoided.

Caption: Europe by Charles Clegg licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

In an attempt to ease everyone's frustration, here are some tips on what not to do when you're travelling:

1. Take a million photos of the same statue while scores of people wait for you to get out of the way.
2. Hog the interactive exhibits at the museums.
3. Unclip your seatbelt before the light goes off on the plane. Seriously, it's for your own safety, and that of the people around you.
4. Take the armrest for yourself like it's a given.
5. Push your seat back for the whole journey. In economy on a long haul flight, this removes any space the person behind you ever had.
6. Leave the toilet without flushing. It's not difficult to check the toilet has flushed properly. And on that note, if it's not working, tell someone.
7. Stop randomly because you just figured out you're lost and then give the person who just ran into you a deadly look.
8. Stand on the platform in front of the carriage door when it opens... it's courteous to let the people who are actually on the train get out first. No one is going to get anywhere if you just stand there.
9. Cut in line. There are queues for a reason, don't use your ignorance to frustrate everyone around you.
10. Bump people with your bag. I think we could all do with being a little more spatially aware. And if you do bump into someone, apologize.
11. Take up more than one seat just because you want to be comfortable. Seats are for bottoms, not bags, feet or empty space.
12. Talk really loudly, especially on public transport.

I'm sure many of us are guilty of one or more of these things and, in the heat of the moment, forget we're only one of many tourists trying to see Europe this summer.

Now, back to that statue...