We all know at least one: the friend who has the itinerary printed, laminated, and colour-coded before anyone else has booked time off work. Travel editors at Condé Nast Traveller UK have leaned into the idea that travellers, like couples, have distinct 'love languages' — eight personality types that shape how you holiday, and crucially, who you should (and shouldn't) fly with.
The line-up: the Planner, who books everything and secretly keeps a personal itinerary even when pretending to go with the flow; the Photographer, an easygoing aesthete with an eye for viewpoints and the group's best wardrobe; the Treasurer, who tracks every shared expense and pairs best with a fellow Planner; the Navigator, blessed with a built-in compass and best let loose in somewhere maze-like like Marrakech; the Night Owl, who finds the fun everywhere but clashes badly with early-morning Planners; the Culture Vulture, museum-obsessed and armed with half-learned local phrases; the Crisis Manager, the calm type who memorises hotel addresses and emergency numbers; and the Foodie, who plans their day around four meals instead of three.
Each type comes with its own kryptonite. Planners should think twice before teaming up with freewheeling Culture Vultures; Treasurers will suffer alongside spontaneous Night Owls who blow the trip budget on one big night out; and Foodies travelling with Treasurers risk having their splurge dinner vetoed.
The fun part is the destination matching. Planners suit structured European city breaks — Porto, Marseille or Turin, with bookable restaurants and walking tours. Photographers should head for big vistas: the Cliffs of Moher, Alpine ski lifts, stargazing in New Zealand, or street photography in London or Montreal. Treasurers get wallet-friendly US cities like Charleston, San Diego and Phoenix, plus luxe-for-less stays including Hotel Willa in New Mexico, Fairmont Mumbai and Inkaterra Cabo Blanco in Peru, all starting under $300 a night. Night Owls belong in Ibiza, Mykonos or New York; Culture Vultures in Tbilisi or the Welsh book town of Hay-on-Wye during the Hay Festival; Crisis Managers in the off-season Greek islands or a quiet English 'quietcation'. Foodies are pointed towards São Paulo's Japanese-Brazilian cooking, Milan's reimagined Peruvian seafood, Philadelphia's Mexican tacos and the markets of Fès.
The takeaway is less about labels and more about compatibility. Most trip friction — the arguments over late starts, surprise museum detours or blown budgets — comes down to mismatched travel styles that nobody discussed before booking. Knowing whether you're a Planner or a Night Owl (and being honest about who you're travelling with) makes it far easier to set expectations, split off for a morning when you need to, and pick destinations that keep everyone happy. Worth taking before your next group trip gets booked.
