The top five worst traveling companions

Your traveling partner can make or break your trip, so you should probably choose carefully when planning a joint trip. Here are five traits of traveling companions you should avoid (and I've excluded the obvious, like snorers and kleptomaniacs):

The ditcher: The companion who bails on you at the first whiff of romantic interest, night after night. Besides getting annoyed at being stuck with the romantic-interest's own travel partner or, worse yet, sitting alone at the bar, you might find that you can't budget on splitting the cost of hotel rooms when your friend finds a long-term lover.

The puker: I'm not only talking about a weak stomach -- there are folks out there who can't ride a tricycle without tossing their mother's chocolate-chip cookies. Forget about taking an all-night bus ride as well as sampling local cuisine. And I hope you don't need the bathroom, because they'll be in there all night.

The druggie: Ditch the traveler who just wants to get effed up every night (unless you do, too), is in to buying illegal street drugs, and generally makes you nervous crossing international borders in Asia.They're nothing but trouble, and you could go down with them.

The complainer: I once met a girl when I was traveling from Athens to Rome who wouldn't shut up about how she just wanted McDonald's, how dirty Athens was, how much she missed Michigan, etc. I'm normally a very cheery person, so when she suggested we travel together, I changed my itinerary, stat. A little homesickness is normal, but who wants to hang with someone who's a constant downer?

The money-obsessed: This type can go both ways; either their budget is tighter than a Thai prostitute's tube top, or looser than said prostitute's you-know-what (is that metaphor too tacky to write? Apologies). Moderation may be boring, but it's probably also key to enjoying a longer trip. You could find yourself dining alone while your companion indulges in yet another cup of instant noodles, or dragged along for a trendy, spendy dinner. Make sure your budgets are in agreement before you leave.