Top travel annoyances

What winds you up when you travel? We reveal the biggest irritants to travellers

Kids kicking the back of your seat are the biggest irritant to travellers, it has been revealed.

Tourists talking endlessly on mobile phones are another major pest, a survey of nearly 9,000 travellers worldwide, including Britons, by the TripAdvisor company found.

Americans were the most annoying travellers followed by the French and Germans with British and Chinese tourists the next most-irritating tourists.

People who do not take enough care when reclining their plane seats are also high on the pest list, as are those who block the aisles while stowing their hand luggage.

Armrest hoggers also annoy people, as do travellers who get up before the seatbelt signs are off.

Passengers consuming smelly food and those who read over your shoulder are also among those who put fellow travellers off.

TripAdvisor spokesman Luke Fredberg said: "The notion of 'travelling for pleasure' can be a total farce when you're surrounded by passengers who seem intent on making their presence felt - be it with a boot in the back, or an elbow in the ribs."

These were the top travel annoyances:

1. Children kicking your seat back
2. Rude seat recliners
3. Loud mobile phone conversations
4. Passengers taking too long to stow overhead baggage
5. People getting up before the seatbelt sign is off
6. Armrest hogs
7. Passengers consuming smelly food
8. Travellers blocking moving walkways
9. "Shoulder surfers" reading over your shoulder
10. People wandering in front of airport service carts

These were top 10 most-annoying travellers:

1. Americans
2. French
3. Germans
4. British
5. Chinese
6. Russians
7. Japanese
8. Italians
9. Indians
10. United Arab Emirates.

What winds you up when you travel? Email us using the form below.