opinions on WWYD if going on holiday like this?

[sortingmylife]

Posting out of curiosity due to a recent experience. Keep getting 2 different opinions but not asked too many people IRL.

If you were going away on holiday to another country and staying at a rented holiday property you booked 3months prior would you double check everything was in place a couple of days before departure to confirm details and key pick up/drop off and make sure everything was in place?

For me it's an obvious yes, I wouldn't just fly out and hope for the best and would want to know what I need to do upon arrival etc but apparently IBU for expecting that someone does this as they have gone away like that many times before and never did it before and it's completely normal to just turn up.

Long story short went on holiday with some friends/family recently (organised by them as I originally was not going to be able to go due to work but managed to get booked off).
We get to country of destination, collect rental car, drive to rented house and the organiser is stood there scratching their heads, no one is in sight, the gates are locked and "landlord" is not answering mobile.
I asked the organiser if they called landlord day before or when we landed to confirm we are arriving etc they say no........just show a printed off bit of paper with address checking in time and reservation number and say they've never had contact with landlord just booking site/agency 3 months before via email and paid deposit.

We ended up finding alternative accommodation miles away from where we were going to stay and the holiday was pretty much ruined. Landlord got in touch hours later confused and said that he cut ties with the booking agency just over a month ago and that they should have been in touch with everyone to inform of cancellations and make alternative arrangements etc.

So AIBU to think that it's obvious that you double check stuff like that a few days before a trip/holiday ?

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

Of course you double check!

[TooDamnSarky]

honestly? I don't think I've ever double checked once I have an email confirmation.

[Bluntness100]

Well yes, but clearly the person didn't know to check and no one helped them by telling them. I doubt they fucked up on purpose. What is your point exactly? Mistakes happen.

[FakePlasticTeaLeaves]

I always double check on villas and airbnb. Most villa hosts have also contact me, to ask what time I will arrive etc. So no, I would never just arrive and hope for the best!

[OVienna]

If I were responsible for booking a holiday that involved anyone apart from just me and my family of course I'd check. I would be mortified at putting someone out if something went wrong. I am just not relaxed in that way.

[JoandMax]

Yes I would check for a villa or airbnb type holiday

[Kokusai]

I don't always.

[PeanutButterJellyTimeforTea]

I would, but you're hardly being fair. They booked everything properly, it isn't their fault the booking company fucked it all up.

[TheTurnOfTheScrew]

TBH I don't - I expect detailed check-in information at the point I make the last payment.

However this has always involved making contact with a human at some point (whether email or phone). If the only contact I'd received was automated from an agency then I might check.

[Oldraver]

Yes of course. We contact holiday cottage day or so before to let them know a rough time we will arrive..

[TheNaze73]

Why would you? Surely that's creating more work. I'd check my confirmation email and would be meticulous at the time of booking

[WhenIsTheRightTime]

I wouldn't normally bother. If I've booked something I expect whoever I've bought it from to honour that! You'd still have had the same problem if you'd found out a couple of days in advance.

[MyOtherNameIsTaken]

I always check the arrangements before leaving, for my own peace of mind. I couldn't travel without doing it!

[chitofftheshovel]

No I wouldn't check.

[DataColour]

I wouldn't have checked if booking through an agency. I would have thought paying a deposit is confirmation enough. Although I would send a quick message with arrival time to Airbnb type places.

[Maudlinmaud]

Been in a similar situation and now check, even if it's just via email a week before. It was a hard lesson to learn with an infant and two other very tired dc.

[GnomeDePlume]

It would depend on the accommodation. Mobile Home on a campsite booked through a company I was familiar with then no I wouldnt. Private rental booked direct with the landlord then I would.

For everything else in between then it would depend on how familiar I was with the process, if it was something I had done many times before then I would probably be a bit more confident about the process.

Crap happens, dont take this out on the organiser.

[AlpacaPicnic]

AirBnb normally send through an confirmation email with details on keycodes etc a day or two before the booking - if I hadn't received that then I'd make my own enquiries...

[KatharinaRosalie]

Hotels no, but yes I would check private villas, especially if it has been several months since the reservation

[BarbaraofSeville]

I would check if we were staying somewhere like an apartment that is not likely to have a reception desk.

Last year we booked an apartment on Lanzarote on booking.com or similar and a few days before I realied I had no idea how we would access it when we got there, so I emailed them, and they replied fairly quickly with a code to access a keysafe at the entrance to the property.

Previously we've had to meet owners in bars to pick keys up when they live in the same area as the accomodation. I wouldn't expect them to be sat outside the property with the key, especially when I haven't told them how I'm getting there or what time I expect to arrive.

[Rafflesway]

Absolutely!

I always double check with hotels the week prior to arrival as errors happen with hotel booking systems too and much easier to sort out in the U.K. prior to departure. (Ex travel agent of 35 years!). I used to do this for my clients as well as for my own holidays.

[InvisibleKittenAttack]

If I was booking through an agency, then no, I'd check the paperwork from the agency and print it all, but unless it said to coordinate directly with the landlord, it wouldn't occur to me to do so.

However, most 'big' villa organisations have details about how you pick the keys up sent to you in advance, so if I hadn't got that, then I would chase that.

be nice to your friend, it's not their fault the company was crap. Assuming you have travel insurance to cover this?

[Seenoevil]

No, I wouldn't check if I had email confirmation, as far as I'm concerned it's booked. Job done and just turn up!

[TheStoic]

There's two kinds of people in the world. Those who would double check, those who would not even think of it.

I'm a double checker. I was married to a non-double-checker. We are now divorced.

[LizTaylorsFabulousTurban]

I wouldn't have if I had all the details of key collection etc. Your situation sounds dodgy - are you sure the owner wasn't pulling a fast one?