Part of our Trip Planning guide.
Our Trip Planning coverage includes two guides: 10 Airbnb rentals in Switzerland and a method for following up with hotels and tour operators after booking.
10 Cozy Airbnb Rentals in Switzerland
Airbnb rentals in Switzerland let groups share one property, making them more affordable than hotel deals. We put together ten Swiss Airbnb rentals for your next trip.
The Simple Way to Follow up With Hotels and Tour Operators After Booking
No word on whether the hotel noted your late check-in. No reply about the dietary requirement you flagged during checkout. No update from the tour company about the meeting point. This is the limbo that sits between booking and arriving, and it stresses out more travelers than almost anything else in the planning process. A well-timed, well-written follow-up email fixes all of it. Most travelers either skip the follow-up entirely or send something so vague it gets ignored.
<>To follow up effectively, send your email within 48 hours of booking. Include your reservation number, the dates of your stay or tour, and the specific request you need confirmed—for example, “late check-in at 10 PM” or “gluten-free meal on June12.” Keep the subject line clear: “Follow-up on reservation #12345 – late check-in request.” If you don’t hear back in72 hours, send a polite reminder with the same details. This method works for hotels, tour operators, and cruise lines—for instance, if you need to know which cruise terminal does Celebrity use in Fort Lauderdale, you can use the same follow-up structure to ask the cruise line directly.
When you book a flight separately, you might also need to add a trip to your Southwest account after purchasing through a third party—a quick follow-up email to Southwest’s customer service can confirm the itinerary is linked. Similarly, if you’re renting a Dodge caravan and need to turn on interior lights in a Dodge caravan or reset the oil warning on a Dodge caravan, a follow-up email to the rental company before you pick up the vehicle can get you step-by-step instructions. For cruisers, you may want to ask whether cruise ships have dialysis on board if you or a travel companion require treatment at sea—again, a follow-up email to the cruise line’s medical department is the best approach.
For complex itineraries, you might book round-trip flights with different airports (e.g., flying into Zurich and out of Geneva). A follow-up email to each airline can confirm the separate reservations are noted. If you have a United reservation and want to add TSA PreCheck to an existing United reservation, a quick follow-up after adding your Known Traveler Number ensures it’s applied. Finally, if you’re sailing from Fort Lauderdale, you can ask the cruise line how far is the cruise port from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport—a follow-up email will get you the exact distance and transfer options.
