Melissa sent us her reader success story to London and Amsterdam: I’m an ATA and an ATA Next Level student. We’ve just returned from our first points and miles trip, and I’m eager to share it with our community.  We live outside of Washington, D.C., so we flew to London from IAD to CDG to […]

Spending money dining out while traveling in Europe can potentially add a significant amount to your travel budget. Combine that with long sightseeing days, museum marathons, and jet lag, and sometimes what you really need is a comfortable reset button. That’s where Hyatt club lounges come in. Club lounges are less common in Europe than […]

If the winter games in Milan have you dreaming of Italy, your points and miles can take you there—even on a limited budget! Whether you’re drawn to the city for fashion, food, or architecture, Milan has something for everyone.  In this series of blog posts, we show you ways to get to a specific destination, […]

Our next reader success story comes from Kristi, and she shares how she and her husband took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy. Here is here story:   Flights My husband and I planned and executed our first-ever trip to Europe, specifically Italy. We travelled in the fall of 2024. With Pam’s expertise, we secured our […]

Ever dream of visiting Prague? A city of spired rooftops, cobblestone streets, and fairytale charm? It’s not just a destination for history lovers, but also a surprisingly good city to redeem hotel loyalty points. While chain hotels are less dense here than in some other major European cities, the options that do exist offer excellent […]

We left Jenn and her family of four in Istanbul last Friday. Here is the continuation of her story to Christmas markets and Amsterdam:   After an amazing time in Istanbul, we took an inexpensive economy flight (around $100) on Turkish Airlines to Cologne, Germany. At Istanbul Airport, we had access to the IGA lounge […]

There’s much to enjoy in Spain’s capital city—from famous museums to delicious food. Points can significantly reduce your travel expenses to Madrid, which leaves room in your budget for more churros! (Really, don’t miss the churros if you’re going to Spain.) Madrid has something for every budget. Whether you have a lot of points or […]

One of our faithful readers, Jenn, sent us this reader success story about going to four cities with her family of four. They visited Frankfurt, Istanbul, Cologne, and Amsterdam with their family of four (P1, P2, 18-year-old son, 11-year-old son). Here’s her story:   Flights Our trip began with a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, […]

There is just something about a beach trip that resets your soul. Whether it’s the powdery white sand, turquoise waves, or simply an excuse to stay in your swimsuit for a week. What makes a beach getaway better than the destination? Booking it using points and paying pennies on the dollar for your dream vacation, […]

Amsterdam is one of those magical European cities that feels like it belongs in a storybook. With its winding canals, cobblestone streets, and beautiful spring tulips, it’s a dream destination. We know visiting Amsterdam might feel intimidating when you are trying to justify the European price tag. But we’re here to help you book your […]

Rachel sent us this reader success story about her trip to Prague and Dublin. This trip would have cost nearly $12,000, and they paid under $700! Here’s how it went:   A Voucher Starts it All This whole trip started because we had a voucher for slightly over $2,000 on Aer Lingus. Back in 2020, […]

I recently flew home from a fun girls’ trip to Portugal on TAP, which was a new airline for me. Normally on a daytime flight back to the US from Europe, I’d be happy to fly in economy and save my points, but for this trip the business-class award flight was so reasonably priced that […]

Kelsey sends us this reader success story where her family takes on Türkiye! I’ve been to Istanbul before but would love to check out Cappadocia sometime, so I was especially excited to read this success story! Here it is: I have always been in love with travel, but after taking my kids to Spain in […]

It’s no secret that Scotland is my favorite place to travel, so I’ll take any excuse to write about it. And with Scotland’s popularity growing, not just for Harry Potter fans or Outlander enthusiasts, but for families and adventurers alike, now is the perfect time to plan a trip. Whether it’s the cobbled streets of […]

Cathie shares her reader success story about traveling to Paris and Greece with her family of eight for two weeks! Here’s her story: My husband had always dreamed of taking his daughters—ages 19 and 21—on a trip to the Mediterranean, but it was never financially possible. And certainly not now that we have two additional […]

Lauren sends in her amazing reader success story to Scandinavia, where she spent two weeks. Here is her story: Last month, I was able to take my partner (my P2) and my in-laws on a two-week trip to Scandinavia, Finland, and Estonia for less than $900 per person. Below, I detail how we earned points, […]

My mom and I traveled to Switzerland on points and miles during the first week of October. This was our first time visiting Switzerland, and let me tell you, the beauty of this country is unmatched! Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive, and while that’s true, redeeming points for our flights (including a business-class […]

Ana sent us this story about her couples’ trip to Rome and Tuscany. We love Italy, so we are happy to share it with you! Here’s her story: Couples’ Trip to Rome and Tuscany with Points and Miles I’ve been collecting points since the ’90s—back when you actually earned them by flying! While the landscape […]

They say all roads lead to Rome, and luckily, with the right points and miles strategy, yours can, too. Whether you’re working with a modest stash of credit card points or have enough for a business-class splurge, the Eternal City is more accessible than ever. Rome is a dream destination that doesn’t have to drain […]

One of our TMS dads, Nick, sent us this reader success story to Paris and Boston. Here is his story of learning about points and miles and then using that education for an amazing trip!   As I sit here at the Hôtel du Louvre in Paris, writing this, I can hardly believe this is […]

Kayla sent us our most recent reader success story: ten days in Italy. Here is her story: I just got back from my dream Italian vacation! I started this hobby in early 2024 and just spent ten days in Italy on points and miles. We spent three nights in Rome, three in Florence, three in […]