June 16, 2026
Family Trip to Vienna for Every Points Budget
Megan K.
Whether you’re looking to visit the iconic Christmas markets or take a waltz lesson, charming Vienna has something for every traveler.
Jess loved her trip to this beautiful city in 2024, and it pairs well with a visit to Prague, which is about four hours away by train. So, this trip would be perfect for an open-jaw visit. You could fly into Vienna, take the train to Prague, and come home from Prague (or vice versa).
In this series of “for every points budget” posts, we show you ways to get to a destination, whether you have points to spare or are looking to stretch every point. You can choose one or mix and match to make your trip.
For this trip, we’ll plan for a family of three from the East Coast traveling in August. You can adapt for the size of your group (though you’ll likely need extra hotel rooms for larger families because of Europe’s strict occupancy limits) and for your U.S. departure airport.
When looking at hotels, you’ll want to keep in mind that the city of Vienna charges a hotel tax on tourists—even if you’re staying on points. While Hyatt covers these taxes, other chains may not. Check with the property before booking if you have any questions about what you’ll be charged.
Low Points Flight – Air France Economy (via Paris)
We love Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue program, especially for family travel to Europe. That’s because kids 2 to 11 get a 25% discount on points tickets through Flying Blue. If you’re lucky enough to match your booking with a transfer bonus or a monthly Flying Blue Promo Award, this deal can be even better.
With a layover in Paris or Amsterdam, Air France can get this family of three from New York to Vienna for fewer than 70,000 points in economy. The saver cost is typically 25,000 points per adult plus 18,750 points for the child.
When I searched in early April, there were a few Flying Blue Promo Award tickets remaining, priced at about 52,000 points for the whole family. That’s an excellent deal to get three people to Europe!
Low Points Hotel – InterContinental Vienna
The InterContinental Vienna is close to palaces and museums in Vienna. The hotel has a coffee house and restaurant, a fitness center, and a spa. This property also has a club lounge that offers panoramic city views if your room has club access. You can also access clubs with a lounge membership or with IHG’s invite-only status.
I found rooms here in August (for two people) generally cost between 35,000 and 50,000 IHG points per night. That’s quite a bargain for one of IHG’s higher-end brands!
For a shorter stay, you could use your IHG free-night certificates that come annually with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, and then top them up with more points as needed.
If you hold one of these cards (or the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card), you’ll get the fourth night free on an all-points stay (not stays using free-night certificates). So, this would bring the price down to about 26,000 IHG points per night. That’s a great deal for summer travel.
Redeem three nights, get the fourth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay. You can receive a fourth Reward Night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.
Medium Points Price Flight – Austrian Airlines Economy
If you’d rather fly direct from the United States to Vienna, you can do so on Austrian Airlines in economy. This can be a bit tricky to book because Austrian Airlines uses the Lufthansa Miles & More loyalty program. Miles and More is not a transfer partner for any credit card programs, but you can earn these points through Rove.
Alternatively, you can book this ticket through one of Austrian Airlines’s partner airlines, such as United or Air Canada. For example, I found availability for three on Austrian Airlines for 40,000 Aeroplan points per person, plus about $60 per person, in economy.
Medium Points Price Hotel – Hilton Vienna Plaza
If you have Hilton points, you could use them to stay at the Hilton Vienna Plaza for 65,000 points per night in a standard double-occupancy room.
This property is also conveniently located in Vienna, close to the Imperial Palace, opera, and more. It offers the expected amenities, such as a restaurant, spa, and fitness center, along with plenty of room types to choose from.
For families, this property has family rooms that sleep up to five people, but they cost significantly more points for the dates I searched in early August. So, you may want to simply book extra standard rooms for your group. You could also contact the hotel and inquire about paying for an upgrade to a points room.
If you’re planning a longer stay in Vienna, you can get the fifth night free on a points stay with any Hilton status. You could use a free-night certificate or two for a shorter trip (though you can’t get the fifth night free when you use free-night certificates). Given the moderate price, I’d probably opt to use points and save those uncapped certificates for a pricier hotel.
Redeem four nights, get the fifth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive five-night Hilton hotel. You can receive a fifth Reward Night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.
High Points Price Flight – Air France Premium Economy (Via Paris)
Finding availability for the whole family in business class can be very challenging. But I found many days of premium availability (what Flying Blue calls premium economy) this August from New York to Vienna, with a layover in Paris. With the child discount, this family would pay 40,000 points per adult and 30,000 points for the child.
While premium is not as luxurious as Air France’s business class, it still offers recliner seats with extra legroom, a large seatback screen, and gourmet meals.
High Points Price Hotel – Ritz-Carlton Vienna
If you are looking to go ultra-luxe in Vienna, the Ritz-Carlton Vienna could be the perfect option if you have a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points.
Housed within four historic palaces in Vienna, the Ritz-Carlton is in the heart of Vienna and offers high-end dining, spas, and gorgeous rooms and suites.
In August, I found double-occupancy rooms here for between 73,000 and 94,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. While that’s a lot of points, you can now top off your Marriott free-night certificates with up to 25,000 points—potentially making this bougie stay more attainable. If you’re using only points (no certificates), you can get one night free when you stay for five nights.
Redeem four nights, get the fifth night free when you redeem points for a consecutive five-night Marriott hotel. You can receive a fifth Reward Night free, redeemable at that same hotel during that same stay.
And Pam says, “Don’t forget about the Park Hyatt Vienna!” That’s one of her favorites!
Bottom Line
A trip to the historic and lovely Vienna can be yours, whatever your points budget. Which option are you booking?
Related Posts
Vienna and the Park Hyatt Vienna
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