London is a city that blends timeless charm with modern magic. From afternoon tea in a centuries-old hotel to rooftop cocktails with skyline views of the London Eye, it’s a destination that effortlessly balances tradition and trend. Thankfully, points and miles can open the door to this iconic capital without draining your savings account. We’ve […]

It is the dream of many to fly in business-class seats “someday!” It’s often possible to find business-class award seats between North America and Europe for 70 to 80K miles and up, but what about the real deals that cost even fewer miles than that? Yep, that is possible with some of the best sweet-spot […]

On a recent trip to Iceland, my family of five decided to use Reykjavik as a home base (because hotel-hopping with a family for a four-night stay wasn’t ideal). We took a couple of day trips from Reykjavik and spent one day exploring the city itself. Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre proved to be […]

From museums to the Eiffel Tower, the City of Lights has so much to offer families. You can visit this popular destination in luxury or on a budget. Grab your beret and a baguette, and let’s go to Paris! In this series of blog posts, we show you ways to get to a specific destination, whether […]

I usually love every Kimpton Hotel I meet, but I finally met one that was underwhelming. Welcome to my Kimpton Vividora Barcelona review, a.k.a. staying in a dorm room. Quirky, cute, but still a dorm room. It is located on a small, pedestrian side street near La Rambla, and the lobby seemed promising and charming. […]

Did I just stay at a hotel that may be my new favorite? I am on a trip to Mallorca after visiting Madrid and Barcelona. I left Alex and Jess in Barcelona and flew to Mallorca to meet another of my daughters. First stop: Nobis Hotel Palma in Mallorca, Spain. It was love at first […]

I knew that on my trip to Barcelona and Madrid, I also wanted to go somewhere else in Spain that was “new” to me. I remembered a fellow traveler on an airplane showing me pictures of the island of Mallorca and telling me that it was his favorite place. Problem solved—Mallorca it was. Mallorca on […]

Alex, Jess, and I usually take two trips together a year. One is our planning retreat in December, and the other is a trip just for fun. Last year for our “just for fun” trip, we went to Singapore, and Jess suggested that our trip this year should be “Travel Mom Squad Takes Spain.” I […]

​The Thompson Madrid is a luxurious hotel situated in the heart of Madrid, near the Gran Vía and the Puerta del Sol. It was also a quick walk to the Plaza Mayor, the largest square in Madrid. It’s smack in the center of Madrid, in fact, and close to tons of dining, shopping, and nightlife. […]

Today we’re catching back up with my family’s spring break trip to Greece and Croatia with kids on points and miles!  Next up, Croatia.   Dubrovnik, Croatia with Kids We flew from Athens to Dubrovnik with Aegean Air, using the same family fare we had used before. The flight was about an hour and a […]

Traveling through Greece and Croatia with kids might sound ambitious, as these aren’t your usual family-friendly picks, but our family of five loved our recent spring break trip to these countries. I often get asked how I choose kid-friendly destinations, and the truth is, I don’t. I plan trips around where Tim and I want […]

Michelle sent us her reader success story to Italy. I especially love this story because they took grandma along! Here’s her story: I first got into points and miles in 2023 after stumbling across the Travel Mom Squad podcast. Soon I became totally obsessed! One idea that really caught my attention was flying business class […]

Andrew shares today’s reader success story about how he used points and miles to book a milestone family trip to Spain. Here is his story:   Travel has always been a priority for our family, but with two young boys—one of whom faced unexpected medical challenges—we weren’t sure when our next adventure would happen. Thanks […]

Today, we are joining Stephanie on her reader success story to Dublin and Southern Ireland—a place known for its lush greenery, rolling hills, and rugged coastline. She took this trip in 2022 with her family of four. Here is her story: We are a family of four living just outside of Washington, DC, in Alexandria, […]

When our daughters turn ten, they get to choose and help plan a special trip for our family. So last winter, after Rose turned nine, we started talking about what kind of adventure she wanted for her tenth birthday the following year. It didn’t take long for her to decide—she wanted a Harry Potter trip […]

Mulled wine, thoughtful gifts, and delicious food are all part of the iconic European Christmas market experience. And with some points, miles, and planning, you could do your holiday shopping this year at a charming European Christmas market.  Here’s some inspiration for planning your trip to European Christmas markets in 2025 on points and miles. […]

Where in Europe do you want to go? Greece, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Croatia? There are so many fabulous European destinations, and most beginner points-and-miles users start off their points-earning journeys earning Chase Ultimate Rewards®, so let’s talk about using Chase Ultimate Rewards® for European flights. First, there are 11 airline transfer partners that you can […]

Accommodating a family of five or more in Europe on points can be daunting. Luckily, if you’re heading to London, the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars offers one of the best values for your large family! Our family of five spent four nights at the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars over New Year’s Eve and was thoroughly […]

We just received this reader success story about Chelsea’s European Christmas Adventure and want to publish it now in case you’d like to do this next year! It can take some strategic earning of credit card points, some cash, and some planning to pull this off, but it sounds like an amazing trip. Thanks, Chelsea, […]

Jeannae sent in her reader success story to Madrid.  You’ll enjoy seeing how she and her family made the most of credit card points and miles for a Thanksgiving dream trip!   How We Took Our Dream Trip to Spain for Thanksgiving—Using Points & Miles (and a Little Magic) Thanksgiving 2024 will forever be etched […]

Using credit card points and miles,  I planned a girls’ trip to Amsterdam with two of my daughters and a granddaughter. We used points for travel there and paid cash to stay at an Airbnb.  We had a wonderful visit and encountered so many friendly, helpful people during our stay there!  Here are some things […]