Meet our adventurous members Nathan and Christina from Utah! As recent empty nesters, they’ve spent the last 5 years mastering the art of traveling for (almost) free using points and miles. From exploring Europe, Australia, and South Africa to multiple Caribbean islands, they’ve had some incredible experiences. Their most recent adventure? A road trip along Germany’s Romantic Road, extended into Salzburg and Prague, where they experienced stunning sights, lively town squares, and bucket-list moments like driving 150 MPH on the Autobahn!
Read on to discover how they saved $16,000 on this trip, the strategies they used to book luxury stays and first-class flights, and their top tips for maximizing travel rewards. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your points game, their story is sure to inspire!
Where do you live, and how long have you been using points and miles to get free travel?
We live in Utah and are recent empty nesters. We have been using points and miles for about 5 years. During that time, we have traveled extensively to Europe (3 times), Australia, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Seychelles, Hawaii, Alaska, multiple Caribbean islands, and many domestic locations, all with a portion financed by points or miles. At the moment we are excitedly packing our bags for a week-long trip to Fiji, which is 100% paid for by points and miles.
Where did you go and what did you do?
We embarked on an unforgettable journey along the Romantic Road in Bavaria that began and ended in Berlin, Germany. Our 9-day adventure turned into a long road trip around Germany (Berlin, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Stuttgart), extending into Salzburg, Austria, and Prague, Czech Republic. Our itinerary included iconic sights like the Berlin Wall, the Mercedes AMG factory in Affalterbach near Stuttgart, Neuschwanstein Castle, and the beautiful Bavarian countryside. The unexpected delights were equally memorable — the enchanting city of Prague (our favorite city on this trip), the charming farmers’ market in Salzburg, stunning architecture, lively town squares, and delicious local cuisine.
Highlights included:
- Seeing Snow White’s Castle in real life (Castle Neuschwanstein in Germany)
- Capturing pictures from Mary’s Bridge, situated directly behind Castle Neuschwanstein
- Stunning settings + enormous pretzels in Germany
- Savoring the food carts in the town squares
- Most of all – taking a tour of the AMG factory (a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary) where Nathan’s favorite engines are hand-built, and fulfilling a bucket list item by driving 150 MPH on the Autobahn. Yes, Nathan is a car enthusiast.
How much money did you save using points and miles for your trip?
Using points and miles, we saved an estimated $16,000 on our trip, which is incredible.
What kind of points did you use for this trip?
We used American Express Membership Rewards and Hilton Honors points for this trip.
We booked Delta One (First Class) tickets by transferring 200,000 American Express Membership Rewards points to one of Amex’s transfer partners, Virgin Atlantic, who was running a sale on flights at the time. After transferring our points, we booked our first class tickets through Virgin Atlantic. We earned those points using a combination of American Express cards to maximize point-earning. For dining and groceries, we use the American Express® Gold Card for 4x points per dollar (note that this is limited to $25k spending per year). For gas and everyday purchases, we use the American Express EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card for 3x groceries (limited to $6k per year; then 1x), 2x on gas, and 1x points per dollar for everything else. However, after 30 uses in a billing period, which we usually complete within 10 days, the American Express EveryDay Preferred offers a 50% bonus on all transactions, which means 4.5x on groceries, 3x points on gas, and 1.5x on everything else. That combo has worked out well for us. We currently have in excess of 1,000,000 American Express points and 900,000 in Hilton Honors points waiting to plan our next big points adventure!
Our favorite card though is the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card. For frequent travelers, in my opinion, the benefits far exceed the annual cost. When not using our points, we primarily use this card at Hilton hotels, where the points accumulate quickly (10x on hotel purchases). On this trip, we stayed exclusively at Hilton properties, including a night in Prague, where the room rate was $700/night due to the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League Final. We booked the room for 40,000 Hilton Honors points, valued at around $200 — an excellent use of points for such a high-demand night!
What advice would you give someone interested in booking a trip like yours, and what advice do you have for someone just starting with points and miles?
If you’re starting this hobby, get the best welcome bonus possible that you are eligible for at that time. Focus most of your spending on a card that allows you to transfer points or miles to various airlines, such as transferable currencies from Chase, Capital One, Citi, or American Express. Then use multiple cards to maximize your spending. For example, as I mentioned, we use the American Express Gold card for 4x points on food and other cards for gas and everyday expenses which allows us to accumulate points more quickly.
How has Travel Freely helped you achieve your free travel goals, and what do you like best about the app?
Travel Freely is a fantastic tool for keeping our cards organized, notifying us of the best welcome bonuses, and reminding us when annual fees are due. We love the emails with travel advice and strategies to get the most value from our travel spending.
Cards Mentioned in this article:
A must-have for anyone who loves Amex points. Some of the highest returns (4x!) for spending at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S). Definitely worth a spot in your wallet.
Terms apply.
Limited Time Offer ends 01/08/2025. If you stay at Hilton properties throughout the year, you should really consider this high-end card. Lots of great benefits with a total value that exceeds the higher annual fee. Annual Free Night Reward upon signup and every year upon renewal. Terms apply.
As of 9/26/24, this card is not accepting new applications. This card is one of the best for earning transferable points (points that transfer to airline miles) and for spending at US supermarkets. Terms apply.
