Earning points and miles is easy. Spending them in a smart way is the tricky part. In this section, I break down exactly how I booked each of my points and miles trips. I’ll go through how I selected my flights and hotels, what rewards programs I chose to use, and how I completed the bookings. Once I’ve completed the trip, I’ll report back with my itinerary and places I visited. I’ll also be sure to add any relevant hotel and airport lounge reviews. While points and miles tend to find their way into most of my travels, this page will only report on trips booked entirely with points and miles. Check out the Destinations section for posts on all of the places I’ve traveled.
Italy on Points and Miles
All Italy Posts
Booking the Trip:
How I’m Spending 11 Days in Italy for Less Than $150
Trip Reports:
Part 1: Four Days in Rome
Part 2: Florence in 48 Hours
Part 3: The Best of Tuscany in One Day
Part 4: 48 Hours in Venice
Part 5: One Night in Milan
Reviews:
Hotel Review: Waldorf Astoria Rome Cavalieri
Hotel Review: JW Marriott Venice
Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Milan
Priority Pass Lounge Review: Air France Lounge at Boston Logan Airport
Priority Pass Lounge Review: Club S.E.A. Sala Leonardo at Milan Linate Airport
A Points and Miles Honeymoon to Japan, Singapore, and the Maldives
All Japan Posts
All Singapore Posts
All Maldives Posts
Booking the Trip:
My Wedding’s in Less than a Year…Time for Honeymoon Planning!
Honeymoon Update 1: Booking Conrad Maldives
Honeymoon Update 2: Booking Singapore Suites
Honeymoon Update 3: Japan Airlines Business Class to Tokyo
Honeymoon Update 4: Tokyo to Singapore on Japan Airlines Business Class
Honeymoon Update 5: Japan Hotels
Honeymoon Update 6: Round Trip Singapore to Male
Honeymoon Update 7: Itinerary Change – Japan Airlines First Class to Tokyo
Honeymoon Update 8: Positioning Flights
Honeymoon Update 9: Singapore Hotels
Trip Reports:
What to Do in 5 Days in Tokyo
Real Life Mario Kart: A Review of MariCar Tokyo
Exploring TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo
A Sushi Lunch in Ginza
Memory Lane Tokyo: Shinjuku’s Best Yakitori
A Day Trip to Nikko, Japan
A 2 Day Kyoto Itinerary
Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip from Kyoto
How to Spend One Day in Osaka
A Complete 10-Day Japan Itinerary for First Timers
A 2 Day Singapore Itinerary
Michelin Star Hawker Stalls in Singapore
Dinner at Odette, a Three Michelin Star Restaurant in Singapore
Dinner at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at the Conrad Maldives
Reviews:
Hotel Review: Crowne Plaza JFK Airport New York City
Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton Tokyo
Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
Hotel Review: InterContinental Osaka
Hotel Review: InterContinental Singapore
Hotel Review: Conrad SingaporeHotel Review: Conrad Maldives Superior Water Villa
Review: Lufthansa Senator Lounge at JFK
Japan Airlines 777 First Class New York to Tokyo in 11 Photos
Singapore Airlines A380 First Class Suites in 10 Photos
Peru and the Inca Trail on Points and Miles
All Peru Posts
Booking the Trip:
Planning a Trip to Peru and Machu Picchu on Points and Miles
Trip Reports:
The Ultimate 9 Day Peru Itinerary: Cusco, Inca Trail, and Lima
How to Spend One Day in Peru’s Sacred Valley
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – Alpaca Expeditions Review
What to Pack for Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
How to Spend 2 Days in Lima, Peru
Dinner at Astrid y Gaston in Lima, Peru
Reviews:
Hotel Review: JW Marriott Cusco
Hotel Review: Hilton Lima Miraflores
Croatia on Points and Miles
All Croatia Posts
Booking the Trip:
Planning a Trip to Croatia Using Points and Miles
Trip Reports:
An Afternoon in Zagreb, Croatia: A Half Day Itinerary
Zagreb to Split via Plitvice Lakes
Top Things to Do in Split, Croatia
How to Spend an Afternoon in Trogir, Croatia
How to Visit Croatia’s Blue Cave from Split
The Best Day Trip from Split: Blue Cave and Island Tour
Two Days in Split, Croatia: A Complete Itinerary
The Perfect Dubrovnik Two Day Itinerary
The Best Beaches in Dubrovnik
One Week in Croatia Starting in Zagreb
15 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Croatia
Reviews:
Hotel Review: Canopy by Hilton Zagreb City Centre
Hotel Review: Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik
Air France 777 Business Class Boston to Paris
France and United Arab Emirates on Points and Miles
All Croatia Posts
All UAE Posts
Booking the Trip:
Planning a Trip to France and UAE on Points and Miles
Booking Air France Air & Rail Trips with Miles
Trip Reports:
Two Days in Alsace, France
15 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Alsace, France
Complete Guide to Visiting Versailles from Paris
Four Days in Paris: Your Complete Paris Itinerary
How to Save Money with the Paris Museum Pass
Paris Day Trip: Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny
What to See and Do in Etretat, France
A Quick Afternoon in Rouen, France
Normandy D-Day Tour from Bayeux
How to Visit Mont Saint-Michel
A Normandy Itinerary for Fans of Monet
The Complete Three Day Normandy Itinerary
Nine Day France Itinerary: Alsace, Paris, and Normandy
Impressions of Etihad A380 First Class Apartments
A Four Day Dubai Itinerary
One Day in Abu Dhabi: The Perfect Itinerary
Reviews:
Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
Hotel Review: Al Maha Desert Resort Dubai Bedouin Suite
Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton Dubai
Hotel Review: St. Regis Abu Dhabi
A Midwest Road Trip Using Points
Booking the Trip:
A Midwest Road Trip Using Points
Trip Reports:
A Guide to Visiting Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater
What You Need to Know About Visiting Badlands National Park
The Ultimate Mount Rushmore Travel Guide
One Day in Custer State Park
Things to Do in Niagara Falls
Three Day South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary
Reviews:
Hotel Review: Holiday Inn Express Mount Rushmore/Keystone
Hotel Review: Holiday Inn Niagara Falls Scenic Downtown
Egypt on Points and Miles
Booking the Trip:
A Trip to Egypt Using Points and Miles
Trip Reports:
Visiting the Pyramids of Giza from Cairo
One Day in Cairo: Coptic Cairo, Khan El Khalili, and Egyptian Museum
A Day Trip to Alexandria from Cairo
How to Spend Three Days in Cairo
A Four Day Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with Emo Tours
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Abu Simbel
How to Spend One Day in Luxor
A One Week Egypt Itinerary
Reviews:
Hotel Review: InterContinental Cairo Semiramis
Hotel Review: Le Meridien Cairo Airport
EgyptAir 787-9 Business Class from Cairo to New York
