How I Booked Our Family’s 10-Day Trip to Italy Using Credit Card Points

If you’ve ever looked at the cost of taking your family to Europe and thought, “Maybe someday,” you’re not alone.

That’s exactly how I used to feel. I dreamed of strolling through the streets of Rome, watching the sunset in Cinque Terre, and relaxing in the rolling hills of Tuscany. But every time I priced out flights and hotels for a family of four, the total felt impossible.

I assumed we’d take trips like this someday — when the kids were older, when we had more money, or when the timing was “right.”

Then I discovered credit card points.

Learning how to earn and redeem points completely changed the way we travel. Instead of waiting for someday, we were able to make our dream trip happen now. Today I’m breaking down exactly how I booked our 10-day Italy vacation almost entirely with points.

Our Italy Trip at a Glance

• Family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids)
• 10 days in Italy: Rome, Cinque Terre (Monterosso al Mare), and Tuscany
• Flights booked with Air France Flying Blue miles
• Hotels booked with Hyatt points and one cash stay
• Rental car booked with Capital One Travel
• Estimated cash cost: approximately $12,000
• Our total out-of-pocket cost: about $1,800

Seeing those numbers still amazes me.

Flights to Italy Using Air France Flying Blue

For our flights, I booked through the Air France Flying Blue program — one of my favorite ways to get a family to Europe using points. To earn the miles, both my husband and I opened the Citi Strata Premier card and each earned the welcome bonus. Since Citi ThankYou Points transfer to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio, we had everything we needed.

How I Booked Our Award Flights

1. 1

   Created Free Flying Blue Accounts

   Setting up a Flying Blue account is free and only takes a few minutes at flyingblue.com.

2. 2

   Searched for Award Availability First

   Always search before transferring. You need to confirm seats are available before moving your points over.

3. 3

   Found Four Award Seats from IAD to Rome

   We flew out of Washington Dulles (IAD) and confirmed availability for all four of us on the same flights.

4. 4

   Transferred Citi ThankYou Points to Flying Blue

   Citi transfers at a 1:1 ratio. Once you’re confident seats are available, move the points and book immediately.

5. 5

   Booked the Moment the Points Landed

   Award space can disappear fast. As soon as your miles appear in your Flying Blue account, book right away.

One thing I love about Flying Blue is that kids often receive discounted award pricing on flights, making it even easier for families to travel to Europe. They also allow families to combine miles into one account, which makes booking four tickets at once incredibly simple.

Our Hotels

One of my favorite parts of using points is staying at hotels that would normally feel out of reach. Here’s where we stayed — and how we paid for each stop.

Rome: The Tribune Hotel by Hyatt

2 nights · 25,000 Hyatt points/night · Guest of Honor award for complimentary breakfast & elite benefits. The rooftop terrace with complimentary drinks was the perfect welcome to Italy.

Cinque Terre: A Cà du Gigante

3 nights · Paid cash · Included breakfast, beach towels, discount train passes, and easy access to the beach and train station. One of our favorite stops of the entire trip.

Tuscany: Colle Alberti Country House

4 nights · 100,000 Hyatt points · $0 in hotel charges. Part of the Mr. & Mrs. Smith collection, bookable through Hyatt. Vineyards, a pool, incredible breakfasts, and stunning countryside views.

Rome: What Made It Special

Because of occupancy limits common throughout Europe, we needed a second room for our family. Thankfully, Hyatt offers a Family Rate at many international hotels, allowing you to book a second room for approximately half price. I simply called Hyatt to add it. The rooftop terrace with complimentary drinks after arriving in Rome was the perfect way to begin our trip.

Cinque Terre: Sometimes Cash Is the Right Call

After Rome, we took the train to Monterosso al Mare. There simply aren’t many major hotel chains in Cinque Terre, so paying cash for A Cà du Gigante made the most sense — and it turned out to be one of our favorite properties of the entire trip. A great reminder that not every stop has to be booked with points.

Tuscany: My Favorite Redemption of the Entire Trip

Our final stop was Tuscany, and Colle Alberti Country House was without question the highlight. Every morning we enjoyed an incredible breakfast overlooking the Tuscan countryside. The property had beautiful vineyards, a relaxing pool, friendly staff, and exactly the peaceful atmosphere we were hoping for after several busy sightseeing days. Our kids loved swimming while we soaked in the views with a cappuccino in hand. It felt like the Tuscany you picture in travel magazines.

Rental Car

Since we only needed a car while exploring Tuscany, we waited until leaving Cinque Terre to rent one. I booked through the Capital One Travel portal and redeemed points to cover the full $350 rental. We paid separately for the child car seat and local taxes and fees — but using points still saved us hundreds of dollars.

What I’d Absolutely Do Again

• Fly into Rome and home from Florence — no backtracking needed.
• Use Flying Blue to book award flights for a family.
• Take the train between Rome and Cinque Terre.
• Rent a car only for Tuscany.
• Stay at Colle Alberti Country House — I’d book it again in a heartbeat.
• Use Hyatt points whenever possible for international hotels.

My Biggest Takeaway

Before learning about points and miles, I honestly believed trips like this were reserved for families with much bigger travel budgets. Instead, we spent ten unforgettable days exploring Italy, eating incredible food, watching our girls experience another culture, and making memories we’ll never forget.

If we had paid cash, this trip would have cost around $12,000. Instead, we spent about $1,800 total — saving over $10,000 simply by strategically using credit card points.

To me, that’s what points and miles are really about. They’re not about luxury for the sake of luxury. They’re about making experiences like this possible for families who otherwise might think international travel is out of reach.

Final Thoughts

One of my biggest goals with Abby’s Adventuring is to show families that travel doesn’t have to wait until retirement or until the kids are older. Learning how to strategically use credit card points has allowed our family to visit places we once only dreamed about.

You don’t need to be wealthy. You don’t need to fly first class. You just need to learn how the points game works. One welcome bonus can be the beginning of your own dream vacation.

Italy was everything we hoped it would be — and the best part wasn’t that we traveled for less. It was that saving money with points made the trip possible in the first place. If our family can do it, yours can too.