How I Booked Our European Family Vacation Using Points & Miles
Exploring Normandy before heading to Caen and Paris
Planning a European family vacation is exciting, but figuring out how to book everything—flights, hotels, trains, transportation—can feel overwhelming. For this trip, I wanted to show exactly how I booked our entire Europe itinerary using points, miles, and smart stacking so you can see what’s possible for your own family.
This is exactly how I booked our European family vacation using points, miles, and smart stacking—from flights to hotels to trains—so you can see how a real family turns a dream Europe trip into an affordable adventure. Thanks to points and miles, my 18‑year‑old son has now been to Europe seven times — proof of how far smart stacking and strategic redemptions can take a family.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through them—always at no extra cost to you. These are the exact tools we used to plan and book our Europe trip, and I only recommend what truly helps our family travel smarter.
Trip At‑A‑Glance
Destinations: Rouen → Caen → Paris
Length: 6 days
Points Used: Hyatt points + Cash + Flying Blue Miles
Cash Spent: Hotels + trains + tours
Main Goals: Normandy, Mont‑Saint‑Michel, Versailles, and Paris
Travelers: Family of 4
Trip Overview
Notre Dame Paris
We planned a multi‑city European trip built around a cruise departure. Our goals were simple:
Keep flights affordable using points
Book family‑friendly hotels in walkable areas
Use trains and public transportation whenever possible
Keep the itinerary realistic for kids
Minimize out‑of‑pocket costs
This trip ended up being one of our best—and one of the most affordable—thanks to points and miles.
How Many Points We Used (Approximate Ranges)
Even though I didn’t track every exact number, here’s a general idea of how many points we used for this trip. These ranges are typical for the programs we booked through and give you a realistic sense of what a family Europe trip on points can look like.
Flights (found via Point.me) Most award flights to Europe fall somewhere between 30,000–60,000 miles per person each way, depending on the airline, cabin, and season. Ours landed right in that range, which made flying into Paris incredibly affordable for a family.
Hyatt Stay in Rouen Hyatt redemptions in smaller European cities are usually 8,000–15,000 points per night. We booked two rooms for two nights entirely on points, which kept our first stop very budget‑friendly.
Hilton Paris Opera Hilton redemptions in Paris vary widely, but most standard rooms fall between 60,000–95,000 points per night. We paid cash for this splurge stay since I was low on Hilton points.
These ranges give you a realistic starting point if you’re planning a similar trip, and they show how far points and miles can go when you build your itinerary around smart redemptions.
🛫 Finding Flights With Points: Why We Chose Paris as Our Hub
For this trip, the very first step was finding award flights that made sense for a family. Instead of locking ourselves into a specific city, we used Point.me to search across multiple European hubs and compare award availability in one place. This is where the magic really happens—Point.me makes it easy to see which cities have the best award space, lowest mileage requirements, and family‑friendly routing.
After running several searches, Paris consistently showed the best availability for our dates. It also had:
Multiple nonstop and one‑stop options
Reasonable award pricing
Plenty of seats for a family
Easy onward connections to the rest of Europe
Choosing Paris as our arrival point gave us a smooth, stress‑free start to the trip and set us up perfectly for a bigger European adventure. Once we locked in those flights, everything else—hotels, trains, and our cruise departure—fell into place.
Hotels: Where We Stayed and How We Booked Them
Once our flights were locked in, we started shaping the trip around the places we were most excited to explore. We knew right away that we wanted to spend time in the Normandy region of France and take a day trip to Versailles, so our hotel strategy followed the flow of that itinerary.
Rouen: Starting Our Trip on Points
View from the Hyatt Place Rouen
We kicked things off in Rouen, a beautiful, historic city that made the perfect base for exploring Normandy. Using points for this portion of the trip kept our out‑of‑pocket costs low, and Rouen’s walkability made it an easy place to settle in after an international flight. We chose Rouen because it’s beautiful, walkable, and the perfect base for exploring northern Normandy right after an international flight.
We booked our stay through:
Hyatt - we booked two rooms for 2 nights, completely on points
Expedia — Checked prices to see if it was better to book on points or cash
Rouen ended up being one of our favorite stops—calm, charming, and full of history.
Caen: Museums, D‑Day Beaches, and Mont‑Saint‑Michel
After a few days in Rouen, we moved on to Caen. This was the ideal location for everything we wanted to see in Normandy: the Caen Memorial Museum, the D‑Day landing beaches, and a full day exploring Mont‑Saint‑Michel.
Caen gave us easy access to all of these sites without long drives, and the hotel options were family‑friendly and affordable. We booked through Expedia for the best mix of location, price, and flexibility. We chose Caen because it’s the most convenient jumping‑off point for the Caen Memorial Museum, the D‑Day beaches, and Mont‑Saint‑Michel.
Check the rates at the hotel where we stayed Hotel la Fontaine Caen on Expedia
Paris: Ending the Trip With a Splurge
We wrapped up our trip in Paris, where we decided to splurge on a stay at the Hilton Paris Opera. After days of exploring Normandy, this was the perfect finale—central, elegant, and incredibly convenient for sightseeing and our day trip to Versailles .We ended the trip in Paris because it made the most sense for our Versailles day trip and our return flight home—and it was the perfect place to splurge a little.
We booked this stay through:
Hilton for room options and flexible rates
Expedia for price comparison
And we used points to offset part of the cost
This hotel was a highlight of the trip and made our last few days in Paris feel extra special. It was the perfect location for catching the train to Versailles.
Transportation: Trains, Walking, and buses
Europe is built for public transportation, so we used a mix of:
Trains between cities
Walking in historic centers
Metros and buses in major cities
Tours We Booked Ahead of Time
Hall of Mirrors - Versailles
These were the three experiences we knew we didn’t want to miss, and booking them early made our days in Normandy and Paris smooth and stress‑free.
Normandy D‑Day Beaches Tour A guided day exploring the landing beaches, memorials, and key historical sites. Booking ahead guaranteed a spot with a knowledgeable guide and a well‑paced itinerary.
Mont‑Saint‑Michel Day Trip One of the most popular destinations in France. Reserving a tour in advance gave us structured timing, easy transportation, and a seamless visit to the abbey.
Versailles Day Trip Timed-entry tickets and a guided tour helped us skip long lines and make the most of our day trip from Paris.
Book the Tours We Loved
Mont St Michel
These are the exact types of tours we booked for this trip—easy, reliable, and perfect for families.
What We Packed for Europe
Packing light made the entire trip easier—especially with trains, cobblestones, and small hotel rooms. These are the items that made the biggest difference:
IT Luggage — ultra‑light suitcases that make airport days easier
Athleta — comfortable travel pants and layers
Quince — wrinkle‑resistant pieces perfect for Europe’s weather
Cabana Life — sun‑safe clothing for Mediterranean destinations
Aveda Travel Haircare — reliable minis for hotels with weak dryers
Scout Bags— foldable totes for day trips and souvenirs
A simple capsule wardrobe kept everything organized and easy to manage.
Total Cost Breakdown
Every family’s trip will look different, but here’s a general idea of what we spent and saved:
Flights: Mostly covered with points
Hotels: Mix of points + cash
Transportation: Trains + buses
Food: $100–$200 per day
Activities: Mix of free + paid
Using points and miles cut our total cost dramatically compared to paying cash for everything.
How You Can Book a Similar Trip
If you want to plan a European family vacation using points and miles, start with these tools:
Hotels: Expedia
Flights: Searched for award availability on Point.me
SIM Cards: EtravelSIM
Start early, stay flexible, and build your itinerary around the flights and hotels that give you the best value.
Final Thoughts
This trip reminded me how powerful points and miles can be—especially for families. With a little planning and the right tools, you can turn a dream European vacation into something affordable, realistic, and unforgettable.
Related Posts & Reviews
If you want to dive deeper into the exact hotels and tours we booked for this trip, here are the full reviews:
Hotel Reviews
Hyatt Rouen — Our full review of the Hyatt property we booked entirely on points.
Hotel La Fontaine Caen — What we loved about this affordable, family‑friendly hotel in the heart of Caen.
Hilton Paris Opera — Our splurge stay in Paris and why it was worth the points.
Tour Reviews
Normandy D‑Day Beaches Tour — A detailed look at the guided experience that brought history to life.
Mont‑Saint‑Michel Day Trip— How we planned it, what to expect, and tips for families.
Versailles Day Trip— Our skip‑the‑line tour experience and how to make the most of your day.
More Points & Miles Trips
Points & Miles Adventures Hub — See more trips we’ve booked using points.
Stack & Save Credit Card Hub— The exact strategy we use to earn the points that make trips like this possible.
Beginner Guide — Start here if you’re new to points, miles, or family travel hacking.
About the Author
Julie Davis is the founder of No Point Left Behind, where she teaches families how to use points, miles, and smart credit card strategies to travel more for less. She’s been travel hacking for over two decades, booking everything from European adventures to national park road trips using points instead of cash. Her 18‑year‑old son has already visited Europe seven times thanks to points and miles, and Julie loves showing beginners how accessible family travel can be with the right strategy.
