I Want to Take My Family to Europe in 2024. Here's How I Plan to Pay for It With Credit Card Points

I was inspired to start collecting credit card rewards (and their respective cards) because I wanted to take my family to the UK for a week. After about a year of planning, researching, and collecting, we went on that trip -- about half of which was paid for in points and miles.

Next year, I want to take my family to Europe for two weeks. And I really want to pay for as much of it as possible with travel rewards.

I've learned a lot since the last time I planned a trip like this, and I really think I can get at least 75% of this trip paid for in points and miles. However, I have less than one year to make it all happen. Here's a peek at my plan.

It starts with a truly ridiculous amount of research

Step one of any trip, but especially a rewards trip, is research. This isn't fourth-grade science diorama level research, either. I'm talking about spreadsheets, notes, and maps.

I have to fly, house, and feed four people for two weeks, in four countries and at least six cities. You aren't going to keep that organized without some sort of system in place.

With that in mind, planning a major points trip has two portions:

1. Planning the trip
2. Planning the points

You can't figure out how to pay for things until you know what those things are. So, you'll need to plan the bulk of your trip first, then figure out the points.

However, that doesn't mean one can't influence the other. You can, and should, make changes to your plans when necessary. For instance, we're planning on visiting at least three major cities. I'll be looking at flights into and out of each of them to see the best place to start and end our trip. (And yes, you can definitely fly into one city at the start of your trip and leave from a different city at the end -- you don't have to start/end in the same city.)

As for actually paying for the trip, here's more on how I'll make that happen.

An existing stockpile of points

The first thing to mention is that I'm not starting entirely from scratch. I do have some points and miles that I've been saving. That said, I do not have anywhere near the amount that will be needed to make this trip a success. So, I have a lot of work to do.

Hefty handfuls of new welcome bonuses

The main way I'll be collecting points in a hurry is through credit card welcome bonuses. This is absolutely the fastest way to get lots of rewards. But I can't just start collecting cards willy-nilly. I need to target and prioritize based on my specific needs. (While also keeping in mind my ability to earn those bonuses through my regular spending level!)

As an example, here's how I'll tackle air travel.

An example: Paying for flights

Last year, we flew business class, and it was fantastic. We're definitely doing that this time, too. Business class seats aren't cheap, though, and that's just as true when we're talking about miles as about cash. I'm expecting to spend at least 60,000 to 100,000 miles, each way, for each member of the party.

I can't figure out the best way to accrue those rewards until I know what airlines I want to fly. So, the first order of business (pun intended) is to research which airline flies where.

Once I've narrowed down the airlines, I'll find out the most efficient ways to earn their rewards. For instance, if we want to travel on Air France/KLM, we need Flying Blue points. I could earn those directly with the cobranded Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard®, but the welcome bonus for that card isn't super impressive.

Alternatively, I can transfer points to Flying Blue from any of the four major programs:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Capital One Venture Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards

This opens up a lot more credit card (and, thus, welcome bonus) options. I already own a lot of cards and have received welcome bonuses from others, so I have to carefully consider what I'll be eligible to earn. Then, I'll make a list of the cards I want to go after, in order of priority.

Adding other players to the game

You don't need to rely solely on your own ability to qualify for cards and bonuses. If you have other adults going on the trip who have the credit and ability to join the game, by all means -- have them join!

Even just adding a Player 2 can make a big difference. My partner has had fewer cards, so they may have a better chance of getting certain juicy bonuses that I'm not currently eligible to earn.

Stay organized

Planning a major overseas trip is never easy. (Seriously, never. That's why travel agencies exist.) But you're definitely upping the difficulty level when you're trying to also pay for it in travel rewards. That's where those spreadsheets I mentioned above come in.

Staying organized is vital. If you're not into spreadsheets, you still need something. A notebook, maybe a phone app. Whatever it is, use it and use it often!

A big trip like this is going to take a lot of work and planning -- and about a million credit card points. But the ability to share this experience with my family will be totally worth it.