Washington, DC, is an excellent spot for a weekend trip for couples: not only is it easy to get to via train, car, bus, or plane, there are tons of local restaurants, hot spots, and national landmarks to see. Even just two days in Washington can be jam packed with fun events that will create lifelong memories with your significant other!

Whether you are active and want to spend time outdoors, or are a history buff with a knack for the past, or somewhere in between, there’s bound to be something that you both will love. Below is an example itinerary for some great couple-friendly suggestions. In terms of finding accommodations we found this post on Washington, DC vacation and getaways help to pin down the best hotel or rental.

Finding a Great Hotel in D.C. for Young Couples

For couples who want to find an urban neighborhood we suggest the Le Meridian Arlington in Rosslyn, or the Westin Arlington Gateway in Ballston. Both locations are located in Arlington, VA and both hotels are a short 2 block walk to the Metro. Arlington, VA is filled with young 20 some professionals, plenty of nightlife and it is easy to get in and out of the city. In fact, it is also easy to bike from Arlington to the National Mall, walk to Georgetown, and is a quick ride to the airport.

Your First Day in Washington, DC

After arriving in Washington, the best way to kick off your weekend is to see some of DC’s most breathtaking sights. One favorite for local couples is a monument tour, but instead of paying high prices for a bus tour, try a cheaper alternative.

If you’re into fitness, you’ll find tons of couples running a route from the Capitol down the Mall to the Lincoln Memorial, stopping in between to snap some pictures or pausing to stretch. Another great way to do this is to rent DC’s bikeshare bikes, CityBikes. For just hourly fees, you and your significant other can rent bikes and bike down Constitution Avenue to see some of the most breathtaking historical buildings Washington DC has to offer.

Lunch:  For lunch after sightseeing, stop in to one of DC’s famous eateries close to the Mall and monuments. Some of the best known restaurants in DC are only a few steps from the Mall and offer great lunch specials. Eat like the locals and try Old Ebbitt Grille, The Hamilton, or one of DC’s famous food trucks – which serves up any type of cuisine you can imagine. For another dose of history, check out the rooftop of the Watergate (yes, that Watergate building). There’s an excellent view, and some refreshing drinks at the bar.

Afternoon:  After refueling, hit one of the local attractions that are on any couples’ must see list: the Newseum, a huge museum on 6^th St NW dedicated 100% to newsworthy events from the past 100 years, or the newly opened Museum of African American Culture and History (on Constitution Avenue near the Washington Monument). After seeing some of DC’s unique museums, head up to 14^th Street to start your evening.

Newsuem

Happy Hour: Couples who are looking for a good spot to unwind together and recap on a day full of sight-seeing will love any of the 14^th St Corridor bars and restaurants for a good pre-dinner drink or two. All of these restaurants are couple-friendly haunts, and offer plenty of space to sit down and chat together. One of the favorite local spots is Garden District, a cute beer garden on 14^th Street with plenty of large tables to unwind. Another great suggestion is a romantic favorite: splitting a milkshake at Ted’s Bulletin…however, these aren’t just any milkshakes. Ted’s are ‘boozy’ milkshakes, and are excellent to split for a couple before heading off for a great meal.

Meal: Any of the restaurants on 14^th Street offer great food at a wallet friendly price. Some of the more romantic spots that offer dark wood booths and low lighting are fun for couples: try somewhere like Masa 14 for tapas, Le Diplomate for DC’s most well known steaks, or Pearl Dive for seafood at a great price. Pop in to any of these haunts on your way back to your hotel for a nightcap – you wont be disappointed!

Day 2 in Washington, DC

Morning/Lunch:  It wouldn’t be a weekend in DC without brunch! Washington is well known for bottomless brunch options that you wont find in other major cities. Young local couples frequent the many great brunch spots with friends, so you wont be out of place as a tourist heading to any of the best-rated brunch spots around. For a great start to your last day in the city, head to the Capitol Hill neighborhood and grab brunch at Cava, a greek tapas-style brunch with a variety of mimosa variations –all included in your single price for breakfast!

Sightseeing/Afternoon: After enjoying a nice hearty breakfast and a couple mimosas or bloody mary’s, head out to explore the Capitol Hill neighborhood and all it has to offer. One of the best places for couples to visit together is Eastern Market, on the blue/orange line Metro corridor. Eastern Market is buzzing with local vendors on the weekends, selling all sorts of locally made crafts. Bring your significant other here for some fun shopping and pick up some souvenirs to bring back home to remember the trip!

The Eastern Market

If your afternoon allows, hail a cab and head down to the Southwest Waterfront; the Navy Yard neighborhood is home to the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, which frequently hosts wine or beer festivals on the weekends. Right next door is a lively neighborhood full of fun spots to check out, but a great place for couples is Blue Jacket Brewery. Grab a DC local craft brew (and for ladies who prefer something lighter, they have excellent ciders too!) before heading home.

Dinner/Meal before departure:  If you and your significant other find yourselves longing for one more taste of DC before hitting the road, the beauty of DC’s travel stations lie in the fact that they offer local spots the opportunity to serve up food for travelers – for example, some of the best local restaurants happen to be in Reagan National Airport, and Union Station is home to some great little food stalls for a last minute taste of DC! On your way out, be sure to purchase some matching sweatshirts or perhaps a hat or two to remember a great weekend in our nation’s capital.

The post Young Couples’ Guide to Washington, DC appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Flying to Santorini

If you’re in Greece, there are several flights to Santorini, and the other Greek islands, via Aegean Airlines.  This would be the route I suggest.  There are many flights with low cost carriers, but I found that with all of the additional charges the price ended up being almost the same.  Also, I witnessed first hand how strict European low cost carriers are with their rules.  There were several tourists who thought they could pull a fast one by trying to sneak their oversized luggage onboard without paying the fees and failed.  They checked pretty much every piece of luggage to make sure they fit the size requirements.  If you’re not taking any or minimal luggage, then Ryanair, or other low cost carriers would be the way to go.

I paid for our Aegean flights with our Prestige card, so that I could offset the costs with my yearly travel credit.  Plus I credited the miles flown to my Asiana account.  Both my wife and I flew with a backpack and a carry-on with no problems.  For the most part flights from Athens to Santorini or other Greek islands are fairly inexpensive.

Where to Stay

There’s not a lot of options for hotely loyalty points in Santorini.  The options that I found were super expensive, and I didn’t think it was a good use.  Because of this, it’s a perfect opportunity to use flexible points such as Venture miles.  You could search for nice properties through Airbnb or Booking.com, then pay for your stay with these flexible points.

So I was debating where to stay in Santorini and after our trip I believe we made the right choice.  The island Santorini has a crescent moon shape.  The side that faces the Caldera is where the cliffs are at, with all of the Instagram worthy places to take your selfies.  The other side of the island is where the beach is at, and this is where we stayed.  Here’s my 2 cents on both sides of the island.

My Preference

As mentioned, we stayed on the beach side of the island in Kamari.  We stayed at a very nice, clean place across the street from the beach.  Kamari is very laid back, calm and relaxing.  There are not near as many tourists on this side of the island which allowed for a lot of relaxation.  The prices for rooms and food are less expensive on this side of the island.  There are some very good places to eat in Kamari and pretty much everything is within walking distance.  If I go back to Santorini, I’ll stay in Kamari.

The cliff side of the island is what most people think of when it comes to Santorini.  It’s beautiful!  It’s more beautiful in person than what you see in pictures.  The sunsets are amazing and there are many, many places to shop or have a drink.  There are a lot of fine dining options on that side of the island, and overall prices are higher for rooms, food and drinks.  The two things that I didn’t like about that side of the island was the lack of privacy from the rooms, and the large number of people.

There are plenty of boutique hotels and apartments you could rent in Thira, Imerovigli and Oia.  If you splurge you could get some rooms with views of the Caldera, plunge pools and private balconies.  The problem, in my opinion, is that everyone walking around can see you in your private balcony or plunge pool.  Depending on where your room is at, people could walk right next to you while you try to enjoy a private evening with your special someone.

Also, there are a lot of cruise ships that stop on that side of the island which adds to the number of people invading your privacy if you’re staying there.  The tourists from the cruise ships flood Thira, Imerovigli and Oia since they have a limited time on the island.  They really crowd the city center when it’s time for them to board their ship to their next destination.

With those things in mind, you could visit Thira, Imerovigli and Oia easily from Kamari by taking their bus.  For about $1-$3 Euros you could take a bus one way to the cliffs and spend the entire day enjoying the sites, shopping, eating and drinking.  Then after you’ve had your fill of that side of the island, you could ride the bus back to Kamari to relax.

Conclusion

Overall we had an excellent time in Santorini.  The people are very friendly and the food is fantastic!  It’s not a cheap destination, but it could be made more affordable by using points and miles to reduce or eliminate your flight and stay costs.  I look forward to visiting other Greek islands in the near future.

The post My Trip to Santorini appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Flights

The flight to Istanbul was a pretty long one.  It’s roughly 12-13 hours from Houston to Istanbul.  Because of this, I really wanted to fly in business class to arrive well rested and ready to explore the city.  Turkish Airlines did not disappoint!  They offer exceptional service, great food, good entertainment options and lie-flat seats.  My wife and I were very pleased with the experience and we would definitely recommend their business class product to anyone.  As a matter of fact, we just booked one way flights on Turkish Airlines from Russia back to the US for next summer.

I used Aeroplan miles for this booking.  Keep in mind that you could use Aeroplan miles for Star Alliance bookings.  Another option I would consider for round-trip flights across the pond is ANA.

Hotels

For our stay in Istanbul, we opted to stay at the Hampton by Hilton Istanbul Atakoy.  We decided to stay here since it was 5,000 Hilton points per night.  It is a new, modern hotel that is very well appointed.  They offer a hot breakfast which is included in the rate, and they have a small bar that you could enjoy in the evenings.  The staff was extremely polite and helpful throughout our stay.  When we checked out, we asked if they could store our luggage since we had a late flight out of Istanbul to Athens and they did.  They tagged our luggage and gave us tickets so that we could pick them up later.

The location is close to the airport, which makes this hotel a good spot if you have an overnight stay in Istanbul.  However, it is quite far from Besiktas and the Sultanahmet District where some of the main attractions are.  When I return to Istanbul, I may stay in these districts to be closer to the action!

Getting Around

We used Uber to get around Istanbul.  There were 2 options, one being UberTaxi, and the other being UberXL.  I didn’t want to use UberTaxi, since it’s just Uber hailing a cab for me, so I went with UberXL.  UberXL in Istanbul is the way to go, especially for larger parties as they use vans to take you where you need to go.  The prices were very good and they were comfortable to ride in.  I don’t know how the prices compare to a taxi, as I never used their services.  The wait for an Uber was never long for us, as they seemed to be everywhere throughout the city.

I’m not fluent in Turkish, so it helped that I would look up the routes ahead of time to get an idea of where we should be going.  Also, getting 4G service wasn’t issue either to load maps with my Fi service.  I highly recommend it, especially if you travel abroad often.

The Sites

Prior to our trip, I had booked a full day tour of the Sultanahmet District with UR points.  Usually as the tour date approaches, I’ll get some emails from the tour operator with instructions on where to meet, what time to meet, etc, but I hadn’t gotten any emails.  I reached out to the tour operator via email, phone and Facebook and never got a response.  Long story short, they never picked us up for our tour.

My wife and I decided to head over to Sultanahmet on our own and I’m glad we did.  You could find tour guides all over the place, and you can haggle your price before settling on a tour.  We saw the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the underground cisterns, the Grand Bazaar and more.  It was an awesome day.  When life gives you lemons, make some lemonade!

The night before we went over to the Besiktas district and it’s a very cool side of town.  It’s very modern and quirky at the same time.  I would’ve loved to have spent more time there to really get a better feel for the area, or better yet, enjoy a soccer game between 2 Istanbul rivals!

Conclusion

I’ll definitely be back to Turkey.  We had just a small taste of what the country has to offer and it left us wanting more.  There’s a lot of rich history in the country to explore and I definitely want to experience Cappadocia.  A short stopover is not enough for Istanbul, much less for all of Turkey.  Have you been to Turkey?  What did you enjoy?

The post Highlights of My Summer Vacation to Turkey appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Castello Di Badia in Italy

Susan Fero was destined to join the points game. As a former airline employee who once enjoyed free flights across the globe, finding a solution for her wanderlust when she transitioned her career was a high priority.

“My girlfriends and I used to walk up to the ticket counter and get flights to Vegas if it was snowing or grab tickets to San Diego,” she said. “When I left the airline industry, I hated paying for tickets!”

So two years ago, she started collecting points and miles, first with Southwest Airlines, then branching out to IHG, Chase and United. At first, the point stashes had no real goal, except the far-off hope that she and her husband could take an anniversary trip to Italy.

As she began searching for ways to book a vacation with her points, she found Travel Miles 101 and immediately signed up for the free course. “Finally, I knew how to use the points, and how to search award space,” she said.

So as Susan’s 27^th anniversary approached, she began counting up her points and building the itinerary of a lifetime for her and her husband.

THE FLIGHT

Susan’s flights were booked using both Chase Ultimate Rewards points (from Chase Ink and Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-ups), as well as United points. For 70,000 points each, the Feros secured an open jaw, business class ticket with a free stop-over on Lufthansa.

Mimosas and chocolates before takeoff!

The flight departed the couple’s hometown airport of Orange County, California with a layover in Denver, then on to Barcelona for the free stopover of six nights. Final destination on that one-way ticket was Rome, Italy, where the Feros spent two nights.

Renting a car in Rome, they drove to Tuscany for a five nights stay before ending their vacation with two nights in Venice. The flight home was spent on United Airlines saver business class for 57,000 points from Venice back to Orange County.

Total cost for airline tickets came in at 254,000 points for business class travel, plus $247 in taxes.

List price for the tickets would have been $21,000.

According to Susan, the long international flights of over nine hours each were a perfect opportunity to utilize extra points for upgraded seats.

“Both United and Lufthansa were great in regards to the food, drinks and the pampering from the moment we boarded. Such comfort, champagne toasts, pillows, blankets, lie flat seats and amenity kits,” Susan reported. “I was particularly happy with United’s Polaris experience and took full advantage of the extra padding for the seats – I probably had a full 7-hour nap on that flight!”

THE ACCOMMODATIONS

In late 2016, Susan said IHG ran a Priceless Surprises contest, which involved sending entries to earn points. Susan managed the entries for her, her husband and her daughter, earning each of them 50,000 IHG points.

The Feros upgraded Executive Suite.

They added those points to their sign-up bonuses on the IHG cards and funded six nights in Barcelona at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 30,000 points per night. Susan upgraded the room to a club suite for $75 cash per night (list price was 311 Euros per night).

“The club lounge was very nice, and totally paid for itself as they offered an excellent, huge breakfast buffet with so many options of hot and cold entrees, fruit, breads, eggs, potatoes, cold cuts and cheese. We also had access to complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at any time. We stopped in a few times a day for soda, water, coffee, champagne, wine, beer, and mixed drink options. They had a nice appetizer selection available in the afternoon as well, and coffee and desserts set out daily,” Susan said. “The staff in the club lounge was excellent, and helped us with tours, taxi’s, bus and train options, and even arranged to ship a case of wine home for us.”

In Rome, Susan booked their two nights at Hotel Indigo, very close to the Vatican. List price was 327 Euros per night, but Susan spent 45,000 IHG points so there was no out of pocket expense. The hotel upgraded the anniversary couple and the chef dropped off a plate of assorted desserts and a bottle of Prosecco.

For their 5-night stay in Tuscany, the Feros had enough points to book the Marriott in Tuscany, but Susan found a better offer. On Airbnb, a Tuscan castle available for all five nights at just $722. So she saved her points for another day and pulled out her credit card.

Susan’s favorite stop along the journey – their Airbnb Castle.

“This might have been my favorite part of the entire trip. The property Castello di Badia is amazing! It has history dating back to the 900’s AD, where the castle had been destroyed and rebuilt a few times in wars, the current structure was rebuilt by monks about 200 years ago. After driving across the drawbridge, we were welcomed with a bottle of the estate wine, which we liked so much, we bought and consumed several more bottles during our stay there at a very reasonable price, and even took a couple home in our suitcases. The apartment was comfortable with a bedroom, private bathroom, living area that had a pellet stove for heat, and a kitchen. It had amazing views of the Tuscan countryside.”

The view of Tuscany from their Airbnb Castle.

One night in Modena was spent at a friend’s house, before arriving in Venice for their last two nights of vacation. The Hilton Molino Stucky hosted their final stay. With a list price of $300 per night for a King Room, Susan secured two nights for just under 50,000 points per night. Once again, the couple scored an upgrade to a King Executive Suite with a view of the Grand Canal – retail price of over 700 Euros.

The upgrade gave Susan and her husband club lounge access, and complimentary breakfast in the restaurant including a buffet.

“When we arrived back in our room the last night, there was a chilled bottle of Prosecco for our anniversary waiting for us,” Susan said. “We celebrated the end of our trip while enjoying the lovely view from our room.”

ACTIVITIES

After scoring all of their airfare and nearly all of their lodging on points instead of cash, Susan said the couple didn’t focus on frugality for the rest of the trip. Knowing it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, she looked for opportunities to build memories. Here are some of her favorites:

Wine Tour – in the Priorat region outside Barcelona, Susan used 47,000 Citi Thank You points from an old Sears card to purchase tickets for a wine tour.

At Pasanau Winery in Spain.

“We met our tour guide and another American couple and toured three wineries. The first one was Passanu, and the owner, Ricardo, took us on a tour of the vineyard, his barrel room and more. We tasted four very good wines and his estate grown olive oil with bread, cheese and chocolates. At the second winery, we had a very nice lunch with each course paired with a different wine. At the third winery, we met with the owner Paco, who gave us his vineyard tour, then took us into the former monks wine caves for a private tasting and more bread, olive oil, cheese.”

In addition to the wine and olive oil they brought home from the tour, Susan said she was pleased with the point redemption and the great experience.

Exploring Tuscany – while staying at the Airbnb castle, Susan said they enjoyed taking day trips to explore the surrounding countryside.

Driving through the Italian countryside enjoying Spring flowers.

“We were in a central Tuscany location close to the train and bus station in town and we had a rental car, which I recommend for this area. One day we drove through Greve and the Chianti area, and had an amazing lunch at Ristoro di Lamoli after a crazy drive at the top of a mountain with incredible views. Another day we drove to San Gimingano, an ancient village 11 miles away. One day we hiked about six miles from the property to an old medieval fortress and archeological dig, back to town and then up the long, winding driveway.”

Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus – Susan said they found the tour busses to be a great value, and they utilized them in Barcelona for two days when all of the taxi’s drivers went on strike.

“I recommend using these in any large city. They give you a map and you get a great sense of the layout of the city, plus you can cover many different areas.”

Susan and Dale with their Paella chef.

Paella Class – another use of Susan’s Citi Thank You rewards points was a Paella cooking experience with a local chef, Chef Andrea in Barcelona.

“The Chef took our group through the Ramblas Market buying the fresh fish and items for the Paella, then we walked back to her place where she gave us appetizers and sangria while cooking the paella. We really had a great time with two other couples, and ended up eating the best paella I have ever had.”

Water Taxi – a trip to Venice wouldn’t be complete without a trip on a water taxi! Susan ended her two-week adventure in the back of a water taxi, boating from their Venice hotel to the airport, where they watched the sun rise as they flew home.

The Grand Canal in Venice at sunset.

Your turn! What’s your favorite paid-with-points extravagant travel memory? Tell us all about it!

The post Success Story: Saving $25,000 on Anniversary Trip to Europe appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The beautiful coastline of Maui.

Kevin Klinkenberg and his wife, Jamie, came to the miles and points game through the Travel Miles 101 free course in summer of 2015. While they had previously kept up with their credit card miles, Kevin says the TM101 course took it to the next level.

“The basics of the course taught me how to apply a system and accomplish much more than we did before,” Kevin said.

Applying systems comes naturally for this city planner from Savannah, Georgia. After taking the course, Kevin said he decided to take Brad’s approach toward miles earning.

“We are always looking for opportunities to earn points. We don’t do anything fancy. As we hit our minimum spend, we open a new card,” he said.

Within a month or so of starting their serious points pursuit, the Klinkenbergs settled on their winter vacation destination – Maui, Hawaii.

Hiking through a bamboo forest in Maui.

“We came to it kind of late, so we didn’t have a year to plan in advance of the trip,” he said.

THE FLIGHTS

The couple had 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points from old credit cards. To that, they added a one Chase Sapphire Preferred and a Hyatt card.

Kevin said their first goal for the flight was to use the Korean Airlines deal flying first class to Hawaii on Delta for 45,000 points per ticket. But by the time they chose their destination, there was no first class availability. So they took advantage of one of the Hawaii sweet spots he learned about on Travel Miles 101, booking two round trip flights to Maui for 25,000 UR points per ticket transferred to Korean Air (plus $11 in taxes, per ticket.)

“Delta is a big airline out of Savannah. We can fly any of the airlines, but flying Delta gives us the most options.”

The flight routed from Savannah to Atlanta, then a 7-hour layover at LAX, before the 6-hour flight to Maui. With their bags checked all the way through to Hawaii, when the Klinkenbergs landed at LAX, they jumped into an Uber and headed to the beach.

“We got to spend a half day at the Santa Monica Pier, just making the best of a long layover,” Kevin said.

THE HOTEL

With their airline tickets booked and hundreds of dollars already saved, Kevin turned his focus to the couple’s accommodations. Their first choice was the Hyatt Regency at Kanaapali Beach, Maui, where they wanted to spend all eight nights – total cost of 120,000 UR points. The backup plan was taking their two free nights from the Hyatt card, then splitting the remaining six nights among UR-compatible Airbnb’s (click here for a discount on your first stay) or cheaper hotels.

As they built up their stash of points, Kevin kept in touch with Hyatt Regency on their room availability. When they finally reached the magic number and transferred the points to Hyatt, the hotel was down to two rooms available to book for their travel dates. The hotel was secured!

The view from the Klinkenberg’s room at the Hyatt Regency.

“Ironically, I’m sure they considered it one of the worst rooms in the hotel, but we had a great view of the ocean and we were just thrilled to get a room.”

In addition to the free hotel rooms, Kevin asked the hotel to comp the parking fees ($15 per day) and the resort fee ($15-18 per day) because he was a Hyatt credit card holder. They obliged on both requests.

“It was amazing. The only money we spent was on restaurants and activities.”

Jamie took the lead on finding the best option for a vehicle for their week-long stay on the island. She used the UR portal to book a mustang convertible for $400 for the full week – scoring a good discount and earning extra points to boot.

“We like to get out and explore a lot, so we knew it would be a good deal for us,” Kevin said.

FUN AND FRUGAL IN PARADISE

Kevin said some of the best advice he received before going to Hawaii was to pick one of the islands and stay there for the whole week. “There’s so much to see on each island, and it’s a bit of a hassle to travel between the islands, so if you’re there for just a week, pick one and stay there.”

Kevin and Jamie shared some of their favorite memories from the trip.

One of the Kevin and Jamie’s favorite memories from the trip – whale watching in the Pacific.

Whale Watching: If you’re traveling to the islands in January and February, in addition to missing the nasty winter weather in most of the lower 48, you have the pleasure of witnessing mating season among the humpback whales of the Pacific. “It’s incredible – they’re jumping out of the water as you cruise by. You can actually see them just sitting on the beach.”

Snorkeling: The Klinkenbergs found remarkable snorkeling across the island. While vacationers often rent gear by the day from their resort at a steep fee, this frugal couple visited a snorkeling store in town. For $20 for the whole week, they picked up all the equipment they needed, storing it in the trunk of their rental car and using it across the island.

Jamie stopped to check out a waterfall on the Road to Hana.

Road to Hana: One of the most popular things to do on the island is taking the 65-mile drive from Kahului to Hana. Kevin reported a winding, narrow road running along the ocean and through the jungle, with ample opportunities to stop for side trips, including hikes to waterfalls, through parks and along bays. Kevin said the town of Hana was not a headline locale, but the drive was legendary.

“It was a classic case where the journey really was more important than the destination.”

Your turn! What’s your favorite island in the Pacific? Tell us where to plan our next tropical vacation!

The Cliff Dive Bar at Ka’anapali Beach.

The post Success Story: Kevin and Jamie’s Trip to Maui on Miles appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Frank’s Tips for a Budget Trip to the Galapagos

I recently visited the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and thought it would be helpful to share a few things I learned. Prior to my visit, I read blogs on budget traveling there. My experience updates the information you can find with Google.

Points wise, my spouse and I were fortunate to squeeze in our miles redemption on United Airlines before the rule changed last fall. We used 40,000 miles (20K each) to visit Belize, Ecuador, Peru and Puerto Rico. That’s 40,000 miles total. We supplemented this with 20,000 British Avios for an intra-Peruvian flight, and Southwest points to get to and from Latin American. We used mostly flexible points (Chase UR, Amex MR) and travel cash reward cards (Cap One Spark Miles, BOA Travel Rewards) to book all of our hotel, airbnb and hostel/hotel stays.

I’m sharing details from the Galapagos stint of our travels because it is reputed to be a very expensive place to be a tourist. As a budget tourist it seemed intimidating to me based on what I read. Our experience, however, proved otherwise. My spouse and I are on a 6 month sabbatical that has us traveling on points/miles, and we have a very limited cash budget of $30 a day to meet our on-the- ground needs. Fully 2/3’s of that $30 per day must come from cash card or checking account bonuses we’ve accrued.

Most of the information out there regarding traveling to Galapagos concerns booking a cruise to tour a variety of the islands. Second most popular are the island day tours. You’ll find a wee bit of information on super-budget touring. If you are interested in the former two options, the following will only be a novelty to you.

For our 8-day visit we spent a total of $500 (not including hotels and flights, covered by miles). That included the $20 fee we each had to pay for a special Galapagos tourist card (you purchase in an Ecuadorian airport in advance), the $100 we each had to pay to the Galapagos Nat’l Park upon arrival in the Galapagos airport (one of two airports), $50 each we spent on a round trip ferry ride to a second island, and $10 each on snorkeling gear we rented. We spent only the remaining $70 each on food.

So how did we entertain ourselves for 8 days so cheaply?

We split our time on the two most human-populated islands of the Galapagos, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. We like meeting local people, learning about their culture and eating food they eat. Of course we were attracted to the seemingly endless options to view wildlife but we also appreciate knowing who lives there.

Three of our seven nights lodging was in a hostel that provided a communal kitchen. One hotel provided a hearty free breakfast. Our first hostel didn’t provide breakfast, so we went out two of the mornings to a local simple restaurant (called a “kiosco”) on Binford Street. Each day we left well-fed after spliting a single desayuno (breakfast) of juice, coffee, fried egg, plantain ball and stewed beef. One morning, instead, we got some fresh fruit and yogurt and simply watched the comings and goings on the port.

For lunch we usually split an almuerzo or merienda (lunch special) that always included fresh fruit juice, a hearty bowl of soup (with fish, beef or chicken), and a plate with rice, beans and choice of fish, beef or chicken, prepared various ways, and sometimes including pureed yuca (a delight), or a small salad. These hearty feasts could be had for $5 each (that’s $2.50 per person, if you’re sharing) on Santa Cruz Island, or $4 each on San Cristobal. We also bought a large bag of plantain chips that was a nice snack. When we didn’t have a kitchen, our dinners usually consisted of our each getting a $5 merienda again.

From our hostel on the island of San Cristobal in the capital town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, we walked six blocks beyond the tourist grocery store (very pricey) to the Mercado which had $4 lunch kioscos on the second floor and fresh produce on the first floor. After eating hearty lunches, we visited the local stores around the mercado to purchase fresh produce, fresh meat and fish, eggs, and other sundries, we spent less than $12 and provided 5 hearty meals for the two of us.

Activity wise, both islands we were on provided several free, walkable options to amazing beaches, snorkel spots, swimming holes, and visitor centers with wildlife viewing. We swam with sea lions, turtles, marine iguanas, sharks, saw amazing fish and various giant birds.

We enjoyed meeting locals and other travelers. We were surprised at how surprised Ecuadorians were to meet folks from the U.S. who speak any Spanish at all, and how much they appreciated it. If we met a local more than once, even in a commercial exchange, we were treated the second time as old friends. While we were there, a presidential election was about to happen and we got to learn about people’s opinions, their history and some of their hopes.

Most people in the Galapagos earn very little money compared to people from the U.S. and they get by on so little. The political relationship between the U.S. and Ecuador is tumultuous at best and I highly recommend you read up on this before traveling to Ecuador. We look forward to returning and want to spend time on the mainland.

Some hot tips for a budget Galapagos vacation:

• Ferry shop. Most of the ferries between Santa Cruz and San Cristobal, for example, charge 30 per person each way. By simply walking around a lot, we found one that offered the exact same quality of service for only $25 each way. For the two of us, that added up to an extra $20 in our pocket.
• Get there early. If your ferry boat leaves at 2pm in Puerto Ayora, get there by 1pm if you want to get a seat choice (also, buy tickets as many days in advance as possible). If possible, get seats upstairs with the captain—the downstairs tends to be very poorly ventilated, super hot, and full of gas fumes.
• You’ll need to go through an(other) agricultural inspection between islands, so don’t buy produce and try to take to another island.
• Each town had at least one soft serve ice cream place – definitely go for it for the coconut and guava ice cream cones with chocolate sauce for a $1.
• We found portions pretty large and part of the time we split a meal which was plenty for us (and we are big people–farmers for a living).
• Near Puerto Ayora, the best snorkeling we had was at the west end of Tortuga Bay and Las Grietas. If you go to Las Grietas, go early or late because it’s small and can get very crowded. Near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the best snorkeling we found was at Las Tijeretas, a beautiful 30 minute walk from town.
• While we did split our time with two different islands, if we were to do it over again we’d only go to San Cristobal island because we liked the town better (less people, harbor was beautiful) and we could have easily soaked up a week with free nearby adventures. You will be tempted to take a day tour to another island or to the same island and we’re sure that is fun, but we liked being on foot, relatively close to where we were staying and we found many people and animals worth visiting.
• Returning to the airport. There is very little is online about how to cheaply get back to the airport on Santa Cruz. Upon arrival at the airport on Baltra island (next to Santa Cruz), to get to town, you’ll board a free bus that goes a few miles to a strait where you’ll board a ferry that costs a $1, and then you can either take a bus for $2 (25 miles) or a taxi for $15 to $25. The bus drops you off at the port downtown.
• Upon departing Santa Cruz, most flights are mid day or afternoon, with one departure in the morning. While you have the same options, taxi or bus, to take you back to the airport, the last morning bus leaves at either 8 or 8:30am from the bus terminal 1.5 miles north of town (opinions about the last bus differ among locals). It’s walkable to the bus terminal but it’s uphill and likely hot. You could take a taxi for about $1 from town to the bus terminal. The bus is $2 to the ferry which is the same $1 and then the free airport bus. The taxi would have cost us $25, plus another $2 for the strait crossing; we spent $7 total.
• Pack a lot of sunscreen you buy in the U.S. You do not want to go to a farmacia and spend $30 on a regular size tube of spf 50.

We got lucky. Because we took a 7:30am bus and got to the airport at 9am, nearly 4 hours before our flight, we were able to get easily rebooked on other flights when it turned out ours had been cancelled. Otherwise we would have been stranded for the night in either the Galapagos or Quayacuil or Quito.

If you have any questions be sure to ask in the comment section below!

The post Budget Tips for a Trip to the Galapagos Islands Using Miles & Points appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Panama’s Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum, or BioMuseo. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

When Kay Michaels began planning vacation for her and her husband, Dean, she had some specific criteria, mostly related to geography.

“Dean gets limited time off work each year, so we can’t spend too much time getting to our destination. When I realized that we could fly from our hometown of Durham, North Carolina and land in Panama within 4-5 hours, I knew Central America could be perfect for us,” she said.

And of course, those Raleigh to Panama City, Panama flights would be purchased with points.

Kay and Dean started collecting points and miles seriously about 14 years ago, stashing a bundle of United miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points before capping out with the recent 5/24 rule. “We pay everything on our credit card except our mortgage,” she said.

Their points collecting paid off with an unforgettable trip to this vibrant Central American metropolis.

THE FLIGHTS

The Michaels booked their flights to Panama using AA points earned through credit card bonuses. The trip from Raleigh to Panama City cost 37,500 points in economy class. Their trip home cost 65,000 points in business class, for a total of 102,500 points plus $72 tax per person.

“It was a lot of points to use, but we knew where we wanted to go, and it we had the points to spend, so it was a good fit,” Kay said.

THE LODGING

A room with a view at the Country Inn & Suites, Panama Canal. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

The Michaels used their Club Carlson points to book the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Panama Canal, for a five-night stay. They exercised the Points and Cash program, using 25,000 points plus $87 per night ($478 total) for a one-bedroom suite with a direct view of the Bridge of the Americas and the continuous parade of cruise and cargo ships in route to the entrance of the canal.

“It wasn’t the fanciest hotel but the view was superb and the staff was incredibly kind,” reported Kay.

The nightly price included a full buffet breakfast each morning, along with amenities like a kitchenette, two balconies, and a hotel swimming pool. The proximity to the Sea Las Perlas ferry to Contadora Island was also a huge bonus.

After five nights, the Michaels packed up and walked to the ferry for their trip to Contadora Island, meaning “counting island.” The Spanish used the island to resupply and count their spoils from the Americas before returning to Spain. The Michaels found the island to be a beautiful escape from city life. Several seasons of Survivor have been filmed there, and no cars are permitted on the island. Golf carts provide transportation to locals and visitors alike.

The pair didn’t use any points on the island, staying instead at The Hibiscus House, a bed & breakfast for $100 per night.

Their final night in Panama was spent at the Crowne Plaza near the airport. The stay cost just $99, so Kay opted for cash over IHG points.

THE SITES

Kay spent meaningful, quality time on Trip Advisor researching the vacation and all potential tour options. The highlights included:

Seeing the canal through the eyes of a captain. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

Panama Canal Tour

The Michaels booked through Barefoot Panama and took the “half-day partial transit” tour. Kay reported an excellent experience and recommended fellow travelers schedule a full day for the tour. At $150 per person, Kay said it was “pricey but totally worth it!”

“The canal is an incredible engineering feat and this tour really lets you experience it as a captain would. We went through three different locks, and when we were inside, we were positioned right next to a luxury yacht from the Bahamas, then right behind us, a huge tanker that got within 15-20 feet of our boat. You’re all wedged into this tiny lock with literally inches between you and the side of the canal. It was truly incredible.”

Private Birding Tour

Our travelers found birding legend Kent Livezey through research and booked his private tour. Including pick-up at their hotel about 45 minutes away, the tour cost $250 for the couple (with the rental of high powered binoculars). The adventure took the Michaels and their guide to Pipeline Road outside Gamboa, Panama, a region famous for its species diversity.

“Neither of us had ever done bird watching before, but we found this recommendation and booked the tour. It ended up being a real highlight of the trip. We spent the morning spotting birds, howler monkeys, and just missed spotting an elusive tayra. He brought great binoculars, which we learned are a must for a good birding experience.”

Fortaleza Walking Tour

Jaffet, a founding member of the Fortalezo Walking tour stops to talk to a neighbor along the tour route in Casco Viejo. Jaffet is now studying to be a lawyer.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

At just $10 per person, this walking tour of historic Casco Viejo was one of the cheapest, and most meaningful, experiences of the Michael’s trip.

In Kay’s words, “The Casco used to be overrun by gangs. Realizing revitalization was incompatible with gang activity; a developer and other business leaders encouraged and assisted the gang members in swapping gang life for entrepreneurial endeavors. So we went on this tour started by former gang members of their old stomping grounds. One of them had just finished law school and was going to be a civil rights lawyer.”

BioMuseo

The Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum completed construction just two years before the Michael’s visit. The museum highlights history, geography and the culture of Panama throughout its 43,000 square feet of exhibit space.

“It was incredible. We learned so much about Panama and how important this land bridge was to the biodiversity of the Americas.”

Kay also reported the museum features a great little cafe with “stupendous views” of ships cruising towards the canal.

Dean, sporting his Panama hat, next to the work of Panamanian artist Rolo de Sedas.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

MISCELLANEOUS FRIVOLITY

In addition to eating their weight in papaya and snagging an authentic Panama hat from a local hat maker (fun fact: Panama hats are actually constructed in Ecuador), the Michaels reported that some of their favorite mem

ories from the trip were the people they met along the way.

The walking tour with gang-members-turned-entrepreneurs was a real highlight for this traveling duo. The Michaels also had a memorable evening at Donde José – ranked #1 of 848 restaurants in Panama City.

Sitting at the chef’s table in this 10-seat restaurant, the couple enjoyed a “Breakfast for Dinner” theme, mesmerized by the stories the Chef shared for each course. Their seatmates that night were two brothers from Quito, Ecuador. The Michael’s dining experience was made all the richer learning more about their lives and business in South America

The menu card the evening the Michaels dined at Donde Jose. This dessert is called, “The Yogurt is Drowning.”  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

“It was a great experience getting to know them over these amazing small plates of food,” Kay said.

Another unforgettable moment came on Contadora Island when the Michaels dined at a small Italian restaurant called Casa Tortuga just outside their bed & breakfast. The chef, Piero, came out of the kitchen to welcome the Michaels at their table. He mentioned that his family was from a small Italian town called Forli.

“In 1968, when he was 11, Dean was selected to be a child ambassador from his hometown for the Children’s International Summer Village in Forli, Italy,” Kay said. “Turns out Piero’s aunt still runs that program in Forli.”

The next day, the Michaels returned to the restaurant and met Piero’s uncle – the brother of the woman who still runs CISV in Forli. Dean described his experience in their hometown – the building he stayed in and the surroundings he remembered from his childhood. The pair had a great conversation about their memories in Forli.

“It was amazing that on this speck of an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you find a family from a small town in Italy you visited when you were 11 years old,” Kay said. “What a small world.”

The Panama Canal.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

Your turn! What’s your favorite retreat in Central America? Share your experience and help other travelers choose their next vacation destination!

The post Success Story: Spring Trip to Panama City, Panama appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Connie Tao’s journey to Tokyo started when the 27-year-old travel enthusiast first learned of Travel Miles 101 through the Mad Fientist podcast.

“I needed a new hobby,” Connie said. “And I thought this one sounded like fun.”

After completing the Free Travel Course, she said her early efforts were enthusiastic but not well planned, as Connie signed up for anything that sounded good. But as she began planning to attend her cousin’s wedding in Tokyo, Connie knew she needed a strategy.

“I decided I wanted to use these miles I had accrued to be able to fly either first class or business class to Tokyo – something I wouldn’t have been able to do without the points.”

Attending a wedding removes one of the keys for simplifying travel redemptions – flexibility. With a date certain for her family’s nuptials, Connie tried to create flexibility around that date – so her arrival and departure dates could move to accommodate the best reward redemptions and availability.

She had a large stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, as well as British Airways Avios and even some United points. Connie’s first move was to start looking through MileValue learning about the different route options into Asia, and deciphering the options around premium class seats – she found The Points Guy’s post on “aspirational first class redemptions” particularly helpful.

THE FLIGHTS

Her return flight from Tokyo to her hometown of New York City was an easy booking win, using United points for a flight on Asiana in Business Class, overnighting in Seoul, Korea. Total cost – 70,000 United points, plus $40 taxes and fees.

Through her research, Connie had her heart set on flying Japan Airlines. So she signed up for one last card bonus on American Airlines. Small problem – she was approved for the card in October 2015, and the wedding was in April of 2016.

“It was way more stressful than it needed to be because of the short timeline on meeting my minimum spend, waiting for the points to post and then securing an award seat.”

Connie earned her bonus on January 15. Three days later she found business class availability from Dallas to Tokyo. So she would only need to add a low-cost one-way ticket from JFK to Dallas. Eager to ensure she had at least one flight option confirmed, Connie snapped it up, but kept looking, knowing she could take advantage of AA’s generous award flight change policy.

On February 5, she found one seat in business class flying directly from her home airport of JFK – no extra flight required. So she changed her ticket. “I was perfectly happy with business class out of NYC, but I kept checking, just in case I could find a first class seat come available.”

Lay flat bed in first class cabin.

On March 6, just 14 days before her departure, Connie was performing her usual morning check of award seat availability and found one first class seat on Japan Airlines from JFK to Tokyo. So she got on the phone with American Airlines and 30 minutes later, she had scored the upgrade for a total of just 56,000 points plus $5.60 in taxes. (which includes the Citi Advantage Platinum 10 percent refund for point redemptions).

Dinner is served!

Connie said her 14+ hours in first class on Japan Airlines was worth the wait and anxiety of searching for a seat. “It really was amazing. I slept so well on the flight. You still have a slightly dehydrated feeling but the fat bed and great food make such a difference. When I got to Tokyo I didn’t feel jetlagged at all.”

Her return flight in business class was almost equally enjoyable. “First class is a little more over the top, with the food and the champagne, but as far as comfort, I found them identical.”

THE CITY OF TOKYO

Her jetlag-free arrival in Tokyo served her well as she hit the ground running on a grand, self-guided tour of the city. “My whole tour plan was to look on Google Map and find what looked interesting. Then walk from place to place and see what it looked like on street level.”

Tokyo’s public transportation system made her plan easy. “The subway in Tokyo is amazing, so fast and always on time. After buying the subway pass, I didn’t worry about working with their maps and boards to find my way, I just used Google maps on my phone. I rented a pocket wifi online and picked it up in the airport. Kept it in my pocket and had my own personal wifi cloud around me everywhere I traveled.”

Connie said she found almost every green space in the city. As luck or planning would have it, her cousin’s wedding fell in the midst of cherry blossom season, covering the skies over the city in pale pink petals.

Ueno Park is perhaps the most popular spot in all of Tokyo to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Families gather with tarps and blankets covered with traditional Japanese picnic cuisine, reminiscent of an American football tailgating experience.

Family picnic time under the cherry blossoms.

“The Japanese take their picnics very seriously,” Connie reported. “People cook up home meals and bring out real china and silver and sake glasses and they stay for hours. This was no American picnic with a sandwich and soda!”

Connie’s walking-and-subway-tour of the city made her feel at home. “Living in New York City, Tokyo felt very similar. When I go on vacation I’m usually looking for some peace and quiet, which is why I hit up every green space I could find.”

LODGING

Lodging was a simple affair for Connie’s 2-week trip to Tokyo. Her first night was spent in a hostel, where she paid a staggering $25. “Japan as a whole is so clean and safe. Hostel’s definitely recommended for those (travelers) on a budget.”

Connie also spent over a week staying with her new in-laws. “It was such a gift to be able to experience the city from the local’s perspective.”

Her last five nights in Japan were spent at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel which Connie booked using her Citi Prestige card, receiving the 4^th night free. Total price just over $600 with a $140 rebate for that 4^th night’s stay.

Authentic ramen at a memorable hole-in-the-wall establishment in Tokyo.

FOOD

“The food. Oh my god, the food. It was so, so amazing,” Connie said breathlessly. “I couldn’t eat sushi for six months after I got home because everywhere I went was so bad compared to my experience in Tokyo.”

From ramen to sashimi to traditional sushi, Connie’s food tour of the city touched on all the traditional high points. Surprisingly, she found prices for her indulgences quite reasonable. “Food and alcohol seemed quite a bit cheaper than I anticipated. Our group went to an Izakaya one night and enjoyed a 10 course meal for $40 per person. For $5 more, we added all we could drink.”

Sashimi platter in Tokyo.

Connie said it’s important for travelers to know that most restaurants and shops in Tokyo do not accept credit cards. Having learned of this potential challenge before her departure, Connie opened a high yield investors checking account with no foreign exchange fees, no annual fees, and even refunds ATM fees.

“It was invaluable during the trip because it let me take out cash more frequently in smaller denominations rather than carrying a ton of cash around with me all the time. They do place a couple days hold on cash that is transferred, so I now keep it stocked with a couple hundred dollars at all times, just in case I ever need some quick cash while traveling.”

All told, Connie spent $930 on her 14-day trip to Tokyo. “A typical economy flight to Tokyo would have cost about what I spent on the whole trip,” she said, noting her flights both included premium class seating.

Her only regret, she said, was staying in Tokyo every day. “I really wanted to get out into the countryside, visit Mt. Fuji, stay in a traditional Ryokan, experience life outside the city in Japan.”

Next time, Connie. There will surely be a next time. And we can’t wait to hear of your next adventure.

The post Connie’s 14 Day Trip to Tokyo With Miles and Points appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The historic UNESCO village in Shirakawa-go.

Do you remember where you were the first time you learned about the travel rewards game? Ryan McDannold and Jessica Lab sure do.

They were in the back of an Uber in Columbia, South Carolina. The driver was taking them to the airport for their honeymoon flight to Tanzania.

“He was a real expert on points and MS and we didn’t know anything,” Jessica says, laughing. “He gave us some good advice to begin our journey.”

When the newlyweds returned from Africa, Jessica began researching the concept, and after a few months, discovered Travel Miles 101.

“I took the free course and it definitely accelerated our process. I learned about the sweet spots for travel booking and being flexible and, of course, how valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards are to this process,” she says.

At first, Jessica’s husband Ryan was skeptical.

“My first concern was that applying for all these credit cards would negatively impact our credit scores,” Ryan says. “We were looking to purchase a house in the next year or two and I wanted everything to be perfect when we applied for a mortgage.”

Ryan is engaged in the financial independence / early retirement community, so little things like credit scores are important for him and his family’s long-term goals.

But after applying for several cards and seeing very little fluctuation in their scores, he got onboard with Jessica’s strategy.

“Jess is the Points Master,” he says. “I just do what I’m told.”

About 16 months after taking the TM101 course, the couple celebrated Ryan’s 30^th birthday by taking their first big trip on points, flying to Tokyo first class on Singapore Airlines.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Ryan.

Here’s all the details:

THE FLIGHTS TO JAPAN

This traveling couple live just outside Denver, in Boulder, Colorado. Early into her research, Jessica realized they could get the best bang for their buck flying nonstop from Los Angeles to Tokyo on Singapore Airlines. And by booking online, they would receive a 15 percent savings on their trip.

The first class suite on Singapore Airlines. Greeted with champaign and gifts upon boarding.

“I wouldn’t have burned so many points for just any airline’s first class cabin,” Jessica said. “But I did my research so I knew Singapore had one of the very best cabins. And we were only flying first class one way, so it had to be a great experience to make it worth the points.”

The booking was not without challenges. Jessica spent hours checking for two seats together on any day in September, October or November of 2016. When she finally found one single day offering the magical combination, she had to transfer her Chase UR points to Singapore, and wait for them to post, which took almost 48 hours.

“I was so scared the seats would be taken before I could book them, and they were the only ones available for the rest of the year,” she said. “I called everyone – Chase, Singapore, everyone – asking them to make this happen for us.”

She’s not convinced her badgering did any good, but they successfully secured the flights they wanted.

Rounding out their trip, Jessica purchased cheap one-way flights from DEN-LAX, arriving six hours before their flight to Tokyo. As a first class passenger, they took full advantage of the dedicated first class lounge at LAX.

Turns out that was a good preparation for the flight, which the pair says was nothing short of remarkable, including the side-by-side lay flat seats that made a double bed, the comfortable pajamas, full sized bottles of perfume and lotions, and exquisite tasting menu with caviar, Dom Perignon and Krug Grande Cuvee, thank-you-very-much.

The list price for all this luxury rang in at $7,500 per ticket, one way.

Jessica and Ryan cashed in 150,000 UR points from two Chase Sapphire Preferred and one Chase Ink bonuses for their magical experience. Plus $45 in taxes.

The flight home was nonstop from Tokyo to Denver on United. Ryan received a targeted offer for a 70,000 bonus for the Chase United card, which covered the 35,000 needed for each of their one-way tickets home. Plus $80 in taxes.

THE ITINERARY

Jessica and Ryan stayed busy on their two-week tour of Japan, hitting nine cities and regions in their fortnight of travel. The stops included:

Kinkaku-ji, a temple in Kyoto completely covered in gold leaf.

Tokyo – both arrival and departure city.

Hakone – a quaint hot springs town within one of Japan’s national parks.

Matsumoto – home of the famous castle Matsumotojo, likely built in the late 15^th century.

Japanese Alps – the couple took a daylong scenic journey through the mountains including a tram, bus, railway, and cable car.

Kanazawa – celebrated for it’s preserved historical districts and one of the “three best landscape gardens” named Kenrokuen.

Shirakawa – they toured a UNESCO world heritage village in Shirakawa.

Takayama – fun fact – Takayama is Denver’s Sister City.

Kyoto – ideal for exploring endless temples.

Hiroshima – visited the Peace Memorial and Museum.

Miyajima – a small island near Hiroshima and one of the top scenic locations in Japan.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Jessica used points for just one night’s accommodations during their tour – the final night in Tokyo before catching their nonstop home to Denver. The Hyatt Regency in Tokyo had a list price of $350, and they used cash + points, spending $90 and 5,000 UR points.

The rest of the nights were spent in a combination of hotels, Airbnbs, and a Ryokin – a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast.

“We’re not big hotel chain people,” Jessica said. “So right now, we focus most of our point spending for flights, and pay for lodging out of pocket.”

But they were deliberate about maximizing their earnings when spending money on lodging or food for trips. They took an expedited shipment of Jessica’s Chase Sapphire Reserve before their departure to ensure they received the 3x’s points on all travel and dining expenses, including train tickets, taxis, hotels and restaurants.

FOOD AND FUN IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

Jessica enjoying a bowl of Tsukemen ramen.

Ryan reports that Jessica is a foodie at heart, and spent almost as much time and energy researching the best restaurants in every town and village they visited as she did researching point redemptions.

“The food in Japan was incredible,” Jessica said. “Dumplings and ramen and sushi and fried pork things. We spent hours waiting in ramen lines outside tiny shops all across the country.”

One of the couple’s favorite money-saving tips for Japan was an unexpected “sweet spot” for food frugality.

“We ate almost every breakfast at a 7-11,” Jessica reported. “That sounds weird, but they are super nice in Japan. They are really clean and serve hot foods and coffee – almost anything you want. We would each purchase a hard-boiled egg – in Japan, the yolks are dark and salty and delicious – and a rice cake stuffed with tuna or salmon. We could both eat breakfast for about $3.”

Ryan said he was surprised at how reasonably priced they found the country, especially after all the warnings he had received about the high cost of living and travelling in Japan would be.

“Honestly, that’s why it took so long to check this trip off our list, but we found it to be mostly equivalent to the US on price points for lodging and food – but you don’t tip in Japan, so you’re already knocking off about 20 percent of your dining costs.”

Ryan tasting three types of sake in Takayama.

Jessica said one of her favorite adventures of the trip was exploring Kyoto, where they spent three days wandering through temples and shrines across the city.

“It felt like unending beauty,” she said.

While some of the holy sites charged an entrance fee, some were free, and provided great insights into the history of the area.

For Ryan, one of his trip highlights came in Tokyo. As it happened, the their trip to Japan fell during a Sumo Tournament in the capital city. Ryan tried to reserve tickets online in advance, thinking it would be a fun cultural experience. But the price tag of $200 stopped him short.

When they arrived in Tokyo, Ryan learned that there was a frugal alternative to secure tournament tickets, but it involved showing up early and standing in line hoping they still had an unreserved ticket left when you got up to the window.

So they stood in line, in the rain. Scored a couple of $40 tickets in the rafters. And enjoyed an unforgettable night watching professional sumo wrestling in Tokyo, Japan.

“I really didn’t know much about sumo before we went, but it was a great experience. We loved watching school kids cheering for their favorite wrestlers up in the nosebleed seats.”

Octopus balls and sumo wrestling – who knew it could be a match made in heaven?

This sporting and cultural event also featured one of the their favorite culinary experiences of the trip – fried octopus pastry balls called Takoyaki.

“We were starving when we got to the stadium and weren’t too sure what we could get at the concession stand. But we ended up with this whole tray of dough balls stuffed with octopus and a special sauce . I’m sure it is as common in Japan as hot dogs in the US, but it was amazing.”

The Labs say their trip to Japan was unforgettable, and saving over $15,000 by using points for their airline tickets made it even sweeter.

“It’s really amazing what you can get for free with these points,” Ryan said.

As folks who are still fairly new to the points and miles game, the Jessica and Ryan have found creative ways to maximize their point values for unique travel experiences. So we asked what advice they might have for Travel Miles 101 followers who are new to the game.

Kyoto at sunset as seen across the Kiyomizu Temple.

“I think travel rewards pairs together nicely with the pursuit of Financial Independence / Early Retirement. A lot of us on that road might err on the side of depriving ourselves,” Ryan said. “But if you have the opportunity to pursue travel rewards for a little work and no money, it makes the journey sweeter.”

While they are still basking in the memories of Ryan’s 30^th birthday trip to Japan, Jessica is turning her sites to their next big adventure – her 30^th birthday trip in 18 months.

“I’m thinking New Zealand. Or maybe Argentina?”

Either way – down under or down south – this traveling pair has many more adventures ahead.

The post Success Story: Newlyweds Use Travel Rewards to Tour Japan appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The MetLife Building near Washington Square Park in New York City.

Growing up, Thanksgiving morning was marked by sacred rituals. My two sisters, baby brother and I would wake up early to the smell of cinnamon rolls in the oven, my mom’s beautiful, off-key voice singing her good morning song to us. We would inhale our steaming orange-iced rolls, wash them down with milk that tasted like cream (because nobody in the 80s had time for skim) and pile onto the couch while Mom turned on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We watched the giant balloons float across the screen while breathless television anchors described the sights and sounds on the ground. This is where I first learned about Central Park, the Upper West Side, and Herald Square – places that seemed a world away from my Midwestern town.

A few years have passed since those days on the couch watching balloons the size of football fields float over that magical city. Business trips and long weekends have taken me to New York City several times since then, each visit giving more opportunities to explore the city and its neighborhoods, falling a little more in love with the place.

So when my husband suggested we hit the Big Apple to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday this year, my childhood dreams of seeing those giant balloons in person were within my reach. I had just one concern.

Thanksgiving in New York City sounds expensive.

Lucky for us, we were Travel Miles 101 graduates with 8 months of reward point accruals under our belts. Armed with a growing pile of points and unbridled enthusiasm, we opened our laptops and set to planning my dream holiday adventure.

The Flight to NYC with Rewards Points

We traveled during peak holiday season, so we accepted that we would be burning more points than our usual off-peak flights. Our old friend Southwest Airlines came through for us with two round-trip flights for 48,000 Rapid Rewards points (transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards) plus $22.40 in taxes.

We recently secured the Chase Ritz Carlton card which comes with a $300 travel credit. So for the first time, instead of setting my alarm for 24 hours and 5 minutes before takeoff and checking in online to secure my place in line, we upgraded to Early Bird Check-In for $30 round-trip on each ticket. This extra fee gave us pre-assigned boarding slots and simply required that we check in and download boarding passes sometime within the last 24 hours before takeoff. On both departing and returning flights, the hubs and I were assigned A25 and A26 – yahtzee!

I don’t want to get too highbrow here, but there is something gloriously liberating about not worrying about finding space in the overhead compartment or two seats together. If you have a card with travel credits to burn, this is a great way to do it.

 The Hotel in NYC using Rewards Points

My husband and I both snagged the Chase Hyatt card several months ago, earning our 2 free nights each at any Hyatt property. What better way to get the biggest bang for our buck than cashing in those free nights at the Park Hyatt on 57^th Street?

At $1,100 per night, the Park Hyatt is one of the highest values you can find for your free nights. I was sure we wouldn’t be able to get four consecutive nights at such a high priced property over this holiday weekend. And when we logged into Hyatt.c

When we returned to the room Thanksgiving evening, we found this note from the hotel, along with a satchel of shortbread cookies.

om, my fear was validated. No matter how we manipulated the dates, we couldn’t find four consecutive reward nights.

Loving the challenge, the hubs picked up the phone and called the reservation line.

And guess what?

They made it happen.

Our four nights at the Park Hyatt were among the most luxurious travel experiences of my life. The property is located directly across the street from the Russian Tea Room and Carnegie Hall. The property is stylishly understated throughout. Service is impeccable.

If you are looking for a spectacular experience when using your Hyatt free nights, I can’t recommend the Park Hyatt enough – it’s a once in a lifetime experience. 

FUN & FRUGAL TIPS in NYC

New York City has buckets of fun, but frugal? Not usually the first word you think of when talking about the Big Apple. Unless you’re being ironic. But even then….no.

We have visited Seattle and NYC this year – two expensive cities for living or vacationing, and we have found a plethora of fun and frugal activities in both.

Transportation

If you’re still renting a car or hailing cabs when you visit New York, I’m about to rock your world.

The Metro Card is your ticket to the Big Apple.

Let me introduce you to my little friend, The Metro Card.

For $31, we scored unlimited rides on the subways and buses of the NYC public transportation system. And for 5 days, we averaged 22,000 steps a day AND 11 subway trips. Download the NYC Public Transportation app or grab a paper map at the hotel concierge desk, and you are free to explore the city and all it’s boroughs.

If you’re concerned about safety, talk to your concierge about stops to avoid. But don’t let fear keep you from experiencing the freedom of zipping all over the city. You’re going to have some interesting moments and perhaps some confusing smells – but don’t be discouraged. There’s no better way to experience the city and its neighborhoods than riding the subway. 

What to See in NYC

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the ultimate frugal event, as you can find your spot along the parade route and enjoy hours of entertainment free of charge. The floats, the balloons, the marching bands – and the highly entertaining people watching – all free!

We found a great spot along the parade route to view those iconic balloons.

A word of warning: some of the busier sections along the route are competitive and folks claim their spots long before dawn. Due to a late night out on Wednesday, we wandered out around 8 a.m. and there were still plenty of locations closer to Central Park along 6^th Avenue. So we grabbed breakfast and returned, moving along the parade route to get different angles and perspectives.

If you’re in town the day before the parade, you will likely hear about the worst kept secret in the universe – the inflation of the parade balloons on the upper west side. We were excited to get this top secret “behind the scenes” first look at the parade balloons.

Riiiiight.

Just us and 2 million of our closest friends.

Be warned. It will be swamped. It may be worth the experience if you’re a true parade fan. Otherwise, just wait for the big day.

On the flight deck of the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.

In addition to the parade, we hit some of the classic sites on this trip, including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the 9-11 Memorial and the Intrepid Air & Space Museum. Each were captivating and powerful reminders of our nation’s history. If you make it to the Intrepid, take the time to view the POW film – their perspective on life will forever change yours.

In addition to the full ticket price museums we visited, we found plenty of free sites, or those with reduced or “pay what you wish” days and hours.

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. 

Museum of Modern Art – every Friday evening from 4-8 p.m., MOMA offers Free Fridays. The beautiful space was busy, but the crowd is part of the fun – a beautiful cross section of the city, and our planet. Highlights of the tour included Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and an exhibit on refugee shelters around the globe. Both unforgettable.

Rockefeller Center – a beautiful spot any time of year. But it comes to life in a special way at the holidays. The skating rink is busy, but the real beauty is in standing where you can see and hear the music and light show on Saks 5^th Avenue across the street. We sat for many minutes on the steps of St. Patrick’s cathedral where we could hear the music and watch the lights of both Rockefeller and Saks. 

Museum of Natural History – we paid full ticket price, but if you pay for your tickets at the counter instead of booking online, this is a “pay what you wish” museum. It is also very near the location where they inflate the balloons on parade eve.

Chelsea Highline – the Highline is a public park created on abandoned freight line tracks built above the streets of Manhattan. During the summer it is alive with flowers, but we found the late fall landscaping almost as beautiful. You can also enjoy the art exhibits along the tracks.

Bryant Park – Central Park is the headline grabber of NYC parks, but I’ve always been partial to Bryant Park. In summer, you can play ping pong and grab a lemonade, or take a morning boot camp class. In the winter, they offer the only free skating rink in the city, and host a full Christmas market of local vendors and food carts packing the park. Schedule a few hours to stroll through this beautiful space and bask in the holiday spirit.

Dining in NYC

Just google “great restaurants in NYC” and you’ll be overwhelmed with options. You could also try the opposite approach and just explore the streets and stop when you’re hungry – there’s enough great food in the city to make that a successful strategy, as well.

We fell somewhere in between. Here’s a taste of our travels.

Absolute Bagel – this bagel shop on the upper west side was a brief subway ride from our hotel, and worth every second waiting in line. The bagels are better than I imagined they could be and one of our cheapest meals in the city. For just over $10, we scored a breakfast sandwich and a sweet cinnamon raisin with blueberry cream cheese.

Not the most photogenic sandwich, but a fine way to kick off your Thanksgiving morning.

Carnegie Deli – if you haven’t visited this classic New York deli by now, your time is running out. They close for good on December 31, 2016. On our last visit to the city in the summer of 2015, we made a special trip to the deli and they were closed for a water line repair. But they were open on Thanksgiving morning! So instead of eating hot cinnamon rolls with orange icing while waiting for the parade to start, we shared a giant mountain of a Reuben sandwich. That’s normal, right?

Joe’s Pizza – this classic NY slice can only be found on Carmine Street. Nothing fancy. But at $2.75, you can’t beat it.

Classic NY pizza slice.

Eataly – this Italian market in the Flatiron neighborhood is a glorious way to spend a rainy morning or afternoon in the city. Chock full of restaurants, coffee and gelato shops, and handmade pasta and Italian specialties, you’ll find things you never knew existed, much less that you needed in your life. We enjoyed the best pistachio gelato of our lives in this place, and I’m confident anything we ate there would have been unique and authentic. It won’t be frugal if you do your weekly grocery shopping here, but it’s a great cultural experience.

Fried yard bird at Red Rooster in Harlem. The hot sauce was extraordinary. If you’re headed to NYC, grab your Metro Card and get to Harlem.

A Little Non-Frugal Fun – a chef friend of mine gave us two restaurant recommendations for NYC, and we tried them both. They will forever be remembered as our favorite restaurants in the city. Red Rooster in Harlem is where we celebrated my birthday dinner. The atmosphere is sophisticated but crazy fun and food was unique but somehow familiar. We enjoyed a squid ink pasta and fried yard bird, with the macaroni cheese and greens side. They brought out a slab of chocolate deliciousness with a roman candle when we finished. Nice touch.

Empallon Taqueria in the West Village also made the list. This neighborhood is worth a day of exploring, and the taco shop was a highlight. The standard guacamole and tortillas were delicious, but the specialty salsas, shrimp with pickled potatoes and grilled octopus were spectacular. I didn’t know flavors like this existed. If you visit the city, this restaurant is worth your time.

The Bottom Line

What our trip should have cost – cash:

Lodging                      $4,700

Flights                         $1,300

Transportation          $     62  (Metro card / public transit)

Total                            $6,062

What our trip actually cost – cash:

Lodging                      $       0

Flights                         $       0

Transportation          $     62  (Metro card / public transit)

Total                            $    62

SAVINGS: $6,000 

I’m not sure about you, but 6k is twice the price of my first car. It was an unforgettable travel rewards trip and our biggest savings to date.

Thanks for the memories, New York. We’ll be back.

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