My Three Week Europe Adventure Italy, Switzerland & France on Points

Three weeks. Three countries. Countless memories. That is the short version of my recent Europe adventure, but let’s be real—you are here because you want to know how I managed to pull it off in style without draining my bank account. The secret? Credit card points, a little research, and a lot of strategy.

I started in France, hopped over to Switzerland, and ended in Italy. My mission was simple: see as much of Europe as I could in three weeks. Most people think a trip like this is unattainable or costs thousands of dollars, but with the right credit cards, it is more realistic than you think. I flew first class from Chicago to France and from Rome back to Chicago for just 70,000 American Express points. For context, that is a ticket that could easily cost over $6,000 if you were paying cash. Points made that possible.

France was all about the classics. I walked along the Seine, had croissants every morning, and of course saw the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. Switzerland gave me a taste of the Alps and endless fondue with some paragliding thrown in there. Italy was the grand finale with wandering Rome, tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain, and eating my weight in pasta. The beauty of traveling this way is that I did not have to stress over logistics or spend half the trip budgeting. Instead, I leaned on perks from my cards such as American Express lounge access to make airports a breeze, Global Entry to cut customs time down to five minutes, and no foreign transaction fees on either my American Express or Visa backup card. That is peace of mind you cannot put a price on.

But my favorite perk was the American Express Concierge service. They helped me schedule everything seamlessly from reservations to recommendations which meant less time planning and more time enjoying. That is the true luxury of using points. It is not just about saving money, it is about upgrading the entire experience.

One of the things I realized on this trip is how much mental freedom comes with using points. Instead of worrying about whether I could afford a nicer flight or if I should skip a meal out to save money, I was able to focus on living in the moment. For me, it was standing in front of the Colosseum knowing I had flown there in first class without dropping thousands of dollars. That is a powerful feeling.

For anyone who thinks Europe is out of reach, let me be the first to tell you it is not. With the right strategy, it is not only possible, it is a lot more fun. Start by picking a goal, like a dream destination, and then reverse engineer how you will get there with points. That is what I did, and it worked flawlessly.

The other highlight of this trip was noticing the difference between how prepared I was compared to other travelers. While I breezed through customs in minutes thanks to Global Entry, I watched others stand in line for hours. While I relaxed in lounges with free food and drinks, others crowded into airport restaurants. It was a small reminder that having the right cards is not just about luxury, it is about practicality.

Europe gave me incredible memories and reinforced why I am passionate about points and credit cards. They do not just make travel possible, they make it better.

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