❄️ Amsterdam & Paris in Winter
Dipping our toes in Points and Miles
Winter 2022
💳 Points Notes
For our first points and miles trip involved transferring Amex Membership Rewards (MR) points to Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) which was super easy to navigate and the customer service was excellent! 🌟
If you’re thinking about getting started, check out my referral link. We both get a Membership Rewards bonus! ✨
🪙 Points Math:
One-way economy tickets booked well in advance are usually around 25K Flying Blue points. Amex typically transfers 1:1, but sometimes there’s a 20% transfer bonus, which means 1,000 MR = 1,200 Flying Blue.
🎫 Welcome Bonus Potential:
The Amex Gold sign-up bonus is usually around 100K MR points, which can be enough for two round-trip ticketsfrom the U.S. to Amsterdam! 🌍✈️
💖 If you sign up for a credit card through my link, I may receive a referral bonus. Thank you for supporting the blog, it means so much!
Winter 2022: Our First Points & Miles Adventure ✈️
In Winter of 2022, we took our first points and miles trip with our kids to Amsterdam 🇳🇱 and Paris 🇫🇷. It was such an incredible experience and we learned a ton about how to use points efficiently and how to manage long-haul flights with kids.
Before this, most of our family trips were cruises 🚢 or RV adventures 🚐, so this was a whole new kind of travel for us!
👉 Check out my Travel Map for all the details!
✨ Trip Highlights
💳 Used Points Smartly:
We transferred points from Amex → Flying Blue and flew out of Washington D.C. (IAD) — about a 4-hour drive from home. The goal: keep this trip as low cost as possible.
✈️ AirFrance/KLM Switch-Up:
Our flight got changed, which would’ve made it tough to catch the PSG soccer game ⚽️ we had tickets for. Luckily, customer service was amazing and moved us to a new flight at no extra cost. 🙌
🏨 Amsterdam Stay:
We paid cash for a Best Western that fit all five of us (plus a kitchen 👩🍳). It was just a short bus ride from Amsterdam Central and was super clean, affordable, and easy to navigate! 🚌
🏠 Paris Stay:
Hotel prices in Paris during Christmas 🎄 were way out of budget, so we went with an Airbnb. The neighborhood was nice, but… we quickly learned we’re not Airbnb people 😅.
🚶♀️ Exploring:
We mostly wandered around and enjoyed the beautiful sights — so much charm in every direction!
❄️ Winter Magic:
Cool but not freezing temps, low crowds, and everything was open! The canals and shops in Amsterdam were sparkling with lights, and Paris was absolutely gorgeous. 💫
⚽️ PSG Game:
Definitely one of the biggest highlights! If you ever get the chance — don’t sleep on grabbing those tickets early!
💡 Lessons Learned
😢 Don’t miss your booking window for the Anne Frank House Museum.
🏠 Confirmed: We are not Airbnb people.
🚗 Driving home from D.C. after an overnight international flight = big mistake. Do not recommend.
💬 Conclusions
Would 100% recommend Amsterdam and Paris in winter ❄️ because it’s affordable, low crowds, and magical holiday vibes. Perfect for kids who love exploring parks and walking around charming cities.
We checked off all the major highlights (minus the tulips 🌷 and warm weather ☀️) and made unforgettable family memories. ❤️🔥
**Affiliate/referral disclosure: Please note that I am affiliates or have a personal referral link with many of the companies I recommend. This means that I may receive a commission or a points bonus if you sign- up through one of my links. You are absolutely under no obligation to use their products or services but if you do choose to use them, we may earn a small commission/bonus at no extra cost to you.