Reader Success Story: Christmas Markets Through Central Europe

My husband and I spent 17 days touring and cruising from Prague to Budapest with Viking, visiting Christmas markets in Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and Hungary — all made even better by flying Business Class entirely on points. Shout out to the 10xTravel Award Booking Service and Tim Ritsema for the help to locate and book these flights!

The itinerary centered around Europe’s famous Christmas markets, with daily stops featuring:

• Historic town squares
• Seasonal food and mulled wine
• Guided city tours

This was one of those trips where the points strategy genuinely transformed the experience:

• Lie-flat seats across the Atlantic
• Lounge access throughout the journey
• Christmas markets almost every day along the Danube with a pre- and post-cruise stay – paid in cash but offset by points for airfare
• Andaz Prague: Booked using Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts® program credit and points, the stay included: suite upgrade, early check-in/late checkout, property credits and elite-style perks
• Marriott Bonvoy free night plus 11,000 points at the Sheraton CDG for our overnight Paris layover before flying home

For those wondering if just the one night at the Andaz Prague was worth it, for us, it absolutely was! We had one relaxing night in a luxurious suite upon arrival in Europe, complimentary breakfast, then a full day exploring Prague’s Old Town and Christmas markets on our own before joining our pre-cruise land tour group.

Redemption Breakdown

Our journey began with a repositioning flight from Orange County to Portland.

Alaska Airlines First Class

This was paid entirely using residual credits from a previously canceled ticket worth $666.60.

SNA → PDX on the 737-800

KLM Business Class

We booked this with Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

PDX → AMS → PRG on the 787-10 Dreamliner

• 120,000 points + $548
• ~$6,820 cash value
• ~5.7 CPP redemption value

Air France Business Class

We booked this with Amex Membership Rewards® points.

BUD → CDG → LAX on the 777-300ER

• 166,000 points + $801
• ~$6,600 cash value
• ~4.0 CPP redemption value

Total Trip Flight Value

• ~286,000 points redeemed
• ~$13,400 equivalent cash price
• ~4.9 CPP average across all flights

Our Favorite Trip Moments

Our favorite redemption was the KLM flight to Amsterdam — one of the best premium cabin point values I’ve booked, and we scored two of the iconic little Dutch houses handed out at the end of the flight! The KLM flight and crew were fantastic. KLM unfortunately did not load our luggage during the connection in Amsterdam, but the recovery process was surprisingly smooth. After submitting a quick baggage claim form at the airport in Prague, our bags were delivered directly to our hotel later that same evening. We always travel with clothes and essentials in our carry-on, so this was a non-issue. We did enjoy our Air France flight, but KLM won for this trip.

There were too many favorite towns and restaurants to choose just one. Every stop along the trip had its own unique charm, but we found ourselves especially drawn to the smaller towns and Christmas markets over the larger cities. That said, Vienna was stunning and had one of the most impressive Christmas markets we visited during the entire journey. Budapest was a pleasant surprise, and we loved the village of Szentendre.

Trips like this are exactly why I love points and miles: turning busy holiday travel into something comfortable, memorable, and genuinely fun.