We took our family of 5 to Italy for spring break 2025 — and used points and miles to redeem over $27,000 on flights and hotels. ✈️

I'm talking business class flights from Dallas to Rome, suites at two Hyatt properties, and 10 days exploring Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence with our kids. Our total out-of-pocket cost for flights and hotels? About $2,054 in taxes and fees.

If you've been wondering whether an Italy family vacation with points and miles is actually possible — it absolutely is. Keep reading for our full day-by-day itinerary, exactly where we stayed, how we got there, and every booking detail so you can do the same thing.

How We Booked Our Italy Family Vacation with Points and Miles

Before we get into the fun stuff, here's the full points breakdown.

Flights to Italy (Business Class!)

We used Flying Blue miles to book one-way business class flights from Dallas to Rome on Air France.

Total miles used: 225,000 Flying Blue miles (50,000 per person for 3 of us, 37,500 each for 2 kids ages 2–11 — Flying Blue gives a 25% discount for children!)
Taxes and fees: $1,215 total for the 5 of us
Cash value of these 5 seats: $20,184

We transferred Capital One miles to Flying Blue to book these flights. One of the things I love about Flying Blue is that all 4 major bank programs transfer to it — Chase, American Express, Capital One, and Citi. That makes it one of the most accessible programs for families who are just getting started with points! Here are my top 3 recommendations for earning flexible points from each bank!

While we were relaxing at the Capital One Lounge at Dallas — one of the perks of our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — I got a notification from Air France that nobody wants to see. Our flights had been changed to a different airline, different class, arriving in Rome 6 hours later. 😬

Spoiler: it all worked out! Air France rebooked us on Finnair with a layover in Helsinki instead of Paris. Yes, it added travel time. But we still ended up in business class seats. If your flight to, from, or within the EU is delayed or canceled, you may be entitled to compensation under EU261 regulations — up to €600 per passenger depending on the delay length and flight distance. We ended up getting paid about $3,000 for all 5 delayed flights and we each got $800 Air France flight vouchers that we redeem for flights to Paris the following Spring Break! Worth the delay if you ask me!

This was the first time we ever flew business class and it was so fun surprising our kids - they were so excited!

Flights Home (Economy)

For our return flights, we booked 5 one-way economy tickets from Florence to Phoenix on Air France — again using Flying Blue miles.

Total miles used: 90,000 Flying Blue miles

Taxes and fees: $839 total for the 5 of us

Estimated cash value: ~$3,750

Flying Blue gave us the same 25% child discount on the return trip too.

At the Florence airport, our whole family had access to the VIP Lounge thanks to our Priority Pass membership — which comes with several premium travel credit cards like the Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It was such a nice way to end the trip!

Hotels in Italy (All on Hyatt Points!)

The Tribune — Rome (Hyatt)

3 nights in a suite that sleeps 4: 32,000 Hyatt points/night* (off-peak pricing when we booked for March 2025)
Cash value: ~493 Euros/night (~$1,627 total saved)
Second room: paid cash at 50% off using Hyatt's Family Plan rate (277 Euros/night)

*The Tribune has since moved from a Category 5 to a Category 6 Hyatt property and the points pricing has increased since our stay.

IL Tornabuoni — Florence (Hyatt)

2 nights in a standard suite: 43,000 Hyatt points/night* (off-peak pricing when we booked for March 2025)
Cash value: 1,000+ Euros/night (~$2,200+ saved)

*IL Tornabuoni has since increased to a Category 8, so so points pricing has increased since our stay.

I emailed ahead and asked if we could sleep all 5 of us in the suite — and they said yes! 🙌

Cinque Terre — Airbnb

We booked 2 nights in Vernazza via Airbnb and paid cash for this portion. Here is the Airbnb we stayed at!

Rome

We took an Uber from the airport and arrived at The Tribune around 7pm. After a long travel day (and an unexpected routing through Helsinki!), pulling up to a beautiful Hyatt property in Rome felt pretty amazing.

The Tribune Hotel Rome

The Tribune did not disappoint. At the time of booking, we booked a suite that sleeps 4 for 32,000 Hyatt points per night at off-peak pricing. Since we're a family of 5, we needed a second room — which we were able to book at 50% off using Hyatt's Family Plan rate. Our rooms were right next to each other, but this property does not have connecting rooms, just so you know going in!

(The Tribune increased from a Category 5 to a Category 6 Hyatt property after our March 2025 stay, so standard rooms are now a higher point price.)

Quick reminder on why this matters: 100k points ≠ $1,000. That's exactly why points and miles are so valuable compared to plain old cash back! With the right strategy, your points can stretch way beyond their face value — and that's what keeps me (and so many of you!) hooked. [Related: How to make your points worth more!]

We had dinner our first night at La Bruschetta Lab (recommended by the hotel 🤌) and ended with our first gelato of the trip at Neve di Latte. I am obsessed with pistachio gelato!

Day 1 - Rome

Breakfast: We had a Guest of Honor award to use at The Tribune, so breakfast was complimentary! Without Globalist status or a Guest of Honor booking, the buffet runs 20 Euros per person — I personally don't think it's worth that price. There are also à la carte options that are more affordable.

E-Bike Tour: We love starting trips with a bike tour — it's the perfect way to get your bearings, fight jet lag, and our kids never complain. This is the e-bike tour we booked in Rome.

Trevi Fountain: Pro tip — you can get amazing elevated views of the Trevi Fountain by going shopping inside United Colors of Benetton. Free views, no crowds. You're welcome. 😄

Lunch: We ate at Ai Tre Scalini — Bottiglieria dal 1895 and it was delicious.

We headed back to the hotel for some downtime (jet lag is real!) before venturing out again at sunset to explore the Borghese Gardens, which are right near The Tribune. We finished the day with gelato at Gelateria La Romana.

Transportation note: There's a metro station close to The Tribune, but since we only had 2 full days in Rome we mostly walked or grabbed an Uber. For reference, The Tribune is about 1.4km to the Trevi Fountain and 2.7km to the Colosseum.

Day 2 - Rome

The Pantheon: My 5th grader was the most into this one — he had actually learned about the Oculus in school and got to explain it to all of us. It's over 2,000 years old and the best preserved ancient Roman monument. Highly recommend!

Colosseum Tour: We booked a family and kid-friendly tour through Maria Claudia and it was so good! She had little extras like "gladiator tag," trivia questions with points, and hands-on demonstrations that kept the kids fully engaged. We ended the tour at the Roman Forum.

Lunch: We had carbonara at Osteria da Fortunata with a Pantheon view! Don't skip the cheesecake — trust me on this one!

We wrapped up the day with another gelato run at Neve di Latte. No regrets!

Day 3 - Rome → Cinque Terre

The Vatican City: I'll be honest — I was on the fence about the Vatican because I wasn't sure how engaged the kids would be. When I asked my 5th grader, he said "But we HAVE to see the Sistine Chapel and The Pieta!" (So grateful for good teachers.) We booked a kid-friendly Vatican tour and it was wonderful.

Lunch: Sandwiches from Mordi Sandwich House — delicious and quick, perfect before a travel afternoon.

Then we were off to the train station! We booked tickets ahead of time from Rome to La Spezia, and then local tickets from La Spezia to Vernazza once we arrived. Trenitalia and ItaliaRail are the two main booking sites. I felt a little overwhelmed looking at it online, but it was actually really easy once we got there — and you don't have to book ahead if you'd rather wait.

Cinque Terre

We booked 2 nights in Vernazza via Airbnb. No points for this portion — just cash — but the location and views were absolutely worth it! It was a 5-minute walk (up a lot of stairs!) from the train station with the most incredible views!

Honest review: the location was amazing, the views were stunning, and the Airbnb had a super unique history — it used to be a ticket booth! The water pressure in the shower wasn't great and the train is definitely loud at night (obviously expected that!) but none of this was a deal breaker for us!

My son immediately said Vernazza had "Luca vibes" — and he's not wrong! The fictional town in the Pixar movie Luca is inspired by Genoa and Cinque Terre. It means "Five Lands" in Italian and consists of 5 small coastal towns you can hike or train between.

Day 4: Cinque Terre

Breakfast (both mornings): Il Pirata delle 5 Terre — the pistachio creme croissant and fresh squeezed blood orange juice are worth the trip alone!

We bought the hiking/train day pass that gives you access to the trails, bathrooms, and trains between all 5 towns. It was 50 Euros for the family pass and we just bought it the day of.

Morning hike: Vernazza → Monterosso — one of the most popular hikes with incredible views looking back at Vernazza. I'd call it intermediate in difficulty. Most people were hiking the opposite direction as us, so we had better views going our way! (Vernazza to Monterosso is slightly easier than going the other direction.)

Afternoon: We took the train from Monterosso to Riomaggiore and hiked the easy walking path from Riomaggiore to Manarola — one of the shortest and easiest hikes between towns. We stopped for crepes in Manarola (a necessity ;)

Then we took the train to Corniglia. We knew it was elevated — we did not fully appreciate what that meant. There are A LOT of stairs from the train station up to the town. The kids even admitted it was worth it though, because they got cotton candy flavored gelato at the top :)

Rookie mistake! After 5pm, the train only runs about once an hour (at least during our visit in March). We missed the last frequent train by 2 minutes and had to wait an hour — at the town with a million stairs, for the next train. I was tired and hungry and may have wanted to fall apart just a little. When we got back to Vernazza, grabbed pizza to go, and ate it at the Airbnb after what was honestly an incredible day!

Quick Cinque Terre hiking guide

If you are day tripping to Cinque Terre, here are the hikes I would prioritize!

Vernazza → Monterosso: Most popular hike, stunning views, intermediate difficulty
Riomaggiore → Manarola: Shortest and easiest hike between towns with amazing views.

Florence

Day 5: Cinque Terre → Pisa → Florence

On our way from Cinque Terre to Florence, we made a stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Here's how we did it:

Train: Vernazza → La Spezia → Pisa → Florence

We gave ourselves 3 hours in Pisa, which was the right amount of time for most of us. We stored our luggage at Stow Your Bags near the station and took an Uber to the tower — it's about a mile walk.

Tip: Eat lunch at Bistrot Dell'Opera, the museum cafe. No crowds, amazing views of the tower, and you don't need a museum ticket to eat there.

3 out of 5 of us thought 3 hours was perfect. The other 2 wanted to climb the tower and stay longer! This one hour golf cart tour is the one I wish we had booked — keep it in mind if your family wants more time there.

IL Tornabuoni — Florence

Our final hotel was IL Tornabuoni, a stunning Hyatt property in Florence that absolutely wowed us!

I booked 2 nights in a standard suite for 4 people at off-peak suite pricing of 43,000 Hyatt points per night. I emailed ahead of time to ask if all 5 of us could stay in the room — and they said yes! The hotel was beautiful, the views were gorgeous, and they even surprised the kids with welcome gifts. We were really impressed.

(IL Tornabuoni has since moved to a Category 8 Hyatt property the point prices have gone up since we booked)

We switched things up for dinner and grabbed really good kebabs from Istanbul Doner Kebap before exploring the city!

Day 6 - Florence

The David: I bought Accademia tickets ahead of time and chose the 8:15AM time slot — great call to beat the crowds. Absolutely worth it and a must-see.

After the David, I left the rest of the day open. I wasn't sure how the kids would be holding up after a week of touring, and the forecast showed rain. But when I asked them what they wanted to do? All 3 voted for a bike tour. So I booked one the night before!

Florence is much more walkable than Rome, so a bike tour isn't strictly necessary — but it was fun! This is the e-bike tour we booked. Our last stop brought us to Piazzale Michelangelo with sweeping views over the entire city.

The best gelato we had in all of Italy: Our tour guide gave us vouchers for what he called a “non-touristy gelateria” that ended up being the our favorite gelato of the entire trip by far! It was La Carraia in Santa Croce — I still think about their white chocolate pistachio gelato!

Lunch: We tried the TikTok famouus All'Antico Vinaio! We tried 3 — the winner was La Paradiso: mortadella, stracciatella cheese, pistachio cream, and chopped pistachios on fresh schiacciata bread. It was so good!!!

The Duomo: There are two things you can climb at the Duomo — the Dome itself (more popular, sells out fast) and Giotto's Bell Tower. The Dome was sold out for our day, so we climbed the Bell Tower instead and had beautiful views of the city.

Flying Home

For our return flights, we booked 5 economy seats on Air France from Florence to Phoenix with a layover in Paris — all using Flying Blue miles!

90,000 Flying Blue miles total (average of 18,000 per ticket)

$839 total for the 5 of us in taxes and fees

Kids ages 2–11 get a 25% discount on miles with Flying Blue — such a great family perk!

Remember: all 4 major bank programs (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi) transfer to Flying Blue, so this program is very accessible no matter which cards you hold.

Practical Italy Family Travel Tips

Getting around Rome: We mostly walked and used Ubers during our 2 full days. There is a metro station near The Tribune, but for a short stay we didn’t use it.

Train travel between cities: Trenitalia and ItaliaRail are the two main booking sites. It felt overwhelming online but was easy in person. You don't have to book ahead — we bought some tickets on the day of travel with no issues.

Kid-friendly tours: We always book guided tours for big historical sites. The difference in engagement from our kids is night and day!

Food strategy: I keep a running list of restaurant recommendations, but we ultimately decide based on location and energy levels. Flexibility is key — and sometimes your kid’s favorite meal in Italy is a kebab ;)

FAQ: Italy Family Vacation with Points and Miles

Can you really go to Italy for free with points and miles?

Not totally free — you'll still pay taxes and fees on award flights and cash for some expenses. But our family of 5 redeemed over $27,000 worth of flights and hotels and paid about $2,054 in flight taxes and fees. Points and miles make a trip like this a lot more affordable.

Which points program is best for flights to Italy?

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) is one of our favorites for flights to Europe. All 4 major bank programs transfer to Flying Blue, and kids under 12 get a 25% discount on flights booked with miles — which is a huge deal for families!

How many days do you need in each city?

We did 3 nights in Rome, 2 nights in Cinque Terre, and 2 nights in Florence — with a Pisa stop on the way. We obviously didn’t get to do and see everything but for our family, we thought the pacing was fine!

Is Cinque Terre worth it with kids?

Yes! Our kids loved it. Just know there are a lot of stairs, the towns are small, and it's very different from a big city itinerary. Two nights is the sweet spot — enough time to see all 5 towns and enjoy a full hiking day without overstaying.

Wrapping Up

Italy with five kids in tow, business class seats, suite hotels, and 10 days of food, history, and gelato — and we did it for about $2,000 out of pocket in flight fees. That's the power of points and miles done right!

If a trip like this feels out of reach right now, I promise — it doesn't have to be. You don't need to be a points expert. You just need to know where to start.

Mockup of A Beginner's Guide to Travel Hacking Freebie

FREE Beginner’s Guide to Points and Miles

Want to travel for free?! ✈️ Grab a FREE Beginner's Guide to Points & Miles and learn how to redeem FREE TRAVEL this year! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.

When you apply for a credit card using my affiliate links I earn a commission. I always appreciate it when you support free content by using my affiliate links.

Our Italy Family Vacation on Points and Miles (Rome, Cinque Terre & Florence with Kids)