How to Book an England & Ireland Vacation Using Points and Miles: Our Dream 10 Year Anniversary Vacation
Big Ben, London
Dreaming of visiting England and Ireland but worried about the cost?
You're not alone. Between flights, hotels, transportation, and food, a 10-day trip can easily cost well over $10,000—especially if you've always wanted to experience business class flights or stay in luxury hotels.
For our 10-year anniversary, my husband and I spent 10 unforgettable days exploring London, York, Liverpool, and Dublin. Instead of paying the full retail price of $14,264.85, we used points and miles we'd earned over the last 1.5 years to bring our total out-of-pocket cost down to just $1,516.79.
In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly how we booked our flights and hotels, how many points we used, and why I believe points and miles are one of the best tools busy families can use to make dream trips more affordable.
Why We Chose England & Ireland for Our Anniversary
When we started dreaming about our 10-year anniversary trip, choosing England and Ireland felt like the obvious choice.
Beyond being two destinations we'd always wanted to explore, they also represent where our families came from. My heritage is overwhelmingly Irish, while my husband's family traces its roots to England. There was something incredibly meaningful about walking the streets, castles, countryside, and historic cities that shaped our ancestors' stories.
Our itinerary included:
Four nights in London
Two nights in York
One night in Liverpool
Three nights in Dublin
It was the perfect mix of world-famous landmarks, charming historic cities, and opportunities to experience places that felt personally connected to our own family history. Celebrating ten years of marriage while exploring the countries our ancestors once called home made this trip even more memorable.
(I'll share our complete day-by-day England & Ireland itinerary in a separate post.)
How We Earned the Points and Miles
The Quirky Cafe, York, UK
One of the biggest misconceptions about points and miles is that you need to travel constantly or spend enormous amounts of money to earn them. That’s simply not true.
This trip came together over 1.5 years by using a handful of travel rewards credit cards responsibly, earning welcome offers, and putting our everyday spending on those cards instead of debit cards or cash. We paid every statement in full and never carried a balance.
For this trip, all of the Chase points we used were earned from the welcome offers and everyday spending on Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Ink Unlimited® and Ink Cash® cards—one of each for both my husband and me. Our Capital One miles came from my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and my husband's Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
We didn't earn these rewards overnight, and we certainly didn't spend $14,000 to save $14,000. We simply let our normal household spending work for us over time. If you're just getting started with points and miles, that's the biggest lesson I'd want you to take away: consistency matters far more than trying to earn everything at once.
Outbound Flight
Swiss International Air Lines Business Class
160,000 United MileagePlus miles transferred from Chase
Retail cost: $4,866
Paid (taxes and fees only): $44
I'll be completely honest—I didn't magically arrive in London feeling perfectly rested. I'm not someone who sleeps well on airplanes, even with a lay flat seat, and the overnight timing still meant we landed pretty sleep deprived. But would I book business class again for a trip like this? Absolutely.
Having a spacious seat that converted into a bed, exceptional meals, attentive service, lounge access before departure, and room to actually relax made the journey feel like part of the vacation instead of something we just had to endure. It was our first time flying long-haul business class, and celebrating our 10-year anniversary this way made the trip feel extra special from the moment we boarded.
Return Flight
KLM Business Class booked through Flying Blue
118,000 Flying Blue miles transferred from Chase
Retail cost: $4,713
Paid (taxes and fees only): $622.50
Although Flying Blue charges higher taxes and fees than some airline programs, we still found this to be an incredible redemption. Taxes and fees for flights leaving Europe are generally always more expensive so this is unavoidable. Experiencing business class on two different international airlines was one of the highlights of the trip and gave us a chance to compare two excellent products that we'd likely never have paid cash to experience. The KLM Flight was definitely our favorite.
Total Flight Value
Retail value: $9,579
Out-of-pocket cost: $666.50
Hotels We Booked with Hyatt, Marriott, and Capital One Miles
One of my favorite parts of this trip was staying at hotels we probably would have admired from afar if we were paying cash.
Great Scotland Yard Hotel, London
The Great Scotland Yard, London
4 Nights
100,000 Hyatt points transferred from Chase
Retail price: $1,948
This quickly became one of our favorite Hyatt stays. The location was incredible, allowing us to walk to many of London's most iconic attractions while enjoying a boutique hotel that felt perfect for celebrating our anniversary.
The Grand York, York
The Grand, York
2 Nights
Retail price: $729.34
Instead of redeeming hotel points, we booked this stay with cash and then used 57,588 Capital One miles through the Purchase Eraser feature.
Our final cost?
Just $153.46.
Sometimes the best redemption isn't transferring points—it's simply erasing a travel purchase afterward. The Grand York was our favorite stay with an amazing location, huge rooms atypical for Europe, and a fabulous breakfast.
Aloft Liverpool
1 Night
28,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred from Chase
Retail price: $256
This was the perfect overnight stop between York and Dublin, allowing us to take an easy and quick flight to Dublin.
Hyatt Centric Dublin
3 Nights
Retail price: $1,055.68
We once again used Capital One Purchase Eraser to cover the cost, redeeming 105,568 Capital One miles and paying nothing out of pocket for the hotel.
England & Ireland Trip Cost: Cash vs. Points
Hotels Booked With Points and Miles
| Hotel | Retail Price | Points or Miles Used | Out of Pocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Scotland Yard Hotel, London | $1,948.00 | 100,000 Hyatt points | $0 |
| The Grand, York | $729.34 | 57,588 Capital One miles | $153.46 |
| Aloft Liverpool | $256.00 | 28,000 Marriott Bonvoy points | $0 |
| Hyatt Centric Dublin | $1,055.68 | 105,568 Capital One miles | $0 |
| Hotel Total | $3,989.02 | 291,156 points and miles | $153.46 |
Business Class Flights Booked With Miles
| Flight | Retail Price | Miles Used | Taxes and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss International Air Lines Business Class | $4,866.00 | 160,000 United MileagePlus miles | $44.00 |
| KLM Business Class | $4,713.00 | 118,000 Flying Blue miles | $622.50 |
| Flight Total | $9,579.00 | 278,000 miles | $666.50 |
Trip Savings at a Glance
| Hotels and Flights Retail Value | $13,568.02 |
| Other Transportation and Credit Card Fees | $696.83 |
| Total Trip Retail Value | $14,264.85 |
| Total Points and Miles Used | 569,156 |
| Total Out-of-Pocket Cost | $1,516.79 |
| Total Savings | $12,748.06 |
Other Expenses
Not every travel expense can be booked with points, so we also paid for:
Trains throughout England, including London Tube Visitor Oyster Cards
Ryanair Flight from England to Ireland
Dublin Leap Card
Credit card annual fees to make it happen.
These totaled $697.33.
Was Booking England & Ireland with Points Worth It?
Without question. People often assume points and miles are only for luxury travelers or frequent flyers. I actually think they're even more valuable for ordinary families who want to travel without sacrificing years of savings for one vacation. Points and Miles aren't just about flying business class or staying in luxury hotels. They're about creating experiences that might otherwise feel out of reach.
For us, that meant celebrating ten years of marriage exploring two incredible countries together—without spending over $14,000 to do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points do you need for a trip to England and Ireland?
It depends on your flights, travel dates, and hotel choices. For this trip, we redeemed 569,156 total points and miles across several loyalty programs, while paying about $1,500 out of pocket for taxes, transportation, and other travel expenses. Had we flown economy or economy plus, we would have used far less.
Is business class to Europe worth booking with points?
For overnight flights, absolutely. In fact, booking with points is the only way I would personally fly long-haul business class. The cash price is simply more than I'd ever be willing to pay—I would much rather put that money toward experiences at my destination. But using points and miles made it possible to enjoy an experience that would have otherwise been out of reach, and for a special trip like our 10-year anniversary, it was absolutely worth it.
Can beginners really book Europe using points and miles?
Absolutely. While our strategy combined several loyalty programs, beginners can start with just one flexible rewards card and gradually build toward trips like this over time.
Read Next:
Howth Peninsula, Ireland
If you're planning your own trip, these guides will walk you through every stop on our journey:
One day in Liverpool - Coming Soon
Three days in Dublin - Coming Soon - Coming Soon
Beginner's guide to earning travel points and miles
I hope this post shows that a dream trip doesn't always require a dream budget. Sometimes, it's simply about learning how to make your points work harder for you.
