A practical look at the decisions, award bookings and family priorities behind a 13-night trip built around eight nights in Switzerland
Switzerland had been high on the bucket list for both my wife and me. It was also a place our son, his wife and their two children wanted to experience together. As our 50th wedding anniversary approached, we decided this was the right time to turn that shared wish into a family trip.
This was not a day-by-day itinerary built around points at any cost. We began with the experience we wanted: time together in Switzerland, mountain scenery, comfortable stays and enough flexibility for six people. We then used points, free-night certificates and elite benefits strategically to make the bookends of the trip—Venice, Zurich and Amsterdam—more special and more affordable.
The result was a 13-night trip with Switzerland as the pillar: two nights in Venice, three nights in Lugano, three nights in Lauterbrunnen, two nights in Zurich and two nights in Amsterdam, plus the overnight flight to Europe. Here is how—and why—we made the major decisions.
Planning a Family Anniversary Trip Around Switzerland
Our son lives near us in Chicago but travels to Europe several times a month for work. His family often joins him in June, mixing business commitments with vacation time. We had already met them in Madrid in 2021 and spent four wonderful days together, so we knew this kind of trip could work.
His family loves the mountains. We had traveled together to Vail and Aspen, and Jackson Hole had become one of their favorite summer destinations. Switzerland felt like a natural next adventure—and a fitting place to celebrate a major anniversary.
One of our son's larger European offices is in Milan. That initially made northern Italy a logical meeting point, especially because Milan is easy to reach from Chicago and close to several lake regions. He also liked the idea of staying near the lakes while remaining within reach of Milan by train for a day or two of work.
Once his schedule took shape, he could plan meetings in Milan and Zurich before continuing to Frankfurt. That gave the six of us eight nights together in Switzerland. With our own trip limited to about 13 nights, we needed to be selective about what came before and after it.
Why Location Came First
At every stop, we considered how the location would serve the trip before deciding whether the points price was attractive. Venice put us on the Grand Canal; Lugano kept Milan within reach; Lauterbrunnen gave six of us a practical mountain base; and Zurich and Amsterdam let us explore without a car. These five maps show how location shaped the places we chose to stay.
Using Transferable Points to Secure Our Flights
The long-haul flights were the first major piece. Iberia offered business-class award space from Chicago to Madrid for 34,000 Avios per person. That gave us lie-flat seats across the Atlantic and lounge access in Chicago and Madrid, which mattered because we would have a layover before continuing to Italy.
When American Express offered a 25% transfer bonus to Iberia, I made a speculative transfer—but one tied to a specific plan. Instead of transferring points without a use in mind, I knew we were targeting Europe and had identified award space that fit our dates. The bonus reduced the number of Membership Rewards points needed for the Avios we would use.
For the short flight from Madrid to Venice, we booked Iberia business class for 19,500 Avios per person. On a short European flight, the seat itself was not the attraction; the schedule, baggage allowance and airport experience were the practical benefits. Most importantly, Venice placed us exactly where we wanted to begin.
Why We Chose Venice Over Milan and Geneva
Milan would have been the simplest gateway to the lakes, but it was not the place we most wanted to revisit for our anniversary. We live in Chicago and enjoy city life at home. For these first two nights, we wanted someplace that felt unmistakably different.
Geneva was another possibility, but Venice kept pulling us back. We had loved it during our 2019 Italy trip, and returning for our 50th anniversary felt right. It was romantic, familiar and still easy enough to connect onward to Lugano.
We considered the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, but its island location would have made short visits into central Venice less convenient. With only two nights, location mattered more than resort space. We chose The St. Regis Venice for its setting on the Grand Canal and booked the stay for 239,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. The cash price for our dates was approximately $3,958. Our Marriott status also gave us a chance at an upgrade, although we never plan a trip assuming an upgrade will happen.
Choosing Lugano Instead of Lake Como
Lake Como was the first lake we considered. It is often treated as the headline destination in northern Italy, and there were several appealing hotels. But the award rates and cash prices for the rooms we wanted were extremely high. At some properties, a room with a meaningful lake view costs several hundred thousand points per night.
A Hilton search led me across the border to The View Lugano in Switzerland. The property offered spacious accommodations with balconies overlooking Lake Lugano, and the room configurations were far more useful for our family than many European hotels. Occupancy rules can be strict in Europe, so the ability to reserve two rooms that would legally accommodate all six of us was essential.
When we booked in fall 2024, junior-suite award space was available for 110,000 Hilton Honors points per night. We reserved two rooms for three nights using 550,000 points and one Hilton free-night certificate. That certificate came from a Hilton card strategy that fits an already defined travel goal. It was not a reason to create a trip; it was a tool that helped make the trip possible.
The View also worked geographically. Our son could reach Milan when needed, while the rest of the family could enjoy Lugano. Breakfast was included through Hilton status, and parking was complimentary—two benefits that had real value for a family of six traveling in Switzerland.
Why We Rented an 8-Passenger Van for Six People
Switzerland's rail system is excellent, and trains are the right choice for many travelers. For our specific trip, however, an 8-passenger van for six people made more sense. We had luggage, different interests, a work schedule to accommodate and several places we wanted freedom to visit without rebuilding the day around train times.
The van gave our son's family flexibility to go bouldering near Lugano. Later, it made an unplanned stop in Interlaken easy and let us adjust our days as weather and energy levels changed. The original spreadsheet included stops in Bellinzona and at Giessbach Falls, but those were not part of the final trip. That is exactly why flexibility matters.
The one-way rental from Lugano to Zurich cost under $800 for the week. Split across six people, it was reasonable, and it avoided the cost and coordination of buying separate train tickets and moving luggage through multiple stations. It was not the conventional choice for Switzerland, but it was the right choice for our family.
Finding a Family Base in Lauterbrunnen
For the Bernese Oberland portion of the trip, we looked at several bases. Wengen was tempting, but it is car-free. Because we had chosen the van, Lauterbrunnen was the better fit. We found a three-bedroom chalet with free parking and room for all six of us for less than $350 per night.
The chalet was within walking distance of town and gave us a comfortable place to be together. From Lauterbrunnen, we could explore Trümmelbach Falls, Wengen and Gimmelwald, take in the mountain scenery and make decisions day by day. This was the least points-focused part of the trip—and one of the clearest examples of planning around the experience instead of the loyalty program.
Completing the Trip with Zurich and Amsterdam
Our flight home helped determine the final part of the trip. KLM business-class awards from Amsterdam to Chicago were available for 60,000 Flying Blue miles per person, plus $762 in total taxes and fees for the two tickets. We booked the flight first and then worked backward.
A KLM flight from Zurich to Amsterdam on June 24 was available for 20,000 Flying Blue miles per person, plus $84 in total fees. It arrived before noon, leaving us almost two full days in Amsterdam before our June 26 flight home.
That created a natural finish: two nights in Zurich after returning the van, followed by two nights in Amsterdam. It also gave our son an easy departure point for his onward business trip.
Using Chase Points for Park Hyatt Zurich and Andaz Amsterdam
Zurich was the most difficult hotel stop to solve. We needed two rooms for four adults and two children, and cash rates were high. World of Hyatt became the best option because Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio and Hyatt's award pricing was far more reasonable than the cash cost for our dates.
Over several years, we have built a Chase balance through welcome offers and regular spending across Sapphire, Ink and Freedom cards. The important part was not opening cards simply to collect points. We had a plan for the points: a family trip with specific high-cost hotel nights where Hyatt transfers could create meaningful value.
We booked two rooms for two nights at Park Hyatt Zurich for a total of 180,000 World of Hyatt points. The combined cash price for the rooms was approximately $10,128. The hotel was also well located near the lake, the river, and Old Town, which made it easy to explore without a car.
Friends with Hyatt Globalist status generously gifted us two Guest of Honor awards and a Suite Upgrade Award. Those benefits improved the stay with confirmed or potential room upgrades, breakfast, and waived parking. The exact value of an elite benefit depends on the trip, but in an expensive city and for a group of six, breakfast and parking were substantial savings.
For Amsterdam, we chose Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht for its location near the Anne Frank House, the Nine Streets, the Jordaan and the canals. We booked two nights for 58,000 World of Hyatt points when the cash price was approximately $1,550. The hotel gave us a comfortable final stop and allowed us to use the same Chase-to-Hyatt strategy without forcing every hotel on the trip into one brand.
What Our Stays Added to the Trip
The value went beyond the nightly rate. We remember the Grand Canal from our upgraded room, the lake and mountain scenery we shared as a family, and breakfasts that made expensive city stays easier for our group. These photos show what the bookings added to the experience.
Our Final 13-Night Route
| Dates | Nights | Base | Why it fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 13–14 | 1 | Overnight flight | Iberia business class from Chicago via Madrid |
| June 14–16 | 2 | Venice | Anniversary return visit and Grand Canal stay |
| June 16–19 | 3 | Lugano | Lake setting, Milan access, and family-size rooms |
| June 19–22 | 3 | Lauterbrunnen | Chalet base for family mountain adventures |
| June 22–24 | 2 | Zurich | Final Swiss stop and convenient onward flight |
| June 24–26 | 2 | Amsterdam | Two-day stopover before the flight home |
The Strategy Behind the Points
The points did not determine the trip. The trip determined how we used the points. We decided where the family wanted to go, how much time we had, and which experiences mattered most. Then we matched the expensive pieces of that plan with the programs that offered the best fit.
- Iberia Avios and an American Express transfer bonus helped reduce the cost of business-class flights to Europe.
- Marriott Bonvoy points made a two-night Grand Canal stay in Venice possible.
- Hilton points and a free-night certificate covered two rooms for our family in Lugano.
- A cash-paid chalet gave us the space and location we wanted in Lauterbrunnen.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt unlocked high value stays in Zurich and Amsterdam.
- Flying Blue miles provided the Zurich-to-Amsterdam connection and business-class flight home.
We also booked awards with flexible cancellation whenever possible. Award space and hotel pricing change, and family plans can change with them. Flexibility let us secure good options early without locking ourselves in every detail before the trip was ready.
What We Learned
The best award trip is not necessarily the one with the highest cents-per-point calculation. It is the one that uses points to remove the costs that would otherwise keep you from taking the trip you want.
For us, that meant lie-flat seats across the Atlantic, special hotels at both ends of the journey, enough room for a family of six and the freedom of an 8-passenger van through Switzerland. Some nights were booked with points, some with a certificate and some with cash. The mix mattered less than the result.
This trip worked because we had a goal before we began transferring points: celebrate our 50th anniversary, spend meaningful time with our family and finally experience Switzerland together. Every booking was evaluated against that goal.
Final Thoughts
Our 50th anniversary trip was a major splurge, but it was also a carefully planned one. Transferable points, hotel currencies, a free-night certificate and elite benefits helped us spend where it mattered and save where we could. The strategy gave us comfort and memorable hotels, but the eight days of family adventures in Switzerland were the heart of the trip.
The next stories will go deeper into the individual stays at The St. Regis Venice, The View Lugano, Park Hyatt Zurich, and Andaz Amsterdam, along with the flights and our family route through Switzerland. This article is the planning prologue: the decisions that connected those experiences into one anniversary journey.