France has been one in every of my favourite locations on the planet since I first traveled to Grenoble as a highschool trade scholar almost 30 years in the past. The next yr, I turned 16 whereas spending a magical summer time in Paris, finding out artwork historical past and taking discipline journeys to the town’s landmark museums.
Since these long-ago days, I’ve returned to France numerous occasions, exploring each its main cities and hidden corners. I’ve lounged on its sunny Mediterranean seashores, hiked from fort to fort alongside the rugged Cathar Path, sampled wines from well-known areas like Champagne and Bordeaux, celebrated life occasions with French household pals and simply usually fallen deeper and deeper in love with the nation.
This previous summer time, I wished to share my ardour for journey — and for France specifically — with my brother (one other avowed Francophile) and his three youngsters: my two teenage nephews and my 9-year-old niece. Given the children’ packed schedules, we determined to journey there the primary week in August, proper earlier than they had been as a result of be again in class. That approach, we might additionally have a good time my birthday collectively.
Our itinerary took us from the bustling streets of Paris to the winding medieval alleys of Avignon and eventually to the seashores of Antibes. It was an bold plan, however due to my Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card, I used to be in a position to ebook us a dream household journey and save hundreds of {dollars} as well.
Associated: Luxurious perks for an inexpensive value with the Enterprise X
Saving cash utilizing Enterprise X’s $300 Capital One Journey credit score
My favourite perk of the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card can be most likely its most simple: Every card membership yr, cardholders obtain a $300 credit score for bookings by means of Capital One Journey, together with flight, resort and rental automobile purchases (phrases apply).
I hadn’t but tapped the credit score for my present membership yr, so I utilized it towards the airfare for my brother and his youngsters. For his or her tickets, I bought a mixture of Air France flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Delta Air Traces flights from Good Cote d’Azur Airport (NCE) again to the U.S.
This credit score saved me $300 proper off the bat. Plus, I earned 5 miles per greenback on the remainder of the airfare bought by way of Capital One Journey, which I used to be in a position to put towards a few of our different journey bills.
Leveraging Capital One’s switch companions
I ended up touring to Paris just a few days earlier than my household as a result of some work commitments, so I made a decision to deal with myself to a flight in Air France’s new enterprise class. When you’ve got the Capital One Enterprise X card (amongst a handful of different Capital One playing cards), you possibly can switch your miles at a 1:1 fee to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue frequent flyer program (phrases and circumstances of the Enterprise X card and the miles switch associate program apply).
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I discovered a one-way award ticket for 80,000 miles plus $204 in taxes and costs. So, as an alternative of paying the going airfare on the time, which was round $5,000, I transferred 80,000 Capital One miles to my Flying Blue account, the place they confirmed up immediately, and redeemed them for a nonstop flight to Paris. That approach, I could possibly be rested and relaxed for my household journey.
Upgrades, credit and breakfast with Capital One’s Premier Assortment
Early in 2023, Capital One launched its Premier Assortment, a curated group of luxurious accommodations and resorts across the globe that Enterprise X cardholders can ebook by means of Capital One Journey (phrases apply).
Along with incomes 10 miles per greenback on Premier Assortment resort bookings, Enterprise X cardholders can count on the next value-added advantages for every room throughout their keep:
- An on-property “expertise credit score” of $100 to make use of towards issues like eating, spa therapies or different actions distinctive to every keep
- Day by day breakfast for 2 individuals
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
You might also obtain these further advantages in the event that they’re out there throughout your keep:
- Room improve at check-in
- Early check-in
- Late checkout
One in every of my favourite accommodations in Paris, the historic Resort Lutetia on the town’s Left Financial institution, occurs to be one of many Premier Assortment properties within the metropolis, so I made a decision to ebook our keep there.
I reserved a two-room suite for my brother and his youngsters and bought myself a deluxe room with a balcony, although once I arrived, I discovered I might been upgraded to a junior suite with a balcony. This suite would usually value a further $500 to $600 per night time and was way more spacious than the room I had reserved. I could not imagine my luck as I opened the home windows overlooking leafy Boulevard Raspail and took within the sights and sounds of the town.
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I had arrived at midday, properly earlier than the resort’s 3 p.m. check-in time, however due to my Premier Assortment advantages — and since the resort had our room out there — I used to be in a position to verify in early.
I additionally discovered a welcome amenity ready for me. It featured contemporary fruit, cookies, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and the piece de resistance: a chocolate reproduction of the resort’s brand, a crusing ship just like the one discovered on Paris’ coat of arms (which I later smashed with a offered picket mallet so I might take pleasure in items of it).
As a result of I had made our bookings by means of the Premier Assortment, my brother and I each obtained complimentary breakfast each day. At Resort Lutetia, that meant a full American breakfast (assume: a collection of contemporary fruit, pastries, cereal and different chilly objects together with scorching made-to-order dishes like omelets, avocado toast and waffles) both by way of room service or within the resort’s traditional Brasserie Lutetia. All advised, it amounted to over $60 in worth per individual, per day.
Plus, I bought a $100 on-property expertise credit score to make use of, which got here in useful when my brother and I had been eager to sneak all the way down to Bar Josephine to have a quiet cocktail collectively one night after the children had been in mattress (strive the Resistance, a rum-based drink with coconut oil, lapsang and licorice that packs a punch).
Rails, leases and rivers in Avignon
After just a few days exploring the Metropolis of Mild, together with an unbelievable personal boat tour alongside the Seine and a cease by the Rodin Museum with its stunning grounds, we hopped on the practice and headed 2 1/2 hours south to Avignon.
As a result of the practice tickets had been a journey buy, I made a decision to redeem 20,000 Capital One miles towards the cost on my Enterprise X card assertion to avoid wasting $200.
It’s also possible to hire a automobile to make getting round Avignon simpler, and with Enterprise X, you get complimentary Hertz President’s Circle standing to skip the rental counter and revel in car-class upgrades at taking part places (phrases apply).
Throughout our Avignon go to, we spent a day exploring the charming metropolis’s slender streets and the imposing Palace of the Popes; drove to the close by hilltop city of Les Baux-de-Provence to do some procuring and take a look at the ruins of its fort, the place the children all bought to strive their hand firing a crossbow; and went kayaking beneath the traditional Roman arched aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, one morning.
Then, we headed south towards the Mediterranean for our previous couple of days in France. Fortunately, I had my Enterprise X readily available that I might faucet in any respect the tollbooths alongside the nation’s autoroutes, incomes 2 miles per greenback for these purchases. (As a result of I can redeem miles towards eligible journey purchases, I might’ve additionally opted to cowl these fees inside 90 days of our drive.)
Calissons and the Cote d’Azur
Our subsequent vacation spot was the seashore city of Juan-les-Pins by Antibes, however alongside the best way, we stopped at a stupendous patisserie known as Maison Weibel within the metropolis of Aix-en-Provence to bask in some pastries and calissons, a regional candy constructed from almonds, citrus and melon glazed in sugar that the children devoured.
The ocean was calling, although, so we continued on to Antibes, the place we discovered a seashore membership for lunch and a nap within the solar earlier than spending a while frolicking within the mild surf. That night, we drove to Cannes, a few half-hour away, and chartered a ship for a fast journey out to some close by islands for sundown, a brief snorkel and to savor a picnic of delicacies we might picked up alongside the best way. It occurred to be my birthday, and I could not consider a greater option to spend it.
Figuring out I might saved hundreds of {dollars} on my journey with my Enterprise X card made it all of the extra fulfilling.
Official software hyperlink: Capital One Enterprise X with 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening
