France has been one of my favorite destinations in the world since I first traveled to Grenoble as a high school exchange student nearly 30 years ago. The following year, I turned 16 while spending a magical summer in Paris, studying art history and taking field trips to the city’s landmark museums.
Since those long-ago days, I’ve returned to France countless times, exploring both its major cities and hidden corners. I’ve lounged on its sunny Mediterranean beaches, hiked from castle to castle along the rugged Cathar Trail, sampled wines from famous regions like Champagne and Bordeaux, celebrated life events with French family friends and just generally fallen deeper and deeper in love with the country.
This past summer, I wanted to share my passion for travel — and for France in particular — with my brother (another avowed Francophile) and his three kids: my two teenage nephews and my 9-year-old niece. Given the kids’ packed schedules, we decided to travel there the first week in August, right before they were due to be back in school. That way, we could also celebrate my birthday together.
Our itinerary took us from the bustling streets of Paris to the winding medieval alleys of Avignon and finally to the beaches of Antibes. It was an ambitious plan, but thanks to my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, I was able to book us a dream family trip and save thousands of dollars to boot.
Related: Luxury perks for a reasonable cost with the Venture X
Saving money using Venture X’s $300 Capital One Travel credit
My favorite perk of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is also probably its most straightforward: Each card membership year, cardholders receive a $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, including flight, hotel and rental car purchases (terms apply).
I hadn’t yet tapped the credit for my current membership year, so I applied it toward the airfare for my brother and his kids. For their tickets, I purchased a combination of Air France flights to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Delta Air Lines flights from Nice Cote d’Azur Airport (NCE) back to the U.S.
This credit saved me $300 right off the bat. Plus, I earned 5 miles per dollar on the rest of the airfare purchased via Capital One Travel, which I was able to put toward some of our other trip expenses.
Leveraging Capital One’s transfer partners
I ended up traveling to Paris a few days before my family due to some work commitments, so I decided to treat myself to a flight in Air France’s new business class. If you have the Capital One Venture X card (among a handful of other Capital One cards), you can transfer your miles at a 1:1 rate to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue frequent flyer program (terms and conditions of the Venture X card and the miles transfer partner program apply).
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I found a one-way award ticket for 80,000 miles plus $204 in taxes and fees. So, instead of paying the going airfare at the time, which was around $5,000, I transferred 80,000 Capital One miles to my Flying Blue account, where they showed up instantly, and redeemed them for a nonstop flight to Paris. That way, I could be rested and relaxed for my family trip.
Upgrades, credits and breakfast with Capital One’s Premier Collection
Early in 2023, Capital One launched its Premier Collection, a curated group of luxury hotels and resorts around the globe that Venture X cardholders can book through Capital One Travel (terms apply).
In addition to earning 10 miles per dollar on Premier Collection hotel bookings, Venture X cardholders can expect the following value-added benefits for each room during their stay:
- An on-property “experience credit” of $100 to use toward things like dining, spa treatments or other activities unique to each stay
- Daily breakfast for two people
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
You may also receive these additional benefits if they’re available during your stay:
- Room upgrade at check-in
- Early check-in
- Late checkout
One of my favorite hotels in Paris, the historic Hotel Lutetia on the city’s Left Bank, happens to be one of the Premier Collection properties in the city, so I decided to book our stay there.
I reserved a two-room suite for my brother and his kids and got myself a deluxe room with a balcony, though when I arrived, I found I’d been upgraded to a junior suite with a balcony. This suite would typically cost an additional $500 to $600 per night and was much more spacious than the room I had reserved. I couldn’t believe my luck as I opened the windows overlooking leafy Boulevard Raspail and took in the sights and sounds of the city.
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I had arrived at noon, well before the hotel’s 3 p.m. check-in time, but thanks to my Premier Collection benefits — and because the hotel had our room available — I was able to check in early.
I also found a welcome amenity waiting for me. It featured fresh fruit, cookies, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and the piece de resistance: a chocolate replica of the hotel’s logo, a sailing ship like the one found on Paris’ coat of arms (which I later smashed with a provided wooden mallet so I could enjoy pieces of it).
Because I had made our bookings through the Premier Collection, my brother and I both received complimentary breakfast daily. At Hotel Lutetia, that meant a full American breakfast (think: a selection of fresh fruit, pastries, cereal and other cold items along with hot made-to-order dishes like omelets, avocado toast and waffles) either via room service or in the hotel’s classic Brasserie Lutetia. All told, it amounted to over $60 in value per person, per day.
Plus, I got a $100 on-property experience credit to use, which came in handy when my brother and I were keen to sneak down to Bar Josephine to have a quiet cocktail together one evening after the kids were in bed (try the Resistance, a rum-based drink with coconut oil, lapsang and licorice that packs a punch).
Rails, rentals and rivers in Avignon
After a few days exploring the City of Light, including an incredible private boat tour along the Seine and a stop by the Rodin Museum with its beautiful grounds, we hopped on the train and headed 2 1/2 hours south to Avignon.
Because the train tickets were a travel purchase, I decided to redeem 20,000 Capital One miles toward the charge on my Venture X card statement to save $200.
You can also rent a car to make getting around Avignon easier, and with Venture X, you get complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status to skip the rental counter and enjoy car-class upgrades at participating locations (terms apply).
During our Avignon visit, we spent a day exploring the charming city’s narrow streets and the imposing Palace of the Popes; drove to the nearby hilltop town of Les Baux-de-Provence to do a little shopping and check out the ruins of its castle, where the kids all got to try their hand firing a crossbow; and went kayaking under the ancient Roman arched aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, one morning.
Then, we headed south toward the Mediterranean for our last few days in France. Luckily, I had my Venture X on hand that I could tap at all the tollbooths along the country’s autoroutes, earning 2 miles per dollar for those purchases. (Because I can redeem miles toward eligible travel purchases, I could’ve also opted to cover those charges within 90 days of our drive.)
Calissons and the Cote d’Azur
Our next destination was the beach town of Juan-les-Pins by Antibes, but along the way, we stopped at a beautiful patisserie called Maison Weibel in the city of Aix-en-Provence to indulge in some pastries and calissons, a regional sweet made from almonds, citrus and melon glazed in sugar that the kids devoured.
The sea was calling, though, so we continued on to Antibes, where we found a beach club for lunch and a nap in the sun before spending some time frolicking in the gentle surf. That evening, we drove to Cannes, about a half-hour away, and chartered a boat for a quick trip out to some nearby islands for sunset, a short snorkel and to savor a picnic of delicacies we’d picked up along the way. It happened to be my birthday, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.
Knowing I’d saved thousands of dollars on my trip with my Venture X card made it all the more enjoyable.
Official application link: Capital One Venture X with 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
