...constantly searching to find the best travel deals and places to visit. A never-ending quest for adventure!

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Family trip: visiting Murren

Mom specifically requested a trip to Switzerland and the Alps, and I was more than happy to plan and share one of my favorite places: Murren.  I was wondering how the weather would hold this time of year and we were treated with amazing sun, warmth, and snow!



It was the first time visiting the Eiger Guesthouse and the room did not disappoint.  I also liked its close proximity to the BLM station.


We had time to take a hike on one of the lower trails and had nice conversations with a local man also on the same path before finding dinner at a Rick Steve's recommended restaurant, Hotel Restaurant La Grotte.



Sunday, April 9, 2017

Treating Mom: Flights and stays

I had my eye on flights to get us over to Switz for some time, but the challenge is to find mileage options along with a paid ticket itinerary that matches (and doesn't make you break the bank in the process).  Thankfully, mom's flight options were fairly straightforward - I also needed to get her to Newark to meet me before we took off for Zurich.

American miles to get mom to EWR: 54,000
United miles to Zurich: 180,000 (a surprise: Polaris Business class!)

For places to stay I once again used Booking.com and found some fantastic deals.  We'll be staying at the following locations:

Eiger Guesthouse

Hotel Alpha

Park Hyatt Zurich

The best way I've found to get around Switz is to use the train system - fast, efficient, and always on time.  As luck would have it, a March promotion was happening on RailEurope that took 30% of tickets purchased through 3/27...and made the cost of a 2nd class pass the same as 1st class.  Score!  Quantities were limited and I'm fortunate we could take advantage.

Saturday, April 1, 2017

New Chase Freedom Bonus Categories

Don't forget!

If you have and use a Chase Freedom card, the 2nd Quarter bonuses are now in effect (provided you clicked enroll for this quarter).  As a reminder, Chase offers 5x points on all purchases at grocery stores and drug stores up to $1500 until June 30.

The 5x points you earn are transferrable to Ultimate Rewards if you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Reserve, or other premium card.

I'd be happy to refer you if you're interested. Or you can also use the following link and receive the bonus on sign up:  Chase Freedom