<p class="ingestion featured-caption">We built our itinerary around a week in Valencia, Spain. Sina Ettmer Photography</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>I took my wife, daughter, and niece on a <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/underrated-european-countries-for-summer-travel-better-than-tourist-favorites-2024-5">five-country Europe trip</a> to celebrate my wife's birthday.</li><li>We booked most of the <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/staying-at-hotel-that-used-to-be-airport-twa-review-jfk-2022">flights and hotel rooms</a> using credit-card points and miles.</li></ul><p>A year before my wife's 52nd birthday, I knew I wanted to do something special to celebrate the milestone. She loves to travel as much as I do, so I started planning a surprise trip.</p><p>In our eight years together, we've <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-travels-full-time-struggles-not-seeing-kids-all-time-2022-4">traveled to 26 countries</a>. We've kissed at the top of the Eiffel Tower, almost lost our stomachs riding camels at the Giza Pyramids, and shared so many other found travel memories.</p><p>I felt pressure trying to plan the perfect <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/used-credit-card-rewards-pay-for-husbands-birthday-trip-2024-9">birthday trip</a>, but the cost was still a consideration.</p><p>Luckily, after a year of strategically <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-know-before-booking-trips-with-miles-points-expert">saving up credit-card points</a> and miles, I was able to afford a two-week trip across five European countries.</p><p>Here's how I made it so we never flew economy or stayed in budget hotels.</p>