How To Book a 2027 European Spring Break With Virgin Points

You can do a lot with Virgin Atlantic points, including having an epic spring break adventure in various European destinations.

With excellent redemption rates, it’s fairly simple to get a decent award for a reasonable amount of points — and there’s a current Amex transfer bonus that can help your points stretch even further.

Here’s how to plan a 2027 European spring break trip using Virgin points.

How To Get More Virgin Points

You can earn Virgin points by flying with the airline, but you can also transfer them from various credit card programs:

• Wells Fargo Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio (new!)
• Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio
• Capital One Miles to Virgin Red at a 1:1 ratio
• Citi ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 or 1:0.7 ratio (depending on card)
• Rove Miles to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio
• Bilt Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio
• American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio

Hilton Honors points and Marriott Bonvoy points also transfer to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at ratios of 10:1 and 3:1, respectively.

Take Advantage of Amex’s 30% Transfer Bonus to Virgin

Right now, the best option for earning Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points is to transfer them from Amex Membership Rewards, because for a limited time, American Express Membership Rewards cardholders can transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club with a 30% bonus.

The 30% bonus transfer promotion runs from November 2 through November 30, and you can get the bonus if you transfer points from the following cards: the American Express^® Gold Card, the Platinum Card^® from American Express, the American Express^® Business Gold Card, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express, and the American Express^® Classic Green Card (closed to new applicants)*.

*The information regarding the American Express^® Classic Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and neither provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Hot Tip:

There’s also a 30% transfer bonus from Capital One to 2 Virgin programs: Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, through November 20.

Plan a Virgin-Fueled Spring Break Trip to These European Destinations

From a breezy and affordable trip to the U.K to a Greek Island adventure or Madrid foodie trip, Virgin points can take you far.

The U.K. on Virgin Atlantic

You can fly from several U.S. hubs to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) nonstop on Virgin Atlantic. Although you have to fork over some cash for taxes and fees (starting around $200 for economy seats), the low points rates make it worth it. You can fly from a northeast airport like New York (JFK) round-trip for 12,000 points. If you factor in the 30% transfer bonus, the round-trip ticket will cost you just 10,000 points.

Hot Tip:

If you prefer to fly in style, one-way pricing for premium economy tickets starts at 10,500 points (9,000 points if you factor in the transfer bonus) and at 29,000 points (23,000 points if you factor in the transfer bonus) in Upper class. Don’t forget that the taxes and fees are higher.

What To Do

Once there, you can stroll around London’s Kew Gardens, which will be blooming come spring, or if it’s a rainy day, opt for some culture at the British Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). Down south, there’s the Bath Fringe Festival, which occurs in late spring.

Where To Stay

Stay at London Shoreditch’s Virgin hotel (rooms feature SMEG mini fridges and sit-down vanities), or hop on a high-speed train and be in Edinburgh in just 4 hours, where you can use your Virgin points to stay at the brand’s Edinburgh location (rooms have vintage telephones and some have views of the iconic Edinburgh Castle).

Award nights start at 60,000 Virgin Points, but thanks to the 30% Amex transfer bonus, that number starts at 47,000 points.

Hot Tip:

You have to book Virgin Hotels through the Virgin Red program, but you can link your 2 Virgin accounts (Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red) to transfer points between them.

Spain via Air France or KLM

Fly to destinations like Barcelona or Madrid on Air France or KLM using Virgin points. Virgin doesn’t have an award chart for its own flights, but it has an award chart for Flying Blue, which makes it easy to see how many points you’ll need.

Fly between the U.S. and Western Europe on Air France or KLM for as low as 12,000 Virgin points one-way in economy, 24,000 points in premium economy, or 48,500 points in Business class on off-peak dates. Using the transfer bonus, this would be 10,000, 19,000, and 38,000, respectively, each way, plus taxes and fees. These rates are for off-peak dates, and peak dates will cost more.

Plan to change planes in a destination like Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG), then continue on to a city like Madrid or Barcelona.

What To Do

Madrid is a city for strolling and eating. Start at Puerta del Sol, then walk down to the famed Plaza Mayor, where 237 balconies face a statue of King Philip III. Then, continue on down Calle Mayor to Calle de Bailén to visit the Almudena Cathedral and the Palacio Real (the largest in Western Europe), and its accompanying labyrinth-like Sabatini Gardens.

Hop from tapas bar to tapas bar, or consider taking a tapas tour with Joy of Madrid, or a luxury food tour with Elysian Tales. Art lovers should explore the city’s Golden Art Triangle, which includes 3 famous museums: the Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofía, and the Thyssen Bornemisza.

Barcelona feels more laid back and more international, and its proximity to the Mediterranean means you can enjoy lazy beach afternoons devouring paella. But if tourism is your plan, the highlight here is its architecture — namely, Gaudi’s iconic Sagrada Familia.

There’s also the Casa Milá (La Pedrera) and fish-like Casa Batlló, both Gaudi-designed. Don’t miss heading up by cable car to Montjuïc Mountain, home to cultural attractions like the National Art Museum and the Fundació Joan Miró.

Where To Stay

Start by checking Virgin Red for Virgin Limited Edition stays, which may include specific properties in Spain.

In the capital, consider staying at the Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid, set on the bustling Gran Vía street with a gorgeous rooftop overlooking the city. Spring rates start around $500 or 40,000 Hyatt points per night.

For a trip to Barcelona, Marriott’s Cotton House Hotel, Autograph Collection is a boutique-style hotel set in a former textile factory. Spring rates start around $330 or 81,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Italy on Delta Airlines

Delta uses dynamic pricing, which means it can often cost hundreds of thousands of points to fly even a one-way between the U.S. and Europe. But if you fly on Delta metal and pay with Virgin points, you can really save, because Virgin offers a fixed-price award chart for Delta.

For example, flying between the east or central U.S. (cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Tampa, or Miami) and Europe on Delta on off-peak dates costs:

• 30,000 Virgin points and $5.60 in Delta Main Cabin
• 32,500 Virgin points and $503.50 in Delta Premium Select
• 47,500 Virgin points and $1,032.30 in Delta One

Although the taxes and fees increase significantly as the class of service goes up, it’s still a great deal, considering you might spend 500,000 Delta Miles for the same flight. Plus, you can fly to many cities in Italy nonstop from a hub like New York, like Catania in Sicily, Rome, and Milan. Factor in the transfer bonus, and you could get these tickets for 24,000 points, 25,000, or 37,000 points.

What To Do

Rome is best for tourists or first-timers, with much to do and see — famous attractions such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, and of course, never-ending quantities of pizza and gelato.

Meanwhile, Milan is sophisticated and cool. Go beyond the Duomo di Milano (the city’s towering cathedral) and big shopping streets to visit more local areas of the city, such as the Navigli canal district, full of boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants, or stroll the verdant Parco Sempione and admire the 15th-century Sforzesco Castle.

Sicily is for travelers in search of a different Italy — but don’t expect things to be straightforward. The island moves at its own pace. Whether you’re exploring the hilltop villages in Val di Noto or hitting the famous beaches such as San Vito Lo Capo, where you could actually see beach weather in late spring, it’s best to slow down and savor the moment. The best way to see the island is to rent a car and explore.

Where To Stay

In Rome, opt for Hilton’s Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It’s set high above the city, away from the tourist chaos, so you can enjoy quiet moments after big days out exploring. Spring rates start around $600 or 100,000 Hilton points per night, but can go much higher.

Meanwhile, in Milan, opt for a chic and comfortable stay at the Hotel Indigo Milan, which is located in the historic city center. With just 51 rooms, the space feels boutique-like, but is still relatively affordable, with spring rates starting at $300 or 70,000 IHG Rewards points per night.

If Sicily is on your radar, the Ortea Palace Hotel is an Autograph Collection property located in a former post office that dates back to 1920, overlooking the stunning Gulf of Ortigia. Spring rates start around $600 per night or just 47,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

A Virgin Voyages Cruise Through the Mediterranean

If you’re looking for a no-fuss, adults-only cruise through the Mediterranean, Virgin Voyages has several options to choose from, with rates starting at 160,000 Virgin Red points (remember, you can connect your accounts and move Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points to Virgin Red). If you take the transfer bonus into account, this cost could be as low as 124,000 points. However, rates can rise as high as 680,000 points, though this would be 525,000 if you use the Amex transfer bonus.

Although you can choose your departure port, you could use Virgin points to fly on KLM or Delta to a destination such as Barcelona or Athens. Then, catch your Virgin Voyages cruise out of one of those ports. Just know you’ll also have to pay for taxes and fees on your cruise, so save a little extra cash to account for that additional cost.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to transfer points to Virgin to book a spring break European adventure. Take advantage of the Amex transfer bonus (and other transfer bonuses) to get more points and therefore, more affordable redemptions. Although you can always redeem Virgin points for Virgin experiences (flights, hotels, cruises, and more), using them to book partner airlines can be especially lucrative, especially because Virgin Atlantic has partner award charts and you aren’t held to dynamic pricing.