How To Turn 125K Chase Points Into a Magical Europe Trip This Winter

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® was refreshed with a slew of new benefits over the summer. It switched up its earning categories, added new statement credits, and changed how you redeem points through Chase Travel. While not all of these changes are positive, the additions largely offset its higher $795 annual fee.

Eligible applicants can also score a whopping 125,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is worth at least $2,500 per our valuations, but it’s possible to get even more value when leveraging Chase’s transfer partners for high-end travel.

For instance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s 125,000-point bonus alone can cover flights and hotels for a weeklong solo trip to Europe this winter — perfect for exploring the Continent’s famous Christmas markets, with enough points left to fly business class on the way there.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Overview

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is Chase’s take on the high-end travel rewards credit card. It includes a variety of recently refreshed travel and lifestyle benefits, from airport lounge access to statement credits with StubHub and Apple Music.

On the travel side, you get access to Chase’s own Sapphire Lounges and a Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment that you can use to access thousands of airport lounges worldwide. In addition, you can access select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges when flying with a Star Alliance member airline like United. The card also gives you an annual $300 travel credit, which can be used toward any travel expense, including flights, hotels, Uber rides, and even subway fare.

Other notable travel benefits include up to $500 per year toward hotel bookings with The Edit, reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees, and IHG Platinum Elite status. Plus, you’re eligible for even more perks if you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

125,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$2,500

Annual Fee

$795

APR

19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like worldwide airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus, it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to cover you at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8x points on all Chase Travel purchases
• 5x points on Lyft rides
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly

Cons

• $795 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge^® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^® every 4 years
• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
• Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $250 annually
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Chase Ultimate Rewards

Booking Flights to Europe With Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most versatile travel rewards for booking flights. This is thanks to its various airline transfer partners, including some of our favorite programs for flying from the U.S. to Europe, like Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Iberia Plus.

For our example trip, let’s say you live in New York City and want to visit 2 European cities over a 6-night winter trip to see Düsseldorf’s famous Christmas markets and snow-covered Gothic architecture in Prague. You’d have more than enough points for a business class flight to Europe, an economy flight home, and hotels.

On the way to Europe, you can book this business-class itinerary from New York (JFK) to Düsseldorf (DUS) via Frankfurt (FRA). The first leg is operated by Singapore Airlines on its fifth-freedom route from the U.S. to Germany, which is one of the most luxurious ways to cross the Atlantic. This flight costs just 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points and $101.90 when you transfer them to Air Canada Aeroplan.

We recommend booking a paid ticket between Düsseldorf and Prague (PRG), since fares are relatively cheap. Though you could add a stopover to Aeroplan award tickets for 5,000 points, the extra distance would push this itinerary into the 70,000-point price band, making the itinerary 75,000 Aeroplan points plus $154.63 in taxes and fees.

Meanwhile, you can book a one-way Eurowings ticket on this route for $80 in economy class.

On the way home, you could make the most of your points by flying economy. On this example date in December, a one-way ticket from Prague to New York via Paris (CDG) on Air France costs just 18,750 Flying Blue miles and $186.33 in taxes and fees. As with Aeroplan, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Flying Blue at a 1:1 transfer ratio.

Totaled up, this itinerary costs 78,750 Ultimate Rewards points plus $288.23 in taxes and fees. This leaves us with plenty of points to use for hotel rooms in Düsseldorf and Prague — and depending on how long you stay, you might have some points left over for a future trip.

Booking Hyatt Hotels in Europe With Ultimate Rewards Points

Ultimate Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 rate to 3 hotel loyalty programs: IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. However, we only advise transferring to World of Hyatt, since the program has a fixed award chart for hotel rooms with very reasonable rates. In fact, Hyatt award nights start at just 3,500 points per night.

In Düsseldorf, the closest Hyatt hotel to the city center is the Me and All Hotel Düsseldorf. It’s a Category 2 hotel, so prices range between 6,500 and 9,500 World of Hyatt points per night. On the example dates I checked this December, rooms cost just 6,500 points per night, bringing the 3-night stay total to just 19,500 points.

In Prague, consider booking the Lindner Hotel Prague Castle. This is another Category 2 hotel near the iconic Prague Castle and close to Old Town Square and other must-see attractions. I’ve stayed at this hotel a number of times — it was even the host hotel for my destination wedding — and I can’t say enough good things about the rooms, staff, and its quaint lobby bar and restaurant.

On the dates I checked, the Lindner Hotel Prague Castle costs 8,000 or 9,500 points per night, making this example, 3-night stay 25,500 points.

This brings the total cost for 6 nights at hotels to just 45,000 Ultimate Rewards points transferred to World of Hyatt. These hotels can be relatively cheap on off-peak dates, so consider the cash cost to the points cost. If you’re getting less than our Ultimate Rewards valuation of 2 cents per point, you might be better off paying for your stay and saving your points for a future trip.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is one of my favorite travel credit cards. It offers a good balance of points-earning categories and travel and lifestyle benefits that are applicable to most frequent and semifrequent travelers. And if you’re able to use its various statement credits, you can fully offset the card’s $795 annual fee.

Even more than that, the card’s elevated welcome bonus offer can more than cover a solo trip to Europe this winter. Whether visiting Christmas markets in Germany, skiing in the Swiss Alps, or eating panettone in Italy, you could use my example trip to inspire your own winter adventure in Europe.