In most cases, you're much better off (possibly depending on how much checked luggage you hafto pay extra for) using European Low Cost Carriers, than using miles.

This site:

www.skyscanner.net

Is simply AMAZING at finding the cheapest flights to almost ANYWHERE in and around Europe! Even if you don't know where you want to go, you can enter your starting city - and under destination, enter "EVERYWHERE", and a departure date, and it'll tell you where you can go, sorted my country, then city - from cheapest on upward! I use it all the time! Paying discount carriers is usually a much better value, and saving you miles for bigger trips.



As I mentioned elsewhere recently, I flew in Feb from Berlin / Bratislava / Berlin for 20 EUR round trip, and, next week Berlin / London / Berlin for 42 EUR (without checked luggage fees added in).