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What are the benefits of renting a car through Costco Travel?

• Exclusive member rates 
• One additional driver fee waived
• Executive Members earn an  annual 2% reward  per rental  ​

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Related Answers

• Will I get better travel rates if I upgrade to an Executive Membership?
• Can I rent a car with any type of Costco membership?
• Do I get an additional driver for free with my rental car reservation?

Everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money

Costco isn't just the place where you can buy toilet paper in bulk, inexpensive gas, cheap hot dogs and gift cards. You can also book great trips via the company's online travel agency, Costco Travel.

I know, I know: At TPG, we're often staunchly against booking travel through third-party sites , as there can be tradeoffs versus booking directly. But in recent years, I've become a big fan of the travel deals I can find via Costco Travel.

When planning our annual beach trip back in 2022, my best friend found a few options for Mexican all-inclusive resorts on Costco Travel and shared the links with me. I promptly told her we'd probably be better off booking directly and brushed off the idea of booking through Costco — neither of us even had a membership at the time.

However, comparing the prices and benefits at a few of the resorts proved my initial reaction wrong.

I actually got a Costco membership to book the deal since the cost of the membership was less than what we'd save by booking through Costco. We saved around $300 on a three-night stay at TRS Coral near Cancun (one of TPG's best all-inclusive resorts in Cancun ), not including the free hydrotherapy spa circuit and the $241 Digital Costco Shop Card included in the package.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Madison Blancaflor (@madison_ave18)

Our stay was fantastic, and I officially became a Costco Travel convert.

If you're curious about how to use Costco Travel to find deals, here's everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money on travel.

What is Costco Travel?

All Costco members have access to the Costco Travel booking platform, where you can find and book a wide range of travel — from vacation packages to hotels, cruises and rental cars. You can even book theme park vacation packages to Disney and Universal or specialty vacations such as an African safari.

Related: Costco cruise deals: How to save money booking travel at a warehouse club

Once you log in to Costco Travel, you can search for specific dates or destinations or browse through available deals and featured destinations. I personally love perusing the limited-time deals when I know I want to plan a getaway but don't have a specific destination in mind.

Trips booked through Costco Travel are often discounted and/or include perks and benefits you may not get by booking directly or through other booking portals. Usually, a trip booked through Costco Travel will also include a Digital Costco Shop Card (essentially a type of Costco gift card) of varying value.

What travel can you book through Costco Travel?

You can book hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through Costco Travel. Vacation packages range from hotel-only offers to all-encompassing packages that include airfare, hotel stays and rental cars. You can even build your own package.

However, one thing to note is that you can't book stand-alone flights via Costco Travel. There is an option to book flights through some vacation packages, but if you're only looking for airfare, you'll want to head to Google Flights to check out your options and book.

You can book Costco Travel offers both online and by phone.

Do you have to be a Costco member to use Costco Travel?

Yes. Costco Travel is an exclusive service for Costco members.

There are two personal membership levels: Gold Star and Executive. Gold Star costs $60 per year, while an Executive membership costs $120. The basic membership will give you access to all of Costco's services, including Costco Travel, while the Executive membership also comes with a 2% reward on all Costco (and Costco Travel) purchases.

I've found that the Costco Travel deals alone are worth paying the $60 Gold Star annual membership fee, even though I don't regularly use Costco for my grocery store runs.

Check sites like Groupon for discount Costco memberships, as you can sometimes save on that rate — or get an included gift card that helps offset the cost.

Is Costo Travel worth it?

Costco Travel has its pros and cons, but there are definitely times when it's worth it.

For example, let's look at a five-night stay in Maui in early April. At the time of writing, Costco is currently offering a hotel and rental car package for Hotel Wailea, a Relais & Chateaux affiliated property and one of TPG's favorite Maui hotels .

Here's one cost comparison breakdown of Costco Travel's deal versus booking directly:

Even without including the additional benefits, you're already saving more than $400 via the Costco deal. Add in the value you get from the card, daily breakfast and resort credit (which is more than $1,000 in value if you maximize all benefits), and you're looking at $1,442.45 in savings by booking through Costco Travel versus directly.

And since Hotel Wailea isn't a member of any major hotel loyalty program, booking through Costco Travel wouldn't mean missing out on elite night credits or other loyalty program benefits.

Here's another example — this time for a Universal Orlando theme park trip from June 4-6 for one adult and two children from Houston. The total cost when booking each part (hotel, tickets and airfare) individually came to $2,701.35, while booking it as a package via Costco saved just over $300.

That's a fair amount of savings you could use for some frozen butterbeer or even a new wand inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter .

When is Costco Travel not worth it?

Not every offer on Costco is worth booking.

For one, you won't necessarily find the same availability on Costco Travel. For example, flights booked through Costco may have some seats blocked off, and certain dates for hotel stays may be unavailable. Additionally, not all rental car companies are bookable through Costco Travel (such as Hertz*, which is my preferred rental car company due to the perks I get through my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ).

Plus, some hotel stays have a minimum stay requirement. If you're on the hunt for a long weekend getaway, you may not be able to take advantage of some Costco Travel deals.

Even when you do find availability, you should always price-check what you can find by booking directly or through your credit card travel portal and hotel programs.

After booking our fantastic stay at TRS Coral just north of Cancun through Costco, I looked at booking through Costco again in 2023 when planning our annual beach vacation.

While Costco had a deal available for the same resort, we happened to be booking when the resort chain was having a Mother's Day sale for anyone booking directly. We were able to try out a new TRS resort closer to Playa Del Carmen, TRS Yucatan; we saved more than $100 on an even nicer suite than Costco Travel offered by booking directly (even when considering the Digital Shop Card we would have gotten by booking with Costco).

Something else to consider when booking hotels through Costco Travel is loyalty program rewards and elite status. There are a lot of hotels available to book through Costco Travel that are part of major loyalty programs, from Hyatt Honors to Marriott Bonvoy to IHG One Rewards and more. But booking through Costco Travel — just like booking through most other third-party services such as Expedia — means you likely won't earn loyalty rewards, elite night credits or have any elite night benefits honored.

You'll also have to use Costco customer service if you run into any issues rather than going directly to the brand. This is especially important when considering booking a vacation package that includes flights, given the higher potential for delays or cancellations.

Why I love Costco Travel

I am typically a staunch proponent of booking directly, but Costco Travel is an exception. I've found that the benefits I can get by booking some trips via Costco outweigh the cons (some of which include having to go through Costco for any customer service help or occasionally losing out on elite night credits).

Digital Costco Shop Cards

My favorite thing about booking trips through Costco Travel is the Digital Costco Shop Card I get after booking. The card's value varies from trip to trip (generally depending on how expensive the package you book), but you can get hundreds of dollars back to use at Costco.

The Digital Costco Shop Cards can be used for Costco warehouse purchases (a game changer with grocery prices so high due to inflation), but you can also use them toward future Costco Travel bookings. And remember — Costco doesn't just carry bulk grocery items. You could use a Digital Costco Shop Card to buy a new flat-screen TV for movie nights and game days, a new outdoor patio setup ahead of summer or even Costco Pharmacy prescriptions.

I admittedly don't use Costco for groceries often (buying in bulk doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who lives alone), but I have used shop cards to help pay for Christmas presents and future Costco Travel trips. I've actually been looking into using my most recent Digital Costco Shop Card on a new pair of AirPods and a new TV mount for my living room.

Deals on non-points hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts

When I'm looking at booking a hotel stay at a brand like Hyatt or Marriott, I generally choose to book directly in order to earn elite night credits and points. However, when looking at properties not part of a major loyalty program, Costco Travel is often a go-to anytime I can find a deal.

Costco Travel has a nice deals section, and I usually look there first if I'm not sold on a specific destination for a getaway. While deals found on Costco generally have a narrow booking window, I've found that many offer a lot of flexibility for the actual trip dates.

A few examples of limited-time deals for January include Hotel Wailea from the example earlier in this guide, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico's Riviera Maya, and Disney and Universal theme park packages.

Simplifying group vacations

I'm often the travel planner in my friend group (which makes sense, considering what I do for a living), but not everyone is an avid points and miles user like myself. For group trips where we're splitting the cost of hotel rooms among multiple people, it often doesn't make sense to use points and miles to book.

Costco Travel vacation packages offer a way for all of us to save money, and it makes narrowing down potential destinations and hotels easier. Rather than everyone having to spend hours researching ideas and prices from across the internet — which might be my idea of a fun Wednesday night but isn't for some of my friends — I typically just send them to Costco Travel to see if any of the featured deals catch their eye.

Having reservation information for multiple aspects of a trip, such as a hotel and rental car package, makes sharing and saving the itineraries a breeze.

Bottom line

Whether or not you currently have a Costco membership, you shouldn't dismiss Costco Travel as just another online travel agency.

If you know where to look and are willing to price-check the deals you find, you can save a lot of money with Costco Travel deals. I've personally had a lot of success booking friends getaways to popular destinations like Mexico through Costco. Using the service has helped me save on other expenses with the Digital Costco Shop Card I've gotten with my bookings.

For me, the $60 annual membership fee to Costco has been more than worth it to utilize Costco Travel.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• How my Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi is a workhorse when it comes to cash back
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

• KOHL’S CLEARANCE 🔥

Home > Tips > Sales > Travel

Why Costco Travel is My Go-To for Car Rentals (& How I Scored an Extra $150 Off My SUV Rental!)

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Use a Costco Travel car rental discount or vacation package the next time you take a holiday! These travel deals can save you money on vacations!

Our experiences with Costco Travel Car Rental deals have been unmatched!

If you’re a Costco member, you’ve likely heard of Costco Travel . This service is free for all warehouse members and offers savings on various vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and more. Personally, I’ve used this multiple times and have had amazing experiences with it!

Costco’s travel packages can include just about everything you’d need to take care of yourself, from hotels to car rentals and beyond. Before I get into my personal experience with the travel packages I’ve had (which always include the Costco car rentals), it’s important to note that even car rentals booked without a travel package are a massive benefit to Costco Travel.

We use Costco car rental for discount travel and you can too…

To score Costco car rental deals, all you have to do is be a member! With Costco Car Rentals, you can save well over 11% on rental cars, and the U.S. locations will waive any mandatory fees other car rental agencies tend to charge (as an idea, most agencies charge an extra ~$12 per day for additional drivers).

There are four car rental agencies to choose from:

I received a $150 Costco car rental discount by checking prices daily…

Whenever I book, I always set a calendar alert to check the car rental prices frequently, if not daily! More often than you’d think, the prices drop and Costco allows you to cancel the previous reservation for free and rebook at a lower price.

This is the easiest way to get a Costco car rental discount and it actually just happened to me!

I booked an SUV for a 7-day trip for just around $495. I set a daily reminder to check the price for the same reservation. Over the course of a few months, the price dropped to just $345 for the exact same SUV through Budget for Costco.

Following this tip is definitely worth your time! It took less than a minute each day to check the price and I ended up saving $150.

Costco Travel’s return policy also covers flight and hotel reservations which makes booking even more flexible!

Hip Tip: Not a Costco member? Here are other ways how to get the cheapest car rental !

Does a Costco Travel car rental include insurance? 

If you do need coverage, you may add on insurance through the car rental company. You’ll need to contact the car company directly for any additional information. The price of insurance will be the same whether purchased in advance or added at pickup.

Your personal car insurance or your AAA membership may be enough to cover you driving your rental car so speak to your insurance agent or AAA representative before purchasing additional insurance.

The Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi also offers rental insurance and other credit card companies may too. Contact your credit card company to see if they provide coverage.

Costco has two non-business memberships. Here are the perks of each…

Before you book a trip or look for Costco car rental deals, it’s important to note the differences between Costco’s TWO non-business memberships so you know what the annual costs are per membership and what travel benefits are included.

The two non-business memberships you can get are:

• Gold Star Membership : $60/year
• Gold Star Executive Membership : $120/year

Both plans give you access to Costco Travel and car rental deals, but one perk that I LOVE is the fact that Executive Costco Members get a 2% reward for purchases made directly from Costco Travel! It is earned and applied after travel is completed.

While Costco Travel may seem like an obvious choice for Costco members when booking a vacay, it may not be the best option for every getaway.

However, in the past few years I’ve used Costco Travel to go to Hawaii and Arizona and I saved BIG. Check the Costco Travel website for car rental discounts, plane deals, and hotel offers that you can use too!

Don’t miss out on other Costco Travel deals like vacation packages and hotel offers…

Costco Travel has allowed me to have dream vacations! 🤩

In addition to Costco Travel car rental discounts, I’ve taken advantage of some vacation deals too. I’ve already used Costco Travel a few times and I am obsessed! I don’t know if I’ll ever book without them again. A few years ago, my hubby and I traveled to Maui, Hawaii , and we got an AMAZING deal to stay at the Ritz Carlton ( I know, what?! 😱 ) !

Now normally, we would NEVER splurge on a hotel like this, but would you believe me if I told you it was the exact same price we would have paid if we stayed in a standard Maui hotel?! Well, it was! The craziest part is that this Costco Travel came with so many extra amenities we would’ve had to book separately, all included in one price.

We had such a great time at an affordable price, that we used Costco once again in 2024 to book another trip to Hawaii. This time we stayed on the Big Island at the Fairmont Orchid .

When you book a trip like this, you have to think about everything: transportation, meals, parking, etc. The Costco package, however, came with a full-size rental car, daily $100 resort credit, daily breakfast for two, waived mandatory daily resort fee, AND complimentary daily valet parking. Talk about AWESOME!

Don’t think you have to go to a faraway, tropical destination to take advantage of Costco Travel and its savings; we used it in March 2021 for a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona , and once again, it was incredible!

Similar to our experience in Maui, the package we booked for Arizona included a full-size car rental, a daily breakfast for two, and the waived mandatory daily resort fee, which added up to huge savings for our family.

I truly cannot say enough good things about my experiences! It feels like I hit the vacation lottery every time I use Costco Travel. I also love that if you book in advance, you only need to pay a small deposit to secure your reservation; it’s really convenient that you do not pay in full if you book early enough, and you can even schedule payments if you prefer, as long as it’s paid in full by the 45-day mark.

Searching for your next vacation spot? Try these Costco Travel deals…

Hilton Waikoloa Village : Price varies

• $200 resort credit
• Full-size rental car
• $30 reduced daily resort fee included

Las Vegas: The Cosmopolitan Package : Price varies

• $75 food and beverage credit
• Invited guest check-in
• Complimentary daily parking

See more Costco Travel deals and vacation packages !

Still not convinced here’s why some hip2savers are raving about costco car rental deals & travel discounts:.

“I booked a trip through Costco Travel to Kauai and saved over 1K for exactly the same flight, hotel, and rental car, plus received cashback. It was our first experience with them but definitely not our last.” – Wendy

“I book our rental car through Costco too and it’s always better than even my company’s corporate deals. I also check almost daily and rebook when it’s a better price and I always save a lot by doing this. When I book hotels I re-check them almost daily too.” – Shannon

“We have done Disney World twice over the past couple of years and booked through Costco. I honestly thought it made it so much less stressful because I knew everything (hotel, flight, rental car) was all taken care of. We even added an extra day at the beach for one trip, again through Costco. I tell everyone I know about it! We will definitely book through Costco again!” – Katie

There you have it! Have you scored a vacation package or Costco Travel car rental deal before? Let us know!

Here’s hoping that sharing my own personal experiences with Costco Travel will encourage you to save big on your next vacation. 🙌

See our team’s favorite affordable & popular family vacation destinations!

About the writer:

Bryn has spent the last 10 years writing about coupons, freebies, and Amazon deals. She is mortgage-free and holds a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Education. Connect with Bryn on LinkedIn

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Comments 59.

We used Costco travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and it was awesome! Way cheaper than hotel website, plus we got perks like transportation from the airport to hotel and drinks at the hotel bar. Highly recommended.

How cool! Thanks for letting us know what a great experience you have had!

We booked Disneyland through Costco and got some perks like free lanyards and pins and the gift cards. I was super pleased with our experience.

That’s so awesome to hear! Thanks for sharing with us, Naomi!

I’ve booked several trips with Costco over the year.. Mexico, Hawaii and Disney. Never been disappointed. The best perk that I have found is you don’t have to pay the off the entire trip when you book it. You just have to put down a deposit and if you want you can make payments up until 45 days before your departure. Example.. my husband and I are going to Mexico in October I booked to trip in February. After my initial deposit in February the trip had to be paid off by the end of September. That gave me almost 7 months to make small payments before the balance was due. It was stress free because by making small payments it didn’t affect my money situation at all and I didn’t have to make a big change on my credit card. We have a trip to look forward to and since it’s all paid off when we get home we start talking about our next trip.

That’s great to hear, Yvonne! I agree, making payments would reduce the stress for sure. Thanks a ton for taking the time to comment! We sure appreciate the feedback!

I booked through Costco for Hawaii because it was getting stressful making all the decisions involved in a vacation. It was a successful trip. Great hotel + perks.

Glad you had a great experience Kim! 🙂

We have done Disney World twice over the past couple of years and booked through Costco. I honestly thought it made it so less stressful because I knew everything (hotel, flight, rental car) were all taken care of. We even added an extra day at the beach for one trip, again through Costco. I tell everyone I know about it! We will definitely book through Costco again!

How fun! Glad you had a great experience with Costco Travel, Katie! 😀

We used Costco for Cancun and when web traveled to their places we use them for our hotel. We love Corcoran travel. In one occasion when going to Cancun j booked the tickets. Then 3 weeks later checked how much they were selling for and they were $700 cheaper. I called Costco travel (They have a 100% money back to a certain day, then 75%,50%, etc.) we were still in the 100% we were lucky. They just canceled our trip and helped us rebook at the lower price. Saved $700!

WOW that is awesome!!!

Wow! That’s amazing! SO glad you could grab the savings, AL!

My family went to Disneyland one year (booked thru the Disney site,) then Disney world the next, booked thru Costco. The only difference was that we could not order meal plans. Everything else was great! We also got a free photo book coupon from Costco so we could remember the trip. That was fun.

So glad you had a great trip, Vanessa! And a free photo book is always a nice freebie! 😉

I wonder if capital one rewards will cover purchases made at Costco for travel? My hubby and I got the credit cards and got the rewards which came close to $2000 off of travel. Yeah we were thrilled. We did not use Costco. But I have heard a lot of good chatter about it. With all these credit card rewards programs, it’s wash and repeat for me.

I book rental cars all the time through Costco. One other trick is to keep checking back. It’s not uncommon for the price to drop. So you can cancel the previous reservation and rebook with the lower price. I saved $40 last month doing this.

I book our rental car through Costco too and it’s always better than even my company’s corporate deals. I also check almost daily and rebook when it’s a better price. I always save a lot by doing this. When I book hotels I re-check them almost daily too.

I agree Julie!! I made our Hawaii trip car rental reservations through Costco and went back to check a couple of times and two times the price had dropped from what we had, so I cancelled and rebooked our car reservation at a cheaper price, love Costco Travel!!

If you book your cruise through anyone other than an agent, you can transfer your booking to Costco, within 60 days, and receive your initial perks (on board credit, specialty dining offers, friends and family sail free, etc…) and stack with whatever Costco is offering. They always give a Costco cash card and sometimes more. I love getting free money to spend in store for taking a vacay!

I wonder if Sam’s does this to? We don’t have a Costco.

LOVE Costco rental cars! Second driver free but check back periodically – we saved $400+ by rebooking a premium SUV 12 day rental this past summer and got to pick it up closer to our house. Drove to Yellowstone & back and saved 4500+ miles on our family car. Rental counter employees also have told me they love Costco members because we’re easier to rent to. Who knows why but it’s gotten me free XM in the rental before just for being polite and a Costco member 🤷‍♀️

Thanks so much for all that info, Megan! It’s nice not putting miles on your own car!

We did the same….booked a mini van for a drive across the country and back. The free second driver is great. Great deal, got a brand new mini van and saved 6000 miles on our own vehicle. Now we plan to use the rentals more often. The kids loved the extra space. IT’s a win/win.

I love Costco for international travel. They seem to vet the hotels & all the drivers from airport transportation/hotel front desk staff speak English.

We take an international trip every year and always use Costco if they offer the destination. (Mainly Europe, Caribbean and some African safari etc)

I love costco travel…we have booked disney through them 4 times, and my daughter went to 17 European countries. i know that costco will make anything and everything right…my first vacation with them i had no clue what i was doing, and was traveling with just two of my daughters, the employee booking the trip said oh honey you need to be right across the street from disney because i don’t want you and those girls wandering around alone lol normally that would annoy me but she was so grandmotherly and ended up giving us a great room for huge savings, and then she put in the booking that it was our birthday, it wasn’t…so when we got to the hotel they said happy birthday and upgraded us to a suite

Excellent experience! We took a 5 night trip to Hard Rock resort in Riviera Maya in February. Included everything and we received the $800 in Costco dollars upon our return as promised. Amazing experience and saved us a ton of money this way versus booking through travel agent.

We went to Universal Orlando in April and booked through Costco. I compared the regualar price of an on-property hotel plus park passes to Costco and I’d say we saved over $600, plus the package included a $275 Costco gift card. I ,<3 Costco!

I booked a trip through Costco Travel to Kauai and saved over 1K for exactly the same flight, hotel and rental car, plus received Cash back. It was our first experience with them but definitely not our last.

I used Costco for a rental car in Orlando. Our flight was cancelled & I was able to cancel the car reservation & make a new one with new date for no charge & the Costco rate was way cheaper than the rental websites!

Woo hoo! Thanks for letting us know, Margie B!

For Disney – I find my “go-to” Disney Vacation Club owner and rent her points! Our family of 6 has TWO Rooms at Animal Kingdom Jambo DVC, 6 5-Day Park Hopper Tickets, Disney Dining, for under $5000! This same setup would have cost us over $13,000 through Disney!

I’m confused. You know someone with a timeshare there or you go to a specific website to do that? Thanks

David’s Rental is a well established DVC broker. I’m a DVC owner and we always rent our points out through them. You will save a ton of money or pay the same but have a much nicer room going this route as DVC is like getting a Deluxe Resort. If you were going to stay off property or at a value though then it probably wouldn’t really be worth it for you. I have stayed at a moderate resort before though and I definitely recommend renting a DVC room instead of you were planning on staying at that level or higher.

I’m also a DVC member and use facebook groups to rent out my unused points. I set my price per point and people contact me with their requests. I provide a contract with all details spelled out. I make more than going through David’s to rent my points. Just need to be careful and do your research when dealing with owners/renters. HTH

Just got a Costco membership again a few weeks ago, I had no idea they booked vacations! Sounds like everyone had great experiences too. Will definitely check this out!

Has anyone used it as a family of 5? I always want to go through Costco but I can’t find anything unless I do two rooms or 4 people.

Costco car rentals are great, but two caveats: (1) they don’t cover many countries outside the US and (2) they don’t include Hertz and National, which are my preferred agencies when the price is at all close because they let you skip the desk entirely, pick a car, and just go.

We just used Costco Travel and rented a car thru Alamo. Same deal, no need to go to counter, just go to the lot and pick any car.

Thanks for this! It must be true as I keep hearing the same feedback. I keep wanting to try it, but never seem to find deals in locations I go. Maybe I just don’t know the best way to use them for travel. Is the best way to call for deals or are there only travel deals listed on the website? Sometimes I just want a hotel and haven’t seen anything for just a hotel so far.

Anyone with any experience booking riverboat cruises with them in the United States? We’ve done many cruises but want to see the USA. Cruising has us spoiled, because you usually only have to unpack once, unless you include land tours.

If you are going to Jamaica or Mexico ang staying at a Moon Palace Resort, message me and I will give you at least 20% discount compared to Expedia and perks like Resort Credits, Spa, free tours, airport transfer, No timeshare presentation required. 😊

Does anyone know if you can use Disney Gift Cards to pay for the trip if they book through Costco?

I’ve booked my last 3 vacations ( Dominican Republic, Mexico and Jamaica) using Costco Travel and I love it. We just came back from Jamaica (Moon Palace resort) last week. In addition to flights, hotel and shuttle service to/from the resort I’ve always received tour credits and a Costco cash card. If you book using their Citibank visa you get even more reward credits.

We had booked a Disney trip through Costco last year. When we had to cancel due to Covid, they made it SUPER easy and we were refunded everything but the air fare. Also, if you get their credit card, you get an additional 2% back on travel, which can make a big difference!

Quick question folks…..if I’ve booked a trip…..I just check the rates at the specific hotel, airline and car rental and if it goes down I call Costco for a refund? Or do I call Costco to check the price?

It seems that you’d book your car rental etc. and keep checking back for a lower price. If you find a lower price you can then cancel the previous reservation and rebook at a lower price. Hope this is helpful!

I think this would be only about car rental reservations only but I could be wrong.

No need to keep checking your car rentals and rebooking. A website – autoslash.com will do that for you. You enter your booking details and they email you if it goes down. It’s free and has saved us hundreds of dollars.

Great trips and options pre-pandemic. Used it once and love it. But it’s extremely difficult to get in touch with them lately if you need to make any changes to your reservations or encounter any problems while on vacation. Those vendors will ask you to call Costco Travel directly since you booked through them and since the pandemic like in many other businesses unfortunately, customer service appears to be non-existent or you’re on hold for hours. Not a good scenario if you’re overseas & hotel is trying to charge you for things that are supposed to be covered under your vacation package. Just something to consider.

Love Costco travel. Always the best car rental prices. Booked a Hawaii trip with them and had to cancel the day before due to covid. They got a full refund of the “non-refundable” deposit for me.

This is a nice post. I love it.

Thanks for the sweet feedback, Jane! ❤️

I use Costco rental car and do the same thing. In December on our way to the airport I checked the car prices again and our car rental in Kauai had dropped AGAIN so I booked the new one, canceled the old one the day we were flying in. Its definitely a win-win in my books!

Awesome that you were able to book a new car rental at the lower price and cancel your previous reservation! Thanks for sharing your experience, Denise! 💕

Book through Costco and use http://Autoslash.com “Track a Rental” to her emails when a lower price is found. Saves a LOT of time and hassle, and you know you’ve got the best deal.

Thanks so much for sharing this helpful tip. Margaux! 💗

We always use Costco travel for rental cars! Most experiences have been wonderful and we have saved a ton of money this way. We did have a bad experience recently with AVIS/ALAMO — they charged us double what the cost was supposed to be with hidden fees, when we couldn’t get anywhere with them I reached back out to the Costco Travel site and they were able to help get the price we agreed to. Costco was amazing helping us with issues, nice to have them be able to help with the any problems too!

Thanks for sharing about your recent experience, Barb! That does sound frustrating! Glad to hear that Costco Travel was so helpful in this situation! ❣️

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Costco Travel   Reviews

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Reviews 1.7.

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Do not book through Costco

I wish I would have read the reviews before booking. DO NOT BOOK WITH COSTCO. It took us 5 HOURS to book through costco. They kept having us talk to another person because there time was up. The next person would have to go through everything again. AGAIN DO NOT BOOK THROUGH THEM. I will never ever use them again.

Date of experience : May 29, 2024

COSTCO Travel representatives are…

COSTCO Travel representatives are inexperienced and lack the requisite knowledge to plan trips! We called COSTCO to plan our trip to Fiji Tokoriki. The representative had no idea about the various ways to the island and that a Catamaran trip would have a five-hour airport wait. All she did was read chapter and verse about the rules and regulations, but not about the resort or how best to get there. We contacted COSTCO about the experience and how much we spent on reasonable alternative transportation without any sympathy. They told us it was too bad. They don't care about your experience or inconvenience. NEVER use these guys.

Date of experience : January 27, 2024

Do NOT BOOK TRAVEL WITH COSTCO!!

Do NOT BOOK TRAVEL WITH COSTCO!!! do not!!! - first of all it is much cheaper if you book through orbits or Expedia. - second of all, you don't have to wait for business hours to open to adjust/fix your reservation ( ridiculous) - their travel system is pretty outdated and old. which makes a lot of mistakes with integration and booking correctly - refund process takes forever - people answering the phone calls are polite and lack customer service if there is an issue with reservation. ( not all of them) - don't give a crap if they loose you as a customer, you gone? there will be another one! that's the attitude. so please save your money, nerves and energy. book somewhere else, not Costco travel. never again!

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

I'm really disappointed with Costco…

I'm really disappointed with Costco Travel. I don't want to give even one star. Their handling of the issue has left me frustrated. When I spoke to a supervisor, it was clear she needed better customer service skills. I know her name, but I am not going to mention it here. Within just three days of booking, the price shot up, and despite my polite inquiry about a possible adjustment, they refused. I even asked about using Costco gift cards, but that was a dead end too. Spending over $7,000 on this trip, the $200 difference might not seem huge, but who would be happy that the price went down and you're not going to get that money back within only 3 days of booking. Their poor handling of the situation has left me thoroughly dissatisfied with their customer service. It wasn't just about the $200 difference anymore; it was about their way of dealing with the customer. I won't be using Costco Travel again.

Date of experience : April 14, 2024

We missed our flight by 2 minutes and…

We missed our flight by 2 minutes and they never gendered the phone to help us and we had to buy new tickets plus they canceled our returning flight. Worst experience ever they blamed the airline and the airline blamed Costco. After waiting on hold for 3 hours they were serin help

Date of experience : March 01, 2024

hotel ratings are not correct a 3 star…

hotel ratings are not correct a 3 star hotel is given 5 star rating . do you own research

Date of experience : May 04, 2024

Booked a trip from Sacramento to Florida with issues

Booked a trip from Sacramento to Florida with a two day hotel stay. Major issues with transportation from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise ship and then transportation to airport on return from cruise. Transport service was only advised of first transportation pick up an arrival airport. Now another call to Costco Travel to have them so their job. Lack of precision and follow through is not an endorsement of this service. Much time wasted on the phone. The origianal booking agent was very helpful, never the less, someone dropped the ball.

Date of experience : March 13, 2023

Didn’t get what we paid for

Costco sold us a package and we upgraded it to include exclusive amenities. When we got to the hotel, those amenities were being given away as a part of time share sales pitches. In addition and more importantly, the upgrades we paid for were not honored. We complained to the hotel and to Costco travel and neither rectified the situation. We spent $400 on upgrades that didn’t exist. No help, had to call several times to talk to anyone. Not the experience I expect from Costco. Funny enough, while we were having our case reviewed by Costco, they removed those amenities from the packages for the hotel. Pretty strong evidence that they knew there was a problem. Too bad they didn’t try to make it right with us.

Date of experience : July 07, 2023

Hotel Had No Record of Reservation

We got the "New York City: Your Way Hotel and Airfare Package," which includes air travel, hotel stay and airport/hotel ground transportation. Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel had no record of our room reservation when we arrived. Thankfully, the clerk at the desk gave us an upgraded room, since that was all that was available. I had been sure to download the Alaska Airlines app and made sure that my Costco booking was in their system and we were able to select seats through the Alaska app. I also confirmed the New York ground transportation, getting to talk directly with the drivers. However, I should have called the hotel in New York to confirm that the registration was in their system and avoid being confronted with possibly having to scramble for alternate accommodations in a busy area. But someone buying a travel package should not have to do that much footwork of confirming reservations which each individual vendor. Thank goodness that clerk at the Sheraton got us a room!

Date of experience : July 31, 2023

Poor customer service

Very poor experience. They dont allow hotel changes or any changes online and then when call customer service, expect at least 1 hour wait, just to be told that computers are down, call back later again. There is no call back feature. once booked, expect surprises with the ground transportation, with obviously no number to call again.

Date of experience : August 15, 2023

Absolutely shocking treatment from…

Absolutely shocking treatment from Costco travel in the UK!! They cancelled a booking which I made over 12 months ago for a cruise due to take place in Sept 2024. This was done without my request and they are disinterested in my complaint even though they have confirmed as per the phone transcript that my booking should never have been cancelled. It is not an option to rebook as there is not a comparable cabin available. I would highly recommend booking with another company!

Date of experience : December 11, 2023

Thank you - Refuned car hire extra costs

We booked and paid for a hire car through Costco Travel to be collected at Malaga Airport but when we went to collect the car, we were told that we had to pay another 751 euros for CDW, breakdowns, windscreen cover etc. etc. I questioned this because I already spoken to Costco about any extra charges and there were none. However, Budget Car Hire would not release the car so we had to pay up! Om my return to the UK I took the matter up with Costco Travel whom at first were rather reticent but said they would look into the matter, after a few weeks I was refunded the extra payment by the car hire company. Many thanks.

Date of experience : June 25, 2022

Fantastic Customer Service!

I spoke to Ellis who was very kind, helpful and patient so it made the process very easy! Booking a cruise can be quite stressful but she helped answer all of my questions and gave me great advice. Thank you Ellis :)

Date of experience : January 10, 2024

We were charged $3,500 for booking a…

We were charged $3,500 for booking a vacation to Cancun. My husband suffered a massive heart attack in November, hence trying to cancel this booking. I have tried multiple times calling their ridiculous 'Help Center!' 4 times I called them (866) 921-7925, waited 25-30 minutes each time. No one ever picked up! I will be calling their direct number (877) 849-2730 on Monday. If I can't get them directly, I will call CITI Bank, again, to get my refund. I cannot believe that this is happening. The worst, unconscionable, company customer service I have ever experienced with COSTCO. I cannot believe this. They have $3,500 of my hard-earned money and I cannot get it back. This is beyond unconscionable! Who is this really, Costco Travel? :(

Date of experience : February 10, 2024

RENTAL CAR DISASTER

Had multiple problems with rental car rented through Costco Travel. Car was mechanically unsafe and required a jump start and an exchange for another vehicle. After calling Budget CS who instructed me to wait for road service that THEY ordered, Budget charged me for the road service. Reported to Costco Travel and it took THREE MONTHS for them to contact me regarding my complaint. Although I've rented cars previously through Costco Travel, I never had an issue. Not a good feeling to know they don't respond in a timely manner.

Date of experience : May 24, 2023

The most horrible and pathetic customer…

The most horrible and pathetic customer service experinece on this site. On hold for the last 45 miins and after that its getting disconnected. Its all crap. stupid site and there's no way one can access anything. they say vist the help center and self service options but there's nothing at all on the site..are you guys insane or what.

Date of experience : July 21, 2023

Cruise Booking Southeast Asia

I was booking without any luck on the Celebrity Website and then found cabins on costcotravel that I could not find on celebrity but could only book one room and the second one disappeared. I called their help line and an agent by the name of Bailey was amazing. He stayed on the line for hours fixing all my name entry mistakes, then found us a better priced veranda and got us the drink package, gratuity and wifi included at no charge. His service, attention to detail and dedication to getting his clients the best value was amazing. We are going with my inlaws so he understood having a suite on the same level but far enough so I have my sanity! (LOL) I tried to contact costco travel in Canada but they have no email contact where I could acknowledge this agent going out of his way to make things perfect for us. I was surprised that Costco Agents don't get to travel using the TA discounts. They really should have that right as most other travel agents do. FAM trips are the best way to enable the agent to do a better job.

Date of experience : July 04, 2023

Terrible car rental

Terrible car rental. Enterprise Rentals did not have the booked 9 seater ready although I had booked it two months in advance. Waited 1hour for them to hire from an alternative source. For a start booked an automatic due to an operation on my leg. provided a manual drive. Upon reaching my destination checked the paperwork only to find out the vehicle provided was a different registration number. Rang Enterprise out of hours. Assured I was insured to drive the given vehicle to be confirmed the next morning. No one had the curtesy to ring. Booked this vehicle for my daughter’s wedding. Needless to say a very stressful experience and service from Costco Travel and Enterprise their partners in crime. 😒

Date of experience : September 22, 2023

Terrible website

I called costco travel to help me find the cheapest date possible within a specific month. I was told they cannot do that and I have to use the website. Which meant I would have to go through everyday of the month and perform a search to find which day would be the cheapest. Costco travel needs to take a page from iTravel2000, they have a "best price finder", eliminating the need to go through everyday. Also, in Canada, iTravel2000 seems to be cheaper.

Date of experience : November 17, 2023

I tried to book a cruise on Costco Travel but kept receiving error messages that the booking could not be completed. However, I later found out (on my own) that my credit was charged 5 times for this trip. Called Costco Travel multiple times and resolved the issue after more than 3 hours on the phone. I'm still waiting for 5K to be refunded back to my card.

Date of experience : November 12, 2023

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5 ways a costco membership can save you money on travel.

Travel costs can add up quickly, so any savings you can score are a win for your wallet. Before finalizing the details for your next getaway, look for opportunities to save money. If you're a Costco member, your membership perks could help trim your travel spending.

Sure, Costco has great prices on groceries, electronics, and clothes -- but that's not all. Here are a few ways you can use your Costco card to get better deals on travel expenses.

1. Save money by booking reservations through Costco Travel

Before you make a reservation for an upcoming trip, check the prices on Costco Travel. You can book hotels, rental cars, cruises, and vacation packages through Costco, which could offer significant savings.

Need help determining where to go for your next trip? Costco highlights limited-time travel deals that could offer considerable savings. You may even receive free daily breakfast or resort credits when booking eligible trips, which would provide additional savings.

2. Get a deal on new luggage

Good luggage can last a long time, but there may come a point when you need to replace your existing suitcase. Check to see if you can get a deal on quality bags at Costco. Here are three deals to explore if you're shopping for new luggage:

Traveler's Choice Granville II 2-piece Luggage Set for $169.99

Samsonite Amplitude 2-piece Hardside Set for $199.99

Traveler's Choice 30" Creekside Hardside Check-in Luggage Spinner for $139.99

Luggage sets from popular brands like Samsonite can cost $300 or more, so getting your travel gear at Costco could be a win for your personal finances.

3. Add a driver for free on eligible car rental bookings

Another way Costco members can save on travel is by adding a driver to their car rental reservation for free. This membership perk applies to bookings made with Alamo and Enterprise for U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Ireland, and Spain rentals.

The additional driver fee is also waived for Avis and Budget U.S. car rental bookings. Additional driver fees usually cost $13 to $15 per driver per day. This membership benefit could save you up to $150 for a 10-day road trip.

4. Pay less for travel gift cards

You can use your Costco membership perks to save money on gift cards to your favorite retailers. But that's not all. Costco sells gift cards for popular travel companies like Southwest. At the time of writing, Costco has a $500 Southwest Airlines gift card for $449.99. Saving over $50 on your next airfare purchase can allow you to stretch your vacation budget further.

5. Save money on gas

You can also use your Costco membership benefits to get a deal on gas when filling up at Costco. This is helpful for your day-to-day needs and can also help you save money on your next vacation. Before your next road trip, check to see if any clubs will be along your route so you can fill up your tank at a discounted rate.

How much money can this perk save you? Most reports suggest that Costco's gas prices are about $0.20 less per gallon than other gas stations. If you drive a car with a 15-gallon tank, a discount of $0.20 per gallon would save $3 every time you fill up.

Get the most out of your Costco membership

A Costco membership costs $60 to $120 a year, depending on the level you choose. Use the benefits available to get the most out of your investment. You can save money on expenses beyond groceries and household goods. The travel savings mentioned above are just a few other ways to use your membership perks.

Check out our ultimate Costco guide for tips on maximizing the value of your membership. You should also consider using a credit card that earns rewards when paying for your Costco haul. Review our list of the best credit cards for Costco to learn more about the rewards potential.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

If you’re shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year.  These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, you’ll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period.

Click here to read our expert recommendations  for free!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

5 Ways a Costco Membership Can Save You Money on Travel was originally published by The Motley Fool

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Read on for answers to some commonly asked questions:.

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•   What's the best rental car company for me?   
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Why rent a car?

It's convenient and offers the flexibility to enjoy your vacation however you wish..

Renting a car or SUV can reduce stress during family visits while providing you with freedom and flexibility. It also puts you in the driver's seat so you aren't having to rely on rideshares to get from point A to point B.

It's a comfortable and private alternative to public transportation.

Having control over accessories such as the radio or air conditioning can make a difference between a good trip and an unpleasant one.

Treat yourself to a fun or sporty car, or that large fancy SUV you've been looking at.

You can make any trip more special by renting a fun or sporty car. Rent a convertible in San Francisco and drive down a scenic coastal highway to San Diego. Surprise a friend or family member with a ride in a fun car for their birthday or a special event. Go ahead and treat yourself or someone you love to a ride in something special.

Going on a road trip? Put the miles on a rental car and save wear and tear.

Whether you are heading to a festival 350 miles away or driving the softball team to an out-of-state tournament, you can save wear and tear on your personal vehicle by renting a car. It’s also a chance to upgrade to something that has additional features or space.

Sometimes you just need a car.

It’s not nearly as fun as some of the other reasons to rent a car, but you can avoid being without a car due to a sudden repair or accident. There are many rental car locations outside of airports in city locations, most of them are super-fast, easy, and with no line. Our website allows you to book same day rentals should you find yourself in this unexpected situation.

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