costco travel or aaa travel

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Is Costco Travel cheaper than AAA? | Costco Travel Deals

Is Costco Travel Cheaper than AAA?

Costco travel deals are just one amazing perk to purchasing a Costco membership. But is it the best? Costco Travel and AAA are both popular travel companies that offer different services. Costco Travel offers cheaper prices than AAA, but is it worth the money? In this blog post, we will compare and contrast Costco Travel and AAA to see which one is the better deal for you.

Costco Travel is a membership-based travel company that offers discounts on hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more. AAA is a non-profit organization that offers roadside assistance, insurance, and discounts on hotels and rental cars. They may have cheaper prices than AAA, but you have to be a member to use their services.

Costco Travel : What is it?

They also offer members exclusive pricing on cruises and vacation packages. It is a great way for Costco members to save money on their next vacation. In the following paragraphs, I will go into greater detail on the benefits, disadvantages, and ease of use regarding Costco Travel.

Costco Travel Benefits

Costco Travel offers a variety of services. Get in contact with a Costco Travel agent to plan your next trip. They will find the best travel deals for any budget and destination . Costco Travel also offers a variety of benefits such as exclusive Costco member pricing, no booking fees, and more.

If you’re looking for someone to plan your vacation, Costco Travel may be beneficial to you. However, this is not always the case. Although the Costco Travel deals are great for some people, let’s explore some of the disadvantages of using this service.

Disadvantages of Costco Travel

Costco Travel is a popular option for vacation planning, but it has its drawbacks. One disadvantage is that Costco Travel is not available in all areas. Costco also offers limited services compared to other travel agencies. Costco Travel also has strict cancellation policies, so be sure to read the fine print before booking your trip.

Overall, Costco Travel is a good option for vacation planning if you’re willing to do some research and are flexible with your travel dates and destination. However, if you’re looking for a full-service travel agency, Costco Travel may not be the best option. AAA has better travel agents when it comes to planning.

Costco Travel Ease of Use

We know that Costco Travel is great for those who are looking for Travel deals. However, it does not matter how good the deals are if no one can access them. In this paragraph we will look at their usability.

Costco members can easily find the Costco Travel website by logging in to their Costco accounts. From there, they can search for hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more. You will find a plethora of Costco Travel deals on their site. You can also see details on membership pricing. We’ll get into the details of a membership and the Costco Travel deals that come along with it.

Costco also offers a toll-free number for members who need assistance booking their travel arrangements. Overall, Costco Travel is easy to use and offers exclusive discounts for Costco members.

To learn more about Costco Travel and the benefits and services it offers, you can visit its website or call 1-800-767-5338.

AAA Travel: What is it?

AAA Travel is AAA’s full-service travel agency, offering AAA members a wide range of personal travel planning services. They also provide travel agents that can help AAA members with all aspects of their travel planning. From booking flights and hotels to renting cars and planning activities, they have you covered!

Benefits of AAA Travel

AAA Travel also offers AAA members exclusive discounts on travel expenses, such as airfare, hotel rooms, and rental cars. In addition, AAA Travel provides AAA members with 24/7 support while they are traveling. They can always reach someone if they need assistance.

Whether AAA members are planning a quick getaway or a world tour, AAA Travel is there to make sure everything goes according to plan.

Here’s an overview of the travel deals you can expect with a membership:

• Car Rentals
• Vacation Packages

Disadvantages of AAA Travel

Although AAA Travel may offer a variety of services, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone. AAA Travel has its disadvantages, too. For one thing, AAA Travel can be expensive. AAA Travel also charges for some of its services, which can add up if you use them frequently.

Additionally, AAA Travel may not have the best selection of travel options. You might not be able to find the perfect vacation if you’re looking for something specific.

Finally, AAA Travel isn’t always the most reliable; sometimes AAA Travel reservations get canceled or changed without warning. While AAA Travel has its perks, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

Cost Breakdown of Each

According to Forbes , AAA Travel offers a free service that non-members can use to book flights, hotels, and rental cars without being a member. However, the real perks of AAA Travel come when you purchase a membership.

Costco Travel perks are not free. However, they do offer a wider variety of perks if you are someone who flies often. The cost of an executive membership is relatively cheap if you travel enough.

Let’s break down each travel agency based on its price and benefits, and use that information to decide which company is the more cost-effective option.

A travel agency that not only plans your trip, but also protects it is AAA. AAA Travel is a AAA service that provides members with access to exclusive travel deals and discounts. There are three pricing tiers: AAA Basic, AAA Plus, and AAA Premier. AAA Basic members receive the lowest prices on AAA-rated hotels, cars, and vacation packages.

Members receive the same discounts as Basic members, plus additional perks like early check-in and late checkout at hotels, and free upgrades on car rentals. AAA Premier members receive the same discounts as AAA Plus members, plus even more perks like complimentary breakfast at hotels and free one-way car rental drops.

The cost varies depending on the tier of membership; AAA Basic memberships start at $59 per year, while AAA Premier memberships start at $99 per year. Whether you’re looking for the best deals on hotels, cars, or vacation packages, they have you covered.

Here’s an annual breakdown of membership costs:

Basic Membership : $55

Plus Membership : $97

Premier Membership : $137

The biggest thing to note is that no matter what tier membership you have, all AAA members get discounts on hotels, car rentals, and other travel. The only travel difference between the 3 tiers is that the plus and premier have options to upgrade for RV benefits, which include $500 towards recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and more.

AAA members can also take advantage of travel agents to assist in the various bookings and reservations that take place when preparing for a vacation. This is a fantastic option that is great for those who have a busy schedule or do not want to plan their vacation.

Using AAA for travel bookings is a great option because it’s free for anyone. However, if you’re looking for more roadside protection or travel often and want to take advantage of discounts, it could be worth it to look into a Plus membership through AAA. It all depends on what you’re looking for in a travel agency.

Costco Travel

Every Costco member can access their website to book travel plans and save money.

The website offers a variety of services at a fraction of the cost of other travel websites. For example, you can book a hotel room through them for less than half the price of booking the same room through another website. Even AAA Travel!

In addition, they offers discounts on rental cars and activities such as zip-lining and whale watching. Overall, it’s is an affordable option for traveling that provides great benefits for members.

The price breakdown of an annual membership :

According to Costco , it costs $120 a year to be an Executive Costco member. But don’t let the high price scare you. If you are someone who travels often, especially someone who books flights and hotels often, you may actually save money (and make money) with this membership.

The Executive Costco membership offers an annual 2% reward for those who spend money on any Costco service, including travel. If you are buying multiple plane tickets a year and booking cruises, hotels, or excursions often, you could literally make money just from being a Costco member!

What’s the verdict?

It depends on what you’re looking for.

If you are someone who travels mainly by road (road trips!), an AAA membership could be a great option for you. Everyone knows that AAA is a sure way to grant everyone peace of mind when traveling by road. Here are some of the benefits that come with having an AAA membership:

• Flat-tire service (all tiers)
• Battery jumpstart and replacement service (all tiers)
• Vehicle lock-out service (covers cost based on tier)
• Theft reward from $500 to $2,000 (depends on tier)
• Free emergency gas delivery–complimentary (Premier tier)
• Trip interruption protection up to $1500 (Premier)

…and more!

However, if you are someone who flies or goes on cruises often, Costco travel may be the travel service for you. At a price of only $120 a year with a 2% annual reward, Costco travel is great for those who find themselves spending large amounts of money on travel-related purchases.

Not only that, but also the 2% reward applies to any purchases made from a Costco business. You can make cash-back on groceries, furniture, and travel! Definitely a good deal.

Which is better?

Both travel agencies are great. Depending on what your needs are, either option could work for you. If you are someone who roadtrips more, AAA would probably be the better option. However, if you are someone who flies or goes on cruises more, Costco is the best option for you.

This is because AAA Travel also offers a variety of perks, including discounts on hotels and rental cars. However, AAA’s benefits far outweigh those of Costco’s benefits if you are someone who is on the road a lot.

If you are a frequent flyer, Costco is the better deal because it offers a wider variety of perks and discounts. It all depends on your specific needs. What do you want in a Travel agency?

Ready to plan your trip?

Ready to start planning your trip? Whether you’re looking for a solid protection agency for your next road trip or you’re trying to find the best deals to save you money for this summer’s family vacation, there are some great options out there.

I hope you found this article helpful in deciding which service is best for you. Just remember this, and you’ll be fine: Costco for flights and hotels, and AAA for road trips!

Leave a comment if you have experienced either membership and let us know what you think!

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Costco Travel: 5 Things To Know Before You Book

If you’re anything like money expert Clark Howard , you’re probably used to getting almost everything — from clothes to food to tires and home goods — at Costco . But have you ever thought about booking your getaways through Costco Travel ?

In this article, we’ll take a look at how Costco Travel works and talk about the pros and cons of booking your trips through the warehouse giant.

This article was updated in April 2024 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here .

Costco Travel: What You Need To Know About Travel Packages, Car Rentals, Cruises and More

Costco uses its bulk-buying power to negotiate discounted rates for its members on travel packages (including airfare and hotel), car rentals, cruises and more for members at CostcoTravel.com. You can also access the service by phone at 866-921-7925.

So just how much can the warehouse club save you on your trip?

Our in-house travel expert Clara Bosonetto compares Costco Travel to the AAA discount you may be familiar with. Members may see a 10% savings overall through booking with Costco.

With that in mind, here are some other things you need to know before booking a trip through Costco Travel.

1. Costco Travel Packages Offer a One-Stop Shopping Experience

Just like many other travel websites, Costco lets you book an entire vacation online. This appeals to people who like to have all the moving parts of planning a trip (airfare, accommodations, activities, etc.) handled in a neat, organized way.

But the cookie-cutter approach can have its downsides.

“Costco hotels and resorts tend to be the big box type vs. boutique or off-the-beaten-tracks properties,” Clara says. “Due to volume bookings, these preferred hotels often throw in a dining credit, an activity or a room upgrade: small perks that can mean a big difference to some.”

Clara also notes that you’ll probably never get the same Costco Travel representative twice if you’re booking over the phone. “Customers can call to speak with a rep, but they will get a different one each time versus working with a local agent,” she says.

Check out Costco Travel packages here .

2. Booking a Hotel With Costco Travel Is Easy

All the hotel prices at CostcoTravel.com provide upfront pricing — including taxes.

Costco works with a variety of brand-name hotels including:

• Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
• Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
• IHG Hotels and Resorts
• Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts

Book a hotel through Costco here .

3. Here’s What You Need To Know About Costco Travel Car Rental

You can rent a car through Costco Travel . The site works with popular rental car brands including:

In addition to booking a car in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, you can rent a car through Costco Travel for use in Canada, France, Germany, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Spain and England.

One of the nice features of renting a car through Costco is that the additional driver fee is waived.

While Costco Travel is a great resource to shop for deals, make sure you follow our step-by-step guide to finding a deal on a rental car .

4. Costco Travel Offers Great Last-Minute Deals on Cruises

Costco partners with a variety of mainstream cruise lines to offer deals to members. They include:

• Celebrity X Cruises
• Disney Cruise Line
• Holland America Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Princess Cruises
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International
• Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

According to Clara, Costco is a great place to book last-minute cruises because you’ll often get perks such as onboard credits.

And, here’s another nice feature: If you don’t use all the onboard credit you’re given, you can get a partial refund before disembarking.

Book Costco cruises here .

5. You Can Earn 5% Back on Costco Travel

Costco Executive Members ($120 annual fee) earn an annual 2% reward on Costco Travel purchases (up to $1,000).

On top of this 2%, you can earn 3% back on travel expenses if you use the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi . So as both an Executive Member and Costco Anywhere Visa® Card-holder, you could earn 5% back on purchases made through Costco Travel!

However, certain expenditures are excluded from this offer:

• Trip protection
• Travel purchased through a third party such as activities and tours
• Rental car equipment
• Resort charges
• Port charges
• Resort and cruise line fees

Final Thought

If convenience is king for you, you may want to give Costco’s travel offerings a try.

However, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys boutique travel or hunting for travel bargains, you’re likely to be better off booking without the help of the warehouse club.

“I still believe in booking airfare and accommodations separately for the lowest vacation price,” Clara tells us. “But again, some don’t want to spend the time to do this. As you know, it’s a lot of work!”

Have you used Costco Travel to plan your vacation? Tell us about your experience in our Clark.com Community !

• April 16, 2024: Updated the following. Fixed rental car links for Avis and Budget. Also added England, Scotland and Wales to list of places you can rent a car through Costco Travel.

• 10-night Greek islands escape with flights from $1,806
• 12-night British Isles cruise from $1,199
• 10-night Alaska cruise from $1,389
• 8-night Switzerland, Germany & Austria escape by train from $1,598

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How To Use Costco Travel To Save Money

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Table of Contents

Costco membership, costco travel, costco vacation packages, costco hotels, costco cruises, costco car rentals, costco theme parks and specialty vacations, final thoughts.

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When you hear “Costco,” chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the big-box warehouse, a gigantic market where you can get wholesale prices on groceries, cheap home goods, affordable gifts, clothing, and alcohol. Did you also know Costco has an in-house travel agency?

Costco Travel offers vacation packages, hotel rooms, cruises, and rental cars to Costco members.

By taking advantage of the same bulk-purchasing power that it uses in retail, Costco can secure group rates when putting together vacation packages and bundles.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Costco Travel and whether or not it can save you money on your next vacation.

There are 2 levels of Costco membership, and you must be a member to use Costco Travel .

• Gold Star: $60 per year
• Executive: $120 per year

Costco Executive members receive 2% back annually on qualifying Costco purchases, including Costco Travel purchases, up to $1,000 per year. This 2% reward comes as a certificate that can be redeemed for most Costco in-store purchases.

If you spend at least $3,000 per year on Costco purchases, including Costco Travel purchases, you’ll earn enough through the 2% yearly reward to negate the extra cost of the Executive membership.

A Costco membership is required to book vacations through Costco Travel. Costco Executive members can earn 2% in rewards on qualifying Costco purchases, including Costco Travel.

Costco Travel is an online travel agency available to Costco members only. It offers vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and theme park and specialty bookings . Interestingly, you can’t book a flight through Costco Travel unless it’s included in a vacation package.

You can access Costco Travel by selecting Travel on the Costco website or by visiting costcotravel.com .

To view prices, you must be a Costco member, and you need to create a Costco Travel account, which is separate from your Costco.com account, before you can book anything. To do this, you just need your Costco membership number and an email address.

A Costco Travel vacation package includes a hotel stay with a flight and/or a rental car. Searching for a vacation package works like any other online travel agency you may be familiar with. First, you need to input your travel destination, number of travelers, dates, and departure city.

The search results list, which defaults to Costco recommendations first, is easily filtered and sorted to find exactly what you’re looking for.

The total package price is displayed along with any included extras, such as a Costco digital shop card.

After choosing a package, click on View Deals & Customize . You can see what’s included in the package and select different flights or choose an upgraded room. The cost of your package automatically adjusts based on your choices. Remember that the price and extras, such as the Costco shop card that comes with many travel packages, may change as you alter your options.

Once you finalize the details of your Costco Travel package, you can select whether you want just to pay a deposit or pay for the entire trip. Payments can be made with a Visa or Mastercard . American Express cards aren’t accepted.

While only Visa cards are accepted in Costco stores, you can pay for a Costco Travel package using a Visa or a Mastercard.

Price Comparisons

We wanted to see how Costco Travel vacation package prices stacked up, so we checked out a few options. These examples include a 7-night package for 2 people, including hotel accommodations and flights.

Costco Travel offered the best packages for the first 2 examples. Not only was the package price the lowest, but Costco’s packages also included airport transfers and Costco shop cards, making them an even sweeter deal.

However, the third package illustrates that Costco Travel isn’t always the best option. In this example, Costco Travel was the most expensive. However, it included a daily breakfast buffet and a walking food tour. The cheapest option was Expedia, but that package was completely nonrefundable, which may not be worth the savings for some travelers.

Vacation Package Included Activities

One thing to look out for when booking a vacation package through Costco Travel is that they sometimes include extras that you don’t really want . If you remove these extras, the price drops, but some packages require you to add an activity.

For example, this European vacation package included a walking food tour in the quoted price.

After tour was removed, the price dropped by $582.44 ! That’s a huge price to pay for a walking tour, and it would have been easy to assume it was a part of the package when, in reality, it cost a lot extra.

The bad news is that some vacation packages don’t let you to opt out of an activity . In this example, there were 5 activity options available ranging in price from $582 to $1,590.

This can add a lot of unnecessary costs to a Costco Travel vacation package.

Costco Vacations travel packages include a hotel plus a flight and/or rental car. These packages often offer tremendous savings over booking through other websites or booking each element separately. However, Costco Travel won’t always offer the lowest price, so it’s good to shop around a bit before booking any vacation package.

Searching for a hotel through Costco Travel works just like any other online travel agency you may be familiar with. However, the options for booking a hotel without a vacation package are limited .

To begin, click on the Hotels tab on the Costco Travel website and then enter the city, dates, number of people, and the number of rooms.

Results appear on the next screen, with options to filter the list by a specific hotel, hotel chain, area, amenities, member reviews, and ratings. The results list can be sorted by price, but you only see prices if you enter your Costco number.

Remember that when you book a hotel through Costco Travel, you aren’t eligible to earn hotel loyalty points, nor will the hotel recognize any elite status you have . If you’re loyal to a particular hotel chain, such as Hyatt , Hilton , or Marriott , it’s important to weigh any savings against the benefits and points you’d give up.

After selecting a hotel, you can choose a different room, and the price will adjust automatically.

Payment options and cancellation policies can vary based on the hotel and rate you choose, so be sure to read the fine print carefully before you book.

We priced out a couple of hotel stays to see if Costco Travel offered competitive pricing. We found examples of Costco’s price being both higher and lower than the hotel website’s price. You may be able to find a great deal, but it’s not guaranteed.

There are a limited number of hotels you can book through Costco Travel unless you’re booking a package. You may find there are no options even in popular cities and vacation spots, so it can be frustrating to book a stand-alone hotel through Costco Travel.

Like many online travel agencies, Costco offers deals, perks, and specials when booking cruises. Sometimes, these can be quite valuable, but as always, it pays to shop around.

If you know more or less what you want, it’s easy to search for cruises on Costco Travel. Just go to the home page, click the Cruises tab, and enter your destination, departure month, specific cruise line (if you have a preference), and duration.

You can also select an option to search for Alaska cruise tours, which combines a cruise voyage and a guided land tour before or after the voyage.

The results page lists every matching available cruise, with options to filter and sort the results. Each result shows the available room types and any included extras, such as a Costco Cash Card (gift card), onboard credit, or discount.

The price listed in Costco Travel’s cruise search results is per person and doesn’t include taxes and fees.

One of the downsides of using Costco Travel to search for a cruise is that you can only search for 1 month at a time . While other cruise booking websites allow you to search by year or any combination of months, Costco Travel requires you to pick a specific month to travel.

When you find the right cruise, you can select your stateroom type, the number of people joining, and even the specific room location. You can also choose to add flights and pre- or post-cruise hotels to a package.

Some cruise lines offer their own credit card with cruise rewards, but a more general travel rewards card like The Platinum Card ® from American Express almost always offers a better value. For more information, check out our full guide to the best credit cards for booking cruises .

Costco Travel Cruise Deals

You can browse available deals, packages, and popular options if you aren’t set on a specific cruise, date, or region. You find these options by scrolling down on the Costco Travel cruise page, where you can explore by destination, category (such as last-minute cruises or luxury cruises), departure port, or cruise line.

We priced out cruises on Costco Travel and the cruise lines’ websites and found that the cost was usually lower with Costco Travel, especially considering they all came with Costco shop cards.

However, getting accurate pricing on a cruise can be tricky . For example, for the Norwegian cruise, the cost was higher on Norwegian’s website initially, but that’s because it included Free at Sea promotions. With those removed, the cost was the same. Booking through Costco came with a $70 shop card but didn’t give you the ability to add the Free at Sea promotions (which could be very valuable for some guests).

In our research, we’ve found that most cruise booking websites offer the same (or very similar) pricing. The difference is in the extras offered, like a Costco shop card, drink packages, or shipboard credit.

It’s always smart to price out a cruise on multiple websites, and Costco Travel could be a great place for Costco members to start.

Costco Travel also includes a stand-alone car rental booking feature in addition to letting you rent a car as part of a vacation package.

Unlike some other online travel agencies that offer just about everything under the sun, Costco sticks with 4 big car rental agencies: Alamo , Avis , Budget , and Enterprise.

If you would prefer to get your rental from another company like Hertz or Dollar , you should book directly or use a more inclusive portal like AmexTravel.com or Orbitz .

When renting a car, be sure to use a credit card that comes with car rental insurance . You’ll need to decline the rental company’s collision or loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW) for the credit card insurance to be active. Some of our favorite options, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card , include primary coverage.

Searching and Booking

To search for a rental car, input the pickup and drop-off locations, dates, and times, and then click Search .

Search results are shown in a grid, with the 4 companies as the columns and the various classes of cars available as the rows. The lowest prices for each type of car are shown in red , and the price includes taxes and fees. You can click on any price to see the terms and conditions for that rental.

We did some price comparisons using the metasearch engine Kayak , and we always found lower prices on rental cars through other websites .

That doesn’t mean that Costco will never have the best price, however. Car rental prices fluctuate, so it’s always best to price out your rental on multiple websites before booking.

Costco Travel also offers the ability to book select theme parks and specialty vacations .

• Adventures by Disney
• Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa
• Brendan Vacations Ireland & Scotland
• Disney Cruise Line
• Disneyland (vacation packages)
• Evan Evans Britain’s Finest Sightseeing Tours
• Insight Vacations
• Lion World Travel (African safaris)
• Luxury Gold
• Trafalgar Worldwide Guided Vacations
• Walt Disney World (vacation packages)

To book a theme park or specialty vacation package through Costco Travel, you first choose the package type you’re looking for.

Then, you can see each package’s inclusions and details. Each vacation package includes different components, so it’s important to read the details carefully.

Pricing information isn’t displayed until all package components are selected, so it can be a bit tricky to search based on your vacation budget .

For Costco members , using the retailer’s travel service can present an opportunity to save some cash on an incredible vacation. Through negotiated rates with hotels, tour providers, and more, Costco can sometimes offer generous discounts or great added perks.

As always, make sure to compare prices and read all terms. While Costco may offer a price advantage for one service, another portal might win for something else, while direct booking may be the best option for yet another aspect of your travel.

Lastly, if you plan to book a vacation package through Costco and have a Gold Star membership, you might want to consider upgrading to an Executive Membership for an extra $60 a year. The extra 2% rewards could make the upgrade well worth it.

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For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is costco travel.

Costco Travel is a travel booking service exclusively for Costco members. It offers great deals on vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and guided tours.

How does Costco Travel work?

The platform can offer competitive prices the same way it offers deals on retail products, and the same way that organizations like AAA can offer lower rates. By leveraging the size of its membership, Costco can ask travel service providers to offer lower prices for its members, driving business toward them in exchange.

Is Costco Travel a good deal?

That depends — it’s always smart to compare prices on your own to see. In some cases, Costco offers a better rate than other travel booking services or booking directly.

However, in other cases, Costco is more expensive or offers fewer options. For example, many hotels can’t be booked unless they are part of a package, and vacation packages won’t offer flights on some airlines, such as Southwest.

Can you cancel Costco Travel bookings?

Sometimes. Just like with any other travel service (or booking directly with a hotel or airline), each reservation can have different terms and conditions. Make sure to read the terms carefully every time you book to see if something can be canceled or refunded.

Can you book Costco Travel without a Costco membership?

No. You must sign up for a Costco membership ($60 to $120 per year) to book services through the Costco Travel portal.

Can I book on behalf of someone else?

Yes, as long as you hold a Costco membership. Just enter the other person’s name when prompted for traveler information.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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Can Costco Travel Save You Money On Your Next Trip?

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Hardcore Costco fans -- myself included -- agree on one thing: Costco doesn't carry every brand or item, but if Costco carries what you're looking for, it almost always has it at an incredible price. So a natural question for Costco fans who like to explore the world is, can you save money with Costco Travel?

Of course, planning a trip for your family is a lot more complicated than buying humongous boxes of cereal, but Costco Travel -- an arm of the big-box chain -- has plenty to offer. It's a bit like being a treasure hunter roaming the aisles: You'll need to work a little to find out if Costco has the best deal -- but we've done some of the legwork for you.

Let's take a look:

Costco Travel currently partners with the following hotel brands:

For the purposes of this article, I started with Fairmont for comparisons. I chose the Fairmont Mayakoba Resort in Riviera Maya (just south of Cancun). The Costco Travel website displayed the cheapest room type as a Deluxe Casita King. A three-night stay, with breakfast included, in November priced out at $844.97.

On the Fairmont website, the same stay priced out at $859.96 but did not appear to include a $22 per night resort fee. In a live chat session, a Costco Travel rep noted the resort fee was included in their price.

However, Fairmont is part of LeClub Accor Hotels. Accor offers up to a 10% discount to members of its loyalty program. In the case of Fairmont Mayakoba, it offers a 5% discount, which would knock about $50 off the reservation, bringing the direct booking cost relatively close to that of Costco Travel.

It's also worth noting that this specific property has a number of different room types. If you're looking for the cheapest room rate at this property, Costco Travel didn't actually have it. Fairmont's website displayed a cheaper room type with a rate that included breakfast like the Costco Travel rate. This is a good example of why you need to check multiple sources to verify you're getting the best deal.

Related: The Best Hotel Chains for Families

Hyatt is a different story. In the past, TPG had found that the Costco discount with Hyatt was 10% at most properties. A customer service agent at Costco Travel told TPG for this story that the discount varies by property -- which we found in our search results as well.

Like Fairmont, we started our search around Cancun. Costco Travel showed significant discounts at Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya . The Hyatt website quoted us a rate of $2,214 for a three-night stay. Costco Travel clocked in at $1,992.90. On top of that, you'd save about another $75 on that stay if you have the Costco Executive Membership plus the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. (Of course, spending 25,000 World Of Hyatt points per night to stay there will sometimes be the best deal of all.)

Priceline, which we checked to see where it stacked up against booking directly with Hyatt or through Costco Travel, came in about $100 cheaper than booking direct with Hyatt but $100+ more than Costco Travel. Hyatt and Costco Travel had much more flexible cancellation policies than Priceline.

We also decided to dig in to the New York market with Hyatt. At the Hyatt Union Square New York, Costco Travel presented a rate of $1,308.66 all-in; I could book the exact same room type from Hyatt on the same flexible booking terms for $1,279.82 for the dates in question. Hyatt also offered a members an advance purchase rate that was another $10 or so cheaper per night. A quick check of Priceline had its rate at almost $1,400.

We also looked at Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South. Our sample dates showed booking directly with Hyatt resulted in the exact same price as Costco Travel. You could save a few bucks if you have an Executive Membership and the Costco credit card, but keep in mind that as of late 2018, Hyatt Place no longer offers free breakfast unless you book directly with Hyatt .

Rental Cars

As with hotels, Costco Travel is not a guaranteed-cheapest, one-stop shop when it comes to car rentals, but it can be a winner if you are looking to rent with Alamo, Avis, Budget or Enterprise. It can also be a winner if you are looking for an included authorized driver. Mommy Points and her dad just used the heck out of that perk on a recent multi-generation trip to Hawaii . (Make sure you pay for the rental with a card that offers primary rental car coverage such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve.)

Our first search was in Miami for a three-day weekend. Costco Travel presented Avis as the cheapest for our sample dates, at $171 all-in for a full-size car rental. The Chase Ultimate Rewards portal clocked in at $192.01 with the cheapest option being from Dollar.

Priceline found a rate of $120 from a company called Easirent, which I've never heard of. If you're comfortable renting directly from Sixt (I would be), its rate was $152.

On a search at LAX, we found similar results. Costco Travel had the lowest rate of $170 from Avis for a full-size car rental. The Chase Ultimate Rewards portal found a much higher rate of $219.62 for a full-size car from Dollar.

If you include booking direct from Sixt in the mix, Priceline found a $136 rate for a full-size car rental on our sample dates. Last, we put a request into AutoSlash . It does a great job of not only finding excellent prices on car rentals but also tracking your car rental to find lower prices after you book. AutoSlash found that cheap Sixt rate that Costco Travel didn't have access to. Bottom line, Costco sometimes has the best rate for those rental companies it offers, but those rental companies aren't always the cheapest in a given market.

Theme Parks

Costco Travel can help you save money at Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, as well as at Disneyland in California. As a self-avowed Disney nerd, even I was surprised by the savings on park tickets and hotel rooms. Costco Travel also sells vacation packages for Disney World, both with and without flights.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Theme Parks

For our sample package, we chose a package of a hotel and theme park tickets. We also chose one of the Marriott-affiliated properties, the Dolphin -- though Costco Travel does have other a good mix of other options both on- and off-site.

While you may give up some perks, staying off-site at Disney World and using your hotel points can save you a bunch of money on a Disney World vacation. ( Here's our full report on the best hotels you can book using points for your Disney World vacation .)

But if that's not an option, Costco Travel can save you a lot of money over normal cash rates. On our sample dates, Costco quoted us $3,452.89 for five nights at the Walt Disney World Dolphin resort and five days of Park Hopper tickets for two adults and two kids ages 3–9. When we priced that separately, the hotel would have cost $2,301 and the park tickets would have cost an additional $2,200.34, for a total of $4,501.34. A savings of more than $1,000 for a Disney World vacation? That's a lot of extra cash for Dole Whips and Hei Hei cones.

Costco Travel offers more modest (but still meaningful) savings at Universal Orlando. We priced out five days at the Loews Portofino Hotel, one of the hotels at Universal that include Express Passes, Universal's version of FastPass. The hotel rates are on the expensive side, but if you plan to visit Harry Potter's domain or other popular parts of Universal, the Express Pass benefits are something to strongly consider.

Costco Travel priced out five nights at Loews Portofino with two-park, park-to-park tickets for all five days of the stay at $2,880.75. This price included two adults and two children ages 3–9. Booking directly on the Universal Orlando website was $230 more, for a total of $3,116.52. (Though we have to point out that if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express and book Loews Portofino via the Amex Fine Hotel and Resorts program , you get perks like free breakfast, late check-out, etc.)

Cruises are the one category of travel where you can still reliably save money using a travel agent. That's because most travel agents will rebate you a portion of the total price of your cruise in the form of an onboard credit to spend on the ship. Costco Travel is no different, though its rebate is in the form of a Costco Cash Card.

Costco Travel has a long list of cruise partners. Popular options such as Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are available, along with some more boutique cruise operations like Azamara Club Cruises. Since our own Mommy Points recently returned from a Disney Cruise and I booked a Disney Cruise a couple of months ago via Costco Travel, I focused my attention there.

Disney Cruise Line pricing is fairly standard across most sites. This may give the impression that you're better off booking directly with Disney. However, Costco offers a Costco Cash Card with every Disney cruise we researched. The amounts vary, but generally weigh in at about 8% of your total spending. That's one of the better "rebates" available on a Disney Cruise.

About two weeks after we returned from our Disney cruise this year, we had a Costco Cash Card in the mail for the amount promised. Obviously, if you're not a big spender at Costco, it could take you a while to burn through a big cash card -- but that's not a problem in our household.

In addition to the Costco Cash Card, you can still earn the 2% and 3% discounts, respectively, for Executive Membership and the Costco credit card. With the prices of some Disney Cruises, this can definitely add up. Last, you can save additional money with a Disney cruise when you book through Costco Travel because it allows you to pay with a Disney gift card. There are a number of ways to purchase Disney Gift Cards at a discount .

Related: How to Book a Cruise Using Miles and Points

Cruise Critic and CruiseCompete can be great resources when trying to compare fares that travel agencies are offering, though you generally won't find Costco's pricing advertised on those sites, so check Costco Travel directly.

Royal Caribbean is another popular cruise line I would recommend, both for families and couples. I took a peek at how Costco Travel's pricing for Royal Caribbean compared to other choices. Since an Alaska cruise has been on our family's wish list, I priced out a seven-night cruise from Vancouver to Seward in July 2020 on Radiance of the Seas.

For a family of four with two children ages 3 and 9, Royal Caribbean's website quoted me a price of $4,393.72 for a room with an ocean view. Although I have elite status with Royal Caribbean, I did not include any discounts that status might offer. However, Royal Caribbean was offering a $75 onboard credit if booked directly with them. Royal Caribbean has been running more promotions lately, but I don't generally find their cheapest price all-in via its website.

CruiseDirect.com quoted me the exact same price as Royal Caribbean's website but its price included a $175 onboard credit. (This is typically how I see Royal Caribbean's pricing. It mandates that all travel agencies sell at the same price but don't get too picky if those travel agents offer a rebate in the form of onboard credit.)

Costco Travel's website initially quoted me a price of $4,488.72. That puzzled me, so I used the excellent live chat feature. An agent confirmed that the pricing was a glitch and should be exactly the same as the Royal Caribbean website. Costco Travel's price also included a $260 Costco Cash Card.

If you value the Costco Cash Card as cash (I do), then Costco Travel's price was $85 cheaper than CruiseDirect and $185 cheaper than booking with Royal Caribbean direct. As a general rule, I've seen onboard credit as high as 10% of the booking price of our cruise as a rebate from travel agents when booking Royal Caribbean.

Saving On Travel at Costco Beyond Costco Travel

If you have a Costco membership, Costco Travel isn't the only way to save on travel. You'll also find deals at Costco.com and your local warehouse.

Right now, Costco.com has two interesting Universal Hollywood deals. The first is a three-visit pass for $139.99 . One-day tickets to Universal Hollywood range between $109 and $129 for a single day without Express Passes. Although this deal has a few blackout dates (essentially the week between Christmas and New Year's), this represents a phenomenal saving opportunity. You have 12 months from your first visit to use the additional two days in the park, which is plenty of flexibility.

Costco is also selling discounted 18-month passes that allow unlimited access with some blackout dates. The passes are $219.99 on the Costco website right now. Universal Hollywood doesn't sell this exact pass on its website, but their Gold Pass, which allows for 12 months of access and has similar blackout dates, sells for a higher $319. Check the blackout dates on Costco.com, but this pass can be a great deal for Universal Hollywood regulars.

Warehouse deals are generally geared to regional or local attractions. Living near Washington, DC, we've scored discounted tickets to Hersheypark and lift tickets for nearby ski mountains.

Keep an eye out around the holidays for Gaylord and other hotel gift cards. Marriott owns the small chain and the gift cards are generally valid at most Marriott hotels.

Bottom Line

Costco Travel isn't always the cheapest option out there and doesn't have every travel booking partner you may be interested in, but there are times when it does offer the best publicly available deal we could find. We found the best values were on hotel bookings, travel to Disney World, Disney Cruises and on car rentals when you wanted to use one of the brands available via Costco.

It's also worth a mention that in our tests, the live chat feature was extremely helpful and staffed by Costco Travel reps who know their travel. In most cases, you'll probably want to start your booking searches elsewhere, but be sure to compare Costco Travel before you commit. In the case of Disney Cruises, Costco Travel may be the only stop you'll need.

Savings from Costco Travel can absolutely pay for a Costco membership, currently $60. Remember that it's also possible to earn up to 5% off any of Costco Travel's listed prices. Costco Executive Members earn a 2% rebate on travel while Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi cardholders earn an additional 3% rebate on eligible travel expenses.

Edward Pizzarello covers family travel for TPG Family and also blogs at Pizza in Motion . You can find him podcasting at Miles to Go and eating doughnuts on Twitter and Instagram .

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Costco Travel Vacation Packages Offer Luxury and Value

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Table of Contents

How does Costco Travel work?

Can you use costco travel without a membership, is costco travel worth it, the downsides of costco travel, does costco travel offer travel insurance, the verdict: is costco travel a good deal.

The vacation packages featured by Costco Travel make a familiar, super-sized promise to Costco shoppers: You can save by prioritizing quality and buying in bulk. And for value-seeking travelers looking for a little bit of luxury, the wholesale giant delivers.

These vacation packages, which generally include posh accommodations, select meals and ground transportation, aren't available at bargain-barrel rates. But they're quick to book and competitively priced. For some, they might be the most cost-efficient ticket to a lavish getaway. Here’s everything you need to know about Costco Travel.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Costco Travel is a website that allows Costco members to purchase vacation packages, hotels, cruises and rental cars. These vacation packages, which can include posh accommodations, select meals and ground transportation, aren't available at bargain-barrel rates. But they're easy to book and competitively priced. For some, they might be the most cost-efficient ticket to a lavish getaway.

To book one of these vacation packages, you need to provide a Costco membership number at checkout. Memberships start at $60 a year, plus tax. With the Gold Star Executive membership, which costs $120 a year, you'll get additional Costco Travel benefits and 2% back (up to $1,000 in annual rewards) on qualifying Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases.

With a vacation package booked through Costco Travel — which also offers a la carte booking services for hotels, theme parks, car rentals and cruises — you can visit destinations like Rome, Paris, Cancun and many others.

Ginka Poole visits St. Lucia during a trip booked through Costco. (Photo courtesy of Ginka Poole)

Book all the reservations at once

On the Costco Travel website, it's possible to book a full itinerary — even including the car ride from the airport to your hotel — in just a few minutes. For Ginka Poole of Nashville, Tennessee, this was a big draw.

“For a vacation, it’s good to kind of turn your brain off for a while and not have to worry,” says Poole, a travel blogger and photographer. “You pick your destination, and there aren’t too many other choices you need to make.”

She used the service to purchase a trip to St. Lucia , a Caribbean island, with her husband. The package she bought, which cost about $6,000 for a weeklong stay, included ground transportation, the resort stay, breakfast every day, first-class flights and a credit for a tour.

The benefits and accommodations are top-notch

Say you booked a seven-day vacation package from San Francisco to London and Paris for two. For $4,900, you'd get these goodies:

Nonstop economy flights

Transportation to and from the airport

A superior queen room in a London hotel with a daily English breakfast, three-course dinner for two, champagne afternoon tea service and an appointment with the hotel concierge

A $400 tour credit in London

Standard premier railway tickets from London to Paris

A premium room in a Paris hotel with a daily breakfast buffet

To be sure, you could easily book a similar trip for less than $4,900 if you nixed some of those extras. But you'd be hard-pressed to find the same level of amenities and benefits at a lower price on other travel aggregators.

When booking through Costco Travel, you can get 3% cash back on your purchase when you pay with your Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi . If you don’t have that card, try using one that offers extra rewards for travel or flat-rate rewards.

Parita Kuttappan and her husband, Vishnu Kuttappan, visit the Haleakala Crater in Maui on a trip booked through Costco Travel. (Photo courtesy of Parita Kuttappan)

For Parita Kuttappan of Chicago — who booked a trip to Maui and Kauai for herself, her husband and her mother-in-law and father-in-law through Costco Travel — those fancy stays were worth the cost.

“Our accommodations were amazing — exactly what we thought we were going to be getting,” says Kuttappan, who founded the lifestyle blog My Inner Shakti. The resorts they stayed at were beautifully decorated, spacious and comfortable, she notes.

Itineraries are somewhat customizable

Vacation packages on Costco Travel come with a basic itinerary, but you generally handle the details yourself. After selecting your dates and destination, you can add flights, upgrade your room or make other tweaks. Then, it's up to you to plan daily activities.

In Kauai, “We took a helicopter tour of the island, and that was something I will never forget,” Kuttappan says, noting that she booked the tour separately from her package. “It was absolutely breathtaking. We got to see the canyon there, and the different waterfalls and an aerial view of the entire island, which was absolutely amazing.”

Here's why you might not want to book a vacation package through Costco Travel.

Costco Travel is not cheap

Vacation packages can offer a great value, but don't expect clearance prices. While the website features select packages for less than $499 per person, multiday trips with airfare generally run well over $1,000 per person.

"I would say [it’s] a great deal if you’re looking for convenience and willing to spend a little bit extra,” Kuttappan says, who also used the service to book a trip to Italy with her husband.

If trimming costs is your priority, you might be better off booking cheaper accommodations and flights elsewhere.

Not all expenses are included

Vacation packages often include some meals and benefits, but they don’t cover everything.

Poole and her husband were surprised to find they spent an average of about $400 a day purchasing alcohol, lunch and dinner at the resort in St. Lucia, she says. (Breakfast came included in their package.) While online reviewers noted that the food at the resort was expensive, Poole says she didn’t realize how costly it was until she got the final bill for their stay.

» MORE: Travelers, save on meals with these tidbits

“I do wish there would have been a little more information either from reviewers or from Costco themselves saying, 'This is what you’re going to spend,'” she says. To avoid surprises like these, ask the property you’re staying at about food costs beforehand and track expenses during your stay.

You’ll generally go to major hotels and resorts

Most of the hotels and resorts listed on Costco Travel are relatively large, often boasting hundreds of rooms. These properties can get you easy access to coffee, food and a gym — but they might not take you very far off the beaten path.

“You’re going to get a big resort. You’re not going to get a nice boutique hotel,” Poole says.

You cannot purchase a travel insurance policy through Costco Travel. However, you can purchase a trip insurance policy through Costco’s partner Zurich Travel Insurance. There are many plans to choose from, including those that offer trip cancellation , trip interruption , emergency medical coverage , travel delay , lost luggage coverage and more. 

If you have a travel credit card that offers complimentary trip insurance , use that card to buy a Costco Travel vacation package so that you receive coverage for your trip.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

If you'd happily stay at a low-cost motel while traveling abroad if it meant saving money, booking a vacation package through Costco Travel just doesn't make sense. But for those who want to land a swanky hotel and ready-made itinerary for a reasonable price, it might be the fastest and most cost-effective option.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Is costco travel actually cheaper we compared real prices on 3 trips.

There are a ton of anecdotes floating around the Costcosphere about how awesome Costco Travel is and how much money people save. But I always take these kinds of Costco stories with a grain of salty skepticism.

But they persist. So I decided to do a bit of digging and see if there was actually any truth to these pervasive rumors.

To give it a fair shot, I picked three trips of varying lengths and distances, from various parts of the country, at different times of year, and got itineraries from Costco Travel packages. I then looked up the exact same travel details directly with the providers to see what it would cost to book on your own.

Here's what I found.

Trip 1: Chicago, Illinois to Boston, Massachusetts

When: July 15, 2024 through July 19, 2024

Duration: 4 nights

Who: 2 adults plus 1 child

Includes: Flights and hotel

Flights: United, Economy

Hotel: The Westin Copley Place, Traditional 2 Double (City view)

Costco Package: $3,081.83

Booking direct: $3,627.96

Flight: $1,182.96

Hotel: $2,445 (Marriott Bonvoy member rate; joining is free)

Verdict: You save $546.13 through Costco

Booking the exact same flights and hotel room through United and Marriott, respectively, resulted in an overall cost more than $540 higher (15%) than the Costco package price.

What about rewards?

If you break out your trusty travel rewards card , you could get this trip for almost nothing out of pocket. Here's how that looks.

Booking direct with rewards:

Flight: 90,000 United miles plus $33.60

Hotel: 287,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to both United and Marriott. Amex Membership Rewards points also transfer to Marriott. Plus, United and Marriott both have cobranded cards with decent welcome bonuses.

Trip 2: Syracuse, New York to Portland, Oregon

When: Dec. 20, 2024 through Jan. 3, 2025

Duration: 14 nights

Who: 2 adults

Includes: Flights, hotel, rental car

Flights: Delta, First Class, 1 stop each way

Hotel: The Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Superior 1 King

Rental car: Budget, Intermediate Car

Costco Recommended Package: $6,571.28

Booking direct: $7,085.78

Flight: $2,772.40

Hotel: $3,613 (Marriott Bonvoy member rate; joining is free)

Rental car: $700.38

Verdict: You save $514.50 through Costco

Booking the exact same flights, hotel, and rental car type directly through Delta, Marriott, and Budget resulted in a total cost more than $500 higher (7%) than the Costco package rate.

You can take this trip for free (mostly) with the right rewards points, though you'll need quite a few. Here are the numbers.

Flight: 240,000 Delta miles plus $22.40

Hotel: 517,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Rental car: Varies by program

You can get Delta miles by transferring Amex Membership Rewards points or by having a Delta cobranded airline credit card. Marriott is a transfer partner of both Chase and Amex, and it has its own hotel credit cards.

The rental car is the wildcard here. You can use rewards to book a rental car in any program's travel portal. If you have a Capital One travel card, you can also redeem your Venture miles to "erase" a rental car purchase.

Trip 3: Fresno, California to Monterey, California

When: Oct. 4, 2024 through Oct. 7, 2024

Duration: 3 nights

Who: 1 adult plus 2 children

Includes: Hotel and rental car

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Monterey-Cannery Row, Two Double Beds

Rental car: Enterprise, Standard Car

Costco Package: $1,220.87

Booking direct: $1,336.71

Hotel: $1,192.83 (IHG member rate; joining is free)

Rental car: $143.88

Verdict: You save $115.84 through Costco

Even on this shorter trip you're going to save money by booking through Costo. The direct booking price was more than $115 higher (9%) than the Costco package cost.

You'll need a big bundle of IHG points for this stay. This is how it works out.

Hotel: 211,998 IHG points

IHG is a transfer partner for Chase Ultimate Rewards points (though this may not be the best use for your Chase points). IHG also has a few cobranded credit cards with decent welcome bonuses. As noted above, your rental car can be booked through any issuer travel portal using points.

Surprisingly good deals

So, I have to admit, I'm surprised at exactly how much you can really save by booking your vacation package through Costco. While I'm still on Team Travel Rewards, I can honestly say I'll be checking out Costco Travel before booking my next paid trip.

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.American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Brittney Myers has positions in American Express. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool recommends InterContinental Hotels Group Plc and Marriott International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

Is Costco Travel Actually Cheaper? We Compared Real Prices on 3 Trips was originally published by The Motley Fool

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What’s open and closed on Memorial Day

A shopper moves past a display of items in a Costco warehouse Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Sheridan, Colo. As many Americans celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2024, there are several stores, government offices and businesses that will be open or closed.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

FILE - Chase Bank ATMs are shown, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in New York. As many Americans celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2024, there are several stores, government offices and businesses that will be open or closed. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

FILE - A Macy’s department store is in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, on Tuesday, Dec.12, 2023. As many Americans celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2024, there are several stores, government offices and businesses that will be open or closed.(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

FILE - Letters and packages are loaded on a U.S. Postal Service truck parked outside a post office in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. As many Americans celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, 2024, there are several stores, government offices and businesses that will be open or closed. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - The sun shines through the flags in the Memorial Day Flag Garden on Boston Common, May 27, 2023, in Boston. Businesses increasingly have chosen to stay open on the holiday, leading to what is now one of the biggest retail sales and travel weekends of the year. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

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In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May.

Businesses increasingly have chosen to stay open on the holiday, leading to what is now one of the biggest retail sales and travel weekends of the year.

Here’s what is open and closed this year on Memorial Day:

GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed.

Memorial Day Weekend

• The history: 5 things to know about the holiday , including its evolution and controversies
• Travel: Crowds and high prices met travelers on the busiest day of the holiday weekend
• On the menu: Try this recipe for smoky chicken wings or for something lighter, update these classic side dishes
• What’s open? Check this list of stores and more before you head out
• Now playing: Here are the movies coming to the box office this weekend and beyond

BANKS AND STOCK MARKET

U.S. stock markets and banks are closed Monday.

Most FedEx and UPS pickup and delivery services will also not be available on Memorial Day.

Warehouse membership club Costco said it would close on Memorial Day , but the vast majority of retailers will be open, with many trying to lure customers with big promotional sales. Hours may vary by location.

Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial opening of the summer travel season. Auto club AAA projects 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the holiday travel period, an increase of 4% from last year. If those projections are accurate, that would come close to 2005’s record of 44 million Memorial Day weekend travelers.

AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car over the weekend — the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking it in 2000 — and that another 3.5 million people will travel by air.

AAA: Florida gasoline prices on a downward trend

Gasoline prices have been on a steady downward trend in Florida, according to the AAA-The Auto Club Group.

Over the last 10 days, the state average dropped 11 cents, landing at $3.45 per gallon by Sunday.

As a comparison, the national average is $3.53.

In Palm Beach County, which usually has the highest gas prices in the state, gas is $3.63 on average for a gallon of regular. That's 17 cents less than it was a month ago ($3.80, but slightly more than ($3.58) a year ago.

"While gasoline prices are usually volatile through the summer months, recent futures prices suggest the state average could move lower this week," AAA-The Auto Club Group spokesperson Mark Jenkins said.

The U.S. price for crude oil dropped 4% over the last two weeks, and gas futures are down 16 cents during that same period.

The second-most expensive gas in Florida was the Naples area ($3.55), then the Fort Lauderdale area ($3.51).

The cheapest gas is in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area ($3.16), Panama City area ($3.18), and Pensacola area ($3.21).

If you want to take a road trip out of Florida soon, keep in mind the most expensive gas is, along with Hawaii and Alaska, much of the West Coast, and Illinois ($3.91) and Pennsylvania ($3.73).

Why does Palm Beach County always have the state's highest-priced gas?

No matter whether gas prices in Florida rise or fall, Palm Beach County almost always has the highest prices in the state.

Why is that?

Experts at AAA Auto Club South and Gas Buddy say there are numerous reasons for the dubious distinction.

According to AAA, the biggest differences are the cost of living and operating a business. But there are other factors to blame. Here they are:

Competition, or a lack of competition

Stations near low-price leaders such as Costco and Sam’s Club are likely to offer lower prices, too. Conversely, if there is no large gasoline retailer in an area, prices tend to be higher.

Price zones

A pricing practice known as zoning takes into account the number of competing stations, number of vehicles, average traffic flow, population density, income level and more. Set by the gasoline suppliers, price zones can result in varying prices for the same brand at stations a few miles apart.

Motor fuel tax rates

At 39.4 cents per gallon in state and local taxes, plus 18.4 cents in federal taxes, that brings taxes to 57.7 cents per gallon in Palm Beach County. But 30 other Florida counties have the same gasoline taxes, the highest allowed in Florida.

Distribution cost

These vary depending on how far trucks have to travel from a terminal to gas stations. Palm Beach County has no gasoline terminal. Port Everglades in Broward County is South Florida’s primary storage and distribution center for refined petroleum products, and all of Palm Beach County’s gasoline comes from there.

Property taxes, insurance and leasing costs

These tend to be higher near airports and interstate on- and off-ramps and in higher-income municipalities such as Boca Raton and Jupiter.

Station owners charge what the market will bear. In an affluent county, that ends up with prices being higher. Higher-income communities also tend to have fewer gas stations, resulting in less competition. What does it boil down to? They charge more because they can.

• Daily gas price averages can be found at  Gasprices.aaa.com  

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at  [email protected] . Follow her on X:  @elenabarreraaa .

The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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