5 Tips for Scoring Travel Savings from Costco

Renting a car through Costco is just one way to reduce your travel costs.

Costco members enjoy savings on a huge variety of items, making it easy to shop for the things you need while still keeping more cash in your bank account. But it's not just cereal and toiletries that you can save on with your Costco membership. The warehouse club gives you the chance to book travel as well -- often at a great price.

Before you break out the credit cards and sign up for your next trip through Costco, you should read these tips to make sure you actually get the maximum savings possible on your vacation.

1. Compare prices to make sure Costco really is the cheapest option

Costco's prices are often cheaper than you will find elsewhere -- but that's not a given.

Before you book a vacation package, hotel, rental car, or cruise through Costco, you should do some comparison shopping elsewhere. By taking a look at prices competitors are offering and checking those against the warehouse store's online travel deals, you can make sure you really are getting the most favorable price.

2. Be flexible with your destination

If you just want to get away and you don't have a strong preference for where you go, you can get some really great bargains by checking out Costco Travel's limited-time deals. For example, as of the time of this writing, you could get a daily resort fee waived by booking a particular Hawaii trip or score a $100 resort credit at a classic California hotel.

3. Book your rental car through Costco

Costco has especially great prices on rental cars, even though you may not think of booking this through the warehouse club. Check out its offerings whenever you're renting a car to see if you can reduce the price you pay for your vehicle.

4. Get your theme park tickets through Costco

If you're planning to visit a theme park, you don't have to buy your tickets at the door. Costco offers members tickets to many of the biggest theme parks in the country, as well as access to some specialty vacation options.

5. Consider becoming a Costco executive member

If you are a Costco executive member, you will get a 2% reward when you book and complete travel through Costco. This can add up very quickly if you are purchasing an entire vacation through Costco -- especially since the 2% back is on top of any credit card rewards you would also be entitled to when you pay for your trip.

Costco executive membership does cost more than the standard membership. Currently, it's $120 compared to $60. But if you shop frequently at the store -- and especially if you are buying big-ticket items like travel -- then you can more than cover this added cost and end up with extra cash back.

By trying out these five tips, hopefully you can get a great deal on your next vacation as an added perk of your warehouse club membership. Hopefully you can also enjoy a special vacation with some extra benefits and with more money in your pocket to spend at your destination.