Adventures made easy with Costco

My Costco membership is worth the fee with my travel alone!  I use that card so much.  And, I will have it be known that I shop around, and 9 times out of 10 Costco is the best bet.  Now, there are other membership plans out there(AAA, I'm looking at you!) that MAY offer good deals too, but I've worked with Costco and that's where I've found the best bang for my buck(that sounds so cliche).  I'm not talking using JUST Costcotravel.com for it's deals on vacation packages, cruises, hotels, park tickets, and rental cars....I'm talking...I use Costco for 6 specific things before, during, and even after I travel.

Before Vacation
*Costco Travel:  Now, I will start by saying that the website alone IS a "go to" place.  I can check hotel rates(I always compare to Trivago), cruises(I also check VacationstoGo), theme/amusement park ticket prices compared to gate prices, and rental cars(which you can read about here).  It's just such a great place to go when beginning to vacation plan. 

During Vacation
*Gas:  You know how you're always looking for a place to get gas while on vacation, especially cheap gas right before you have to return the rental car?  Well, Costco!  If there is one near your accommodation, or the airport....you're in luck.  Costco gas is always cheaper. 

*Quick cheap meals:  When you're on vacation, and eating out A LOT it's nice to take the guess work out of a meal.  Just stop off at the nearest Costco, and order those familiar hot dogs, pizzas, smoothies, and churros.  If you plan this right you can get a meal AND...

*Souvenirs: That's right!  You've got friends and family that are expecting a little something from your trip to "cool far off place that they wish they were there".  Costco has gifts...in bulk!  Genius move, right?  I suggest hitting up the Costco early in your trip because you can get the majority of your gifts, and purchase the rest as you vacation.  Costco carries local items, and getting your friends and family gifts that are authentic makes you the best gift giver.  On a recent trip to Hawaii we stocked up on chocolates, nuts, cookies, and books by local authors for our friends and family members. I made a list of everyone we wanted to buy gifts for and started at Costco.  After Costco I only had 2 gifts to buy(that I ended up getting at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet).  It was perfect.  We also got ourselves some local goodies to take home to remind us of our adventure.  Let me just say that Maltesers should be sold in every Costco!

*Family Vacations:  We recently did a family vacation to Disneyland.  We rented a home(Funtierland...I should totally do a post about this company.  We loved it!) near the park where 9 of us got to be with each other the whole time.  We ate breakfast together every morning and enjoyed snacks throughout the day.  You better believe we shopped at Costco.  Easy, convenient, and the best way to stock a fridge while entertaining multiple families. 

After Vacation
*Photos:  If you still believe in printing photos Costco is amazingly cheap.  It's also the perfect place to print large prints of your favorite photos.

My love for Costco runs deep.  I love this place.  The fact that it helps before, during, and after vacation says a lot.  It really is a great support to any vacation.  I'm trying to think of other reasons to love Costco, and would love to hear why you love Costco and travel too.