You may already be familiar with Costco for rock-bottom pricing on favorite bulk grocery items, household goods, and gas. However, you may not be aware that Costco offers equally great deals on car rentals, cruises, and vacation packages.

What does Costco know about travel? It turns out a lot. They have been in the travel space for over 20 years, since 2000, bringing the same highly selective group purchase practice to vacations that they deliver to their warehouse aisles.

Think of Costco Travel as an easy-to-use online travel agent offering a limited selection of quality trip options with enviable rebates and perks—depending on your membership level. While it's not typically the best deal for independent travelers, those looking for one-click booking on package trips will get value out of it. And it's hard to beat Costco's rates on car rentals.

And yes, you must be a Costco member to use Costco Travel.

How much does a Costco membership cost?
Costco has two membership categories with two levels of perks and pricing under each.

The first membership type is a Personal Membership. Anyone can purchase either the Gold Star Personal Membership ($60) or the Executive Personal Membership ($120) with a 2% annual reward.

The second type of membership is a Business Membership. The two levels within the Business Membership are the Business ($60) and the Business Executive ($120).