Amazon Prime Benefits I Didn’t Know I Had — That Are Actually Useful for Travel

I thought I was basically paying for free shipping.

I’ve had Amazon Prime long enough that I never really stopped to think about why I keep it. I just know I use it constantly and, at this point, I can’t really imagine getting rid of it.

Then I started looking at what is actually included with Prime and realized I’ve been paying for some travel perks I wasn’t even using.

Some of these make a LOT of sense for the way we travel.

First, Why I Keep Prime Anyway

I’m not going to tell you Amazon is always cheaper, because it isn’t.

I still compare prices.

If something costs more on Amazon than I can get it for at the store, it goes on my shopping list. Simple.

I also checked my Amazon account while writing this, and Amazon says I’ve saved $1,622 in the last year with Prime. That’s Amazon’s number—I didn’t sit down and audit 12 months of orders to check their math. 😂

A big reason is reviews.

If I’m buying snorkels for a trip, I would much rather sit at home, look through all my options, compare prices and read what people who actually bought them have to say than stand in a store choosing between the few they happen to have on the shelf.

And it isn’t just travel stuff.

I needed pickling salt. Where exactly am I finding that in the store?

I needed shelving for hundreds of canning jars. I could stand in an aisle trying to read the specs on giant heavy boxes, or I could compare the dimensions, weight limits and reviews from my couch.

My scissors are dull? I can order another pair and they’ll probably be here before I remember to put scissors on my shopping list.

That’s honestly how Prime worked its way into my life.

But here’s where I realized I wasn’t getting everything out of it that I could — especially when we travel.

Grubhub+ Is Included With Prime

This might be the Prime benefit I can’t believe I didn’t know about.

Prime members can activate Grubhub+ at no additional membership cost. On eligible Grubhub+ orders that meet the required subtotal, that can mean $0 delivery fees, lower service fees and other benefits.

And THIS makes sense for our trips.

We commonly travel with somewhere around 7 to 14 people and rent a house.

Now imagine everyone is in the pool and it’s time for dinner.

Who’s going to get the food?

Are we all going?

What does everybody want?

Who wants to get out of the pool, get dressed and drive somewhere?

And depending on the night, sometimes nobody should be driving anyway.

It is much easier to convince one person to sit there and put in a food order than it is to convince an entire vacation house to get ready and go somewhere.

We’ve ordered food at vacation rentals plenty of times. What I didn’t know was that I already had access to Grubhub+ through Prime.

If you travel in groups and rent houses like we do, check this one before your next trip.

RTO TIP: We also use a simple vacation-rental meal plan so feeding a big group doesn’t become a daily project.

Vacation Rental Meal Plan

Prime Video Makes More Sense for Travel Than I Thought

Apparently we’re using Prime Video a LOT more than I realized. 😂

When I checked the Prime Video section of my Prime Journey, Amazon showed that we’ve streamed 557 videos using our Prime benefits.

I personally barely watch TV, so I definitely wasn’t expecting that number. My kids use streaming much more than I do, including watching movies on long drives.

Apparently this is another Prime benefit my household has been getting a lot more use out of than I realized.

Prime Video has movies and shows that are included with a Prime membership, and supported titles can be downloaded through the Prime Video app for offline viewing on compatible devices.

That last part is important for a road trip.

You don’t want to discover three hours into the middle of nowhere that the movie everyone planned to watch needs an internet connection.

Download before you leave.

And road-trip movies don’t have to mean staring at a tablet in the back seat.

We’ve done projector movie nights. My kids have been places where they projected the movie right onto the side of an RV.

You could make a family movie night at the campground, a rainy night at the vacation rental or even a truck-bed date night with blankets, snacks and a makeshift screen.

We’ve also stayed at more and more hotels where you can use streaming services on the TV.

One thing to know: not everything you see inside Prime Video is included with Prime. Amazon also has movies and shows that cost extra to rent or buy, plus additional subscriptions. Check for “Included with Prime” if you’re trying to use what you’re already paying for.

Ordering Before a Trip Is Probably How I Use Prime the Most

This is the obvious one, but it’s still probably the biggest travel benefit for me.

I drive on most of our trips, so I can bring quite a bit with me.

Snorkels. Chargers. Beach stuff. Hiking stuff. Whatever we need.

But I don’t necessarily want to drive around town looking for it before we leave.

I can sit at home, compare everything, read reviews and have it show up.

Prime offers fast free delivery on millions of eligible items, including Same-Day, One-Day and Two-Day delivery options depending on the item and location.

That’s particularly nice when you’re getting close to departure day and suddenly realize you’re missing something.

Again, I still check the price.

Convenience is great. Paying way more just because something can show up at my door isn’t.

What About Ordering Stuff After You Get There?

I haven’t had to use Amazon as my vacation emergency plan yet, but it’s absolutely in the back of my mind.

The closest I’ve come was ordering work clothes while I was working out of state.

But think about everything that can happen on a trip.

Something breaks.

You forget something.

You can’t find what you need locally.

You’re flying and purposely packed light.

Amazon delivery gives you another option besides spending part of your vacation driving from store to store looking for something.

And if you’re flying to a beach destination, do a little math before automatically renting everything.

For example, compare the weekly rental price of beach chairs with buying inexpensive chairs after you arrive. If buying makes more sense, local vacation groups can be a great place to pass usable stuff along before you fly home.

People do this with leftover vacation groceries too.

You may find someone leaving town who has chairs, unopened food and a couple beers they don’t want to haul home. 😂

Just make sure you’re passing usable things along to someone who actually wants them rather than leaving stuff behind for a rental owner to deal with.

Amazon Pickup Locations Could Be a Good Backup Plan

This is another one I’ve recently started keeping in mind.

If having something delivered directly to where you’re staying isn’t practical, Amazon has pickup options in some areas.

I haven’t needed to use this on a trip yet, but I like knowing the option exists.

If I’m hundreds of miles from home and suddenly need something I can’t easily find, I would much rather have another backup than spend half a vacation day hunting through stores.

Availability depends on where you’re traveling and what you’re ordering, so this is something I’d check for the specific trip rather than count on everywhere.

Prime for Young Adults Is Worth Knowing About

This one isn’t specifically a travel benefit, but I didn’t know the deal was this good.

Eligible young adults ages 18–24 can get Prime for $0 for the first six months, with a discounted membership afterward.

If you’ve got a young adult living on their own, going to college or starting to travel without you, it’s worth knowing this exists before they pay regular price.

I wouldn’t personally get another membership for my kids just because they’re my kids — our family doesn’t necessarily divide expenses that way.

But if I had an 18–24-year-old ordering from Amazon on their own and paying for their own membership, I would absolutely tell them to check this first.

What I Wouldn’t Do

I wouldn’t sign up for Prime JUST because you’re taking one road trip.

That’s not really the point of this.

For me, Prime works because I already use Amazon constantly.

The travel benefits are more like finding out the thing I’m already paying for can do more than I realized.

That’s what surprised me.

So Is Prime Useful for Travel?

For the way we travel, yes.

Not because I need another membership.

Because I already HAVE the membership.

Now I know I can use Grubhub+ when nobody wants to leave the vacation-rental pool.

The kids can download movies before a long drive.

I can compare and order trip supplies without spending an afternoon driving around looking for them.

And if something goes wrong while we’re away, Amazon delivery or a pickup option gives me another possible backup.

Apparently I wasn’t just paying for free shipping.

I just wasn’t using half the stuff I was already paying for.