How Costsaver scores
TTC's true budget tier — below Trafalgar and Insight in both price and inclusions. Its scores reflect a company built to compete on price first.
These are fit scores, not review scores. They measure who a trip actually suits, not whether Costsaver runs a good tour.
Three honest notes. Price transparency scores below the midpoint deliberately — the entire premise of this page is that the advertised price isn't what most people actually spend, since the real cost depends on how many Choice Experiences you add once you're traveling. Inclusions depth scores low because that's the honest trade for the price — most lunches and dinners aren't included, and Costsaver doesn't pretend otherwise. Independence from conglomerates measures ownership structure, not company quality — a 1 here means Costsaver is part of a larger corporate family (TTC, now Apollo-owned), not that the tours themselves are lacking.
Choice Experiences — optional, not included
A different company entirely, Globus, offers Choice Excursions built into the price under a confusingly similar name. Costsaver's version works the opposite way.
Costsaver calls itself "the ultimate unpackaged tour" — and the mechanism behind that phrase is specific: the base price covers only the essentials, and its 1,000+ Choice Experiences are optional add-ons you book and pay for on the trip itself, not bundled into what you've already paid. That's a genuinely different structure from Globus's Choice Touring, where the included excursions are pre-paid and you're simply picking which one to attend. Costsaver's version keeps the sticker price lower by design, but it also means the real cost of your trip depends on how many experiences you choose to add once you're there.
The upside is real flexibility: go big on excursions in the destinations that matter most to you, skip them entirely elsewhere, or do your own thing and pocket the difference. The trade-off is that the advertised tour price understates what most travelers will actually spend once Choice Experiences are factored in.
People often confuse the two names entirely — Globus Choice Touring and Costsaver Choice Experiences sound like the same idea, but they're close to opposites. One is already paid for; the other is what you pay for once you're there. If you're cross-shopping the two, that distinction matters more than almost anything else on either page. See our full Globus guide for the included-excursions version of this same idea.
What's included — and what isn't
| Cost item | How Costsaver handles it |
|---|---|
| Accommodations — included | Every night, though not always centrally located — often close to public transportation rather than in the historic center. |
| On-trip transport — included | Motorcoach transportation between destinations, with a Travel Director and Driver throughout. |
| City orientations — included | A basic orientation tour and access to the essential must-see sights in major cities. |
| Lunches and dinners — mostly extra | Many breakfasts and some group meals are included, while a substantial share of lunches and dinners are left open for travelers to choose themselves — one of the main ways Costsaver keeps the base fare down versus Trafalgar or Insight. |
| Choice Experiences — extra | Optional, booked and paid for on the trip. More than 1,000 available across the catalogue, hand-picked by Costsaver's own team. |
| Airfare — extra | Not in the land price, standard across the industry. |
TTC's true budget tier
Costsaver sits below Trafalgar and Insight Vacations in both price and inclusions, while sharing the same parent company, operational infrastructure, and Travel Director training program. Since October 31, 2024, that parent — The Travel Corporation (TTC) — has been owned by Apollo Global Management, following its acquisition from the Tollman family. Costsaver also shares TTC's sustainability commitments, including at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience built into every tour, under the same TreadRight Foundation umbrella as its sister brands.
Solo travelers — room share can avoid the supplement
Costsaver gives solo travelers the option of paying for a private room with a single supplement or, on eligible trips, using its solo room-share arrangement instead — matched with a same-sex traveler at the twin-share price, on nearly all itineraries. The exact single-room cost varies by trip and departure, and many departures also offer a reduced supplement or a room upgrade promotion. Compare the room-share option against the supplement before booking rather than assuming solo travel automatically means paying more.
Who Costsaver fits — and who should look elsewhere
You want the lowest realistic entry price into TTC-quality escorted touring and are comfortable managing your own meals and excursion spending. You'd rather choose and pay for exactly the experiences you want than have a fixed menu bundled into a higher sticker price. You're budgeting carefully and want to control how much you spend on optional extras, trip by trip. Or you're comparing TTC's own sister brands and want the genuine budget option, not just a cheaper-sounding one.
You want meals and excursions bundled into one predictable price — Costsaver's real cost depends heavily on how much you add once you're traveling. You're traveling solo, don't want a same-sex roommate, and want a guaranteed private room without a supplement; the room-share option avoids the charge, but it isn't a free private room. You want centrally located hotels as standard; Costsaver's accommodations prioritize value and transit access over location. Or you're specifically drawn to Trafalgar's Be My Guest experiences or Insight's premium hotels — those live one and two tiers up, not here.
If you asked us to pick
Costsaver makes the most sense when you go in with a real plan for Choice Experiences rather than treating the advertised price as the whole cost — budget for what you actually intend to add, not just the base fare. If you're traveling solo, compare the room-share option against the single supplement for your specific departure before booking — on most itineraries you genuinely have both choices, and the better deal depends on the trip. And if you're weighing Costsaver against Trafalgar or Insight, the honest question isn't which is "better" — it's whether you'd rather pay more upfront for bundled inclusions or pay as you go for exactly what you choose.
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Quick answers
How is Costsaver different from Globus's Choice Touring?
The opposite mechanism. Globus's Choice Excursions are included in the price — you pick which one, but you've already paid for it. Costsaver's 1,000+ Choice Experiences are optional add-ons you book and pay for on the trip itself. Costsaver's price stays lower specifically because those experiences aren't bundled in.
What's not included on a Costsaver tour?
A substantial share of lunches and dinners, plus all optional excursions. Costsaver includes accommodations, on-trip transport, a Travel Director and Driver, city orientations, the essential sightseeing, many breakfasts, and some group meals — but keeps the base price down specifically by leaving a good portion of meals and every optional experience for travelers to pay for as they go.
Does Costsaver charge a single supplement?
Costsaver offers two options for most itineraries: pay a single supplement for a private room, or use the solo room-share arrangement, which matches you with a same-sex traveler at the twin-share price. The exact single-room cost varies by trip and departure, and many departures also offer a reduced supplement or a room upgrade promotion.
Who owns Costsaver?
The Travel Corporation (TTC), the same parent as Trafalgar and Insight Vacations. Apollo Global Management acquired TTC from the Tollman family on October 31, 2024. Costsaver is positioned as TTC's budget tier, sitting below Trafalgar in price and inclusions.
How many tours does Costsaver offer?
77 and counting, according to the company's own current site, spanning multiple continents. The exact count changes as new itineraries are added, so treat it as a snapshot rather than a fixed number.