Today's vacation products come in five main groups: escorted, package, independent and charter. Each has its own advantages, described below, but remember -- as important as the options are the tour operators themselves, so always look for an operator's membership in the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA).

Here's an overview of the five main types of tours to help you select which suits your style and wallet:

Escorted
Group Travel
Package Travel
Independent Travel
Charter Travel

Escorted Tours

Escorted Tours are the most traditional of tour products, and the most misunderstood. Consider these images: A Zodiac pontoon dinghy bounding over Arctic waves to reach a rare bird colony. A professor in Prague describing the fall of communism over an intimate dinner. A park ranger walking you to the secret spots in his vast domain, where waterfalls crash and the sunset is perfect.

All these and more are available as escorted tours. In fact the options are so disparate it's easiest to identify the few elements they share:

Group travel, usually by motorcoach but sometimes by ship or train.

A set itinerary, with lodging, activities and most meals included.

And a tour director to coordinate, guide and manage the trip.

A lot of research goes into planning escorted tours, resulting in reliable itineraries and fewer hassles for travelers. That's particularly true in less developed destinations -- Eastern Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, for instance -- where a lack of infrastructure can make independent travel more of an ordeal than a holiday.

Traveling on an escorted tour provides a measure of security and peace of mind. Many escorted trips also provide for a tremendous amount of learning. Naturalists accompany trips to the wilderness. Local experts, known as step-on guides, may join briefly to share their knowledge of specific areas, cultures or activities. And tour directors themselves are savvy, personable and well-informed.

Some people wonder if they'll have enough independence on a group tour. Today, however, more and more tour operators are building in free time on group tours, giving travelers the best of both worlds.

Package Travel

Like group tours, packages tend to have fixed itineraries, with ground transportation and hotels booked in advance. But like independent travel, there's no organized group: Clients are on their own, free to do as they please at each destination, but they still have the convenience and reliability that come with booking through a tour operator.

That makes package travel especially popular with first-time visitors to foreign cities, resort vacationers who want the most hassle-free arrangements available, and anyone looking to make efficient use of their time.

Packages also are easy on the budget: They tend to be the least expensive way to go, since they're entirely assembled by tour operators making bulk purchases of air, hotel and motorcoach space. And, there are many individual choices available within packages so you can tailor your trip -- things like day trips, transit passes and city sightseeing.

Independent Travel

There's no group on these trips, no guide and no fixed itinerary, unless you want one.

You pick where you want to go, book it and go -- just like any trip you've planned yourself. The sole difference is that by booking through a tour operator from its available inventory, you get the advantage of group buying power, without the group.

Buying your vacation in modular components gives you the widest range of options. You can buy discounted airline tickets, coach or first class, and go freewheeling from there. You can add hotel accommodations, booking each night in advance, or, for improvisers, buying a book of vouchers good at any of hundreds of hotels scattered around the countryside. Tell one in the morning which you'll visit that night, and they'll call ahead for you.

You can also be a little less adventuresome with independent travel. "Hosted" tours provide local hosts who will meet you at the airport and visit you at your hotel, helping you plan sightseeing and entertainment options.

Charter Travel

Thanks to improved federal regulations and a new generation of operators, air charters have become the preferred way to reach many of the world's most popular vacation destinations, for reasons of value and convenience alike.

Here's how they work: The tour operator rents an airplane and sells the seats, often in combination with a hotel package and perhaps other ground components. The result is substantial savings: Charters can run 10 to 30 percent less expensive than regularly scheduled carriers and without advance purchase requirements or most other restrictions.

There are other advantages. Charters often fly to popular destinations where regularly scheduled flights can't meet demand, so it's often easier to get charter seats to fit your schedule. Charters also may offer direct flights that regular carriers don't provide.

In fact, operators customarily have staff present to see flights off, welcome passengers to the destination and assist them to baggage claim, through customs and on to their hotel.