Escorted & Package Tours

Before you start searching for the lowest airfare, you might want to consider booking your flight as part of a travel package. Package tours are not the same as escorted tours. With a package tour, you travel independently but pay a group rate. You can buy airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time, often at discounted prices -- sort of like one-stop shopping. These packages have been sold in bulk to tour operators, who are reselling them to you at a cost that usually undercuts the normal market price. These tours have both pros and cons.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves, though only a few offer packages to eastern Canada. Those that do include Air Canada (tel. 888/AIR-CANA; www.aircanada.com), which has the most choices to this region; Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.coolvacations.com); United Vacations (tel. 800/377-1816; www.unitedvacations.com); and American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; http://www.aavacations.com).

The operator with the most tours of the region is probably Newfoundland's own Maxxim Vacations. Liberty Travel (tel. 888/271-1584; www.libertytravel.com), one of the biggest packagers in the northeast, also offers some good package tours to Atlantic Canada. Liberty often runs full-page ads in Sunday papers in Boston, New York, and other large cities where you can see some sample prices and itineraries spelled out. (In fact, lots of other companies' travel packages will be listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper, too.)

Also check ads in national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Conde Nast Traveler. Several large online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com, to name a few -- do a brisk business in packages as well; it can't hurt to go online and check a few of them out for specials to eastern Canada.

Package and Escorted Tours: The Pros & Cons

Package deals always have pros and cons. On the upside, they can save you money while allowing for independent travel; some even let you add on a few guided excursions or escorted day trips (often at discounted prices lower than what you would pay if you booked them yourself). But you're usually required to make a large deposit payment upfront; you may end up on a charter flight; and you have to deal with your own luggage and transfers between your hotel and the airport if transfers are not included in the package price. Packages often don't allow for complete flexibility or a wide range of choices of activity while on the trip, either -- you may prefer a quiet inn but have to settle for a chain hotel. Choice of travel dates may be limited, too.

Before you invest in a package tour, get some answers. Ask about the accommodations choices and prices for each. Then look up the hotels' reviews in a Frommer's guide and check their rates online for your specific dates of travel. You'll also want to find out what type of room you will be getting (smoking, nonsmoking, king, twin-bedded, and so on). If you need a certain type of room, ask for it; don't take whatever is thrown your way. Request a nonsmoking room, a quiet room, a high-floor room with an ocean view, or whatever you fancy.

Watch out for hidden expenses, too. Ask whether airport departure fees and taxes are included in the total cost quoted -- they rarely are.

Also, remember to always:

• Ask about the cancellation policy. Can you get your money back? Is there a deposit required?
• Request a complete schedule (for escorted tours only).
• Ask about the size and demographics of the group (on escorted tours only).
• Discuss what is included in the price (for escorted tours only): transportation, meals, tips, airport transfers?

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours with a group leader. Their price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that such tours require big deposits and predetermine all your hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours -- whether by bus, motor coach, train, or boat -- let you sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about any of the planning details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time, with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility, and can be a great way to make new friends.

On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for spontaneous interactions with locals. These tours can be jam-packed with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure -- and they often focus on heavily touristed sites, so you may miss out on the lesser-known gems of an area.

These two firms offer escorted tours of Eastern Canada:

• Collette Vacations, Pawtucket, RI (tel. 800/340-5158; www.collettevacations.com). Collette offers several excellent tours of eastern Canada (about 10 days long on average) that range from fly/drive packages to the escorted everything's-done-for-you variety throughout the Maritimes. Collette also maintains offices in Canada (in Delta, a suburb of Vancouver) and England (in Uxbridge, a western suburb of London).
• Maxxim Vacations, St. John's, NF (tel. 800/567-6666 or 709/754-6666; www.maxximvacations.com). Newfoundland's largest travel provider has a top-rate reputation and offers a huge range of trips, including guided and unguided excursions throughout the four Atlantic Provinces. Call and ask for their extensive and colorful brochure.