Escorted & Package Tours

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

The San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (tel. 800/350-6205; www.sandiego.org) has its own booking engine for packages incorporating air travel, hotel, and activities, and the Walt Disney Travel Company (tel. 714/520-5002; www.disney.com) is the largest tour operator featuring San Diego.

Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper. Or check ads in the national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

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

Companies that specialize in escorted trips to San Diego include Collette Tours (tel. 800/340-5158; www.collettevacations.com), Globus (tel. 866/755-8581; www.globusjourneys.com), and Tauck World Discovery (tel. 800/788-7885; www.tauck.com).