Structuring a More Independent Kind of Trip : Tours: ‘Modular’ packages offer travelers great flexibility and variety in itineraries. It enables them to roam more independently in an unstructured timetable.

Though “modular” packages have become increasingly popular in recent years, some travelers still are surprised by what these offerings do and do not include and how best to employ them.

The word “modular” generally is used to describe packages that have a couple of basic components, such as accommodations plus transfers to and from airports and perhaps some sightseeing.

These packages allow travelers who want to roam independently to then build extra components according to their wishes. The theme is flexibility, allowing the traveler to choose his or her length of stay, where to stay and other activities.

Modular packages were created to let travelers visit the basic cities on many European itineraries, such as London, Paris and Rome, without being forced to stay the precise amount of time allowed in the more standard and structured packages.

“In this fashion a traveler could spend a couple of extra days in London, then a couple of days in Paris and so on,” said Albert Schmid, president of Far West Travel Corp. in Marina del Rey.

“Otherwise, a person on a tour would either have to stick to the itinerary or pay extra hotel expenses to stay longer at one place, as well as the cost of rejoining his group at the next place on the itinerary.”

Modular packages, for this reason, tend to appeal more to travelers who have been to that part of the world before. “Once travelers have gotten an overview of an area like Europe, they frequently like to organize trips on their own,” Schmid said.

While the concept began in Europe, modular packages are offered by tour operators to a growing number of cities and resort areas around the world, including many in the United States.

Usually there is a choice of hotels--by category and price. The price you pay for your room will be less than what you would otherwise, because the tour operator is getting a break in the rate through committing to using a certain number of rooms during a specific time.

However, when it comes to other parts of the package such as sightseeing and entertainment, you may not get the benefit of any particular discount.

As with any package, reading the details is important. “Many people don’t check to see if transfers to and from the airport to your hotel are included,” Schmid said. “Transfers, especially for two or more people, can add up. Similarly, some hotels offer breakfast and others don’t, and while the package may include tickets to a show, there’s always transportation to and from the show.”

More of your expenses are likely to be covered in a standard package than in a modular version, so figure on a greater number of incidental costs if you take the latter route.

Generally, you have to choose your length of stay. It may be possible to choose other options after you arrive. But if you decide that you want to extend your stay, chances are that you would then have to pay the regular hotel rate and not a discounted rate. Thus, figuring out your itinerary as much as possible before to departure is important.

“One of the most common misconceptions people have about modular packages is that they can break the core element into smaller parts,” said Brian Robb, director of sales and marketing for the Minneapolis-based Carlson Travel Group, a company offering modular packages to major European cities.

“We generally can’t do that, and extra nights have to be purchased in the United States to obtain the special rate.”

On the other hand, Robb said, travelers can buy vouchers in the United States for certain general categories of activities such as night life, and then make the specific choice once at the destination.

“For example, you can buy a voucher that would be used in Paris either for dinner and a show at the Moulin Rouge, sightseeing plus a show at the Lido or a dinner cruise on the Seine River. All of these activities represent about the same value.”

One of the strategies that travelers who want the greater measure of independence, while still getting a break on hotel prices, can use is to buy several modular packages in Europe and then put them together to create their own itinerary.

To get around the high cost of intra-Europe air travel you can buy a Eurailpass, which allows unlimited rail travel for certain periods. “The Eurailpass works well with modular packages, as the train takes you right to the city center,” Robb said.

The price of sightseeing and entertainment programs bought as part of a package in the United States would probably be the same as you would pay on your own in Europe, Robb added. Hotel prices might be adjusted lower, however, to offer travelers a better total price.

Travelers taking modular-style packages to the Far East can get certain built-in elements such as accommodations, transfers and some sightseeing, said Tyler Tanaka, president of San Diego-based Japan & Orient Tours.

While travelers get a break in the price of the basic components of the package, there might be no break on some options, Tanaka said. “If someone bought a day excursion out of Tokyo in Tokyo, he might save a bit over our price, which has to include our cost of processing the booking.”

Travelers can also compose their own itineraries with modular packages in various Asian cities, but getting around from country to country can be a more daunting aspect of such a self-made tour.

Another advantage of modular packages is that they allow you to meet more people.

“If you go on a standard tour you’re with the same traveling companions throughout,” said Mike Culhane, president of Glendale-based Gametrackers, a company specializing in travel to Africa. “But if you take different modules you can have different companions in each individual package while still constructing your own customized tour.”