How to Decipher the Code of Package-Tour Brochures : Planning: Read carefully before you sign up for a trip. Seemingly minor differences in terminology can mean a lot.

Do you know the difference between a “visit,” a “view” and a “chance to see”? If not, you could easily be disappointed by a tour that doesn’t deliver what you thought its brochure promised.

Every year, thousands of American tourists spend thousands of dollars for escorted sightseeing trips. To get their money’s worth, they must do some essential homework--one element of which is deciphering tour brochures. As Trafalgar Tours, a large transatlantic tour operator, explains, a “visit” is a stop in the itinerary with enough time to see the attraction described; a “view” is a photo opportunity or a brief stop, and a “chance to see” means the bus will pass by the site, and you’d better be alert or you’ll miss it.

If you have dreamed of stepping inside a certain cathedral in Europe, make sure the tour itinerary specifies a visit there and not just a fleeting glimpse from the window of a bus.

A big advantage of group tours is that they often can take you to a destination at less cost than if you went on your own. But a major disadvantage is that you are not in charge of the itinerary. Before committing money, time and maybe a few dreams to a tour, you should be satisfied that the one you pick will provide the experience you are seeking.

A number of consumer organizations, industry associations and tour operators have put together guidelines for choosing a tour. The consensus is that you should devote at least as much time and effort to shopping for a tour as you do for a television set or a refrigerator--because a tour probably is going to cost more.

Among the questions to ask:

* Who is offering the tour?

By one industry definition, a tour is “a trip taken by a group of people who travel together and follow a pre-planned itinerary.” But tours come in many varieties, and you should be aware of the differences.

“Mass-market tours” are tours for the general public that depart frequently on fairly standard itineraries of major sites. Often these are among the least-expensive trips on the market. Globus is one mass-market tour operator--offering, for example, a 12-day look at “Portugal in Depth” for $2,000--as are many U.S. and foreign airlines. Motor-coach tours of New England, the Rockies and Southwest generally fall into this category. Tour operators or organizers usually are wholesalers who package the components of a trip. They are sold retail through travel agents, who can provide details on mass-market tours to practically anyplace in the world.

“Museum-sponsored tours” tend to be one-of-a-kind tours sponsored by an art, history or other museum, such as the Smithsonian Institution, and led by an expert in a topic or destination. Typically, there is an emphasis on education. They usually are sold through the museum or the travel agent organizing the trip and often are advertised in literary or similar publications. One excellent source is the annual Directory of Museum-Sponsored Tours, a comprehensive listing offered to subscribers of a newsletter called “The Educated Traveler.” An annual subscription is $39; for information: (800) 648-5168.

“Independent tour organizers” put together only a limited number of tours a year, which they may lead personally. Often the destination or the topic is a special favorite of the operator. A good example is Peter Gravgaard, a history buff who likes to explore nooks and crannies of European history and is the founder of Plantagenet Tours of Bournemouth, England (telephone 011-44-202-521-895). Other independents offer such special-interest tours as gourmet restaurants, opera houses or art museums. These tours are harder to locate, but some travel agents may be aware of them, and they often are advertised in literary publications.

“Adventure tours” usually involve a physical activity such as hiking, canoeing, rafting, horseback riding, cycling or bicycling--or they can focus on bird- or wildlife-watching. My favorite adventure tour was a 10-day walking trip in Tuscany that took my wife and me and a small group of English hikers from one hilltop town to another just as the wine grapes came into harvest. Travel agents can supply details on a wide range of adventure trips, or you can check the monthly roundup in “Outside” magazine.

* What will it cost?

Here’s where a traveler has to be especially cautious. Tours range in price from budget to luxurious. A low price may seem appealing when comparing competing tours, but there could be a catch. The tour operator with the lowest price may intend to put you in modest lodgings, or the lodgings could be on the outskirts of town. Similarly, the low-price tour may not include as many meals or entertainment activities. Keep in mind the axiom, “You get what you pay for.” Also, when a brochure says an activity is “optional,” the translation is that it will cost extra.

Among the questions to ask: Is air fare included in the price--and if so, is it the fare from your home, or will there be an add-on fare to get you to a major departure city? If the trip is described as “10 days” does this mean 10 actual nights at your destination or is round-trip travel time included? Will you be offered a “fixed menu” for meals or does the tour allow choices?

* Who will you be traveling with?

Many tour participants enjoy the social aspects of traveling in a group, but it would be wise to find out to whom the tour caters. Many tours are formed in a single community, and the participants are friends and neighbors. Some people look forward to seeing the world with their associates, but I am exactly the opposite.

Some tour operators combine nationalities. On our hike through Tuscany, we were the only Americans, and I might have been disappointed had it been otherwise. You can, of course, pick a trip of your peers. Specialty tours are offered for seniors, families, singles, gays, women, nudists, grandparents and grandchildren, military veterans, nondrinkers, the disabled and religious pilgrims.

* Who is leading the tour?

Typically, tour directors (sometimes called “escorts” or “managers”) will accompany groups from the beginning to the end of the trip. Their duties are to see that you are lodged, fed and transported with a minimum of hassle. Some tours are joined by an expert--often a college professor on leave--who lectures and holds discussions along the way; these tours tend to be more expensive. Other companies rely on local guides.

* Are tour arrangements satisfactory?

This is another tricky area. Some tourists feel cheated if their days are not filled with scheduled activities, and others want plenty of leisure time to explore on their own. Are you comfortable with the amount of time spent on a bus? Can you handle a lot of walking and a lot of steps? Is there enough time off for shopping?

* Is the tour operator financially stable?

Not an easy question to answer--some well-known names in travel have gone out of business in recent years. Travel agents who work frequently with a variety of tour operators should be able to warn you away from any firm that seems shaky. But you may want to take out trip default insurance, which will protect you if the firm goes out of business. The cost is about $5.50 for each $100 of coverage. The United States Tour Operators Assn. has established a consumer protection plan that requires its members to post a $1-million security. The fund protects consumers from the loss of deposits and payments in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency.

Free brochures offering advice on selecting a tour are available from:

* The United States Tour Operators Assn., 211 East 51st St., Suite 12B, New York 10022, (212) 750-7371. Ask for “How to Select a Tour or Vacation Package.”

* Trafalgar Tours, Marketing Department, 11 East 26th St., Suite 1300, New York 10010. Ask for “Tour Talk.”

Christopher Reynolds is on vacation.