Vacation packages come in all shapes and sizes and prices. There are all-inclusive packages that include everything from airfare and lodging to food, rental cars and event tickets. Some packages are less intense and give buyers more freedom to choose their activities once they arrive in the destinations. Others simply include hotel and car rentals. The choice is up to the buyer, but getting the best depends on providing the best input when looking for a package. No matter the choice, however, a package should be greater than the sum of its parts and its bottom line should be less.

If you're looking for the best vacation package you can find, you'll need to be able to answer a few questions first:

* Destination. Packages are available all over the world. From European castle trips to hiking in the Rockies, packages are everywhere you want to be. But, to find the best, the place to start is in choosing a destination. You can't begin to compare the offerings unless you know where you're going!

* What you want included. Do you want everything included and every step of the trip planned? Are you more interested in winging it once you get there, satisfied to get by only with a room and car provided? Packages can be as involved or uninvolved as a buyer desires, but to make smart comparisons, you need to know what you want.

* Total itinerary included. Some packages even plan all the side trips and sightseeing opportunities for you. If this sounds good, know in advance and look for those trips that come complete with a knowledgeable tour guide.

* Price. If you don't have a budget set, you won't know where to look. Package pricing can be as basic or as detailed as you could possibly imagine. Getting started, however, requires a ballpark price.

Once you've decided the basics, such as where you're going and what you want to see, it's time to shop for packages. Don't forget to look at the components by themselves as well. A good package should save you money when all the pieces come together, not cost you more! Shop around and have a little fun doing so.

If you're not totally sold on an everything's included trip, play around with adding and removing different features from your dream trip to see if you can make it more affordable. If it's a destination you can easily drive to, take out the airfare, but remember to add gasoline. If you can fly there and skip the rental car, check that pricing, too.

A vacation should be a great getaway that creates memories to last a lifetime. Good vacation packages make this happen by taking the worry and the guesswork off the vacationers' shoulders.