What works for me is a small troop section with binoculars, and a cover arc, which I do my best to sneak into a covered area with a good field of view. If I am delivering them by vehicle, then of course, you want as best a covered route as you can find.
I find many scenarios don't allow enough time for proper recon to be done, so I may also edit the scenario to add more time. Which is fine if you are playing against the AI. If playing H2H of course your opponent needs to agree to any changes.