If a school of interest is one where demonstrated interest of a potential applicant is important to the school, then that is an argument for an in-person visit before applying; but you can figure out those schools ahead of time, and plan accordingly.
One thing that was useful for both of my kids in having in-person visits was that they got to see what the actual student body was like, and got an idea whether it was a student body that they wanted to be a part of. Certainly going to a school on an “admitted student day,” after application and acceptance, can help answer that question as well; so if you have logistical issues in visiting campuses in person, then I would consider only a campus visit after admission (your Option 4).