Segway tours in Paris
 

Has anyone gone on one of the segway tours of Paris?
How was it?
Worth the money?
For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, see: www.parissegwaytours.com

Paris is a city for walking and enjoying the sights, not riding around on a Segway. I guess it would be alright if you’re a meter reader from Seattle on a busman’s holiday. Try riding a bicycle. It's better for you.

No, but I was just looking at that on fattirebicycletours and it certainly looks like fun. Too expensive for my blood so we will do one of the bike tours.

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Pumpkin, I think you will really enjoy the bike tour!

I did the night time one, and it was a highlight of my time in Paris.

Keith

We took this night tour on Segways and it was a big hit, highlight, etc. Yes, it was worth the cost. We are a family of 4 - two teenagers. Our tour provider was Mikes' Bikes. They are headquartered in Texas and all the guides speak excellent english. You meet at the Eiffel Tower and then go to their shop where basic instruction was given on the use an safety of the segways. You can get a helmet if you like. The segways have different colored keys which govern how fast they go so initially, we all got the slow keys. The tour was great. We did it at the end of our visit and had seen many of the sites already but it was still fun. Lots of time to stop and hear the guide's comments, gorgeous night with stars. We stopped for snacks near the Louvre. We also saw daytime tours that stop for icecream - but in August some of those shops were closed. This was just a fun change from the biking, walking tours. Probably the only time I've had my picture taken by other tourists! Highly recommend it if you have the time and interest.

We did this tour last year, also with Mike's. Our guide was a Texan who was working for Mike's for a while, saving for a backpacking trip through the rest of Europe.

It was great fun and one of the highlights of our time in Paris. It was definitely worth the cost. Don't take the tour thinking you'll get this in-depth look at any of the sights - we stopped at various sights and got a little spiel by the guide, but I would describe it as "Paris Lite".

The tour is primarily about the fun of zipping about the streets of Paris on the Segway. If you wanted to ride a bike, I'm sure you would be asking about the bike tour.

We did the evening tour - the weather was great and it was so pretty to be riding along some of the streets as it turned dusk and everything started to light up.

We also attracted a lot of attention - most of it curious - but there were some older Parisians that gave us some dirty looks and muttered under their breaths as they passed by.

The old Mikes is Fat Tire.

Keith

I took the day time segway tour a year ago and it was great fun. Chepar is right - this is "Paris Lite". It was cold the day we went so we stopped at Angelina's for hot chocolate and lunch.
Have a great time!
Judy

We did the Segway tour also, in November, and LOVED it. It is no more "lite" than any other overview-type tour of a city---on a bus or on bikes, for example. It was great fun and extremely efficient in terms of good use of time. We didn't go into any of the places we saw, but that wasn't our intention. I think it's a great "welcome to Paris" type of tour, to be followed up with visits to each place of interest. Yes, it is expensive. But I notice that many people are willing to pay a private tour guide in Paris or Rome to show them the Louvre, for example. Why is this any different? Our Segway guide in Paris was much more knowledgeable than our Enjoy Rome guide in Rome, and I suspect as well versed as the Context Rome guides who charge nearly as much as the Segway tour. To each his own--

The people who say that Paris is best seen on foot or on bicycle are behind the times. Some just don't adapt very well to change.

We've been to Paris five times in seven years--we are crazy about the city. This time I took the Segway tour--and I loved it. Lots of interesting information, and the big advantage is that you can get around faster. We travelled through neighborhoods, and had lunch in the park outside the Louvre. Four terrific hours, and I learned stuff I missed the previous four visits. I also had my photo taken by more tourists...Go For It!

ps. if you have any trouble with your knees, feet, etc. (I said goodbye to my knees at age 41) the Segway is the best way to travel, not on foot or by bicycle. Your legs will get tired from standing in one position, but you can take frequent stops and get off to move around. Hope you like it.

This sounds fabulous! Is there just the one vendor for this service? If there are others, would those who know please post. As they buzz around the city, do they travel on the streets or are you on sidewalks? Just wondering about traffic.

Segways ride on sidewalks. In Paris (and it could only be in Paris) they are classified as "pedestrian vehicles." Very safe, lots of fun. Fat Tire Bike Tours (formerly Mike's) is the only vendor I know. They're great, with an office a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower.

We had a couple of short stints on streets but were able to use the bicycle lanes so it was no big deal. Mainly sidewalks for travel. It is a blast!

Just wanted to mention the coolest moment in the night time bicycle tour...

Riding around the inner courts at the Louvre Museum while listening to a man named Pierre playing classical flute. At that time (2 years ago), he was there most every evening.

Keith

Keith-

We listened to him also last spring. We stopped in front of him and he played for us for a while - it was really nice.

Do people give you dirty looks when you're riding around? I am wondering how they are perceived by pedestrians. We would like to do the night time one in June, but I am concerned about crowds on the sidewalks being annoyed with us. Thanks!

This week's bonjourparis.com free newsletter has an article about the Segway tours. The link is

http://www.bonjourparis.com/publicat...articleId=1959

You'll have to register for the bp site in order to access the article, I think.

I haven't yet read the article, and look forward to doing so. But we attracted a few curious glances and more often, smiles. There are two Segway tours each day and people may be a bit used to them by now. No dirty looks, but then our guide was very deferential to pedestrians, always allowing them to go before us. This is S.O.P. at Fat Tire, and even when a car driver yelled something at us (the only incident) she smiled at him and waved graciously.

We were actualy approached by a young couple who were interested in purchasing Segways and took a card from our guide so they could call and schedule a "test drive." Also, an older Parisian woman (80 or very near it) wanted to try a scooter, too!