Segway tours in Paris
 

Another post mentioned taking a segway tour in Paris. Has anyone else done this? It sounds like a great way to see quite a bit of the city, especially when we only have two nights in town before leaving for the Loire and Dordogne.

The cost is $95USD, and I'm wondering if this sounds like good value for a 4-5 hour tour?

Three words: JUST DO IT

one of the highlights of our trip; we did the evening tour near the end of our stay and had seen most of the major sites already. Evening was magical - plenty to still see and tons of fun. Ask for a helmet if you're the least bit nervous about riding.

As much as we loved our Segway tour, since you only have two days in Paris:

A Segway tour is not the most efficient way to see the city. You spend a good deal of time practicing riding the Segway in the courtyard by the Segway office, and during the tour you still have to concentrate on what you're doing, so you can't fully appreciate what you're seeing as if you were on foot or on a bus.

If you want an opportunity to ride a Segway, I can't imagine a better way to do it than in the streets of Paris.

I think it depends on what you want to do: see Paris or try out the Segway in style.

The bike tour through the same company (Fat Tire Bike Tours) may be another good option if you want to see more of the city.

We LOVED the Segway tour in Paris.

You hardly have to concentrate and the scenery is just spectacular all about! You cover a lot of territory in four hours.

We took the night tour, leaving in daylight and returning just after dark. Fabulous!

We have gone to Paris five times in the past six years--this last time I took the Segway tour. DEFINITELY DO IT! You'll get good information, plus be able to get from point A to point B quickly--and it's LOADS OF FUN!

HUGE THUMBS UP for the Segway tour in Paris. I too have just returned (just yesterday) from Europe. It was the first tour we did while on our trip and everything was always compared to it. Nothing even came close to topping the fun we had while on the tour. If you are craving enormous amounts of knowledge, it isn't the best tour for you. If you are looking for "some information" and LOTS OF FUN, it shouldn't be missed.

Don't forget your camera!

We had a lot of fun on our tour. You can't really see the sights while you are driving the segway because you have to concentrate on not hitting people and dogs, but the tour guide stops in front of the good stuff and talks about it and will take your picture for you.

Take your helmet off to have your pictures taken. Otherwise you will look really stupid in all your photos.

"Take your helmet off to have your pictures taken. Otherwise you will look really stupid in all your photos."

Unless, as in our case, it's 95 degrees outside and your hair is a wet, tangled mass. :)

We did the tour last week and it is really fun. The tour itself is not the point really - it's riding the Segways that's the point.

One word of warning. They take an imprint of your credit card before you head out and they are really serious about charging you for any damage that might occur to your Segway. Our group had 3 "accidents" (about average apparently), but one of them involved a bent fender or something. They came very closing to charging that person for the damage - they relented only because it involved avoiding getting hit by a car that was doing something illegal and stupid and it there was another Segway involved and it wasn't clear whose fault it was. Repairs to Segways are very expensive. We were warned at the beginning that if you forget your kick stand is down and you bust it off it will cost $70. So, be extra careful is all I can say or you might end up with a pretty expensive outting.

I still thoroughly recommned going though. It was great.

Oh we know all about the damage waiver. Just as we were starting out my husband plows his into the wall and breaks the handle off. Another woman almost fell into the river! Yes, they are harder to ride than they appear.

The good news in our case is that our home owners insurance covered it and even waived the deductible so we got all of our 400 euros back.

Well this is pretty unanimous feedback. We've now booked the evening tour for the day we arrive. I appreciate the advice on the waiver, too. If it weren't for Fodorites, I know our honeymoon would be looking a lot different! Thanks, all.

If you are doing the evening tour, I would recommend wearing a light colored shirt so that you will easily be noticed.

Have a great time and take lots of pictures! You will be amazed how many people don't know what is a Segway. Pictures make it easier to explain! :)

Good advice. I'm soooo tempted to ask what kind of light-colored shirt we should wear, so that we don't look like tourists. But I won't.

HA!

Just being practical... :)

Are they not handing out the bright blue vests with all the reflective tape on it anymore?

That was part of the "safety gear" that we all had to wear last year - helmet and the vest.

The vests had quite a bit of reflective tape on it - so much so that in all picture we had to remove the vests or tuck in the parts with the tape because all you saw in the photo were these large white spots where the flash reflected off the tape.

Just as a side note.

Segway tours are popping up all over US as well. We have one here in Sarasota. Tampa/St.Pete locations, Orlando, Chicago, San Francisco. New tours are opening almost every day in some cities, so for anybody that wants to try the amazing people movers you can do it localy now or soon.

There is also a rental place somewhere on the east coast that will ship a unit to you for 3 or more days of rental. It's not cheap, but it is a great way to try one out from home.

When we were in Paris in June 2003, we met up with tourists who had just done the Segway tour and were still riding the vehicle. The experience was great for them.

I'd suggest, however, that if you only have two days (nights) in the city, you'd have a better time making sure your hotel is very close to the Seine and Notre Dame. Stay in the 1st, 5th or 6th arrondisement. And spend your time walking through the Ile de la Cite and its buildings. Then head through the Louvre (you won't have time to enjoy the collections so save them for you next trip to Paris--we didn't get into the Louvre until our second trip). I've got more tips at my website: www.eurfirst.com and on France specifically at www.eurfirst.com/europe/france.htm.

Definitely stroll down the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe. And though it is so cliche, get to the top of the Eiffel tower at sunset. Use the subway and buses to save your feet--they are much more Parisian than the Segway.

The Loire is interesting, the Dordogne is spectacular and make a detour to stop at Oradour sur Glane, the French memorial to its WWII victims. It was one of the most dramatic moments of my first trip to Europe (we didn't get to any of the German or Austrian concentration camps). We went to Font de Gaume and thought it was a very fascinating look back at our history. If weather permits, take a canoe trip down the Dordogne....we did the 28-kilometer trip on a warm day and had an unforgettable time. It takes some paddling but there is a spectacular view around every bend.

Also, if you are going to be there while the Tour de France is on, try to see if you can cross its path. We lucked into the last day of the 2001 Tour de France in Paris and consider it one of the best parties we've ever been to.

slightly off-topic but I saw several Segway tours in Wash DC this week, it looked like a fabulous way to sightsee in the heat!

Eurfirst/Linda - thanks for all the suggestions. We are staying in the 5th, and hope to accomplish much of what you've laid out. We'll still go with the Segway Tour, though - it's hard to discount such an enthusiastic response from so many!

Author: chepar
Date: 07/06/2005, 01:24 pm
Are they not handing out the bright blue vests with all the reflective tape on it anymore?


We passed a very small group on our way to dinner and they were without reflective "anything." I even commented on how I was glad that we took the day tour. Perhaps it was an odd exception to the rule.