Touring Paris on a Segue

Is it possible to have too much fun?  I arranged to join a tour from Mike's Bike's, an English-speaking outfit based in Paris, for a nighttime tour of the city on a Segue scooter.  I'd never even seen a Segue up close before but the folks at Mike's assured me it was easy and fun.  They couldn't have been more right.

Our tour began with a brief training session in the plaza outside their shop near the Eiffel Tower.  One by one the eight of us in the group learned to turn on the key, hop aboard and get a feel for the new mobility of the 21st Century. 

The scooter is intuitive and easy to handle.  An internal gyroscope keeps the scooter upright.  The operator simply leans forward slightly and the scooter moves forward.  Stand up straight and it stops.  Lean on your heels and it's in reverse - it's that simple!  A twist of the left handlebar controls the steering.  After only a few minutes of practice we set out for our tour.

Soon we were zipping all around the city - over bridges, through parks and in front of landmarks - all in record time.  There's no way we could've covered so much ground on foot.  But with the Segue, we were not just seeing the city, we became an instant sight to see.  Laughing and waving, our intrepid group weaved through Paris for hours, pausing only twice: to listen to some jazz musicians near the Louvre and to enjoy some Berthillon's ice cream on Isle St Louis. 

Our four hour nighttime tour of Paris ended back near the Eiffel Tower, perfectly timed to coincide with the new hourly lightshow the tower puts on.    I had so much fun that, even after four hours, I didn't want to get off the thing.  For good laughs the whole family can enjoy, I highly recommend it!

Want to give it a try?  Mike's Bike's offers day and night tours of Paris and they are expanding their operations to other European cities.  Find them on the web at: http://www.parissegwaytours.com/