Description: City Segway Tours exist in multiple cities around the globe, but we were in Atlanta for Christmas. With a Nana and a teenager in tow, we were looking for an activity that would please a wide age range of people. A Segway is an interesting transportation advice that's been popping up in urban settings to provide a different kind of travel. You basically stand on one, balance and go. When we saw there was a "Holiday Lights" tour available on the Segway for December 26th, 2009, we hopped right on and signed up!
What is getting on a Segway like? These are really easy to ride. They reminded us a little bit of skiing in that how you balance your body---how you lean forward on your toes---impacts your speed. However, they are also very user friendly. The ride is very smooth and fun.
How does the Atlanta Segway tour work? You show up at your reserved time at the City Segway Tour office across the street from Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. (You HAVE to make reservations ahead of time.) There you are fitted in a helmet and asked to watch a small safety video on Segway operation. Everyone in your party must be at least 12 years old. Then your tour guides assign you a Segway. Instead of numbers, each machine has a name to aid in remembering which is yours. I had the pleasure of riding "Bernie" for the night. There is a small bag on each Segway in case you need to store a wallet or purse. I was amazed at how much I could stuff in that bag! Then you are given a few minutes out on the sidewalk to get used to the Segway as your guides break you into smaller groups and show you how to properly operate the machine. Then you're off in single file!
Was it fun? YES! We all had a very good time. In truth, Nana fell off her Segway twice, but she was fine for the wear. (They don't go THAT fast.) No one else had a problem. I think this was a basic balance issue for her, but you should be aware of it regardless if you have any health conditions like a bad back or knees because you could hurt yourself. In general, I thought it was a great way for an older person to scoot around as long as they didn't have a problem standing for the full length of the tour and could balance well.
How was the tour itself? Well, we did a "holiday lights" thing, which was only 1 hour long at night. This was enjoyable, mind, but it was cold, and we basically were paying to ride the Segways rather than get a lot of information. Still, the tours guides had a lot of personality and told us a few tid-bits about the buildings we could see from the park. I must admit that I was a LITTLE disappointed that there wasn't a lot of meat to the narrative. I would hope that a longer tour of the actual historical sites would give more bang for the buck. As it was, we basically just rode around the park to see the Christmas trees. (We DID learn the light strings would stretch for two miles if laid out end to end!) Then we toured the outside of the Coke Complex. After the tour was done and we returned our Segways to the City Segway Tour office, we were given certificates for a free hot beverage and complimentary cinnamon buns at the pastry shop next store. The kid and the Nana got hot chocolate while I loaded up on coffee. This was a nice touch after the cold.
How much did this tour cost? The holiday lights tour was $50 per person. A two hour legends and lore highlights tour was $60 per person, and a 3 hour Atlanta highlights tour that covers quite a bit of ground is $70 per person. In the cold, one hour was just fine, but I think a longer daytime tour is a better value. I'm sure we will do one of these in the future when we have the opportunity. Maybe in the summer!!!! Then I'll update my opinions!!! :)
Bottom line? This was a unique holiday activity that entertained all who participated. We had a great time. I would recommend this to someone looking for something different to do though I would say choose a longer tour.
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