“Daddy, my feet are tired!” Who hasn’t heard this complaint on a long walk through art and history museums, city sidewalks, and in suburban malls? While the Segaway is not appropriate for kids of all ages, those 12 years and 100 lbs. and up will appreciate a speedy, well-balanced tour by Segway. Best of all- travel by Segway is actually pretty fun!
Wait – what is a Segway? Of course, not everyone is familiar with this technology, though there’s a good chance they’ve seen it once or twice. The Segway provides a platform for a rider’s feet, a rider who stands upright and holds onto the handles. The platform is mounted above an axle for the two heavy-duty tires. Riders lean forward to make it move forward, center their weight to stop. If you want to go backwards, lean back a little. Whatever else you do, don’t make big maneuvers, as those can upset your balance and lead to accidents.
Roll along Soldier Field, Millennium Park and the Beach, or along the Goldcoast. See the city all beautifully lit up at dusk or at night or even roll through downtown Chicago during the holiday light tour, a haunted Halloween adventure, or even on private and corporate scavenger hunt tours. While children will appreciate the opportunity to reduce the amount of wear on their shoe soles, the Segway also offers a fun and relaxing option for older or less mobile tourists hoping to see the sites from a standing position. This can be a more enjoyable and interactive way for those with reduced mobility to see all the sites close up.
Tours may include training and safety considerations so neither you nor the equipment are ever at risk, though operators like Steve’s Segway note that the Segway is “extremely safe.”
- Steve’s Segway Tours: Steve prides himself on the longer length, price flexibility, numerous options for his tours, and for genuinely caring about the customer.
- Bike and Roll: With four central locations, this five-city national tour service has rented bikes and Segways in Chicago for a decade.
- City Segway Tours: This national operator rents to you by the hour, by the tour, or with a customized trip maximizing your rolling adventure.
- Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours: There are over a dozen tours possible through this service, all of them focused on fun, holidays, and must-see sites.