Barcelona is an expansive city with many attractions spread out across the city. Many visitors choose a tour to take in the sights in a convenient manner. One of the first tours I ever experienced was the Barcelona Segway tour, which turned out to be a fun and educational tour.
Segway tour in Barcelona
It was a gorgeous Sunday morning in Barcelona. A friend told me that this tour was one of the coolest things to do in Barcelona, so I signed up. I felt rather nervous as we made our way to the Gothic Quarter (El Gotic) to pick up our Segways. As we approached the Segway Cat office in a narrow alley in the Gothic Quarter, I could feel my heart pounding heavily. There they were: those two-wheeled, 40 kilo machines, lined up neatly against a wall. We were instructed to pick one and pull them by the handlebar to the Plaça San Just around the corner. They were indeed heavy but wheeling them around on foot was surprisingly easy. I stood in a corner of the small square and listened intently as the two instructors gave us a ten minute crash course in handling a Segway. We were then helped onto the Segway, one after the other. I watched in horror as one of my travel mates smashed into a wall whilst another ran into a post – fortunately, no one was hurt.
I was one of the last to step onto the Segway. I heard the instructor say that I should get onto the Segway, one foot at a time, with my hands gently on the handlebar and stand straight. I did precisely as he instructed…. and hey, I wasn’t falling over! The Segway’s sensors were indeed keeping me balanced. In a split second, my fear was overcome and replaced by excitement and curiosity. I leaned forward by a few degrees and wow…I moved forward. I could brake by simply leaning back slightly. It took a minute to get used to the balance mechanism and how to make turns. After several minutes, I was convinced: this thing was made for me!
After ten minutes of practice on one of Barcelona’s oldest squares, we embarked on the tour through the narrow alleys of the Gothic Quarter in single file. I was glad that it was a quiet Sunday morning. There were few pedestrians and traffic was still light. The uneven, sometimes, sloping pavements and blind corners were a challenge though. We made our way around some of the Quarter’s oldest spots – the contrast between the centuries-old Quarter and the futuristic-looking Segways couldn’t have been greater.
I was a bit relieved as we exited the narrow lanes of the Gothic Quarter and hit the wide boulevard that curls its way around the harbour. My confidence grew out here in the open. I felt like I had grown a new set of wings as we zoomed past the yacht harbour towards the beaches of Barcelonetta. We stopped at the very edge of the boulevard where we were treated to fabulous views of the city and the coast. The Mediterranean Sea sparkled before us. The sun shone and there wasn’t a single cloud in the bright blue sky. Barcelona spread out behind us up to the Tibidado hills and the Montjuïc castle.
I enjoyed each and every second I was on the Segway. After a while, I was confident enough to take both hands off the handlebar as I took pictures. I spun around columns and benches, and revved up the engine on open stretches. I absolutely loved it.
Read more about my visit to Catalonia:
Note: my visit to Catalonia was part of a sponsored travel bloggers trip organised by the Department of Tourism of Catalonia.
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It looks like you had tons of fun. I’ll have to give it a try sometimes.
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Awesome! They have tours here (Atlanta) but I’ve never made a trip. It sounds like the Segway experience may be worth the ride alone.
Thanks for the article
Hi Nico,
I can certainly recommend a Segway tour, now that I’ve experienced it. Hope to join more of such tours in other cities around the world – North Beach, SF would be very cool! Go on… give it a try. You’ll love it! 🙂
Cheers,
Keith
These things are popping up all over, airports, train stations and around town. Glad to see they’re becoming more popular cause I really want to try one.
They have a Segway tour of North Beach in San Francisco. I talked to one of the people after his tour and he was ALL smiles. It really must be fun.
I did this in DC and admittedly felt a bit nerdy (ok, nerdier than usual) but loved every second. A lot of fun I missed seeing much of the city because I was zooming around on the Segway.
It sure is a fun way to explore a city. It takes a bit to get the hang of it but the Segways are really cool.
Looks like SUCH a fun way to explore a new city!!!
Haha, yes, the fear sure kept me warm…. initially. The next chance I get to hop onto a Segway, I won’t be thinking twice! 🙂
Cheers,
Keith
Nice… Wish it had been slightly warmer though, but the novelty and indeed initial fear kept me warm for the most part…
Will definitely be getting on one again soon, what about you?
Hahahahaha…. cool, eh? I have a picture of that too. 😛
two hands off to take photos? far out! crazy boy.. i think i’d pass out at the idea:P