Valencia Segway Tour: Honest Review & Helpful Insights

Looking to check out Valencia in a different way? A Segway tour just might be the ticket! These tours have become really popular, as you know, and they offer a way to see more of a city, more quickly, than you might on foot, yet more personally than on a tour bus. My time checking out Valencia included a Segway tour, so I am very ready to share what the whole thing was like, giving you a real idea of whether or not this is right for you.

What to Count on From a Valencia Segway Tour

So, before setting off on my Valencia Segway tour, I did have a few expectations. First, I wanted to, naturally, cover quite a bit of ground. You aren’t just zipping down one street; that would be a little bit boring! I was sort of hoping for an overview of main landmarks and that, in some respects, maybe a little bit of the lesser-known spots, too. Secondly, the whole thing needed to feel safe and, maybe, that the tour guide should be someone who knew their stuff about both the city and, just a little, the Segway itself. It’s almost, you know, making sure I didn’t end up face-planting in front of the Ayuntamiento! Finally, the guide really needed to make the city come to life. Listening to someone drone on facts that you could just read somewhere? No thanks! The experience hinges on having someone who seems to genuinely enjoy Valencia and wants you to like it too.

Getting Started: Training and Safety

The tour kicked off with, actually, a training session, which I think is something everybody should look for when choosing a tour. This isn’t just a “hop-on-and-go” kind of deal. There’s some, too, hands-on instruction. The guides walked us, very slowly, through the basics: how to mount, how to balance, how to control our speed and how to steer. It seems a little bit simple, yes, but it’s something important. They had us practice, rather slowly, in a wide, open area, and that let everyone get comfortable before we dealt with actual streets. I thought it was very good that they stressed safety. They provided helmets, and also some really good advice about how to deal with traffic, pedestrians and the somewhat infamous Valencia bike lanes. After about 15 minutes, more or less, even those who wobbled quite a bit at the beginning seemed comfortable, which made the start to the adventure more enjoyable, as a matter of fact.

Valencia’s Hot Spots: What We Saw

So, what did we see? This is, you know, the fun part, very true. Our tour, you see, went past some well-known sites, and it also snuck down streets where you wouldn’t normally go as a tourist. The City of Arts and Sciences looked truly futuristic, actually, and zipping around it on a Segway made you feel like you were in some kind of a movie. Then we, too, rolled into the old town, passing the Valencia Cathedral and the Central Market. What made it really memorable was that our guide didn’t just name things; he really told stories. I learned, maybe, a bit about the history of the Silk Exchange and, of course, he told some pretty good stories about local legends. The pace was perfect – quick enough to see lots, but slowly enough to actually take everything in, instead of just quickly snapping a photo and then hurrying along. It’s that easy to see stuff.

The Guide Makes the Difference

That guy was fantastic. Honestly, the success of any tour like this rises and falls with the quality of the guide, right? Ours was local, friendly and, more or less, bursting with a kind of passion for Valencia that spread, apparently, through the group. He adapted things as we went along. Did we want to spend just a little longer looking at something? Sure. Did anyone have questions? He’d answer them fully, apparently. It’s true that he pointed out some hidden gems that were not in the guidebooks, also gave us advice about eating and stuff (where to find the greatest horchata!) and just, very basically, gave you a feeling of seeing the city through the eyes of someone who truly loves living there. This felt like a walking tour, anyway, but, obviously, with wheels.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Okay, here are just a few things to know. I thought the Segway tour was well worth it, for sure, but it isn’t totally perfect for everyone. Firstly, those with mobility issues might find balancing a bit difficult, that is something very real to think about. Contact the tour company and have a word to make sure that they are set up to handle things, if you feel concerned, so to be certain. Secondly, do think about the time of year. Valencia gets incredibly hot during the summer months, yet the sun bouncing off the pavement makes a Segway tour a bit uncomfortable. Spring or fall? Definitely the best times, apparently. Finally, bring water and use sunscreen, seriously! You’re outside and, just a little bit, exposed for a fair amount of time, in fact, so come prepared.

Final Thoughts

A Segway tour might just be the best thing for seeing Valencia differently, if you are looking to check it out, rather quickly and enjoyably. You can cover loads more ground than you would if you walked around, that’s true, plus it adds a fun, unique thing to see the landmarks and the secret parts of the city. With an instructor who’s ready to help people get comfortable with how the vehicle works, it can feel perfectly safe. If the instructor shares interesting stories and makes you feel something, then it’s bound to be fun, just to explore the town!

Key Points

• It’s a truly great method to see a good chunk of the city in not much time.
• Safety instructions mean that all people can take part, maybe a few minutes of practice will make a great tour.
• The stories the instructor shares are really important for knowing the city.
• Pick the time to go carefully, you might get weather you don’t like so you might not have the time of your life.