Lisbon - Segway Tour - has anyone done this?!

[Lizziedrippin]

:confused: Hi all - we are going on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in August around the Western Med and Lisbon is one of the stops. I haven't come across anything other than the segway tour that we would like to do but thought I would ask how other people found it before booking it! Any comments appreciated! :D

[tinkercat]

:confused: Hi all - we are going on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas in August around the Western Med and Lisbon is one of the stops. I haven't come across anything other than the segway tour that we would like to do but thought I would ask how other people found it before booking it! Any comments appreciated! :D

 

Hi Lizzie

 

Did you go on the Segway tour if so was it any good, I'm thinking about booking it for our May 2014 cruise x

[Cornishpastyman1]

I didn't do it but would have if I'd known about it. Any Segway tour is great fun, especially somewhere as hilly as Lisbon :) All the best, Tony

[tinkercat]

I didn't do it but would have if I'd known about it. Any Segway tour is great fun, especially somewhere as hilly as Lisbon :) All the best, Tony

 

Thanks Tony, I think I will try it I have never been on a Segway so I think it will be a funny experience.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Wendy

[Cornishpastyman1]

Thanks Tony, I think I will try it I have never been on a Segway so I think it will be a funny experience.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Wendy

Hi Wendy

And Merry Christmas to you too. You'll love it. I guarantee you'll be very reluctant to give it back when the tour is over ! Here's a bit of what I did in Lisbon

[tinkercat]

Hi Wendy

And Merry Christmas to you too. You'll love it. I guarantee you'll be very reluctant to give it back when the tour is over ! Here's a bit of what I did in Lisbon

 

Hi Tony

 

Just watched your video it's brilliant it looks like you got see a lot and that light show was brilliant.

 

I didn't know Lisbon was so interesting can't wait to go now.

 

Did you have to get a shuttle bus from the port, I think the trip I was talking about includes one. This is our only second cruise the first was on the Grand Princess.

 

Thanks again

[Cornishpastyman1]

Hi Tony

 

Just watched your video it's brilliant it looks like you got see a lot and that light show was brilliant.

 

I didn't know Lisbon was so interesting can't wait to go now.

 

Did you have to get a shuttle bus from the port, I think the trip I was talking about includes one. This is our only second cruise the first was on the Grand Princess.

 

Thanks again

Hi Wendy, thanks - Lisbon is a terrific city, way too much to see in just a day. I'm not certain but feel that you will need some form of transport to the city centre. I got an all-day travel card (about €7) at the train station by the dock and used that for the 15-minute trip there. It was also good for that no 28 tram and buses. Apart from seeing the castle in Lisbon

we also went to Belem

on the no 15 tram (and came back by bus) That's well worth a look and you will be able to do a better job than me (maybe go up the Belem Tower) if you don't go the that elevator where I wasted an hour :(

[tinkercat]

Hi Wendy, thanks - Lisbon is a terrific city, way too much to see in just a day. I'm not certain but feel that you will need some form of transport to the city centre. I got an all-day travel card (about €7) at the train station by the dock and used that for the 15-minute trip there. It was also good for that no 28 tram and buses. Apart from seeing the castle in Lisbon

we also went to Belem

on the no 15 tram (and came back by bus) That's well worth a look and you will be able to do a better job than me (maybe go up the Belem Tower) if you don't go the that elevator where I wasted an hour :(

 

Hi Tony hope you are having a good Christmas, got the house back to our selves now.

 

Just watched your Belem video didn't know you could go there as well, I'm spoilt for choice now. Thanks for your help.

 

Wendy

[Lizziedrippin]

Hi Lizzie

 

Did you go on the Segway tour if so was it any good, I'm thinking about booking it for our May 2014 cruise x

 

 

:D Oh yes!!! We absolutely loved it - in fact it was probably the highlight of my holiday! It was an amazing experience - zooming up and down the narrow in-town hills in Lisbon, past all of the locals cooking in their homes! It really gave us a very 'behind the scenes' look at Lisbon.

 

The orientation was thorough and the 2 guides were brilliant with helpful tips (such as likening the segway to the way you move when skiing) - they soon got everyone quite competent enough for the trip. We all felt safe on our segways (something which I have to confess was worrying me prior to the trip) and although I was the only woman in the group, my 'driving wasn't too shabby at all!!!

 

My teenage sons thought it was amazing and we will definitely jump at the chance to segway again when we can - go for it!!! :D

[tinkercat]

:D Oh yes!!! We absolutely loved it - in fact it was probably the highlight of my holiday! It was an amazing experience - zooming up and down the narrow in-town hills in Lisbon, past all of the locals cooking in their homes! It really gave us a very 'behind the scenes' look at Lisbon.

 

The orientation was thorough and the 2 guides were brilliant with helpful tips (such as likening the segway to the way you move when skiing) - they soon got everyone quite competent enough for the trip. We all felt safe on our segways (something which I have to confess was worrying me prior to the trip) and although I was the only woman in the group, my 'driving wasn't too shabby at all!!!

 

My teenage sons thought it was amazing and we will definitely jump at the chance to segway again when we can - go for it!!! :D

 

Thanks that's brilliant, thanks for getting back to me.

 

Did you have to tell your insurance company that you were going to use a Segway and did you have to take your driving licence or anything.

 

Did you book before you sailed. Sorry to be a pest.

 

Thanks Wendy.

[Lizziedrippin]

Thanks that's brilliant, thanks for getting back to me.

 

Did you have to tell your insurance company that you were going to use a Segway and did you have to take your driving licence or anything.

 

Did you book before you sailed. Sorry to be a pest.

 

Thanks Wendy.

 

Hi again Wendy - it's not a problem, am really happy to share our experiences!

 

We didn't tell our insurance company - I don't think segway is classed as a 'notifiable sport' or anything like that and we certainly didn't need our driving licences - our sons were 16 and just 17 so neither were drivers.... But we did book before we sailed, though not as soon as we perhaps should have as we would have chosen one of the earlier time slots... As I remember, there were 3 time slots to choose from, one around 9.30am, one around 11.30 and one around 1.30pm (don't hold me to these times but I feel they were somewhere in this region)... we could only get the 4 of us onto the latest and although this was fine, it meant that we didn't get off the ship until we were going to meet the guide and we had to get straight back to the ship when the segway experience had ended (I think the ship was leaving quite early at that port). If I did it again I would choose one of the earlier options so that the opportunity was there to explore a bit more of Lisbon before re-embarking.... I guess alternatively we could have left the ship early and had a walk out into Lisbon first, coming back to the ship to meet the segway tour guides, but didn't really think it through that well!

 

Anyway, we really really enjoyed it but it went really fast!! I hope you get chance to have a go - I will be putting my name down at the next opportunity :-)

[tinkercat]

Hi again Wendy - it's not a problem, am really happy to share our experiences!

 

We didn't tell our insurance company - I don't think segway is classed as a 'notifiable sport' or anything like that and we certainly didn't need our driving licences - our sons were 16 and just 17 so neither were drivers.... But we did book before we sailed, though not as soon as we perhaps should have as we would have chosen one of the earlier time slots... As I remember, there were 3 time slots to choose from, one around 9.30am, one around 11.30 and one around 1.30pm (don't hold me to these times but I feel they were somewhere in this region)... we could only get the 4 of us onto the latest and although this was fine, it meant that we didn't get off the ship until we were going to meet the guide and we had to get straight back to the ship when the segway experience had ended (I think the ship was leaving quite early at that port). If I did it again I would choose one of the earlier options so that the opportunity was there to explore a bit more of Lisbon before re-embarking.... I guess alternatively we could have left the ship early and had a walk out into Lisbon first, coming back to the ship to meet the segway tour guides, but didn't really think it through that well!

 

Anyway, we really really enjoyed it but it went really fast!! I hope you get chance to have a go - I will be putting my name down at the next opportunity :-)

 

Hi I booked it today, £88 for both of us I don't think that was too expensive. Our ship will be at port an hour and half later than first planned about 8.30am I think, you are correct there are three time slots to choose from 8.30 which I thought was to early and with the ship only docking at 8.30 I think the times of the trip will change anyway, I chose 10.30am then there was a 12.30 one as well.

The ship leaves at 4.30pm.

 

I sent an email to my insurance just in case, i couldn't find anything in the policy wording though.

 

How many did you have in your group ? I will try to contact Royal Caribbean to check the times.

 

Thanks

 

Wendy

[Lizziedrippin]

Hi I booked it today, £88 for both of us I don't think that was too expensive. Our ship will be at port an hour and half later than first planned about 8.30am I think, you are correct there are three time slots to choose from 8.30 which I thought was to early and with the ship only docking at 8.30 I think the times of the trip will change anyway, I chose 10.30am then there was a 12.30 one as well.

The ship leaves at 4.30pm.

 

I sent an email to my insurance just in case, i couldn't find anything in the policy wording though.

 

How many did you have in your group ? I will try to contact Royal Caribbean to check the times.

 

Thanks

 

Wendy

 

Hi Wendy - yes, that sounds about right price wise and the times seem the same too. We would have gone for the one you have chosen if there had been spaces, I think we had the latest one and once it was over, we didn't really have any time for any other sightseeing - not comfortably anyway - we were too worried about getting back to the ship on time!

 

If I remember rightly, there were probably about 10-12 in our group - our family were a group of 4. They spent a good half hour - 1 hour orientating us on our segways in the main square before we all trundled off on the route! It was the most exhilerating feeling and by far the easiest way to see the steep backroads of Lisbon without the tired legs!! I really loved it - I hope you will too :-)

[tinkercat]

Hi Wendy - yes, that sounds about right price wise and the times seem the same too. We would have gone for the one you have chosen if there had been spaces, I think we had the latest one and once it was over, we didn't really have any time for any other sightseeing - not comfortably anyway - we were too worried about getting back to the ship on time!

 

If I remember rightly, there were probably about 10-12 in our group - our family were a group of 4. They spent a good half hour - 1 hour orientating us on our segways in the main square before we all trundled off on the route! It was the most exhilerating feeling and by far the easiest way to see the steep backroads of Lisbon without the tired legs!! I really loved it - I hope you will too :-)

 

I will let you know how I get on, I can't wait now. Checked with insurance and they said as long as we wear helmets I am covered at no extra cost. Royal Caribbean wrote back and Said trip times are the same. I will have to get a good video camera.

 

We nearly missed the ship coming back from the Amalfi coast it waited for us half an hour, I have never felt so sick in all my life, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Thanks so much again for putting my mind at rest, I,m glad I found you post.

[Lizziedrippin]

I will let you know how I get on, I can't wait now. Checked with insurance and they said as long as we wear helmets I am covered at no extra cost. Royal Caribbean wrote back and Said trip times are the same. I will have to get a good video camera.

 

We nearly missed the ship coming back from the Amalfi coast it waited for us half an hour, I have never felt so sick in all my life, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Thanks so much again for putting my mind at rest, I,m glad I found you post.

 

 

It's an absolute pleasure! It has been lovely thinking about it again - special memories for us as my boys are now 17 and 18 and probably won't want to be doing many more 'family' holidays! Enjoy!

[Brownie111]

I saw your post and wanted to add some first hand experience for you regarding the Segway Tour in Lisbon. We were in Lisbon in August of 2013 and many of us from the ship signed up for the tour. Only 1 of us (8 from the ship) had ever been on a Segway. The total group was about 12 and everyone was newbies. They provide you with some basic training in a small square near the rental shop with helmet and you are ready to tackle Lisbon. I will tell you that if you are going on flat surfaces or uphill, a Segway is no big deal. Additionally, you don't have to be real athletic to handle them. I would tell you that if you are an accomplished snow skier (which I was) the motion that you need for turning comes very naturally and very quickly. The tough part of this tour is the fact you get lulled into a sense of ease when you are on flat surfaces or heading uphill. The part you don't know yet is the downhill ride.

 

The ride on a Segway is built around slight body and arm adjustments for it to turn effectively. When you are on a flat surface the turns are easy and come naturally. When you are going uphill, you have a forward body lean and it is also a natural feeling. The tough part is downhill! When you go downhill, you have to lean back and pull back on the Segway and that is not a natural feeling. When you also add cobblestone streets that are tight with traffic on the streets, the anxiety is high and for those who don't have a high degree of comfort in the first place, it is even worse.

 

Now, I say all of this just as a precursor to the fact that the tour was very enjoyable and I would do it again but I would thoroughly check on the itinerary prior to departure. If you are a newbie on a Segway, a flat terrain tour would be a good idea.

[tinkercat]

I saw your post and wanted to add some first hand experience for you regarding the Segway Tour in Lisbon. We were in Lisbon in August of 2013 and many of us from the ship signed up for the tour. Only 1 of us (8 from the ship) had ever been on a Segway. The total group was about 12 and everyone was newbies. They provide you with some basic training in a small square near the rental shop with helmet and you are ready to tackle Lisbon. I will tell you that if you are going on flat surfaces or uphill, a Segway is no big deal. Additionally, you don't have to be real athletic to handle them. I would tell you that if you are an accomplished snow skier (which I was) the motion that you need for turning comes very naturally and very quickly. The tough part of this tour is the fact you get lulled into a sense of ease when you are on flat surfaces or heading uphill. The part you don't know yet is the downhill ride.

 

The ride on a Segway is built around slight body and arm adjustments for it to turn effectively. When you are on a flat surface the turns are easy and come naturally. When you are going uphill, you have a forward body lean and it is also a natural feeling. The tough part is downhill! When you go downhill, you have to lean back and pull back on the Segway and that is not a natural feeling. When you also add cobblestone streets that are tight with traffic on the streets, the anxiety is high and for those who don't have a high degree of comfort in the first place, it is even worse.

 

Now, I say all of this just as a precursor to the fact that the tour was very enjoyable and I would do it again but I would thoroughly check on the itinerary prior to departure. If you are a newbie on a Segway, a flat terrain tour would be a good idea.

 

Thanks for your advice I didn't think about going down hill, do the things have brakes? I will end up pushing it down hill. My husband thinks I will never do it but I will show him ha ha.

 

I have never been skiing, I used to be a good roller skater but that was many moons ago.

 

Wendy

[Cornishpastyman1]

Thanks for your advice I didn't think about going down hill, do the things have brakes? I will end up pushing it down hill. My husband thinks I will never do it but I will show him ha ha.

 

I have never been skiing, I used to be a good roller skater but that was many moons ago.

 

Wendy

Wendy you will be fine. I have never heard of anyone who had any problems using them. They don't have brakes, you control the speed by leaning forward, back or to the side. The Segway is very responsive to your 'instructions' and you will enjoy every minute.

[Lizziedrippin]

Wendy you will be fine. I have never heard of anyone who had any problems using them. They don't have brakes, you control the speed by leaning forward, back or to the side. The Segway is very responsive to your 'instructions' and you will enjoy every minute.

 

I would totally agree! I think that any adult sized person would be fine on a segway - you just need to listen to and follow the instructions of the guides - they do several of these tours nearly every day and have tutored all kinds of people on the machines after all! Having any ski experience may help a little in adapting as it is true, you do need to move your body a little as you do when skiing, but it isn't essential!

 

The orientation period is essential and they do start you off on the flat areas - you may start a little tentatively and that's fine - you should do! However, you do soon get a feel for the machine and begin to appreciate the experience more and more. I loved it and I am a 40 something female with plenty of wobbly bits - not a muscle bound 20 something athelete!! :D If I can do it - you can! :p

[tinkercat]

I would totally agree! I think that any adult sized person would be fine on a segway - you just need to listen to and follow the instructions of the guides - they do several of these tours nearly every day and have tutored all kinds of people on the machines after all! Having any ski experience may help a little in adapting as it is true, you do need to move your body a little as you do when skiing, but it isn't essential!

 

The orientation period is essential and they do start you off on the flat areas - you may start a little tentatively and that's fine - you should do! However, you do soon get a feel for the machine and begin to appreciate the experience more and more. I loved it and I am a 40 something female with plenty of wobbly bits - not a muscle bound 20 something athelete!! :D If I can do it - you can! :p

 

Thanks everyone, as long as it makes me laugh and I haven't been ripped off price wise I'll be happy. I'm in my late 40's as well and by the day of the trip I will have a few more wobbly bits as well after all the eating hee hee.

 

I'm glad the tour groups don't seem too large, my worry is crashing in to the person in front because I will not be concentrating looking at the sights In the other direction. I bet you wish you could be a fly on the wall now.

 

I'm sure I will love it, looking forward to it.

 

Wendy

[MrsPiggy]

Hello,

 

Appologies if it has been stated, but I cannot see it anywhere ! Who did you book with for this tour please? We are in Lisbon on the 29th July, and Id love to sign my hubby and daughter up for this. Would rather a recommended company, rather than a random google search ! Also, was the pick up from the cruise terminal, or if not, how far was it to get to the start of this tour?

 

Many thanks

 

Sara

[tinkercat]

Hi Sara

 

I booked my trip through my cruise company for the end of May. Have a look on Tripadvisor there are two companies on there, Lisbon by Segway and Red Tour Lisbon, both got good reviews. I think the trip starts in the main square so you can have a practice.

 

Maybe someone one on here booked independently to give you advice. I will put a review on here when I get back from my cruise.

 

Wendy

 

 

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[MrsPiggy]

Ah, we dont have a segway excursion with the liner in Lisbon. Only Mallorca. Its £70 pp. SO wanting to find my own ! I have actually messaged Lisbon by segway, just waiting a reply.

 

Look forward to hearing about your experience.

[tinkercat]

Hi just got back from my cruise today so thought I would give you all an update on my Segway tour.

 

My tour time was changed to 11.45am, we got on the ships shuttle bus and taken to the square. The two instructors were really nice and gave clear instructions, after a practice on the square we were on our way. Lisbon was very busy so a bit tricky getting past the crowds, however one of the instructors made sure it was safe to continue along.

 

I found going down hill easier than going up hill, for some reason I stopped dead up a steep hill then got it going again by leaning really forward, I felt the Segway was going to tip over but the instructor said it wouldn't, and it didn't.

 

I thought it was a brilliant experience and would like to do it again, just make sure you wear good full shoes and don't get off it sideways you have to keep hold of it or else it will go off on its own.

 

Wendy

 

 

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