Touring Budapest With Segway

When you visit a new city, you can be assured of there being many new and different things to see and do. And if you can master a new skill while exploring, it's an added bonus.

Budapest Segway Tours

One of the best ways to begin a visit to a city is with a tour. In Budapest, forget bus and walking tours, or even bicycle tours. Take instead a Segway tour, a quirky way of getting around the downtown area. These unique “people movers” with two wheels and a handle bar are ideally suited to tour inner city areas, especially where there are a lot of pedestrian only streets. Happily Budapest fits into this category, and there are also plenty of interesting sights in a small “core” area.

Central Office at Lazar Street Behind the Opera House

The office is located behind the opera house at Lazar ut, close to the Yellow Metro stop Opera, and the procedure is simple and fun. The tours are small, with a minimum of two people, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide.

Introduction to the Segway

When everyone for the tour has assembled and signed the relevant paperwork, and been fitted with a helmet, a Segway is wheeled out and everyone gets their first look at this strange machine. After a short introduction and demonstration the guide unerringly picks the smallest and most fragile looking person in the group to have the first go. At once everyone think, correctly – if she can do it, so can I! It also helps that it’s impossible to tip the Segway – it’s perfectly stable.

Trying Out the Segway

Everyone gets a chance to try out the Segway in the restricted space of the office, going forwards – lean forwards. Going backwards – lean backwards. Stop – simply stand up straight. Turning in circles – the most disconcerting thing as the handlebars don't turn the Segway – there’s a twist grip on the handlebars that is used to turn left or right. And jumping over a plank – good practise for hopping on and off the curbs! – “Lean forward! Keep up the speed! Approach it straight! Knees bent! Good! Good!” everyone is ready to roll.

On the Street

The first hurdle is getting out the door, and then there are a few minutes to practise the new skills in the quiet streets beside the opera house, before facing the first major thoroughfare – Andrássy ut – a four lane and very busy street.

Sights of Budapest

The tour takes in the opera house, Andrássy ut, one of Budapest’s most gracious streets, Erzsébet Tér, Vörösmarty Tér, and the Danube promenade with its the statues, cafes, NumberTwo tram line, and fabulous views of the river and the bridges. On the other side, you see the Budapest Castle, Matthias temple in the castle district, Fisherman’s Bastion, Gellert Hill, the Citadel…

Photo Opportunities

There are plenty of photo opportunities, with the guide willing to take photos of the guests with their camera. Then, if time permits, the tour could include parliament house, and then it’s back to the office via St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Fun Factor and Thrill of the Unique

Although the tour isn't all-inclusive, it does give you a good coverage of the main sights and areas of Budapest, making further explorations easier. The thrill is also in the unique and fun factor of riding fancy free down the streets, of mastering this strange machine and of being a tourist attraction oneself and starring in countless other people’s photos and videos!

Segway

Budapest Opera House

Budapest Vigado Theatre

Statue by the Danube

Learning to Drive

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds