Nashville Segway Tours: A Segway Tour Is A Fun Way To Explore Downtown Nashville!

When a friend (who was visiting Nashville from another state) signed us up for a Segway tour of Nashville, 2 things came to mind:

1. I can’t do that… I’m the world’s biggest clutz and have no sense of balance!
2. How can I possibly enjoy a “tour” of Nashville this way?… I’ll be fighting to stay upright the entire time.

After I found out that she, too, was nervous about riding a Segway for the first time — especially through the crowded sidewalks of downtown Nashville on a weekend — I started to get excited about the possibilities.

I’ve lived in Nashville for 13 years, and visited Music City a few times before that, but I can assure you that I learned about lots of fun new places in Nashville on this Segway tour.

I highly recommend it. And I look forward to doing it again!

 

How Much Do Nashville Segway Tours Cost?

First, I would encourage you to look for a discount or coupon code online via Groupon, Living Social, Yipit, Retail Me Not, and other websites like that.

There was no discount available when we went, so we paid the full rate of $75 apiece. (I know, it’s a lot. But so worth it!)

The Nashville Segway Tours take place 3 times a day, 7 days a week.

Keep in mind, on weekends, you’ll be dodging a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalks of downtown Nashville. So if you’re super paranoid, choose a weekday instead. That said, there’s really no need to avoid weekends, because our tour guide avoided the busiest sidewalks since we were all beginners. So there’s really no need to worry about plowing down a Nashville tourist on your Segway.

The tours are limited to 12 people (age 14 and up) and are divided into 2 groups of 6. Each group has its own professional Segway guide.

 

How A Segway Works

Basically there’s a gyroscope in the base of the Segway — near the platform where your feet are. That gyroscope works to maintain an upright position for the Segway at all times.

A Segway’s speed is 100% determined by your feet:

• Push down on your toes more to go faster.
• Push down on your heels more to go slower.

At the same time, you’re supposed to slightly bend your knees (though I noticed no one actually doing this after the first 30 minutes of training, not even the guide) and loosely grip the handles on the Segway. The handles are only used for turning. At first, you’ll find yourself gripping the handles for dear life, but you’ll quickly find that does nothing. I ended up draping my wrists over the top of the handlebars for much of the trip.

     

In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s a cinch to turn on a Segway. In fact, you can do a zero-point turn very easily — with hardly any effort — and it’s not scary at all.

I say that simply to assure you that turning (and dodging pedestrians) is very easy to do. There’s nothing tricky about it, so don’t worry about hitting anyone or anything on your Nashville Segway tour. It’s highly unlikely.

   

Here’s more about how a Segway works.

 

Yes, You Get To Practice First!

One of the things we were unsure of before arriving at Segway of Nashville headquarters (on 3rd Avenue, next to the Johnny Cash Museum) was where we would be practicing before hitting the streets on a Segway.

Turns out there’s a large room inside the front door where you practice turning around, starting, stopping, and finding your center of gravity on a Segway. One half of the group (the more advanced ones) practiced in there.

   

The other half of the group (us beginners) practiced on the sidewalk in front of the building. It’s a fairly busy sidewalk with a lot of foot traffic, so it was actually a great place to practice!

   

   

Most of us were HORRIBLE at controlling our Segways during practice. Yet we were all super excited to get back on and hit the streets. Weird, I know. But it’s true.

Once our tour began, the first place we stopped was only 100 feet away or so — a large open space with lines on the ground and pillars to practice turning around. It was perfect for us beginners. We all quickly got the hang of it, and we were eager to move on and tour the city.

 

Seeing Sights That Few Have Seen Before

One of the best parts of taking a Segway tour is the ability to see parts of Nashville that few (tourists and locals alike) have seen, or even knew existed!

As I said earlier, I’ve lived in Nashville for 13 years and yes, I’ve seen the Titans stadium, Bicentennial Mall, and the Sulphur Dell area. But I’ve never seen those — and lots of other areas — from the places we went on a Segway.

They said we went about 5 miles on this tour (seemed like a lot more), and over the course of 2 hours there were only a handful of places that I’d personally been before this Segway tour.

That’s kind of hard to believe since I’ve done plenty of touristy things in Nashville, and plenty of things with locals too. Still, we ended up at the best places with the best views of Nashville‘s finest sights & sounds.

   

   

 

Good To Know Before You Go

• Regardless of the type of shoes you wear, your calves, shins, and feet will be a little sore afterwards. You’re using those muscles a little differently than normal.
• Large, even bumps (like in sidewalks) should be tackled full force — meaning you should just go fast and forward over them. Slow speed bumps are slightly more dangerous.
• Curbs should be avoided. (Just ask my friend, Suzie, who wiped out while going full speed — 13 MPH — and going over a curb with only one tire.)
• Segways can be stopped in the same amount of time — or a little faster — than a bicycle traveling the equivalent speed.
• They give you a helmet and bottled water.
• There is only one stop that has public restrooms.
• There’s a good-sized pocket on the front of the Segway where you can put small items — like a purse, souvenirs, etc.
• If you feel like you’re going to fall… bend your knees, stick your butt out, and slowly (evenly) dig in your heels. Try to resist the urge to use your hands and arms to grip the handlebar or grab at a nearby object thinking it could be used to help stop you. It won’t. It’s all about realigning your core and slowing your speed with your feet.
• Use the handles to help you stand centered on the gyroscope base (especially when you’re stopped), but don’t grip the handles too hard or you’ll just wear yourself out for no reason. It’s all in the feet… not the hands.
• At first, you’re thinking, “Why are we stopping already? I’m just getting used to this.” But, trust me, your feet will thank you for the breaks. And you’ll soon see that all of the starting, stopping, getting on, and getting off the Segway are what make you a better — more confident — Segway rider. It all starts to make sense after the second time you get off & on the Segway again.
• You do not need to know everything there is to know about riding Segways for these tours. But for those who wish to know, here’s the manual for how to ride a Segway.
• Almost every time we stopped — and there were other people around — someone came up to us and asked how much it costs to rent a Segway and if we would recommend Nashville Segway Tours for newbies. The people in our group always replied enthusiastically, “Yes… it’s definitely worth doing!”
• In case you’re wondering, you can buy a Segway for $3,000 to $7,000.

Without a doubt, I will definitely be taking more Segway tours in other cities!

   

 

Other Fun Nashville Tours

• First Time Visiting Nashville? Some Things You MUST Do
• Nashville Nightlife Things To Do + Hotel Recommendations
• Scavenger Hunts In Nashville: A Fun, Self-Paced Walking Tour
• Nashville With Kids: Vacation Tips
• Grand Ole Opry Alternatives
• Nashville By Bike: Exploring Music City On 2 Wheels