When the Segway was born, some thought that humans would never walk again. Ten years on and the two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles have become more of a novelty than a necessity. But head to any capital city and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

With continued rise in global tourism demonstrated by New York this week when the city welcomed its 50 millionth visitor for 2011, it looks like the Segway’s cashing in on the action.

Segway tours are a fast-paced and effortless way to soak up a city. Across Europe, cities such as Paris and Berlin just can’t get enough of these savvy personal transporters.

Internationally, there are over 500 guided Segway tour stations listed. Next time you score cheap flights to Montreal, Mexico City, Bangkok or Sydney or any other great city, it’s definitely worth making some time for a relaxing Segway tour.

Every company is different, but most of these tours last around 4 hours and cost an affordable $100 per person. 

Check out this video above for a quick look into the world of the Segway, this time in Paris.

Video: ViatorTravel (YouTube)