| SegTours.com
> "Gettysburg Segway Tours"
> General Policies and Common Questions General
Policies and Common Questions SegTours,
LLC offers several tour options to match your interests. This page will outline
our General Tour Policies and help you decide among the available tour options. How
are the tours similar? (aka General Tour Policies) How
are they different? (e.g., where they go and what you will hear)
How
are the tours similar? (aka General Tour Policies)
- ESCORTS: All tours
are escorted by at least one staff person. That is, you are never sent out on
your own. We do not offer rentals, sorry.
- REFRESHMENTS:
Bottled water and sometimes other refreshments are provided during the tour
at no additional charge.
- REST
STOPS: The tours include opportunities to dismount and rest about every 30-45
minutes. Restrooms are available on the Western battlefield tour during the Spring,
Summer, and Fall. They are closed between the first and last frost by the National
Park Service.
- TRAINING:
Segway training and practice time is provided at no additional charge and
is not included in estimate of the tour duration. Please arrive at least 30 minutes
early for training and practice.
- NERVOUS?:
Segways are MUCH easier than they look. Training, test-drives, and practice
time is free. You will not be permitted to leave on the tour until you demonstrate
an acceptable comfort level with the Segway. Even the most skeptical visitors
very rarely fail to reach that comfort level in 15-20 minutes. However,
if you decide not to take the tour, you will not be charged for it. (You might
also consider riding in our pull-behind cart).
- TOUR
TIMES: Tours in the summer are generally scheduled at 8am, 11am, 3pm, and
6pm. Tours in the Spring and Fall are generally scheduled at 10am and 2pm. Circumstances
sometimes warrant changes to the schedule, however. The destination and type of
each tour is determined by the first party to reserve a time slot. Call for details
about the specific day(s) of your visit to Gettysburg.
- HELMETS:
Helmets are provided at no additional charge and are required for all
visitors. You may bring your own bicycle helmet if you prefer.
- CARRY-ONS:
Each Segway is equipped with a large handlebar bag which is sufficient to
carry almost any purse, jacket, camera, refreshments, or other material that you
may choose to bring.
- MINIMUM
GROUP SIZE: There is generally not a minimum group size. We will take one
person on a tour. If you request a live guide, however, then be aware that the
guide fee is $15.00 per person with a minimum total guide fee of $60.00. So if
there are fewer than 4 people in your group (including people outside your party,
if any), then you will still be responsible for the minimum total guide fee.
- MAXIMUM
GROUP SIZE: The group size is typically limited to 8 visitors (plus escorts/guide)
and may include people that are not in your party. Exceptions to the group size
may be made in order to accommodate a single large group (e.g., a large family
or corporate outing). Please contact us for details.
- MINIMUM
AGE: You must be at least 14 years old to ride one of our Segways but children
under 16 must be accompanied by a parent. Other accommodations
are available for children under 14 or anyone who would like to accompany
a tour but not ride.
- GETTYSBURG
RESIDENTS: A 50% discount of the tour fee is available to those with a Gettysburg
address on their driver's license. The discount does NOT apply to the guests of
such residents. If you choose to be accompanied by a Licensed Battlefield Guide,
then the associated additional fee goes directly to the guide and is not subject
to the resident discount.
- ROADS
VS SIDEWALKS: Our tour routes take us within the bounds of the borough of
Gettysburg as well as the National Park. In Pennsylvania, the Segway Personal
Transporter™ is legal on both the street and the sidewalk. At the request
of Gettysburg Borough Police Department, however, our tours do not use the sidewalks.
On park property, Segways are not permitted on the grass or sidewalks. In both
venues, therefore, our tours use the streets. However, the routes are carefully
planned to avoid high-traffic areas. Within the park (which constitutes the majority
of the tour) and in residential areas of the borough (which constitute most of
the rest), cars are limited by low speed limits and generally travel at about
the same speed as the Segways. Our staff escorts are trained to emphasize "Safety
First" at all times.
- TIP
POLICY: Naturally, tipping of the tour guides and/or escorts is not required.
If you believe that you received exceptional service, attention, and/or value
for your money, however, then tips will be gratefully accepted.
- RESERVATIONS:
It is common for us to be completely booked (especially for weekend tours)
several days in advance so reservations are strongly recommended.
Walk-ins are permitted, however, if the necessary equipment and staff is available.
- DEPOSIT
POLICY: In most cases, a deposit is NOT required for a reservation so it is
to your advantage to make a reservation as soon as your travel plans are finalized.
This policy is subject to change at the sole discretion of SegTours, LLC. In particular,
a deposit may be required for large groups or during peak tourist season. You
will be notified at the time of a reservation if a deposit is required. Please
contact us to discuss your circumstances.
- INCLEMENT
WEATHER POLICY: When necessary to avoid thunderstorms, snow, or ice, SegTours,
LLC will cancel a tour in the interest of safety. In the case of other predicted
inclement weather (e.g., rain, wind, or temperature extremes), we may consult
with you in order to decide whether or not to cancel a tour.
- CANCELLATION
POLICY: As noted above, we generally do not require a deposit in order to
make a reservation. Equipment and staff will be allocated on your behalf, however,
and will be unavailable to other customers. In the interest of preserving our
no-deposit policy for future customers, we ask only that you please notify us
as soon as possible if your travel plans change. A tour may be cancelled by SegTours,
LLC with or without notice for reasons related to weather, equipment, staff or
other unexpected circumstances. Such a decision rests solely with SegTours, LLC
and no compensation will be provided for the inconvenience or other claims arising
from a cancelled tour. However, (except when a deposit is required as noted above),
you will not be charged for a tour that you do not take.
How
are they different?
- WHERE
THEY GO: SegTours, LLC offers historical tours to two distinct areas of the
Gettysburg battlefield, as well as a ride which does not include an historical
tour.
| | | The
"Western" or main battlefield ($65 per person,
plus tax) is our most popular tour by far. It includes most of the historical
landmarks at Gettysburg that you learned about in school, including Picketts Charge,
Little Round Top, The Peach Orchard, The Wheatfield, the High Water Mark, and
others. The route is approximately 9 miles in length with many wide-open straightaways,
relatively few hills, and light tree cover over approximately 60% of the route.
It generally takes 2.5 hours (but has been known to run a little longer) and includes
at least four rest stops. We
recommend the "Western" route for those who want a very good general
understanding of the battle and/or want to cover a lot of ground. By
contrast, the "Eastern" battlefield route
($45 per person, plus tax) is about 4 miles in length, mosted wooded, and includes
many twists and turns and hilly terrain. It visits some areas of the park which
witnessed significant action during the battle but are less-well known to the
typical tourist. It takes about 1.5 hours and includes two stops, including one
at the Culp's Hill Observation Tower. We
recommend the "Eastern" route for those who have taken the Western tour,
already have a good general understanding of the battle, are pressed for time,
or who want a more challenging Segway ride. The
"Segway Experience" (30 min=$25, 1 hr=$40,
2 hr=$60, per person, plus tax) is a Segway ride which does NOT include an historical
tour. It visits "Colt Park" (a residential area) or other quiet area
on the outskirts of the Borough of Gettysburg. We
recommend the "Segway Experience" for those who are not intested in
an historical tour and simply want to ride the Segway. |
| | | |
For the basic price (as
listed above), our battlefield tours are escorted by a staff member and utilize
a recorded audio system. The recorded narrative provides a very good overview
of the battle of Gettysburg and park monuments and is both educational and entertaining.
The audio tour was designed and narrated by Gary Kross who has more than 25 years
experience as a Licensed Battlefield Guide. The staff escort operates the audio
transmitter and you are issued an earpiece and wireless receiver with which you
listen to the tour. Note that the staff escort is not a licensed guide and is
not permitted by the National Park Service to answer questions about the battle
on park property. We
recommend the Audio Tour for those who are budget-minded or have a typical tourist's
level of knowledge or interest in the battle. Alternatively,
you may opt to have a Licensed Battlefield Guide go along with you for
an additional fee of $15.00 per person. Except by special arrangement, customers
outside your party may join the group and a minimum total guide fee of $60 may
apply. That fee goes directly to the guide. Although the recorded audio provides
a comprehensive tour experience, there is a distinct advantage for some visitors
to be able to ask questions of a live guide. Use of live Licensed Battlefield
Guide requires a reservation and is subject to availability. We
recommend a live Licensed Battlefield Guide to those who consider themselves to
be students of the battle, want to be able to ask questions, or want the very
best possible educational experience. | List
of Gettysburg
Segway Tours |
