You'd be crazy to drive a scooter alongside these natives on Rome's
cobblestone streets, but guided scooter tours will take you through
the nearby countryside.
Photo: Marco Pesaresi, Contrasto, Redux Pictures

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Veloskil:

"We are taking a Mediterranean cruise with our teenagers. We were hoping to rent scooters at some ports and explore that way. Are there guided tours using scooters in Barcelona, Palermo, Naples, Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Marseille, or Villefranche?"

What a great idea, Veloskil! Scooters are an inexpensive, green, and hip way to explore foreign cities. Even better, you'll blend in with the locals. Your itinerary gives you a number of opportunities to sightsee on two wheels:

In Barcelona, Cooltra offers a number of scooter tours. Since their groups need no more than 4 people, your family can customize a tour to see exactly the sights you want at no extra cost. There are also scooter rental agencies in Palermo, Naples, and La Spezia, but they don't offer guided tours so you're best off booking with Andrea Grisdale of IC Bellagio, who can arrange for the scooters as well as an English-speaking tour guide. From Civitavecchia, Paolo Apolloni will take you to his hometown of Segni, outside Rome.

Just one piece of advice, Veloskil: Wear a helmet!