Scooters

In France, as well as other European countries, many things are smaller. The food portions, the people, and of course their transportation. While traveling in France, you might notice that most drivers have either Smart Cars or other related compact vehicles, including mopeds/scooters. Today, sccoters and mopeds could be considered the same thing, but there are a few things that set them apart.

Mopeds feature bicycle-like pedals, as well as a motor, and all mopeds' maximum speed on just the engine is about 30 mph - hence the pedals. Occasionally, mopeds have three or four wheels. Mopeds have several different names across Europe including cyclemotors or autocycles. Anything with an engine size under 50cc is classified as a moped. In most states, any vehicle with an engine size over 48cc requires you to have a small motorcyle license to enable you to drive that vehicle. However, to drive/ride a moped, the driving age is lower. The most popular moped brand in the world is Solex which is based in (guess where) Paris, France.

Scooters, on the other hand, are not equipped with bicycle pedals and have an engine-sized range of 50cc to 250cc. They have a step-through frame and "indents" for where your feet should be placed. Now, enough with the specs.

Ever since my first trip to Europe (I was in London, actually) I knew that I wanted either a small European car or a scooter. My wishes were greatly expanded after my trip to Paris last summer. Throughout Paris, they have parking spaces for little cars, and also rows of little spaces for scooters. And in those petit spaces, I am gonna guesstimate 40% of the scooters were Vespas. In the 1940's, a small Italian manufacturer, named Piaggio, introduced their first motor scooter, the Vespa. Vespa in Italian means "wasp". Vespas are famous for their flat footboards, glossy finishes, and their overall natural structure. I have always wanted a red Vespa, with a tan seat (so it won't overheat in the sun), and a 150cc engine (maximum speed 70 mph) - pictured below. I can visualize myself zipping around Paris, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping for a croissant or a baguette :) .

Whether you are in Venice, Barcelona, Bordeaux, or London, you will see that scooters have become a huge part in the European lifestyle!

-Colette