Considering e-bikes and scooters into your next trip? Here’s how to get started.

Find a Ride

Mobile-based apps make finding bikes, scooters and even motorbikes incredibly easy for riders 18 and older, without the hassle of finding a rental shop (and potentially negotiating rates in a foreign language). One of the major players in the space, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Uber, which runs Jump (bikes and scooters in 32 cities and 10 countries) and recently partnered with Lime (scooters in 100 cities and 25 countries). In the United States, the Uber competitor Lyft is also in the scooter game (20 cities) and operates city bike shares in eight cities.

Other common operators to look for include Bird (scooters in 100-plus cities), which recently acquired San Francisco-based company Scoot (scooters, bikes and motorbikes, in various combinations, in San Francisco, Barcelona and Santiago). Most of these companies have both a United States and international presence, and are growing fast — scope out availability through company websites before an upcoming trip, and download apps as needed. If you’re already an Uber or Lyft user, you’ll be able to access bikes and scooters through your existing account.

App interfaces differ slightly, but generally will show you where to find a vehicle, how to unlock it, the range on a device and the rates for your ride. The vast majority of bikes and scooters are dockless, meaning you don’t have to drop them at a specific site or docking station, but instead, you must leave them in designated zones (leaving your device outside of that zone will result in a fee). Most apps only allow you to rent one vehicle per account, save Lyft’s bike share partnerships (Lime is also currently testing a new Group Ride feature in Europe and Latin America).

Safety First

The apps will use images to demonstrate how to safely use your bike or scooter; many also offer maps and information specific to the city in which you’re renting. Scoot requires that you watch an orientation video before riding one of their motorbikes (you can go to their San Francisco headquarters for an in-person orientation if you’d like).

All operators recommend that, when first trying a vehicle, you do so in a less congested area. Stick to protected bike lanes when available (other than motorbikes, which should be ridden in car lanes). Be very aware of traffic.