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When it comes to sightseeing, it's hard to beat riding from place to place by bicycle. Add a quiet, battery-powered motor to a bicycle, however, and you can make the experience that much better. Who doesn't want to pedal without breaking a sweat while on vacation? Riding a so-called "e-bike" feels like having a fairy godmother give you a little push from behind. The extra boost helps you cope with traffic and overtake hills with ease. Unlike a scooter, an e-bike has no noisy motor or smelly exhaust fumes. Few Americans have ridden the battery-assisted bikes in the U.S., where they average about $1,500. Yet Americans traveling abroad are increasingly test-riding the two-wheelers, as some rental companies make them available by the day at popular destinations. Last month in London, Hertz began renting electric bikes for £19 ($30.50) a day from its Marble Arch location. You rent the e-bike as if it were a vehicle, booking it through the Hertz website and standing in the same line as other customers. You pick up a bike, helmet, lock, and city map. Hertz sells two types of bikes: One type still expects you to pedal, matching your effort with a boost from its motor. The other type of bike doesn't require you to pedal, allowing you to use a throttle to power the two-wheeler instead. Both types of bicycle are powered by lithium-ion batteries (similar to the ones used in many laptops). Company employees charge the batteries at night, plugging them into standard electric sockets. In this way, the batteries still slurp up juice from the grid, so they're not quite as environmentally friendly as one might first think. Earlier this week in England's Lake District National Park, about 50 electric bikes were made available for nine special trails. Provider Electric Bicycle Network knows that their "e-bikes" remove much of the hardship of going uphill, making it pleasant for non-athletic travelers to appreciate the scenery without having to pedal heavily. The organization provides two-wheelers to local businesses, such as hotels and B&Bs;, which rent them out for about £25 a day. Last month, the company began the service in England's Peak District, near Manchester. Next month, it is rolling out the battery-powered bicycles in Devon in the country's scenic southwest. In Switzerland, travel agency Swiss Trails teamed up with the government and the Rent a Bike company to provide bike rentals along nine scenic trails, including three models of electric bike. You no longer have to be a fit cyclist to be able to tackle mountain passes and view lakes and alpine panoramas. You don't need a rental car to reach the trails, either. The e-bikes are for rent at 20 SBB train stations, which are easily reachable from the country's major cities. Sadly, the rental cost is high: 98 Swiss francs a day or about $119, though tax, helmet, and other items are covered. In Beijing, guided e-bike tours allow you to explore the city in small groups, allowing you to cover more territory than a walking tour can alone without getting exhausted. Half-day tours from 300 CNY or about $48. Details at bjebiketours.com. On Japan's Awajishima Island, near Osaka, more than 30 electric bicycles are available for rent as an alternative method of transport for the estimated 12 million sightseers who visit each year to see the stunning scenery. Prices start at 500 yen (about $6) for two hours. Details available at tourist offices on the island. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Theory confirmed! Credit cards have better exchange rates than banks Figure out which hotel you'll get on Hotwire How to travel like a lady

You can't get much closer to nature than when you're sleeping out under the stars. But make the wrong move at the campground and your crew will be seriously un-happy campers. In an upcoming Trip Coach column, we're taking a peaceful respite at the campground. Please send us all of your camping-related questions, and we'll answer as many as we can in the story. You might be wondering: What kinds of travelers should and shouldn't go camping? What are the best resources for locating and evaluating campgrounds? What kind of prices do campgrounds charge nowadays, and what do you get for the money? What camping gear is essential, and which products are gimmicks a camper can go without? What common mistakes do newbies make that drive seasoned campers nuts? For those just not into sleeping on the ground, what are some campground options beyond the classic tent site? Under what circumstances is it just a bad idea to go camping? Now it's your turn. Please send us your camping questions, so that we can focus on the most pressing issues in an upcoming issue of Budget Travel. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Trip Coach: National Parks Trip Coach: Traveling with Pets Road Trip: National Parks (Minus the Crowds)

Not everyone wants to spend a week in the Utah wilderness and, let's say, rip out invasive olive trees. Or volunteer outdoors anywhere during a vacation, for that matter. But what if you were told that, for only $300 (plus your own airfare), you could have a getaway outdoors at your choice of a gorgeous setting in Hawaii, Arizona, or elsewhere in America? And what if that opportunity included a chance to be physically active, make new friends, and indulge in some digital detox—unplugging yourself from our stressed-out world? Maybe this idea has something to it after all, right? Since 1997, the nonprofit group Wilderness Volunteers has been organizing volunteer service to America's wild lands. First-timers are allowed to make reservations for this year's line-up of trips in January of each year. So book your trips now for departures later this year. By March, it may be too late, as all slots may be filled. For details on applying, visit wildernessvolunteers.org. Other great options—typically costing a little more—include Volunteer Vacations, run by the American Hiking Society, and Outings, run by the Sierra Club. For more planning tips, check out our recent story "Ask Trip Coach: Volunteer Vacations." MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Like chocolate? You might like working with cocoa farmers in the D.R. Volunteer travel trend: Wwoofing Excavation vacations: Dig for a day

We really like big buildings here at BudgetTravel.com. Lucky for us, there's an organization called the Council on Tall Buildings, which has recently awarded the "Best Tall Buildings" of 2008. The winner is the Shanghai World Financial Center. Topping out at 1,614 feet, or 101 stories, the tower has an observation deck that boasts the title of the world's highest publicly accessible space. It's pretty cool-looking, what with the trapezoid cut-out at the top and its slim, sleek shape (does anyone else thinks it looks a little like a bottle opener?) A Chicago-based group, the CTBUH (the UH is for Urban Habitat) hands out the awards annually, but the Council doesn't reward just glamour and a mammoth size; buildings are also judged on possessing "sustainable qualities at a broad level in order to preserve urban quality of life into the future," according to the Council's website. The other big winners were The New York Times Building in New York City, the Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, and 51 Lime Street in London. MORE Read the Chicago Tribune's report on the awards The Next Big Thing