Learning to drive.

perdita00

I'm going to get my provisional license soon and am going to start learning to drive. As I don't have any family near that could take me out and teach me what is the best way to go about it. I heard that lessons are mega expensive. It is best to go with a small firm or a nation-wide? If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful.

Has anybody done an intensive training course? I would like to hear what you think about them as I may decide to do this rather than spread the learning over a few months.

Thanks

angelatgraceland

Go for a small business who cannot afford to lose pupils through bad business. They are often cheaper too. The bigies often employ instructors who are not fully qualified. Ask if the instructor is fully qualified before you book with them. I think they have to have an ??green?? badge. Its different colour badges for different stages of instructor qualification. My DD didnt listen and went with the big B one. 3 instructors-not fully qualified, expensive lessons, inappropriate friendliness and secondclass service all around. She eventualy went to one who ws recommended from various friends and suddenly learned a lot. Dont think that bigger is better.

newMS

green certificate for fully qualified

C_Ronaldo

ask around people you know if they can recommend one,

perdita00

Thanks everyone, I'm going to have a good look for little companies. Had a quick look on google - mostly larger comps. Time to get out the yellow pages - if I can lug it upstairs. .lol

C_Ronaldo

get one you feel comfortable with, i had 2 good instructors and i had 1 instructor i wasnt comfortable with , a bloke and a female, they were both good, the bloke made jokes which made me feel better,

achtunglady

Another thing to bear in mind is how long the lesson is for, not all give a full hour, I'm learning, lessons are £19 per 45 mins or if i wanted a full hour with another firm it would have been £24!

My instructor is great, plus i have the advantage of being able to practice with hubby sometimes, just waiting to change my test date to next week or week after!!

C_Ronaldo

£19 for 45 mins lesson time, thats expensive, glad im not learning now, i think i paid something like £14/15 for an hour

laura1976

I passed a year ago last August and used a small local firm from the ads in the local paper. The instructor was lovely and trusting and the lessons were £17 an hour or £160 for a block of 10. He had a very nice new fiesta and you could take your own video tape to record your lesson on the in-car camera thingamy. Just ring round and go with whoever makes you comfortable on the phone, you'll have to spend a lot of time with them! Think I had 30-35 lessons before my test so lots of £££s but the freedom is fabulous!

Lyndsay_21

i also think its worth doing 'double' lessons ie 2hrs as you seem to get into it more rather than 45min/1 hr

mleonard79

I learned to drive and even did my test 7-8 years ago now but I failed narrowly and have just never found the time or money to get back into it. I've been thinking about doing it lately but from reading the prices these days they do seem so steep - I found them very expensive when I was doing it but that's nothing to what it costs now! Really wishing I'd just stuck at it at the time now :mad:

I've also thought about doing the intensive courses - anyone done this?

Regards

Michelle