Learning to drive.

angelatgraceland

mleonard79 wrote:

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

Don't leave it too long to get back into it-you are nearly there! It isn't going to get any cheaper is it. A friend of mine did this and had to re learn everything 10 years later. Start your lessons again ASAP! My son pays £20 for just under and hour and a half. His instructor drives him out of town for his lesson in his time not ours! He guarantees a full hour. I think we have a good deal. Its worth asking about things like these.

TheFlyingGerbil

If you can, your best bet is to block book lessons, they usually cost lest if you pay for several at once (usually 10). My instructor doesn't do this but she is so good I am happy to pay.

I really think with driving lessons cheapest is not the most important, you *need to have* someone you feel happy with and is a good teacher. I didn't even realise how bad my previous instructor was until I had this new one! Good luck by the way.

Joe

Phillykins

I've learnt to drive very recently along with many of my friends. Personally, I would strongly suggest that you find someone local. The reason being that you will often get more than you pay for. my instructor would often give me a hour and fifteen minutes or an hour and twenty even though I paid £20 for an hour. Block booking is cheapest and there are often discounts to be had if you do this.

Also, sometimes larger companies will 'piggy back' their pupils. My friend for example, had an instructor who would make him drive to the house of his next pupil and then this pupil would drive my friend home. This saves time and money for the instructor and means everyone always gets exactly an hour!

PandaPants_2

I had 8, yes 8!! attempts at the test so i feel qualified to give advice here! LOL

Dont block book a load of cheap lessons because, as someone else mentioned these can be with inexperienced or trainee instructors. Ring round a few compaines and ask them about prices and the type of instructors they offer. Most places will ask if you prefer a woman insrtuctor. Its best not to book a lot of lessons ta first as you many not "connect" with the instructor. If you dont feel comfortable dont heistate in trying another.

I had 2 instructors and they were both fantastic, it was my driving that was the problem! LOL

benjus

I took and failed a test at 17, then left it around 10 years before I tried driving again when a friend offered me a very old Metro for free.
I took lessons with a local driving school, which was around £18 per hour (I think). Luckily I found that I could still remember a lot, and I only needed around 10 hours of lessons to pass the test. The other thing that helped a lot was that several colleagues at work were prepared to go out with me in my little old Metro so that I could practise. If you already have a car or are planning to buy one, could you convince any friends or colleagues to help you?

Wyndham

I block booked 10 lessons at a time, and got a discount (can't remember how much, but I think it worked out that I paid for 9 and got the 10th free or something of that order). I used a local instructor, who actually lived in my street, and he often gave me extra time because I'd drive him home as well as me! I also found 2 hour lessons useful - you can get further and we did things like country roads rather than it all being around town, which meant I felt I had a wider driving experience before my test.

It's meant to be that you need an hour and a half for each year of your age - I was pretty much spot on with that.

I've also heard that intensive courses can be good - but not for complete beginners, so if you want to do it, it may be worth having a few lessons first.

Most of all, good luck!

SambaRamba

Don't forget that some places offer the first lesson free, so perhaps you could try some of those out to begin with. Another thing i'd say was a must is a theory test cd rom. I found mine a godsend, I practiced around 4 hours a week, and whizzed through my actual test in just 15 minutes and passed 100%. Good luck!

redmandarin

mleonard79 wrote:

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

Hi Michelle, I know just how you feel!

I had lessons with the Big One, about 15 years ago and narrowly failed. I was so traumatised by the test (the longest 45 minutes of my life) that I never got back behind the wheel of a car again! I realise now that I must have been fairly good at it (although I was not at all confident and dead nervous) because my instructor was surprised I didn't pass!

Oh how I wish I'd have carried on with the lessons - plus tests were a bit easier (less to be tested on) and there was no written (more costly) test then either.

I really want to do it but I'm terrified! But its now or never! Best of luck Michelle and Perdita! Let us know how you get on.