Gain your freedom faster

1. Make sure you have a provisional licence. ...
2. Remember your glasses/contact lenses if you need them. ...
3. Wear suitable shoes. ...
4. Book a lesson at a time that is suitable for you. ...
5. Ask questions if you are unsure about something

The internet is a good place to start, find a local driving school and look for a good review. Check the prices with other schools, this isn't just about finding the cheapest, learning to drive is a valuable life skill and the price reflects that.

Ask friends and family, a good instructor will have loyal students that will happily pass their details to you. It’s really important to learn how to drive safely right from the beginning – bad habits are hard to break!

Driving instructors are specially trained to teach you what you need to know to be safe on the road and pass your test. They have lots of experience and knowledge about driving, which they’ll use to help you become a confident and safe driver.

A driving instructor has many costs before they take a profit. If an instructor is charging a lot less than the average hourly rate,

where are they cutting costs?

Automatic cars are now increasingly common, not only are they easier (and more relaxing) to drive than a manual, in some cases they can be better on fuel and can cost less to maintain. Automatic cars are generally easier and quicker to learn in since there is no emphasis on learning to use the clutch or gearstick, this means it's more than likely going to be more expensive to learn to drive a manual car as you will need more lessons.

The first thing to bear in mind is if you learn to drive in an automatic car,
you will only be allowed to drive automatic cars going forward whereas if you
learn in a manual you can choose whether you want to drive a manual or automatic once you’ve passed your test.

A manual licence covers both types of cars while an automatic licence only covers automatic cars. However, the cost of driving lessons isn’t cheap and, inevitably, learning to drive in a manual car takes longer as you have to be trained to use the clutch and the gearbox. This means it’s more than likely going to be more expensive to learn to drive a manual car as you will need more lessons

However, automatic lessons are often more expensive so it’s worth doing the maths before you make your decision.

Let's look into the positives and negatives of taking an intensive driving course opposed to a more traditional approach of lessons on a weekly basis. If you are in two minds about having crash course lessons, hopefully after reading this, you will have more knowledge
on the subject, which will enable you to make the right choice for you as an individual.

I'm assuming you have passed your theory – that is why you are looking into intensive driving courses. If this isn't the case and you haven’t passed your theory yet – I strongly suggest doing this as soon as possible as you cannot book a driving test until you have passed the theory test.

Are you capable to do an intensive course?
The only way to really know is to have an assessment lesson with the instructor before booking the course.

An assessment lesson will firstly allow you to see if you get on with the instructor and easily understand their teaching technique. It will also give you a good idea if an intensive course is suited to you. If during the assessment lesson you feel that you are struggling to a large extent with controlling the car whilst performing all the correct safety checks and observations, an intensive course may not be for you.

Learning to drive is rather expensive. If you are taking an intensive course in a single week for example with the test at the end, what happens if you find it all too much? So if that assessment lesson was a little disastrous and it all went over your head, perhaps consider a semi-intensive crash course. These courses can range from anything to 4 or more hours of driving per week and for some this can let the whole learning to drive process sink in much easier.