General Driving Instructor Questions

Just a couple of questions before I start thinking about driving.

About how many hours of lessons did you take?

What is the average cost per hour for lessons?

My DH thinks we both need to start driving shortly since we will have children running us 100 directions in no time with sports/music/etc.  I am of course the planner and want to be able to budget both time and money for this.

Thanks!

I took maybe 8 hours of lessons (four lessons in two-hour blocks), but was also driving myself around whilst I was taking lessons (which I think it the best way to learn if you feel you can do it safely). I paid £20/hr, but you can probably do better than that if you book a series of lessons rather than paying for each one individually.

I took maybe 8 hours of lessons (four lessons in two-hour blocks), but was also driving myself around whilst I was taking lessons (which I think it the best way to learn if you feel you can do it safely). I paid £20/hr, but you can probably do better than that if you book a series of lessons rather than paying for each one individually.

Thanks, that is perfect.  I will most likely be driving myself around places between lessons, we are car shopping right now.  I had seen that some people had taken 20+ hours of lessons and I didn't know if that was average or not.  The price estimate is good too, I just didn't know if I should expect £20 /hour or £100/hour!  LOL

I did a residential 2 day course..got it over and done with in one quick go- passed first time (this was after I had been driving in the UK on my US license for a year though and after I had already done the written test on my own-- I also had one lesson when I first arrived before driving at all to go over round abouts and things like that)

Here is a link that gives an example of residential courses- I did 2 days shared..so I was in the car with another student, we took turns driving- 30 minutes at a time. I found it helpful to do it all at once and also to listen to instructions given to the other student.
http://www.learndrive.co.uk/prices.htm

I've never heard of courses like yours, HG, but it sounds great! I think I would have liked that!

My experience was similar to mirrajay's. I had about 8 lessons - except that mine were in one-hour blocks rather than two-hour. And I think I paid £15 a lesson. Of course this was back in 2004, so you may find higher quotes when you're looking for an instructor.

When I learned to drive in 2000/01, my instructor charged £14 an hour for lessons... and that was pretty cheap back then. However, when my little brother learned to drive in 2007/08, his lessons were about £25 an hour!

Hi there, I'm currently in the process (albeit on an automatic - I know, chicken!). I failed my first test on the 5th, gearing up for another one in a couple of weeks. I've taken about 12 hours of lessons at £28 per hour (I live in the SE AND it's an automatic, so hugely expesive), and my instructor thinks I should pass this time around (he thought that for the first time too, but then I went crazy and drove in the bus lane  !). hope that helps!

I've never heard of courses like yours, HG, but it sounds great! I think I would have liked that!

I loved it, I was really avoiding dealing with doing the lessons and the test. My year had run out and I wasn't able to drive. This allowed me to just focus on it and get it done in one swift movement.  When my daughter became old enough to drive she took a several lessons locally and then did the 4 day one and got it over and done with-- she passed too

I am going to check that two day out, I am a "get it over with" kind of girl. 

I am going to check that two day out, I am a "get it over with" kind of girl. 

Plus you get a couple nights away in a bed and breakfast

That's a really interesting looking course, HG! I don't know that I'd be willing to give up that much time/money, though, even to get it done all in one go.

So far I've had 2 lessons (in central London) at £20/hr (manual). I'm hoping to get by with 5-10 lessons, as I mainly need to remember nitpicky things (constantly use the mirrors, look the correct way rather than defaulting to US traffic patterns, etc). I don't plan to drive, let alone own, a car here for quite some time (not while I live in London, anyway), but it would be nice to have the license out of the way.

That's a really interesting looking course, HG! I don't know that I'd be willing to give up that much time/money, though, even to get it done all in one go.

The money isn't really more when you think about it..the 2 day course is £206 including the bed and breakfast. 10 hours of lessons at £20 would cost just about the same. It is a time commitment all in one go. I can see how it wouldn't suit some, for me it worked out perfect to do during a half term break

The money isn't really more when you think about it..the 2 day course is £206 including the bed and breakfast. 10 hours of lessons at £20 would cost just about the same. It is a time commitment all in one go. I can see how it wouldn't suit some, for me it worked out perfect to do during a half term break

Yeah, if I had a half-term break it would be great. As it is, though, I'd have to take 2 days off work (contractor, so no work == no pay), and spend about £70 to get down there to do the course, and then the cost of the course. With the hourly lessons I can do them in my lunch break and avoid the costs of travel/time off.

Plus you get a couple nights away in a bed and breakfast

You must have noticed that I have four children. 

10 two-hour lessons, about £25/hr (London, BSM).  I probably took more than I needed but felt really confident doing it (manual and on London roads).