Who to Learn With & Costs? (in Edinburgh)

Vixen · 8 May 2007 at 18:12

My boyfriend has just recieved his provisional license, so he needs to find an instructor. I was taught by my grandfather (who was a retired instructor) almost 6 years ago, so I don't have any experience of driving schools or up to date costs. One of his friends passed his test recently, but he can't remember who his instructor was.

We're at the west side of the city, very close to Currie in fact, which I believe would be the test centre he's looking at. Can anyone recommend an instructor or school to go with in this area? How much should he expect to pay per hour?

Is it better to go with a single instructor or with something like BSM/AA? The single instructors don't seem to have prices on their websites (if they have them at all), which has put me off a little, as I can't be bothered phoning around a bunch of places

.

Thanks for any help,

Siobhan x

Arsey · 8 May 2007 at 18:22

Phone around qualified instructors from the phone book. Best way to get cheap prices, BSM etc are a rip off, try and go for smaller companies or single 1 man companies, they are all qualified the same. £22 per hour might be what you are looking at? Not quite sure in Scotland but thats about the going rate around here.

timbob · 8 May 2007 at 18:22

I personally went for (and would recommend every time) a well established local, private instructor. Ask around down the pub, or somewhere like that to see if you can get a recommendation.

Cost should be somewhere in the region of £20ish an hour these days.

Vixen · 8 May 2007 at 19:11

timbob said:
I personally went for (and would recommend every time) a well established local, private instructor. Ask around down the pub, or somewhere like that to see if you can get a recommendation.

Cost should be somewhere in the region of £20ish an hour these days.

Unfortunately, all the pubs near us are pretty dodgy, and the ones we go to in town are pretty impersonal. I'm 22, so most of my friends have either been driving for years (and learned back home), or have never bothered to learn

.

helpimcrap · 8 May 2007 at 19:56

for costs its simply a case of ringing up from the phone book. i know its such a hardship in this day and age but it works.

as for instructors... ask around at work. someones daughter or son somewhere WILL be having lessons.

Glaucus · 8 May 2007 at 20:00

don't go with high street names, ask around and get a local recommendation, however goodlocal instructors can be booked up months in advanced.

Vixen · 8 May 2007 at 20:04

helpimcrap said:
for costs its simply a case of ringing up from the phone book. i know its such a hardship in this day and age but it works.

as for instructors... ask around at work. someones daughter or son somewhere WILL be having lessons.

Neither of us work any more, as we're both students. As I said already, all of our friends either learned years ago at home, or just haven't bothered

. We don't actually have a phone book

. I was really hoping someone local would have an idea of someone good, as it's difficult trying to get recommendations.

Glaucus · 8 May 2007 at 20:06

Vixen said:
Neither of us work any more, as we're both students. As I said already, all of our friends either learned years ago at home, or just haven't bothered . We don't actually have a phone book . I was really hoping someone local would have an idea of someone good, as it's difficult trying to get recommendations.

do you have a local magazine?

look in there for instructors. Don't book up more than one lesson to begin with and have a good chat. after one lesson you should be able to tell, if there good or not.

Fr0dders · 8 May 2007 at 21:24

Vixen said:
Unfortunately, all the pubs near us are pretty dodgy, and the ones we go to in town are pretty impersonal. I'm 22, so most of my friends have either been driving for years (and learned back home), or have never bothered to learn .

what about work ?

ask around at work, or ask friends to ask their friends etc.. there really is no way of finding out what an instructor is going to be like. My sister in law booked with the AA, and got some mad portugese bloke to teach her. When driving with AA/RAC etc.. theres no telling who you're going to get. If you go with a private individual from recommendation, you know exactly what they're going to be like.

as for cost, anything under £20 a lesson is good value. If you shop around, you can get it down to about £16 when booked in a bunch of 10 or whatever.

Dashik · 9 May 2007 at 20:13

MrLOL said:
what about work ?

ask around at work, or ask friends to ask their friends etc.. there really is no way of finding out what an instructor is going to be like. My sister in law booked with the AA, and got some mad portugese bloke to teach her. When driving with AA/RAC etc.. theres no telling who you're going to get. If you go with a private individual from recommendation, you know exactly what they're going to be like.

as for cost, anything under £20 a lesson is good value. If you shop around, you can get it down to about £16 when booked in a bunch of 10 or whatever.

While I agree with shopping around for the best deal Its not always the cheapest thats the best. Hopefully anyone getting driving lessons based on who's cheapest will get the lessons they deserve......

To the OP Its not that long since I taught in Edinburgh. I now teach in Fife. Send me an email and I'll send a couple of instructor names to you. Good guys who know what they are doing etc.