Manual driving lessons in Bath?

Anyone had driving lessons in Bath and wants to recommend an instructor?
Is it difficult since the test centre is in Bristol?

Reply 1

Blue_Cow

Original post by onur_m

Anyone had driving lessons in Bath and wants to recommend an instructor?
Is it difficult since the test centre is in Bristol?

Not a Bath student, but Bath to Bristol is a 30 min drive, and when I was doing driving lessons in my hometown, it was about 30 minutes to my nearest test centre as well. Don't worry about the distance.

University of Bath

Bath

Reply 2

QuentinM

Universities Forum Helper

Never driven in Bath, but i'd recommend against it if you can avoid it. The one way system makes driving there a complete joke.

Reply 3

President Snow

Original post by QuentinM

Never driven in Bath, but i'd recommend against it if you can avoid it. The one way system makes driving there a complete joke.

As someone who has driven in Bath...I think it's an ideal place to learn. Lots of quiet side streets with minimal traffic, some good hills & hilly junctions to practice and perfect hill starts, some larger A-roads very nearby to practice multi-lane spiral roundabouts and the like. Minimal cyclists and lorries, and most of the one-way systems can be avoided by going slightly out of town. I would think Bath would be an honestly fantastic place to learn to drive. Compare it against learning in London or Reading and it's a very pleasant place to learn to drive.

Reply 4

QuentinM

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by President Snow

I'd say true on comparing it to London. I think if you leave the city theres some great areas outside which dont take too long to get too. I'd say all the lanes up by Batheaston where i lived would be a great place to learn. But i'd try and steer clear of the one way system in the centre.

Reply 5

username1445222

Original post by onur_m

Anyone had driving lessons in Bath and wants to recommend an instructor?
Is it difficult since the test centre is in Bristol?

Hey! I had driving lessons in Bath during my second year (so very recently Nov 2016 - May 2017). I had initially called a bunch of instructors who were based in Bath and they either didn't respond or were too full. In the end I found an instructor who was in between Bath and Bristol, but mostly did Bristol. I had to pay a little extra for her to come to Bath in total was £240 for 10 hours which was 5 lessons of 2-hours. She was really great and I passed first time with her.

The nearest test centre is Bristol like you said, so I didn't actually drive in Bath at all. Except for driving from my house towards Keynsham/Bristol, I lived in Oldfield Park which meant it was very quick to get to all the possible test routes. Even though I wasn't driving in Bath I still learnt a lot and I feel comfortable driving around Bath (recently drove from London to Bath and had no problems). My instructor mostly taught me on possible test routes so that I felt comfortable driving around the area they would take me on the test which is great because on the test you don't go anywhere near Bath anyway.

I think the instructors based in Bath would probably also take you closer to the Brislington test centre for practice (I hope). The distance is no problem.

The company I went with is Robbie's Driving School Bristol, and the instructor I had is called Rachel Johnston. She is one of two instructors who cater to the Bath area