How I found my perfect driving school...

...and how you can do it too!

I want to get my driver's license! I was 100% sure about that. But then came the question of the questions: Which driving school should I go to? This decision is not at all easy for many student drivers.

On the way to my perfect driving school, I found out for myself what especially helped me with my choice. Maybe these points will help you too!

The overall impression

How does one start to inform oneself in the driving school Jungle? First of all, of course, I looked to see which driving schools at all are a realistic distance from my place of residence. Then it helped me a lot to get an overall impression of the driving schools. I asked myself the following questions:

Website: If it is informative, it provides information about the driver's license, driving school and team?
Social Media: Is communication via social networks appealing and do I perhaps even get an insight into everyday driving school life and the mood that prevails there?
Location: Is the driving school easy for me to reach? It was important to me to get to the driving school independently of my parents. So on foot, by bike or by bus and train.
Showcase: Does it look neat and inviting? Whether or not it is particularly beautiful is not so important, as we know it is also very subjective. But often you can conclude from the outer appearance to the inside of the driving school...
Furnishing: As a driver you spend a lot of time in the rooms of the driving school. There it is really important: Can I relax in the driving school?
Opening times and times of theory lessons: Can they be connected with my everyday life? Are there several dates in the week, so that I can also vary sometimes? An office with regular opening hours is very practical for questions.
Contact person: Are contact persons available for questions? Not only for questions before the training. I also think it's important that someone in the driving school is there for you while you're driving.
Vehicles: Do I like them? Can I imagine learning to drive in it? Are the vehicles maintained and in good condition? Also inform yourself about automatic or electric vehicles in the driving school if this is relevant for you.

If these points are checked off, you know what to expect in the respective driving schools. So I could exclude some and choose first favorites.

Consultation: Meet your driving instructor in person

If I liked the overall impression, I arranged a consultation with the respective driving schools to get a personal impression on site. For me, it was very important that the driving school really took its time. I also recommend that you think about what you want to find out during the interview. I have summarised a few questions that you can ask:

Is there a training concept and what does it look like?
Is the way to your driving licence explained in a coherent and transparent way and can you follow your progress during the course of the training? Do you always know where you stand and what your next steps are?
When, where and how often do theory lessons take place?
Lessons should take place twice a week - then you can also switch to another date. If you don't attend theory lessons regularly, your driving licence will drag on unnecessarily! If you have a lot to do, a holiday or intensive course could be interesting for you.
How can you arrange driving lessons?
In principle, it's normal to have to wait a while for a driving lesson. In my experience, it's not a good idea to start and then have long breaks between lessons. Therefore, it doesn't hurt to ask how flexible the driving school is at the moment.
There are several ways to book driving lessons: For example, via the relevant apps, by phone or in person with your driving instructor. However, this is simply a matter of taste.
How are you supported in learning?
Is there suitable teaching material for the theory or a driving simulator for the practice? During my driving training, I also found apps really helpful, which I could use to learn from home or on the road.

Overall, I always found the counselling sessions very interesting and informative. Especially to get to know the driving school personally and to see if I was in good hands there.

Student driver receives Fahren Lernen Max. — © Verlag Heinrich Vogel

The Prices

Let's come to a very important... but also difficult topic: The price. Important because the driver's license has to be paid. Difficult, because it is not easy, to make a statement about the total price before beginning the training . I was told by my driving school right at the beginning that this is mainly due to my skill and associated with the number of required driving lessons.

In general, the costs can be divided into fixed and variable components:

Fixed costs: This includes the basic amount, which includes administrative expenses and theoretical training. In addition there are the fees for the registration for the examinations and the costs for the twelve prescribed special trips.
Variable costs: This concerns above all the costs for the driving lessons, which of course depend on the required number. The costs for the individual driving lessons can be inquired at your driving school.

What I finally became aware of through testimonials from friends is that especially repeating tests leads to higher costs. Therefore I was glad that I did not only pay attention to the price, but above all to choose a good driving school.

I think it is important that a driving school is transparent with the costs and that it also points out to you that depending on the amount of driving lessons and completed tests there can be higher costs.

Your gut feeling

If you're thinking now, "I still can't decide" you're not alone. I felt the same way!

After I had a close look at all the mentioned points and informed myself well, there were still several driving schools to choose from. And then I went on my gut feeling. I just wanted to feel at home in my driving school well.

I have two more tips for that:

If you have the possibility, ask in any case also friends and acquaintances for personal tips for driving schools. So you can find out first-hand what the atmosphere is like, what the driving instructors are like and whether the driving school could suit you.
If you haven't answered all your questions yet, don't be afraid to visit the driving school in person again . Until you have answered all your questions, don't make a decision.

I hope you find your way to your driving school with these tips! It's simply important that you feel comfortable there and don't save on the wrong end of your driver's license!

You'll find more tips and tricks about driving licences here: Fahrschule-123.de.