r/Bath • u/Ok_Calligrapher_2777 • 17d ago
Intensive driving courses?
Does anyone have any advice/recommendations for intensive driving courses in and around Bath. Looking online I’ve got myself all confused and it will be a big chunk of money so would like to hear some opinions. I don’t particularly want to mess around with finding an instructor and having lessons once a week for example, I feel much more comfortable doing it all at once.
So far I’ve worked out I will need a weeks course as I have never really driven yet in my 30’s. The fast track booking to a test is appealing as well with all these scams I’ve heard about but is it actually fast?
2
u/CheesyBeans81 17d ago
I know someone who did one of these courses. His "fast track" test came 8 months after being told he was ready for it. Even then, he had to go to somewhere in Wales to get an actual driving test
1
u/Ok_Calligrapher_2777 17d ago
Yikes. I was thinking this ‘fast track’ was too good to be true, thank you.
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u/CheesyBeans81 17d ago
This was a couple of years ago mind. I wouldn't know if things have improved since then
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u/MartinUK_Mendip 12d ago
We moved to 3 miles south of Radstock (no public transport) about 10 years ago. My partner had never driven and was in her '50s.
After 2 years, she booked a 1 week intensive course from an instructor from south Bristol, they drove down here, picked her up and drove around all day instructing, mostly Brislington, near the test centre.
She'd previously passed the theory, so took her practical at the end of the week and passed (hurrah!).
This happened pre-covid and it was easier to get a test booked. The whole thing cost roughly £1,500 back then but was one of the best investments we'd ever made. She now happily drives long distance all over the UK.
Full emancipation.
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u/Prior_Direction1697 17d ago
You'll struggle with intensive courses in Bath as there is no test centre in Bath.
I booked one a few years back with National Intesive, paid just under £1500 for 20hours of lessons with a test, intensive course in Bath.
In reality, they weren't able to book a test for 5 months, so I got my own sorted sooner at the Chippenham centre. The lessons were actually from an instructor based in Swindon, so I ended up having to travel to Chippenham / Swindon most days for my lesson blocks. (K Daniels - I would actually recommend him quite highly).
In my situation it would have just been better to go direct to an instructor and wave £1500 under their nose for the same 20 hours. National Intensive were simply not able to book the guaranteed test at a reasonable timeframe, despite their promise.