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Learning to drive

Learning to drive

Postby Chance » Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:19 am

Hi there,

I dont have a driving license in the UK, however I am wanting to learn how to drive any information on the Spanish Driving test / exam? Is it similar to the UK's?

If so, what is the best instructor / websites to check out regarding this... I was having quite a hard time finding something online!
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby Costa » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:33 am

Have you seen the way they drive out here so I wouldn't worry to much about sitting a test just get in the car and away you go :text-lol: :text-lol:
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby marcliff » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:43 am

Costa wrote:Have you seen the way they drive out here so I wouldn't worry to much about sitting a test just get in the car and away you go :text-lol: :text-lol:



That's rather a load of rubbish. The Spanish driving test is one of the most difficult to pass. That they forget everything they were taught when they have passed it is a different matter.

Driving lessons cost around €30 an hour. You cannot drive as a learner with anyone but a qualified driving instructor. No jumping in the car with your Dad or hubby to have extra experience and lessons as there is no equivalent to a provisional driving licence.

You must pass a theory test (quite a feat, so I'm told) but they do provide the test in English so that's one hurdle overcome. It's 30 multiple choice questions and you have to get 90% right.

Once your driving instructor assesses you as capable to take the test, you pay a €75 fee to take the test and this gives you three goes at it. (that fee may have gone up as it was about 5 years when I last saw a reference to it).

If you fail after three goes, the fee for doing a re-test is about double that.

If you pass you must drive with a green L plate for the first year (so all the other drivers can beep and hoot at you for being a novice).

Once that is over then you can legally drive 2 foot behind the car in front, forget everything about how to navigate a roundabout (just choose any lane you like) and forget everything about using indicators. Just like the expats do when here.
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby Chance » Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:03 pm

marcliff wrote:
Costa wrote:Have you seen the way they drive out here so I wouldn't worry to much about sitting a test just get in the car and away you go :text-lol: :text-lol:



That's rather a load of rubbish. The Spanish driving test is one of the most difficult to pass. That they forget everything they were taught when they have passed it is a different matter.

Driving lessons cost around €30 an hour. You cannot drive as a learner with anyone but a qualified driving instructor. No jumping in the car with your Dad or hubby to have extra experience and lessons as there is no equivalent to a provisional driving licence.

You must pass a theory test (quite a feat, so I'm told) but they do provide the test in English so that's one hurdle overcome. It's 30 multiple choice questions and you have to get 90% right.

Once your driving instructor assesses you as capable to take the test, you pay a €75 fee to take the test and this gives you three goes at it. (that fee may have gone up as it was about 5 years when I last saw a reference to it).

If you fail after three goes, the fee for doing a re-test is about double that.

If you pass you must drive with a green L plate for the first year (so all the other drivers can beep and hoot at you for being a novice).

Once that is over then you can legally drive 2 foot behind the car in front, forget everything about how to navigate a roundabout (just choose any lane you like) and forget everything about using indicators. Just like the expats do when here.



Thanks for the information much appreciated.

If I got my driving license in the UK, would I then be able to drive properly in Spain without any restrictions or would you recommend just taking the Spanish one?
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby marcliff » Sun Jul 08, 2018 1:12 pm

At the moment you can exchange a UK driving licence for a Spanish one. Takes a bit of time (ours took 3 weeks but some people say they have been waiting months) as trafico Spain have to get confirmation from DVLA UK that you hold one.

You will need a medical here in Spain but not too much of an ordeal.
Whether this will continue after March next year is in the lap of the Gods but I would think there will be a reciprocal agreement. It would seem a bit silly that I, and many others, have a Spanish licence issued because we had UK ones and then UK ones not being recognised.
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby Janjan » Sun Jul 08, 2018 1:59 pm

Personally I would learn in the UK. Both my Grandsons took crash courses which cost but both passed first time. You really need somebody who has taken the Spanish Test to advise you how it went.
Driving in Spain is a learning curve as is everything else.
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby wobblypete » Sun Jul 08, 2018 6:19 pm

Having seen & heard about "the way they drive out here", I'd like to point out that most of the Bad Spanish Drivers are not Spanish, Holiday makers from Many countries Rent Spanish Cars, My car is Spanish reg, & so it should be as i live here, simply looking at the Spanish No' Plate does not mean the driver is Spanish, my own opinion is that the worst drivers are the "reps" driving big 4 wheel drive "Chelsea Tractors" charging about expecting anyone in front to disappear, & the drivers can be any nationality, if we are honest i bet we all know people that we would rather not be a passenger with. So don't keep knocking the Spanish lets just go back to blaming "Woman Drivers." PS Hope my Wife doesn't read this or i'll be dead meat.
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Re: Learning to drive

Postby Black » Sun Jul 08, 2018 7:30 pm

My experience is that the majority of Spanish drivers are considerate and sensible and overall the standard of driving is higher than in the UK, at least the part of the UK that I came from.

There are idiots that sit two feet off of your rear bumper, and indicators seem to be largely optional. Two things that really used to wind me up, middle lane driving and using a phone whilst driving, do not seem to happen here.

I think the difference is due to the fact that the roads are generally less busy, hence less frustration.
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