# Driving Lessons Refresher - Spain Malaga Region



## Debbie1968 (Feb 2, 2020)

Hi, I have a full British Driving License. Been driving for 34 years but find the idea of driving on the right hand side very daunting. I just need a few lessons to build up my confidence so I can “get out there”. I’ve exhausted web pages and am happy to pay for private lessons. Any useful links or help would be truly appreciated. Thanks, Debbie


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Might help if you tell people where you are living.


----------



## Debbie1968 (Feb 2, 2020)

*Driving Lessons - Refresher*

Currently in the U.K. Can fly out anytime, anywhere just to get these lessons. I put Malaga Region as a starter. I spent three months in Andalucia last year to make my mind up if I wanted to live in Spain permanently. Using public transport wasn’t a good idea to look at properties, to get an NIE number etc. I find the driving fear more terrifying than packing up my life in the U.K.


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Debbie1968 said:


> Currently in the U.K. Can fly out anytime, anywhere just to get these lessons. I put Malaga Region as a starter. I spent three months in Andalucia last year to make my mind up if I wanted to live in Spain permanently. Using public transport wasn’t a good idea to look at properties, to get an NIE number etc. I find the driving fear more terrifying than packing up my life in the U.K.


OK, that information will be helpful to members in advising you (I live in France so will not be of any use in that regard). Though I know what you mean in terms of driving on the right - it certainly made me anxious when I came to France to visit family and hired a car  But it is very much a case of practice, and after my first trip (when I freely admit driving on the right had its ups and downs for me, though at the end of the visit I was concerned that when I returned to Australia adjusting might be difficult - it wasn't ). I do strongly advise a LHD car for the lessons and when you move, especially if you are anxious, because (IMHO - others will doubtless disagree) it is a difference that can make you less likely to automatically default to driving on the left, and in any case everything is on the correct side for tolls etc.


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

I have driven most of my working life abroad but the only thing I find disturbing is the Spanish method of using roundabouts!
My sister in law came out at Christmas and hired a car and drove from Benidorm to Valencia, the first time ever she had driven on the right. She had no problems whatsoever and quite enjoyed it.
My wife however is not very confident driving on the right so I would say it depends on the driver.
I would say on the whole that drivers are more patient than uk drivers.
Give it a go and good luck!


----------



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Debbie1968 said:


> Currently in the U.K. Can fly out anytime, anywhere just to get these lessons. I put Malaga Region as a starter. I spent three months in Andalucia last year to make my mind up if I wanted to live in Spain permanently. Using public transport wasn’t a good idea to look at properties, to get an NIE number etc. I find the driving fear more terrifying than packing up my life in the U.K.


If you want to move you may now have to take a spanish driving test 

Conducir tras el Brexit



> It confirms that holders of UK issued Licences WILL have to take a test after the end of the withdrawal agreement, unless they have changed to a Spanish one by then.



TBH I was terrified before moving here about “wrong side driving”. but it’s easy no issues at all 

Good luck


----------



## fortrose52 (Nov 29, 2018)

It might be easier in an automatic


----------



## Hyper3232 (Feb 9, 2020)

When I travel, I don't rent a car right away. I take the bus, get familiar with the roads, driving style and landscape. When you get into the car, you can put post-it-note (super sticky kind) on the left and right hand side and make little drawings. Similar to the kind you find on the Highway code. When I turn left, I sometimes forget, if I need to go on the right or left hand lane, so it is a quick crib sheet. 

Generally driving will be easy, but it gets harder as your get closer to busy city centres. 

Do have a sat-nav handy, because that is one less thing to worry about. They can be wrong, so always use with caution. Do have a phone cradle to hand with data. 

The other thing, to be careful of is when leaving motorways, their slip roads are very short. 

In the UK, if you wanted to turn right, you would signal right and the cars would be queuing behind you until your path was clear and you could make a turn. In Spain, they don't do that. Most such turns would be prohibited, and you to make multiple turn to get to where you are going (hard to explain).


----------



## Nomoss (Nov 25, 2016)

When you are driving any car in the country it is correct for, always make sure that your side of the car is nearest the centre of the road.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

If you are in an area where non Spaniards live you will find driving schools with sufficient english to allow you to familiarise yourself with driving in spain

My wife exchanged her Philippines DL for a Spanish one. She was never able to drive safely in the philipinnes and has fortunately never driven in spain. I have insisted she takes lessons with a driving school if she ever intends to drive. Several driving schools have said there is no problem with her having lessons with them. 

I have lived and driven in Spain for over 30 years. I am constantly surprised when talking to Brits living and driving in spain, even for many years, how little they know about Spanish traffic laws. Almost none have ever studied the equivalent to the U.K. Highway Code.

If I had a say I would insist that before one can exchange their national DL for a Spanish one, they should be compelled to pass the knowledge test of the Spanish driving test.

I was on USA for dove months. I bought a 30 foot motor home. I took a test in Florida so has a USA DL so knew the law on driving


----------



## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

I started off driving in Spain by short runs on quiet side roads and gradually took more complicated junctions and roundabouts. Just needs a bit more concentration at first. Have you researched if there are any who give lessons on driving in Europe?


----------



## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

A two second google.

Learn to Drive in Europethinkdriving!...Driving School | thinkdriving!...Driving School


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Unfortunately the rules of the road are not the same across the EU.


----------



## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

If you read it seems to cover the rules
Anything else to pick out before I sod off


----------



## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Isobella said:


> If you read it seems to cover the rules
> Anything else to pick out before I sod off



Well, it does appear that the lessons are only in France and Belgium.

I do know that the rules vary somewhat between Spain and France, have heard from a friend that the rules are somewhat different again in Belgium (she does frequent trips there) and France has both roundabouts and giratoires, the rules for giratoires being not at all what you might expect. That's less of an issue of course if you stick to autoroutes and to an extent national main roads. But no doubt you know best.

Not that I think the OP was necessarily looking for the rules of the road, but rather practical driving experience.


----------

