AWCH Recent Drivers License Success Story

Hi everyone,

Like many of you, I am from a state (Minnesota) that is not on THE LIST [Webeditor's Note: Only a few states in the U.S. have full reciprocity with Germany in accepting foreign licences as proof of competency]. Thus I had to take both the written and the practical driving tests to get my German driver's license. Well, I managed - it took a little luck but I passed both tests on the first try.

I think my Fahrlehrer (driving instructor) deserves a lot of the credit for my passing the driving test. He drove me nuts during driving lessons - he had to instruct me on better ways to shift, brake, steer - you name it. Still, he was quite determined that I would pass the test - and we drove around the testing area until he was confident that I would.

I had 4 lessons, of 2 Fahrstunden (driving hours) (1 hr = 45 mins) each. This might sound like a lot, but I haven't driven much in Hamburg because when I was legal to drive I didn't have a car. It took me at least the first two lessons just to get accustomed to driving here in Germany. Anyone who has had more experience driving here would need fewer Fahrstunden.

I chose this Fahrschule (driving school) because it is close to where I live, and because he doesn't charge a Grundgebühr (basic fee) for people who just want driving lessons. All the other schools I checked with charge between DM 130 and 250 just to sign up. His Fahrstunden are also a bit cheaper - DM 50.

My impression is that he is an honest person who really does want his students to pass their test. He told me during the first lesson what his conditions were as to when he let students take their test; as soon as I met those conditions, he arranged a test date. I was also impressed that he does not like to have two students take the test one after the other in the same car - he says it is much too stressful and increases the failure rate.

So, though he will probably drive you crazy, if you have to go through the whole Fahrschule rigmarole, I recommend Herr Legel at the Academy Fahrschule.

      Juergen Legel
      Academy Fahrschule
      Eppendorfer Weg 89, 22059 HH
      Tel. (040) 432 77 811 (usually not there)
      Auto tel. 0171 707 40 75 (better way to reach him)

One caveat - he doesn't speak English. BUT - his business partner does, and can take non-German speaking students.