Training

Congratulations! By finding this website you are on the right road to Learning how to drive & passing your driving test in Galway. Whether you are a complete beginner or looking for a pre test course of lessons for your driving test in Galway. Advance Drive is the driving school for you, We will help you pass your driving test first time. Take a moment to read our customer Testimonials.

Advance Drive is Galway’s largest and most successful driving school with a pass rate second to none. The Advance Drive office was originally based in Salthill, but now has its main office in our state of the art transport training centre located in Ballybane Galway. We are the only driving school and training centre in the West of Ireland approved by the RSA to deliver ADI instructor training and to deliver driver training in every category of vehicle (A, A1, B, B, C1, C, CE, D1, D).
Advance Drive teaches beginners how to drive manual and automatic cars as well as providing driver training to professional drivers in such industries as The Fire Service, Ambulance Drivers – Paramedics / EMT’s, Coach & Minibus Drivers and Rigid & Artic Truck Drivers. Whatever the license category Advance Drive has you covered!

Advance Drive run weekly Driver CPC Training courses, Manual Handling courses, Digital Tachograph Training and provide information on ADR Driver Hazchem Training courses for professional drivers in Galway, Mayo and Westmeath.

Driver recruitment is another service offered to recently qualified and experienced drivers. We work with transport companies to place newly qualified drivers. Some commercial clients of Advance Drive include; The Department of Social Protection & Employment Services, Intreo, ETB’s Nationwide, An Post, The ESB, Galway City Council and Galway County Council.

Advance Drive guarantee to give the best possible training with Director of Advance Drive; Philip Rice being presented with the RSA’s ‘Leading Lights’ in road safety award for ‘ADI Truck Instructor of the year 2013’ & again in 2014, Advance Drive was also short listed and a finalist for the ‘Safety Award’ in the ‘Irish Logistics and Transport Awards 2014’.

Learning to drive is something that nearly every person will do in their lifetime. Getting the correct information and professional training from the start helps drivers to become safer, more competent drivers thus minimising risk to themselves and other vulnerable road users. Advance Drive will help you pass your driving test first time and provide you with all the information and guidance you need along the way.

For more information contact a member of our team on 091 524689 or email info@advancedrive.com

Click here to book a Course Now!

Philip Rice – ADI of the Year 2014 RSA Leading Lights awards

Philip Rice – ADI of the Year 2013 RSA Leading Lights awards

`Testimonials`

"Highly Recommended" I highly recommend Advance drive to every person out there who is willing to obtain their licence in any category. I've gained new driving strategies and techniques, driving with discipline that helps you to be a safe driver on the road in different traffic conditions. Noel my bus instructor was very knowledgeable and professional and helped me relax through what can be very stressful situation - thanks ADVANCE DRIVE for helping me obtain my Bus licence .
August 18, 2021Ennis

I am really happy for passing my driving test. Of course i would not have a change passing without Martin my instructor. A massive thanks for this man. I never drove in my life and also never had experience in driving at all until I started my lessons at Advance Drive School. I remember how bad i was with my driving skills. I was scared and afraid of driving too. But Martin supported me from the start and gave his best to help me to improve my skills and my confidence. During my lessons i could learn so much and practice a lot. Every 2 hour lessons helped me to build my confidence and fix all my mistakes. I just wanted to say big thanks for Martin and for the whole team at the office. You all deserve the best, because you take care of us so well. Honestly, Advance Drive is a high level top school.
July 18, 2022Galway

i cant say enough good things about advance drive all there staff are excellent i now have my rigid and artic licence and 3 types of fork lifts and safe pass and all instructors were top class they have a no nonsense approach they push you when needed for your own good to get you as good as possible for your test aoife is excellent at her job. , friendly and knows all the info you need straight off vincent was my instructor for the rigid and got me through first time tops class dessie was my instructor for the artic he doesnt miss a thing but thats good he got me trough first time deserves a medal thanks to gerry and philip for all the guidance and putting me on the right path this company is not all about talking money of you its about you getting through the test and i felt this from the first phone call many thanks to all involved best regards regis golding
July 4, 2020galway and roscommon

passed my test first time with advance drive for my c1 licence , I can’t thank Lee enough for his patience and guidance throughout my lessons . Lee was a very thorough instructor and prepared me for all eventualities and explained everything so well . He was extremely understanding , professional and never made me question my ability. Mike was also very helpful for my pretest , he was very friendly and eased my nerves a lot , delighted to have got the experience to learn from both Lee and Mike , could not recommend them enough , Thank you so much !
April 23, 2024Galway

Finally passed my driving test yesterday. Could not recommend Advance Drive enough, my instructor Vas was incredibly patient and could always tell me exactly where I was going wrong and what I needed to do to fix it. He was so terrific and professional and told me exactly what I needed to do to get my license. Driving did not come naturally to me at all and I had absolutely no experience driving a car before starting lessons. Even so, I always felt comfortable and never worried that getting my license was unachievable, as the lessons were really tailored to what I needed. The Advance Drive team we’re always lovely to deal with if I ever had to call them for anything. Definitely will be recommending
February 18, 2020Galway

I cannot reccomend Advance Drive enough for new drivers! After failing the test three times with other instructors I had lost all confidence in my driving abilities. And became a very nervous driver. I then went to Advance Drive where Noel became my new instructor. Noel changed my whole perspective on driving and the nerves went away. He's so patient and understanding and I found the lessons to be fun and enjoyable in comparison to other driving schools in Galway. 10/10 for Noel & Advanced drive, could not reccomend enough! Definitely the reason for me passing my test!
September 4, 2020Galway

I want to say a massive thank you to the Advance Drive team, especially Martin and Aoife. Firstly, every time I contacted advance drive I was greeted by Aoife who went over and beyond to help as much she could in regards to lessons, booking me in, changing slots and replying to emails. However, I owe a huge thanks to Martin, my instructor for all my 22 lessons! From start to finish he gave it his all, and I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher. He made sure I was all set for my test, which meant first go I passed with flying colours! I highly recommend him, and advance drive overall, and wish them the very best.
July 15, 2022Galway

I can’t thank the team at Advance Drive enough for all the incredible support and guidance during my driving lessons. From the moment I started, I felt welcomed and truly cared for. A massive thank you to Mike, my driving instructor. His calm and encouraging approach made every lesson enjoyable, and his expertise gave me the confidence I needed to drive safely and independently. Mike’s patience and positive attitude made such a difference, and I always looked forward to our lessons together. Aoife, Ailbhe, and Gerry were all fantastic as well! Each of them brought something unique to the course, and their kindness and professionalism were evident from the start. It was clear that they genuinely want their students to succeed, and that made all the difference. I also want to express my gratitude to Ronald, the course tutor. His insights and supportive teaching style helped me feel prepared and confident for the road ahead. But it wasn’t just about the instructors—everyone who was part of the course with me was so supportive and friendly. It really felt like a community, and I will miss those weekly lessons with everyone. Heartfelt thanks to the entire Advance Drive team for making this experience so memorable. Wishing you all the very best in the future, and I’ll always look back on this with a smile! Nicola
July 14, 2025Galway

I made five lessons with Pat and he was great, very helpful, calm, patient, and motivated me to keep trying. It made all the difference for me. Before I met him, all the other instructors were rude on the telephone on the first contact, they were assuming that I was a terrible trainee only because I wanted to change instructors even before they met me personally. Pat treated me differently, with respect and never second-guessed me. So, thank you very much Advanced Drive and Pat for your support
November 5, 2019Galway

Thanks to Corey for all your help and guidance throughout my driving lessons. Your patience, teaching, and advice were invaluable and made a significant difference in my learning experience. I was completely hesitant to even learn to drive, but your calm and encouraging approach ensured the whole process was a joy. Your expertise and reassuring demeanor made each lesson something I looked forward to, rather than something to be anxious about. I'm truly thankful for your dedication and the effort you put into helping me become a confident and safe driver. I highly recommend you to anyone looking to learn how to drive. Your professionalism and kindness make you an exceptional instructor.
June 14, 2024Bearna, Co Galway

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for your guidance, support, and professionalism throughout my training. I successfully passed my truck driving test on July 8, 2025, and my artic truck test on November 7, 2025, and this achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and patience of the instructors. My special thanks go to instructors Martin and Noel, as well as instructor Dezzie, for their excellent teaching and encouragement. I am deeply grateful to everyone involved and to Advance Driving School as a whole for providing such high-quality training and support. It was truly a pleasure learning with such a committed and professional team. Thank you once again for everything.
January 9, 2026Co. Galway

My driving lessons were disrupted by the recent health crisis, but once I joined up with Advance Drive and my instructor Martin, I flew through my remaining EDT's. Martin was a fantastic instructor and made me feel very comfortable getting back to driving as I was quite nervous. After a few lessons with him, my confidence grew leaps and bounds and with just three extra lessons after the essential ones, I passed my test the first time! I would highly recommend Martin and Advance Drive to anyone no matter where you are on your driving journey. Thanks so much Martin, couldn't have done it without you!!
April 24, 2023Galway

Just passed my driving test. Could not have done it without the help and support of Advance Drive. My instructor, Adam, was fantastic. He had so much patience with me and never did I feel under massive pressure. He really helped me get to grips with areas I was having great dfficulty with. He had faith in me when I didn't and that meant the world to me. Also helped bring my stress levels down so a massive thank you to Adam. The people in the office were always exceptionally kind and friendly to me and for that I say thank you so much. Really appreciated. Overall I really enjoyed working with Advance Drive. Would recommend them to anyone who would like to learn to drive.
March 16, 2022Galway

You can't go wrong with Choosing Advance Drive The entire Team are so helpful and will do their best to get you where you need to go. I recently passed my Artic Licence first go and it's all thanks to Noel my instructor he is incredibly patent and will explain everything in great detail and knows excatly how to guide ya through the process and he is also great craic most fun I had while learning also he has a great way of making it feel so chill and relax. If you are considering a company for HGV licence you won't find much better. Thanks again Noel and all the team in Advance
April 20, 2023Galway

I passed my rigid truck (C) license at the first attempt yesterday, delighted! I did most of my lessons with Dezzie and one lesson with Mike. There were a few bumps along the road - took me a year from start to finish because my work interfered with booking and scheduling lessons - but Advance Drive as a company left me with the feeling that they care about each and every one of their students. They gave individual attention to me, and I am sure every student who chooses to train with them. Each person gets the education, practice, information and personal attention that they as an individual need. Now I feel like a competent and confident driver. I recommend this school. I want to thank particularly Dezzie for doing most of my lessons, your training style made everything feel very natural and easy and clear and I wish to thank everyone else who had a hand in my success: Mike, Phillip, and Aoife for all your help as a team to get me through at first attempt.
November 10, 2017Galway

Advance drive team very Professional team When I meet this team first I had nothing only only car licence and now have bus and rigid lorry licence all thanks to Advance team Where I do I start I first met Philip and Ailbhe in Althlone when I went for my bus licence very Professional at the job . I went for my Rigid Lorry license went to galway to do it I met rest of the team very Professional staff Aoife and Emma are on front desk when walk in door u are Greeted with a smile All driving Instructor very professional. Their is no mark to grade the advance drive team very Professional and always go above the job to make fell comfortable to get your licence.
January 27, 2022Co Clare

As an experienced driver with over 10 years experience in the US, I thought driving lessons were going to be a total waste of time. However, my experience working with Alan was nothing short of fantastic! Alan showed himself to be well-suited to teaching/instructive environments and tasks as he made lessons fun, engaging, and demonstrated a high degree of competence in both correcting bad habits of mine and even teaching me some new things without me becoming anxious or frustrated. Additionally, Advance Drive itself was incredibly accommodating with it's selection of dates and times suitable for a working professional such as myself. After passing the test on my first try with minimal issue, I cannot recommend them enough. 10 out of 10!
July 27, 2026Galway

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