Initial Drive · Driving school Lucerne
Driving lessons in English in Lucerne
I’m Patrik Stadelmann. I’ve been a driving instructor since 2018 and have run my own driving school, Initial Drive, since 2024. I teach the complete course in English – from your first lesson to test day – in an automatic Toyota GR86. For learners from Lucerne, Nidwalden and Obwalden, starting near Lucerne station.
- Lessons EN every lesson in English
- Trial lesson CHF 59 45 min, for new students
- Admin fee CHF 0 you only pay for your lessons
Moving to Switzerland comes with plenty of paperwork. Learning to drive in a language you’re still getting used to shouldn’t add to it. With me, every explanation, every piece of feedback and every debrief is in English, so you can focus on the road.
Whether you’re learning to drive from scratch, need to exchange a foreign licence or want to get your taxi licence – you’ll find the essentials on this page and on the pages linked below.
I hold the Swiss federal diploma for driving instructors (eidgenössischer Fachausweis).
What I can help you with
-
Learning to drive (category B)
From your first lesson to the practical test, in an automatic car. See how it works below.
-
Driving test
How the practical test works in Lucerne, Nidwalden and Obwalden – and why test day costs one double lesson, not a flat fee.
-
Control drive (Kontrollfahrt)
Exchanging a foreign licence? Which countries need a control drive, deadlines, fees and how we prepare – including the few German words you’ll need on the day.
-
Taxi licence BPT 121
Requirements, the additional theory test and the practical exam – and how I prepare you.
How it works
-
Message me on WhatsApp
Tell me what you need and when you’re free. I’ll reply with a suggestion for your first lesson.
-
Trial lesson
New students can start with a 45-minute trial lesson for CHF 59. You get to know me and the car, with no obligation to book more.
-
Lessons with a plan
After every lesson, your training card – a Google Sheet on your phone – shows which skills are solid and what we’ll work on next.
-
Mock test, then the real one
Once a mock test shows you’re ready, I register you for the practical test. On request, you can take it in my car.
No flat test-day fee
Some driving schools charge a flat fee for test day: 6 of the 29 schools in Lucerne, Nidwalden and Obwalden whose price lists I checked list one, five of them CHF 220 to 240 for the first test (as of 27 September 2026). I don’t: on the day of your practical test, I charge one double lesson (CHF 180) – or two lessons from your pack. That applies in Nidwalden and Obwalden too, even though test day takes me longer there.
Theory test, courses and language
To learn to drive, you need a provisional licence (Lernfahrausweis): you do a first aid course before you apply for it and receive it once you’ve passed the theory test. The traffic skills course (VKU) is compulsory, too. Until the end of 2026, you need to have attended it before you register for the practical test; from 1 January 2027, before you register for the basic theory test (Art. 13 para. 1ter of the Traffic Licensing Ordinance, VZV).
The language of the theory test depends on your canton – Lucerne, or Nidwalden and Obwalden, which share one road traffic office (VSZ):
| Lucerne | Nidwalden · Obwalden | |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons with me | German or English | German or English |
| Theory test | German, French, Italian | also English (basic theory, A, A1, B) |
| Practical test – my experience | generally German; some examiners also speak English | generally German; some examiners also speak English |
In my experience, the practical test is generally held in German. Some examiners also speak English, but you can’t rely on it. You should understand the most common German words: vorwärts (forwards), rückwärts (backwards), geradeaus (straight on), rechts (right), links (left) and «Richtung …» (towards …) or «dem Wegweiser … folgen» (follow the signs to …). There have also been tests with candidates who understood no German at all – the examiner then worked with hand signals. We practise these words in your lessons.
In Lucerne, Street Sense Luzern (Winkelriedstrasse 36) runs the first aid course at notlu.ch and the VKU at sslu.ch. Please check with them which languages their courses are held in.
Sources (in German): ch.ch: Learning to drive (in English)VZV from 2027Lucerne office: theory testVSZ: theory test
Your car: an automatic Toyota GR86
All lessons take place in my Toyota GR86, a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a low centre of gravity: it responds directly, so you learn real car control from day one.
Your car
- Automatic transmission
- Dual pedals and extra mirrors
- After the test: any transmission (Lucerne)
- Same car on test day, on request
Source (in German): Lucerne office: test vehicles
Meeting point near Lucerne station
All lessons start at Sempacherstrasse 14, a few minutes’ walk from Lucerne station. The Zentralbahn takes you straight to the station from Nidwalden and Obwalden, and from Horw and Kriens it’s a short trip by S-Bahn or bus. Lessons run from Sunday to Friday, 10am to 10pm.
Lucerne station
about a 5-minute walk
Prices
No admin fee and no insurance surcharge – you only pay for your lessons.
- Trial lesson 45 min, one-off, for new students CHF 59
- Single lesson 45 min CHF 95
- Double lesson 90 min CHF 180 CHF 90 per lesson
- 5-lesson pack 5 × 45 min CHF 445 CHF 89 per lesson
- 10-lesson pack 10 × 45 min CHF 870 CHF 87 per lesson
- 20-lesson pack 20 × 45 min CHF 1,680 CHF 84 per lesson
- Mock test 90 min: about 70 min mock-test drive, about 20 min debrief · or two lessons from your pack CHF 195
Test day: my car for the practical test, including preparation and waiting time, is billed as one double lesson (CHF 180) or two lessons from your pack – no flat fee. Office fees are paid directly to the road traffic office. If you cancel a booked test date less than 5 working days before or don’t turn up, the reserved lessons are charged at the single-lesson price. If you negligently damage the car during the test, you pay up to CHF 500 per incident (terms and conditions, sections 10.6 and 12, in German).
All prices are in Swiss francs, with nothing added on top; driving lessons are exempt from VAT. One lesson lasts 45 minutes. Packs have no expiry date and can be transferred to someone else. If you don’t use up a pack, I refund the rest on request, with the lessons you’ve taken charged at the single-lesson price. If you pass your practical driving test or a control drive with me before a pack is used up, or if I can no longer teach, I refund the remaining lessons at the pack price. Trial and single lessons are paid right after the lesson by TWINT (the Swiss payment app) or in cash, or by bank transfer within 10 days if we’ve agreed on that. Packs are paid in advance, before their first lesson. Details are in my terms and conditions (in German, sections 5, 6 and 12).
What a student says
-
5 out of 5 stars
Great classes! He has a lot of patience and flexibility with his time . I could pass my Kontrollfahrt.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the whole driving course in English?
Yes. Every lesson, explanation and debrief can be in English, from your first lesson to test day. The practical test itself is generally held in German, in my experience; some examiners also speak English, but you can’t rely on it. We practise the German words you need for it in your lessons.
Can I take the theory test in English?
It depends on your canton. Lucerne offers theory tests in German, French and Italian. In Nidwalden and Obwalden, the basic theory test for categories A, A1 and B is also available in English. If you live in the canton of Lucerne, you can apply to take the theory test in English in another canton – the Lucerne office lists Nidwalden and Obwalden, among others.
Do you also teach on a manual car?
No. All my lessons are on an automatic – my Toyota GR86 is the only car I teach in. If you have to learn on a manual, I’m not the right choice; I’d rather tell you before you book.
I’m learning on an automatic. Can I drive manual cars later?
In Lucerne, yes: passing the practical test in an automatic entitles you to drive cars with any type of transmission. The automatic-only code 78 hasn’t been entered in new licences since 1 February 2019.
Do you pick me up at home?
Not as standard. All lessons start at Sempacherstrasse 14 near Lucerne station, so every minute of your lesson is driving practice. In special situations, we can agree on an exception beforehand.
What if I need to cancel a lesson?
You can cancel or reschedule free of charge up to 24 hours before the lesson (48 hours for a trial lesson), by WhatsApp. After that, you can no longer cancel or reschedule free of charge. Later cancellations and no-shows cost a flat CHF 80 per appointment (for a trial lesson, no more than its price of CHF 59); if the appointment comes from a pack, you lose one lesson from the pack instead – just one, even for a double lesson. Please check your booking confirmation straight away: mixing up or forgetting the date counts as a no-show (terms and conditions, section 7, in German).
Sources (in German): Lucerne office: theory testVSZ: theory testLucerne office: test in another cantonLucerne office: test vehiclesCanton of Aargau: code 78
All sources accessed between 27 September 2026 and 1 October 2026. The offices’ current information always takes precedence.
Ready to start?
Send me a WhatsApp message with what you need and when you’re free. I’ll get back to you with a suggestion for your first lesson.