If you decided that the time to learn driving has come, then first of all talk to your friends and family about their driving experience and also make sure to ask them about their instructor. In a perfect situation you should talk to someone who has recently passed tests in order to ask about his or her recent experience and also listen to the recommendations this person can give to you. But experts also advise to keep in mind that we all learn in different ways, so if something was not right for your friend, it does not mean that it will not suit you personally.
If you have no friends who have recently completed driving classes then check the phone book and online sources. Call several companies and local driving instructors to get at least primary information about their services, that includes cost, type of car they offer (for instance if you will be driving 320 BMW then learning on a crossover makes no sense to you), make also sure to verify that you will be learning on manual transmission. Do not forget to ask about the length of each class, price per hour or per course, and any other details that might interest you. Do not be ashamed to ask all those questions because you are the one paying money, so you deserve to know what you will be paying for.
Once you have checked you can make the choice about the school or a particular instructor to start your lessons with. If you are not completely sure in a particular instructor, keep in mind that you can always book one lesson with him or her to check whether you like the class and want to proceed or you need to change. Do not get hooked by the idea of paying less for each class if you buy the whole course from the very beginning because you never know whether you will get on with instructor or your classes will be a torture for both of you.
It is a common misleading that learning to drive with a relative or a friend is the best thing to do because you will spend some time together and at the same time will save a lot of money. Though the latter advantage does take place, the former is a complete lie. Most frequently both of you will be stressed during your first hours driving so you may get into argument and even fight that will only spoil and even destroy your relationships. Furthermore, professional instructors have specific cars with double control of pedals and even steering wheel so that they can fix any problems should they occur. You will agree that if you take your friend and his or her BMW5 then it would be a great shame to crash it during the first seconds as a driver simply because you have mixed up gas and brakes pedals. Do not risk and learn driving safely with a professional instructor.