Bobby was a terrific instructor. I'm a dad of a 15yo who threw me a curve and asked me to ride along in her first lesson. I have been driving 35 years and it was instructive to me (we all might benefit from a refresher!). Bobby was patient, calm but firm, and the course was well planned to slowly increase the driving difficulty and put the learner in different situations in a safe manner. Can't say enough. 10 stars out of 5. read more

I did a stick shift lesson with Bill a year ago. I wanted to learn how to drive stick because it seemed like an important skill both for traveling to other countries and being a better driver overall. I had a great time during my lesson. Bill was very realistic and upfront at the start, that I would learn how to get feom point A to point B, but it might not be pretty! By the end of the lesson, I felt reasonably confident in my newfound skill. Bill gave me the Zen-like attitude and skills necessary to instantly recognize what was going on whenever the car did not respond as intended, and to take emotions out of the problem-solving process. These things can be so hard when you inevitably stall and anger other drivers---something everybody does when learning to drive a manual. A few weeks after my lesson, I ended up going on a fun drive through the European countryside to a destination not easily reachable by public transit. The guy at the rental counter, seeing I was American, tried to give me an automatic and I had to correct him. I did stall a few times, including while inching forward in highway traffic, and was able to stay cool and collected. As promised, I got from Point A to Point B! Someday, I want my next car to be something sporty with a stick shift. I am most impressed by the psychological skills Bill taught me in this context. These aren't skills I would have learned from simply asking a friend or parent to teach me. If I had teens, I would absolutely want Bill to teach them the driving skills that *will* save their life--a purpose he is passionate about from his previous job as a cop. Thanks Bill for teaching me a skill I will enjoy for years to come! read more

It was important to us for our teen to attend an in-person Driver's Ed class and due to covid the one local to us wasn't operating in person. We drove from Bay Area daily for a week for her to attend Bill's courses, held at York School. It was 100% worth it! He has a way with teenagers that they aren't going to get learning this on a computer screen (& we know they aren't listening to their parents!). He also held a parent morning to go over everything with us and answer questions. And then if you want to take the test in Seaside he will meet them there! We also used him for our daughter's first behind the wheel lesson and then mostly recently after 9 months a lesson before her upcoming test. She said to us afterwards, "I'm excited to take my test, but I'm sad I won't see Bill anymore." Seriously. Thanks Bill!! read more

Professional and detailed instructors. Efficient and encouraging environment and very timely!

A great help when buying at a distance from a private seller. I expect that this service will become very popular.

After my older son took this class three summers ago, I enrolled my younger son in the program this summer. If we hadn't been in a pandemic, he would have done this last summer; but I held off because I wanted him to have the experience of the class in-person. There is so much learning that goes on in the classroom under the tutelage of Bill Pearlstein and his team. I was bolstered with how much the teaching team is invested in these kids' success. And I have to admit that I was, again, relieved to hear that if he didn't think they belonged on the road, he would just be candid about that with the parents. Learning to drive is a completely different process than when I learned to drive; there are so many more rules and regulations. I feel more than confident that the drivers coming out of Drive Carmel are prepared to be on the road - safely! read more

Drive Carmel - Success! - Driving Schools Near Me - Monterey, California

My youngest of four children just completed her behind-the-wheel instruction with Bill at Drive Carmel. I can't recommend this teacher enough. My daughter learned so much from Bill both in the classroom (his real life antidotes were very compelling) and especially behind-the-wheel. Not only was he kind, encouraging, clear, and patient, he instilled so much confidence in her. He taught her excellent driving habits from the very start like clearing an intersection (looking left-right-left) and making safe lane changes (checking her blinker-mirror-blindspot) which are absolutely engrained in her as a new driver. If they wasn't enough reason to choose Drive Carmel (Bill was a 10 out of 10, but I'm sure all their instructors are fabulous), Bill also invited me, as the parent, to ride along on their learning sessions. This was game-changing for me because it equipped me to become an even better teacher for my child while she practiced as a permitted driver. Since I rode along with them, I was able to enforce the same tools Bill had taught her. That was time well invested as a parent. I feel confident she will be a very safe driver out there and isn't that what we all want for our kiddos? Best of luck to you all! read more

My daughter just completed her drivers training course. Carol was her instructor and Carol was fabulous! She was patient, she was calm, she guided and instructed. Carol made my daughter feel comfortable and at ease. I can't recommend Carol and Drive Carmel enough! Excellent service, excellent staff! read more

Very positive, 100%! Quite simply, Bill and Drive Carmel deliver the best curricula with all the pointers and behind the wheel coaching the student needs to be ready for the road - that he does this with humor just makes the experience better. Bill cares for young drivers - and as a retired CHP he possesses a unique knowledge that translates to your child wanting to be the safe driver you wish you were at their age. Kudos to Bill and Drive Carmel! read more

This is a great program. My daughter had a very positive experience, and I'm confident she'll be a safer driver from the instruction she has received. I highly recommend! read more

Excellent program which came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Bill and his staff offered top notch in class instruction and driver training. My daughter loved the program and had zero issues with her eventual driver's test. Can not say enough good things about Drive Carmel! read more

We moved to Seaside from the san fernando valley, and my daughter needed drivers ed so we landed on Drive Carmel. She loved it! The teacher a former CHP captain is very knowledgeable and a really nice guy. He keeps the class light and fun with clips from movies and tv. The students totally enjoyed it, which is not what I expected (very different from the boring class I took in high school!) The individual driver training by one of their instructors was also great. In general I was impressed by the quality of the class, the intense focus on safety and safe driving, and the professionalism of Drive Carmel. read more

My son thoroughly enjoyed his instructors, classes, and driving lessons. Drive Carmel did a fantastic job preparing our son well for both the permit and license exams. We highly recommend Drive Carmel as the place to go for your new driver! read more

My daughter recently concluded a week's Drivers Ed training at her school, who offered the students a summer Driver's Ed course, taught by William Perlstein/ DRIVE CARMEL. I HIGHLYHIGHLYHIGHLY recommend this man's school to the parents of a permit-eligible age child. I give Mr. Perlstein seven stars out a possible five. Here are three reasons why: Mr. Perlstein is a qualified expert: a retired, 17-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, Bill gives his students firsthand, real-world information about the rules of driving and the consequences of not following those rules.  He gave excellent instructions about managing the driving experience, and some often hilarious coaching on behavior and choices if/when one is pulled over. Second, Bill is a compelling speaker, who brought the material to life with humor and insight. After the first day and for the rest of the week,my daughter woke up an hour early, thrumming with excitement about the class and an eagerness to learn. Thirdly, Bill gave the class comprehensive support, mentoring them through the class, joining them at the DMV to lend his support and to congratulate their successes: the class had a 100% passing rate on the test. Like many parents, I found the prospect of my daughter driving a bit terrifying, I'm a lot more confident about getting in the passenger seat with her, following the above-and-beyond levels of coaching she received from Mr. Perlstein and Drive Carmel. read more

My adult son needed to brush up on his stick shift skills for a new valet job he starts on Monday. He finds "Drive Carmel" on the web. It offers a 1.5 hour class on driving manual transmissions. He emails Drive Carmel on Thursday. He gets a prompt response and has a lesson set up for Saturday. His instructor is a retired CHP officer who provides excellent training in a Drive Carmel manual transmission VW ( a good stand in for the types of cars my son will drive as a valet.) Excellent, prompt, skilled and thorough service, AND the instructor refunded $50 of the $150 fee via PayPal with the comment"He did great-he only needed an hour of the 1.5 hour class" We didn't ask for the partial credit back- we got more than we paid for. But what a nice surprise! Competence and honesty! Thank you, Drive Carmel! read more

From what my son has shared about the program, the instruction was great. He stated he learned a great deal and was more then happy to correct his parents on issues he learned about. He said the instructors were all fun, engaging and provided current information on the topic being taught. We would highly recommend this driving school to others. read more

The BEST program on the Monterey Peninsula! From the highly organized in-person learning to the safe and efficient behind-the-wheel training, it doesn't get any better than Drive Carmel. They take such great care of you and help you be as prepared as can be. I highly recommend! read more

My son had taken an online education class and was not passing the written exam at the DMV. I signed him up for the education class with Bill and he got so much out of it. My son was nervous at the DMV but Bill gave him the confidence he needed and he passed. I was so grateful for that. They really care about the kids and I am so thankful. Thank you Drive Carmel! read more

If your looking for an amazing driving school, and Driver's ed teachers please contact Drive Carmel. After spending some time without driving I felt I needed some practice and contacted Drive Carmel. I'm so glad I did, they were so professional, friendly and helped ease me back into driving again. Thank you ! read more

My older daughter rode with Bill two years ago and now we're back with my younger daughter. Drive Carmel teaches students not just how to pass the test but how to be a safe driver, and they do it in a way that puts students at ease, builds confidence, and corrects in an informative, non-confrontational way. As a tag-along in the backseat during sessions, I have to admit I even learned a thing or two. Two thumbs up for Drive Carmel! read more

Drive Carmel is a thoroughly professional organization which offers the best driver training in the Monterey area. I had one lesson of behind-the-wheel training to prepare me for my drive test at the DMV, and Bill, one of their very nice and very qualified instructors, made sure I was totally prepared for the specific tricks and skills on the exam. Things like which mistakes on the test are "automatic failures," what features of your vehicle need to be in working condition, what in particular the examiner is looking for--these are the things you need to know but didn't realize you should ask. Go with Drive Carmel not only because they offer great training in how to be a good driver, but also because their instruction will give you the information and confidence needed to pass the behind-the-wheel test easily the first time. Thanks Bill and Drive Carmel! read more

Great driving lessons by Coach Chris. I got my license without any trouble. Its been an honor to be with Coach Chris and get my license!

I started my driving career with Mrs. Gifford and drive Carmel. It was such an invaluable experience for me. Through classroom education consisting of lessons about how to follow road rules and safe driving practices, I had a firm grasp on the ways of the road. Also, there were many guest speakers who taught us about cars and railroad crossings, the dangers of drunk driving, texting while driving, and other hazards that really brought my awareness up. Furthermore, Ms. Gifford went with me to the DMV the day that I got my permit and made sure that everything went smoothly, and even booked the appointment for me. Then, she referred me to one of the many retired police officers that teach behind the wheel driving. He was so compassionate and AMAZINGLY patient, even when I made embarrassing errors. He would calmly tell me my mistake, but didn't make too big of a deal out of the situation. All of my friends who have taken the online version of this class have had to take their permit test more than once to pass, however I passed with flying colors on my permit test, and only had one error on my behind the wheel test. I can't thank drive Carmel enough!!!! I know it is because of this amazing program that I am driving safely today. read more