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Would love to but not confident in my ability to learn in 6 weeks. On an auto I vaguely am. I would go out in our own car for extra practise but I don't fancy having my wife and a one month old in the back :)
CYOA-
not confident in my ability to learn in 6 weeks
I think I did about 15 hours total in a car before passing, although I already had a motorcycle licence. The technical aspect of manual gear changing is a very small part of the process (more now than when I did it, since modern engines with digital management are much harder to stall and much more tolerant of being in the wrong gear). For the time being in Europe, not having the option of driving a manual transmission is a serious restriction both for hires and in terms of buying options, especially second hand. It's likely to become less of an issue as robotised gear changing becomes more prevalent, but as there's no downside to being qualified on a stick, it just seems like a waste of time and money to get a restricted licence.
gbj_tester
Not an answer to your question, but I'd strongly advise against the automatic licence, as much as I love driving an auto. Get qualified on a stick shift to avoid handicapping yourself in the future. Like riding a bike, it's a skill which once learned is never forgotten, so get it now and you'll be set for life.