No Stupid Questions

It's easy

It's also a great way to be more connected to your vehicle and what's happening. You have to be more aware of things, anticipate corners, hills etc.

Automatics have made people lazy and disconnected

Driving a manual is easy if you already know how to drive. I got my lesson from a dude who sold me my first manual. You’ll fuck up a bit but you won’t break anything.

Take the automatic if you’re worried and just enjoy your vacation

You could rent an automatic, get the lesson, then see if you want to use their cars or keep the rental. I do recommend giving it a shot since it would be a new experience!

There is a small learning curve to manuals, and it is slightly harder in hilly areas.

It would be a chore to learn while visiting. Just have your boyfriend drive you around and maybe rent a car for a longer trip.

I personally find it stressful driving in foreign countries.

The easiest way to learn manual is to focus on one pedal at a time. Learn how to get the car moving using just the clutch pedal alone.

Seriously, don't even touch the gas until you can accomplish this. Have someone in the passenger seat to operate the handbrake so that you don't even have to worry about the brake pedal. Just operate the clutch and nothing else. If you can manage to get going from one pedal without stalling, you're already 90% of the way there.

The next step is learning when to shift, but that comes naturally with practice. Eventually you'll become in-tune with the sounds the engine is making, and then knowing when to shift becomes second nature.

Takes a bit of practice to get the feel for it but it's not too hard. 90% of the learning curve is just getting the car rolling from a dead stop without stalling

Nah, takes you 15 minutes to learn, and just a few weeks of practice to make it perfectly smooth

Depends on your definition of 'difficult'. I can pull a motherboard and replace it, I can hand-edit the Windows registry to do some shit most people aren't even aware is possible, etc. Are those things difficult? No, because I know how to do them. They are complex and technical and require a fair bit of knowledge and understanding to not screw it up though. Everything is difficult until you learn how to do it, then it's not. Might be better to ask how hard it is to learn? Cause I can't drive at all so I'm guessing it's somewhere between multiplication tables and organic chemistry but that's probably not helpful. :P

I had a friend learn how to drive a manual for a trip to Italy. It took maybe 2 20 minute sessions before she was comfortable with it. When she got there the driving was fine but the honking freaked her out 😂

It's easy. Just read the manual.

Nah, I daily all manuals.

My best recommendation outside of trying a friend's car, try driving one in a sim racing or racing game! That'll give you an idea. Games like the long drive or even motortown have clutch simulation. You can even do it with a keyboard, but even a cheap wheel is good to practice with. Even with a 2 pedal wheel, you can bind the brake to the clutch and practice that way.

Take the lesson, as it's not hard, but it takes some practice making it seem effortless. With a lesson you'll learn the basics, and the rest is just practice over a day or two.

If you're driving automatic correctly, your left foot should be available, and the only thing different with your feet is that your left foot now needs to handle the clutch. This means during (some of the) braking or other times when you want to disengage the drivetrain.

After a little while you get a feel for listening to the RPM, and you begin to shift gear automatically based on the engine sound, or any planned changes in speed/torque.

Oh, and it's worth noting that most cars are somewhat different when it comes to clutching: Some have the car equivalent of a hair trigger, others are much more lenient. If you've gotten used to one car, trying out a different one might be useful.

if you already know how to drive and the rules of the road and such, its really not too bad, it just takes some practice. Just get ready to use your left leg while driving lol

It takes a bit of practice. A few minutes of instruction can show you how it works, but then you will want to actually practice (maybe an hour or so) on some quiet roads before driving in traffic.

It's definitely something you can learn in just a few lessons, particularly if you are just driving around town here and there. There's a rhythm and muscle memory to it, and once you get it, it becomes super easy.

I think I traded in my last stick-shift (a Jetta) 13+ years ago, and there are still times when I am driving and my left foot instinctively moves toward an invisible clutch....

Since they say they will be giving you a quick lesson... might be allright. It will most likely need some time to get used to it but you might be fine. See how the quick lesson goes? They might show you around the neighborhood for you to then drive around yourself and get used to it a bit.

It will be a whole another thing to keep in mind so be extra careful with your driving probably

In a small modern car its not super bad but will never be as easy as automatic. Getting used to using your left foot is annoying though. I had to use an old boat without power steering and quite when I was young and got my license on a friends automatic later in life. Im someone who hates driving in general though.

I would recommend practicing on a truck at first. The clutch is beefier and can take the punishment of a newbie, and you’ll get more of an idea of how the clutch feels when it engages.

How confident are you driving an automatic? If you're comfortable, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. If you already struggle to navigate traffic, adding more controls will make that worse.

I guess it is like bicycling: there is a price to pay in blood 😉 My suggestion: in Romania, take a few hours of driving lessons with a professional teacher who can explain everything to you.

https://www.jalopnik.com/heres-how-to-destroy-your-manual-transmission-and-how-1828403150/

Lol I hope you're a quick learner, though getting thrown on the street with a "good luck" does kick the lessons into overdrive.