Rivadavia Driving School

What an amazing ride (no pun intended)! I have to say that I never thought I would drive let alone in San Francisco. I’m a city girl-​born and raised in SF. Never felt the need to drive as I take public transportation all the time. Things change. Being a late bloomer, my fears about driving became overwhelming. I thought to myself, «You’ll never get over your fear therefore, you’ll never drive.» I took the first step and took the written test (note: I am a bad test taker… and so the pressure was on). I passed and then the second step: let your husband teach you to drive or leave it to a professional. I chose the professional (mind you, my husband is good driver – but I know he’d put too much pressure on me – a nervous driver doesn’t need that).
I called this school because of all the wonderful reviews I read. and it was the best decision I made. I worked with Emilio and he was VERY PATIENT. My first lesson with him, I was a nervous wreck-​white knuckling the steering wheel, unsure of myself and low confidence. He kept his cool and tried to make me feel comfortable with his sense of humor and for the first time, I drove… and in the city. Each time I worked with him, my confidence got better and so did my driving. He would always remind me of his tips, make sure I was creating good habits and that everything was going to be okay.
After 10 lessons, it was time to take my driving test (this was yesterday). Everything I had worked hard for to get to this point – I did my best to remember all the helpful tips Emilio taught me. We had two hours before the test to practice and calm my nerves. I was nervous and Emilio would tell me that I was going to be okay. My turn finally came… and I passed the test! I couldn’t believe it! I am relieved and excited… but to be honest, it was never about the license… it was more about making sure I was a safe and confident driver… knowing how to drive well.
Even with passing the test. I still want to continue to build my skills and confidence BUT I really couldn’t have done it without the confidence and patience of Emilio. Thank you so much and call this place if you want to drive well and learn from the best!

Emilio’s professionalism, warmth and expertise is off-​the-​charts. I highly recommend Rivadavia Driving School to any adults who are learning a bit later in life!
Within a month and a half of driving with Emilio, I had my license.
Each lesson with Emilio was enjoyable. I was a very nervous beginner at 24 years old but Emilio made sure I felt comfortable, and was quite patient. His use of repetition and humor is quite entertaining. Very grateful for his wealth of experience and tips and tricks — they helped me passed my drive test!

I was a complete afraid beginner with no driving experience when I decided to take classes at Rivadavia School. This week I finished my classes and passed the driving test :)
Emilio is the type of teacher you’ll always remember. He is patient, he will trust you and make you feel confident. I’d recommend the school to everyone that would not only want to pass the test but really want to learn how to drive safely.

Emilio gets the job done! I recently relocated from Paris, France where I didn’t drive much. His advices and tips helped me understand how to drive safely in the US, gain self-​confidence and most importantly allowed me to pass the test at first try :).

Emilio is a driving wizard no matter how frightened or nervous you are about getting behind the wheel, He knows how to break that wall, I highly recommend him I was terrified of driving now I’m comfortable behind the wheel. He’s a quality teacher and will have you feel at home behind the wheel in no time. The first time I worked with him I didn’t drive at all, had no experience doing it and by the end of the night I experienced the freeway and I was at ease doing it. Emilio Guerrero is the best driving instructor you can ask for, he’s had nervous and frantic students (I know this from being driven home by them) and he helped them drive smoothly and eased them into the wheel it was amazing to watch considering how terrified they were. If you’re new to driving, call Rivadavia and work with Emilio he’ll have you driving in no time.

I’m 35 born and raised in San Francisco and never needed a car. When it can time to lean to drive I was nervous. That did not matter.
This place is likely the best driving school in the city and well worth the $$$. Emilio is incredibly informative and entertaining. You will learn everything you need to know to pass your test and be a safe confident driver. Emilio lets you drive. From your first lesson you will be doing most of the work. Emilio will step in when he needs to and will develop your confidence in your abilities quickly. I would recommend them to any one learning to drive.

Emilio is such a fun, knowledgeable, and punctual teacher. He is very patient and teaches in a manner that has helped me remember the rules of the road over the years. I brag about never being in an accident in all my years of driving experience thanks to Emilio’s defensive driving techniques. I was able to pass my driver’s exam without a problem and I was very happy with the results. He also taught my 4’11″ foot tall mom how to drive so well that she was able to drive a 14 foot U-​haul truck from the East Bay to San Francisco. Emilio is a great teacher.

Emilio is an amazing teacher and didn’t even give me a chance to be nervous about driving. The entire experience was incredibly positive and my knowledge and skills increased greatly within just the first two lessons. I am so grateful for Emilio’s patience and kindness as an instructor. I highly recommend this driving school.
(Simone F. using her mother’s Unilocal account)

Went back for a parking lesson with Emilio and was really happy. I feel way more comfortable parallel parking now, even on steep sf hills.

Emilio is the best teacher– he genuinely cares about me improving every lesson. He has 5 star reviews for a reason and has been teaching for over 26 yrs. I am a first time driver and he has been extremely patience and very informative — I feel like I am gaining confident with every lesson. I highly recommend him:) He is the best’

Highly recommended. I went from no driving experience to a licensed driver in a few weeks. Emilio is the best teacher! He not only taught me how to drive very well but also shared his secrets which gave me a big perspective on how to think as a driver. From highways to residential areas. He’s able to identify the areas you need improvement and help create good driving habits.
He’ll walk you through different scenarios and prepare you very well — with a lot of practice — for the test.
Emilio always picked me up on time which was very convenient. He also has a great sense of humor which makes you feel confident in those tense moments where you need it. The car is new, always clean, and he’s always very attentive. My whole experience was very incredible and now I’m a confident driver all thanks to Rivadavia Driving School.

I highly recommend this driving school. Emilio is an excellent driving instructor, patient and with a great sense of humor. He provides clear instructions and he is really encouraging.

Emilio is by far the best driving teacher I’ve ever had the privilege to take classes from. Clear instructions, great sense of humor and always ready to cheer you up and encourage you in time of self doubt. Everybody needs some positivity when starting to learn a new skill. So I’d recommend this kind and amazing gent if you are looking for a patient driving teacher.

Agradecida con el istructor tan eficiente, y técnicas muy efectivas pude sacar mi licencia de conducir, te da seguridad sobre todo sabiduría al manejar.

Had a great time perfecting my driving with Emilio. Classy, smart, relaxed, he will tell you not what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear before taking your driving test. I took a few refresher lessons before passing my driving test at Daly City. Flawless execution. Emilio teaches you not only rules of the road and good driving habits, but also how to be relaxed, casual, and predictable on the road. Highly recommend! Seems costly but well worth the investment.

Highly recommend this driving school. Emilio is a great teacher! He help me a lot! best in the bay!

Passed my California driving test first time with «very good skills» comment from the tester — thanks to Macarena’s expert instruction. I’ve been driving for over 20 years, and had driving instructors in two other countries. Can happily say Macarena was the best of any of them. She helped me to understand my driving style better, as well as retraining the instincts and behavior patterns I’d inherited from other places. Highly recommended, obviously!

I just had my first lesson with Emilio.
I’ve had two other lessons with other schools and while they were fine and I learned a lot, they do not compare to Emilio’s driving techniques and teaching style.
The money is worth the investment because you are learning to drive a DEATH MACHINE and your family/​friends don’t know DMV requirements or learning techniques like Emilio does.
Might I also add, he’s HILARIOUS. He made me feel relaxed, confident, and in good spirits the entire trip.
Family-​owned business, all ratings on Unilocal are positive, call them up and make an appointment :)

I took a driving lesson with Emilio on 02/​28/​2014 and I was thoroughly satisfied with the 2-​hour session. This was my first time driving in over a decade so I was pretty nervous (I had a license abroad, but stopped driving when I moved to the US a long time ago). Thankfully, Emilio was very calm, gave plenty of guidance, and liked that I asked a lot of questions. The best part, for me, was that he clearly had a system and knew how to work on my weak areas.
My 2-​hour experience went on like this:
1. He had me driving on the wheel for the first 30 minutes, observing how I drove and what I knew. He had me drive through Golden Gate Park to start slowly and then loop around Inner Richmond.
2. When we reached the Hayes Valley ~ Western Addition area, he had me stop over and we switched seats. While I was on the passenger side, he gave me a refresher on all the buttons, gears, and levers in the car. Afterwards, he drove for 30 minutes, showing me my mistakes and how to do things correctly (ex. how to switch lanes correctly).
3. After the 30 minutes, we switched seats again and I drove for the next hour. Since he observed that I had a bad habit of not looking at my blind spots and made wide turns, he had me make left turns and right turns over and over, basically going around the same few blocks until I fixed my bad habits.
By the end of the 2 hours, I palpably felt calmer at the wheel, which to me is a great measure of driving success.

Son muy eficientes y profesionales !! Estoy muy sastifecha con el servicio ke me brindaron porke aprendí muchas técnicas !! Lo recomiendo gracias señor Emilio por su paciencia !!

Highly recommended. Rivadavia took me from complete beginner to a licensed driver in just a few weeks. Macarena and Emilio are fantastic instructors and create and effective safe learning environment. I passed my test but still plan to take a couple more lessons with them, just to keep developing my skills!
Importantly, the instructors don’t just teach for the test — you’ll learn safe driving and good habits as you take lessons from them. You’ll drive in residential areas, on the highway, in busy downtown traffic, so you get a lot of experience in different situations. And when I took my test, Macarena gave me a good amount of prep right before, and helped guide and give me confidence right up to the moment the DMV examiner came.
I do recommend trying out lesson with both, as they have somewhat different teaching styles (and different cars — Macarena’s is easier to handle, but Emilio’s is faster and will force you to adapt quickly). You might find yourself more attuned to one or the other. I myself took half my lessons with Macarena and the other half with Emilio, and learned in different ways with both.

Thanks to Emilio and Macarena, my husband and I were both able to pass our driving tests on our first try!
I would definitely recommend both instructors. They are very professional, punctual and patient. I personally took classes with both of them and I am very satisfied with everything I learned, I feel so much more confident on the road. I took a total of five classes with them and I was able to master my turns, get on the freeway and learn defensive driving techniques.
At first I was a little hesitant because of the money, but I can without a doubt say it was one of the best investments I have made. I even ended up taking more classes than I had planned because I was so satisfied with my results. Driving with them does not compare to driving with friends or family because 1. they have their own pedals (which made me safer), 2. know what DMV examiners are looking for 3. aren’t paranoid to be in a car with you (like my mom, lol) – they are calming and reassuring.
Thank you Emilio and Macarena! You both are awesome!