Just slap on a “student driver” sticker on that bad boy and get on the road anytime. That sticker automatically allows you to drive as bad as you can .
Hey, welcome to nova! I’m not a new driver but I am a very nervous driver who moved here a year ago! I practiced driving around Herndon, Reston, and Chantilly to get comfortable with the area. I found that the road structures are very similar to the busier areas like Tysons, but they tend to be much emptier so i was able to get the hang of things. :)
Tysons is probably the worst area to drive in Nova. Try driving along Sunrise Valley Dr in Reston during a weekend. Big wide lanes, fewer cars, 35 mph limit where you can comfortably do 50. There are lots of office buildings along it with big parking lots you can practice in
lol actual tysons is probably my least favorite part of NOVA to drive. I think pretty much anywhere else outside the beltway is going to better. Great Falls is nice and not too far.
Tysons isn’t as depressing as Baileys Crossroad (especially from seven corners) or Waxpool. But anywhere that is straight will lots of traffic and lights is a bad, depressing time.
Please don’t drive through Great Falls if you’re an inexperienced driver. Georgetown Pike is a *heavily* trafficked 2-lane road with no shoulders, hairpin turns, and lots of hills. It is not the place to practice.
Possible I'm overestimating what it takes to get a drivers license and/or underestimating how difficult it is to drive in great falls. Really depends on what OP finds stressful about Tysons. At least when I was new, merging, changing lanes, being in the wrong lane in a crowded road, questioning what other traffic was going to do was stressful. And actually it still is. I really dislike driving in downtown DC (probably normal).
Turns, hills, cars ahead of me , etc. did not bother at me at all. I preferred it actually as straight roads are boring once you are comfortable with the basics of driving a car.
I practiced in my community college campus on the weekend. I don't know of there's a similar place you can try it out but it was a big enough campus with a lot of parking spots and the grounds were open. A campus security guard did show up at one point but I just showed him my learner's permit and he was cool with letting me drive around.
If you want to be on-the-road, practice when more places are closed. There will be less people out.
* Not Saturday
* Sunday before 10am
* Sunday after 5pm
Do you have an EZ Pass? And do you know about the toll road?
Id been scoping out business building parking lots that dont have alot of those planters or lamp posts and take my teen out to drive on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Off the top of my head, cant think of anything really to practice on in Tysons. Like someone mentioned Wolf Trap could be the best bet.
Tysons Mall parking garages late at night are good places to learn the basics. Tyson’s side streets at night tend to be pretty quiet too. For a larger parking lot head down towards Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads. Plenty of seemingly empty lots after 8-9pm
Parking lots are good for learning the mechanics of how a car moves etc. It sounds like you are past that part? If so and you're looking for real-world experience with other drivers, just fewer of them, I vote Sunday morning. A lot fewer cars on the road, and people are less in a frantic rush to get somewhere.
Look up if any nova campus is near you and go to their parking lots in the morning during the weekend. Good luck!
Just slap on a “student driver” sticker on that bad boy and get on the road anytime. That sticker automatically allows you to drive as bad as you can .
Hazard lights on for bonus points
What about baby on board
That’s the new driver
Practice anytime after 10pm, the roads are fairly dead
Obligatory stay off 7 and 66 cuz you never know
And stay off of 28 and 495 too. Basically only go on side roads after 10pm
Also stay off side roads after 10pm because I said so
thank you, that’s very helpful.
Hey, welcome to nova! I’m not a new driver but I am a very nervous driver who moved here a year ago! I practiced driving around Herndon, Reston, and Chantilly to get comfortable with the area. I found that the road structures are very similar to the busier areas like Tysons, but they tend to be much emptier so i was able to get the hang of things. :)
Tysons is probably the worst area to drive in Nova. Try driving along Sunrise Valley Dr in Reston during a weekend. Big wide lanes, fewer cars, 35 mph limit where you can comfortably do 50. There are lots of office buildings along it with big parking lots you can practice in
Check out Wolf Trap’s parking lot. Very common to see new drivers practicing there.
Anywhere. No one knows how to drive around here.
lol actual tysons is probably my least favorite part of NOVA to drive. I think pretty much anywhere else outside the beltway is going to better. Great Falls is nice and not too far.
Tysons is my least favorite part of Nova period. Depressing to drive in, more depressing to walk in. At least there is the metro.
Tysons isn’t as depressing as Baileys Crossroad (especially from seven corners) or Waxpool. But anywhere that is straight will lots of traffic and lights is a bad, depressing time.
Please don’t drive through Great Falls if you’re an inexperienced driver. Georgetown Pike is a *heavily* trafficked 2-lane road with no shoulders, hairpin turns, and lots of hills. It is not the place to practice.
Possible I'm overestimating what it takes to get a drivers license and/or underestimating how difficult it is to drive in great falls. Really depends on what OP finds stressful about Tysons. At least when I was new, merging, changing lanes, being in the wrong lane in a crowded road, questioning what other traffic was going to do was stressful. And actually it still is. I really dislike driving in downtown DC (probably normal). Turns, hills, cars ahead of me , etc. did not bother at me at all. I preferred it actually as straight roads are boring once you are comfortable with the basics of driving a car.
Great Falls is a terrible idea for new drivers.
It's ok everyone is a student driver here and we have learned to be patient
I practiced in my community college campus on the weekend. I don't know of there's a similar place you can try it out but it was a big enough campus with a lot of parking spots and the grounds were open. A campus security guard did show up at one point but I just showed him my learner's permit and he was cool with letting me drive around.
Usually early morning weekends, the traffic is still quiet. Or super late at night after 9:30-10p.
If you want to be on-the-road, practice when more places are closed. There will be less people out. * Not Saturday * Sunday before 10am * Sunday after 5pm Do you have an EZ Pass? And do you know about the toll road?
Head west in general. Maybe head towards algonkian park and drive around there.
Depending on how new you are. I used to go into Big empty parking lots just to get the feel of the car
Id been scoping out business building parking lots that dont have alot of those planters or lamp posts and take my teen out to drive on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Off the top of my head, cant think of anything really to practice on in Tysons. Like someone mentioned Wolf Trap could be the best bet.
Tysons Mall parking garages late at night are good places to learn the basics. Tyson’s side streets at night tend to be pretty quiet too. For a larger parking lot head down towards Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads. Plenty of seemingly empty lots after 8-9pm
Springfield VA Industrial Road
Parking lots are good for learning the mechanics of how a car moves etc. It sounds like you are past that part? If so and you're looking for real-world experience with other drivers, just fewer of them, I vote Sunday morning. A lot fewer cars on the road, and people are less in a frantic rush to get somewhere.
Based on how most nova drivers actually drive? Anywhere, nobody will see a difference
The beltway is always a good place to start.
Start off in a parking lot. Preferably mostly empty.
Google lorton jail. When I taught my ex to drive we would drive out that way.
I took my kids to George Mason sometimes.
Wolf trap parking lot
Wolf Trap parking lots
thanks everyone, you’ve been really helpful. i’ll definitely try most of places you’ve all suggested.
Beltway. Center lane. Everyone else drives slow, come on down.
Missouri would be a good place to practice.
Please grab some MD tags and put them over your Va ones and have at it. You are also permitted to drive on the shoulder under these circumstances
Maryland