I never got around to this when I first learned how to drive. Recently I had to plan a trip to the UK and thought I may end up with a manual car from the car rental place, so I thought I better learn how to drive one. I found this place called shifters from Toronto ( http://www.shifters.ca/introlevel.htm ). They provide an introductory program to the stick.
My first thought was how hard can it be. Change gears based on speed and RPM, what’s the catch? After an hour session, I should be a pro. Well I’m a bit off base. It took 5 sessions for me to be comfortable with everything, the traffic, the hills, the highway, the downshifting, etc. In the end I was able to shift smoothly without the typical jerky feeling when I get in a manual with someone else.
Unfortunately, it does feel like it is more work than I care for. Luckily, Hertz had an automatic available in the UK. I think driving on the right side of the car and on the left side of the road will be distracting enough, so fingers crossed! Europe here we come!