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Once you've got your provisional licence, it's time to take the next step towards earning your full driving licence. A common question many learners have is, "How much does it cost to learn to drive?"

There are two main routes you can take: hourly driving lessons or an intensive (or semi-intensive) driving course. Your choice will significantly impact the overall cost of learning to drive.

Let’s compare the costs of hourly lessons versus intensive courses and explore how you can save money by ensuring you pay for the right number of lessons.

The Cost of Learning to Drive

The main factor affecting the cost is whether you choose hourly lessons or an intensive course. With hourly lessons, you pay per session, often one lesson at a time or in small blocks (e.g., 5-hour packages). On the other hand, intensive courses require a one-off payment for a set number of hours, making them seem pricier upfront. But appearances can be deceiving—let’s dive into the details.

How Much Do Hourly Driving Lessons Cost?

The cost of driving lessons varies depending on where you live and the availability of Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) in your area. Based on a survey of over 1,000 ADIs across the UK, the average cost of a driving lesson is just around £40 per hour.

According to the Department for Transport, learner drivers typically require around 46 hours of professional tuition to be ready for their practical test. If you're paying the average rate, this would cost around £1,840, including the use of your instructor’s car for your driving test.

But there’s more to consider:

• Theory Test Fee: £23
• Practical Test Fee (Weekday): £62 (or £75 for weekend tests)

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• 47 hours (including test hour) + practical test (weekday): £1,942
• 47 hours + theory and practical test (weekday): £1,978

If you’re taking weekly lessons spread over months, you’ll likely spend a portion of each session refreshing skills from previous lessons. To bridge the gaps, many learners engage in private practice, which research suggests should amount to around 22 hours.

Learner Driver Insurance

Practising outside of lessons—whether in your car or someone else’s—requires learner driver insurance. Insurers offer tailored policies for learners, available by the hour, day, week, or month. Prices vary based on the duration of coverage, type of car, and other factors.

For instance, Marmalade offers monthly learner driver insurance at rates starting from £1.29 per day (£38.70 per month). If you need cover for 3 months, this would cost around £116.

Let’s take an example of a beginner who requires:

• Theory test (£23)
• Practical test (£62)
• 3 months of learner insurance (£116)
  This brings the total cost to around £2,094, assuming average rates and a standard timeframe.

An Alternative: Intensive Driving Courses

For many learners, intensive driving courses offer a simpler—and often cheaper—alternative. With Leo Driving School, you can choose from a range of tailored courses to suit your needs, helping you pass your test efficiently and cost-effectively.

Important Notes

• These figures are estimates and may vary depending on your location, insurer, and learning pace.
• Intensive courses provide a set timeframe and structure, potentially reducing the overall cost by minimising the need for additional lessons or private practice.

The biggest selling point of an intensive driving course is how quickly it can help you pass your test. Instead of taking hourly lessons spaced out over weeks or months, you could spend up to five hours a day in the car. This dramatically speeds up the learning process—you could potentially complete 46 hours of tuition in just over a week.

But it’s not just about speed. Intensive courses are often more cost-effective than hourly lessons. For many learners, the structure of an intensive course significantly boosts their chances of passing the test. Why? One of the main challenges of weekly hourly lessons is that just as you start mastering a technique, the lesson ends. By the time your next session rolls around, you may need to recap everything. With longer lessons (at least 2 hours), intensive courses allow you to dive deeper into skills and techniques, reducing the likelihood of needing extra practice with friends or family.

Plus, with continuous practice, you'll retain information better and develop the muscle memory needed to feel confident behind the wheel.

Learning to Drive with Leo Driving School

At Leo Driving School, our intensive courses are designed to transform learners from beginners to confident drivers in no time. We take care of all the logistics, so you can focus solely on learning to drive. From booking your lessons to fast-tracking your tests, we handle it all.

If you’re learning at an intensive pace, you likely won’t have the time to fit in private practice outside of lessons—so you won’t need to spend money on additional insurance unless you’re taking the test in your own car. At Leo Driving School, we make learning to drive as straightforward and efficient as possible.

Take Daniel, for example. A beginner with only a few hours of prior experience, Daniel opted for our 40-hour intensive course, completed over 7 days. While he started out feeling anxious and overwhelmed, he passed his driving test on his first attempt! Had he chosen weekly hourly lessons, it would have taken him months—and cost much more.

Choosing the Right Course

At Leo Driving School, we offer a range of intensive driving courses tailored to learners at any level of experience. Need a theory test or a practical test? We can include those in your course.

For those with prior experience, it’s important to avoid paying for either too many or too few hours. Not sure how many lessons you’ll need? Use our personalised course recommender tool. Simply answer a few quick questions, and we’ll guide you to the ideal course for your needs.

Once you’re ready, give us a call 07961 976 822 or book your course online.

Don’t delay learning to drive or waste time and money on lessons spread too far apart. Book an intensive course with Leo Driving School today and get one step closer to saying those magic words: "I've passed!"