Automatic Driving Lessons in Leinster
No clutch. No stalling. Two pedals. Half the things to think about, all of the road to learn. Lessons across all twelve Leinster counties.
Why Learners Pick Automatic
Half the complexity, the same road skills.
An automatic does the gear change for you. Your left foot stays still. There's no clutch to find a biting point on, no stall on a hill start, no awkward gear hunt at a roundabout. You are free to look at the road, the mirror, the cyclist, the give-way line.
For nervous learners, that is a lot less to think about. For older learners returning to driving, it is most of the way back to confident. For anyone planning on an electric car, it is what you'll be driving anyway. Every EV sold in Ireland is automatic.
The trade-off is the licence. If you take the test in an automatic, your full licence carries a Code 78 restriction. You can drive automatic only. You can re-sit the test later in a manual to remove the restriction, but most people don't bother. Ten years ago that mattered. Today, almost nothing.
Manual vs Automatic, Side by Side
What changes when you take the clutch out of the equation.
Pedals
Manual: 3. Automatic: 2.
Brake, accelerator. The clutch is the one that goes.
Gear changes
Manual: many. Automatic: none.
Town traffic with constant shifting versus the car doing it for you.
Stalling
Manual: common. Automatic: impossible.
Hill starts, junctions, biting point. None of it applies in an automatic.
Price (12 EDT lessons)
€587.95 vs €659.24
Automatic costs more per lesson. Many learners need fewer extras to feel ready.
EDT programme
Identical.
Same twelve modules, same RSA portal logging, same skill checks.
Licence type
Manual: full. Automatic: Code 78.
Code 78 means automatic only. Removable later by sitting a manual test.
What Is Code 78
Pass the test in an automatic and your licence gets a Code 78 restriction. You can legally drive automatics. You cannot drive a manual.
Ten years ago this felt limiting. Today, most new cars sold in Ireland are automatic. Every electric vehicle is automatic. Most rentals abroad are automatic. The future is the automatic.
If you decide later that you want a manual licence, you can re-sit the driving test in a manual car. The Code 78 comes off the new licence. Most people who pass on automatic don't go back.
Insurance is the same for Code 78 and full licences. There is no premium difference.
Automatic Lesson Prices
Same prices in every Leinster county. Door-to-door pickup included.
Single Lesson
Try it out- 1 hour lesson
- Door-to-door pickup
- RSA portal log
- Automatic dual-controlled car
3 Lessons
Three sessions, lower per-lesson rate- 3 x 1 hour lessons
- Door-to-door pickup
- RSA portal logs
- Automatic dual-controlled car
12 Lessons (Full EDT)
The full RSA programme- 12 x 1 hour lessons
- All EDT modules
- Door-to-door pickup
- RSA portal logs
- Lowest per-lesson rate
Pretest + Car Hire
Test day sorted- 1 hour pretest lesson
- Automatic car for the test
- Pickup to test centre
- Available at every Leinster centre
All prices include door-to-door pickup. Need manual instead. All prices. Or call 01 902 3100.
4.7/5 from 814+ learners. 85% pass rate.
Is Automatic Right for You
Automatic suits a wide range of learners. Here's where it tends to fit.
Nervous Learners
If the thought of a stall on a hill start makes you stop the engine before it starts, automatic removes the question.
Returning Drivers
Learning later, or coming back to it after a long gap. Automatic gets you to confident faster.
International Residents
Drove automatic before moving here. No reason to start from scratch on a clutch.
Future EV Drivers
If your next car is electric, your next car is automatic. Code 78 is no restriction.
Automatic Lessons Across Leinster
We have automatic cars in every Leinster county. From Bray and Wicklow town in the south-east, through Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Louth, and across to Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Laois, Carlow, Kilkenny, and Wexford.
Door-to-door pickup is included with every lesson. Your instructor collects from home, work, or college, and drops you back afterwards. Same arrangement, twelve counties.
Pretest and car hire is available at every Leinster test centre. The car you practise in is the car you sit the test in.
Automatic Lessons, Common Questions
A Code 78 licence means you passed the driving test in an automatic. You can drive automatic vehicles only. You can remove the restriction later by re-sitting the test in a manual.
Slightly. The 12-lesson automatic EDT costs €659.24 compared to €587.95 for manual. Many learners need fewer extra lessons in an automatic, so the total can land close.
Yes. The EDT programme is identical. Twelve structured lessons, all logged on the RSA portal. Only the gearbox changes.
Many learners find it less stressful. No clutch and no gear changes to watch means more attention on the road. The routes and the marking sheet are identical for both at every Leinster test centre.
Every Leinster county. Tell us your area and we'll match you with a local instructor with an automatic car.
Yes. Your completed EDT lessons still count. You don't need to restart. Call 01 902 3100 and we'll sort an automatic car for the rest.
Ready to Start
Book your first automatic lesson. Door-to-door pickup, RSA-approved instructor, no clutch to worry about.
Not sure yet. Call us. We'll tell you straight whether automatic fits, or whether manual is the right call for you.