Automatic Driving Lessons in Ballinteer
South Dublin residential suburb sitting between Dundrum and the Dublin Mountains.
Lessons in Ballinteer, at a glance
Where we pick up, where you sit your test, and what the local roads ask of a learner.
- Marley Park
- Ballinteer shopping centre
Or wherever else suits you in Ballinteer: your home, your work, your college.
Why automatic makes sense in Ballinteer
Three things you will notice in your first few hours behind the wheel here.
Stop-and-go traffic without the stalls
Around Marley Park and the Marley Park Luas stop, you will deal with bunched-up traffic, parked cars, and pedestrians stepping off the kerb. In an automatic you can keep your eyes on the road instead of the bite point.
Junction work, not gear work
Ballinteer Avenue, Woodside Drive residential cul-de-sacs, Grange Road, Dundrum Bypass access. Junctions like these are where most learners pick up faults. A two-pedal car removes the gear-and-clutch decision so you can focus on observation and timing.
Buses, cyclists, and shared lanes
Luas Green Line Marley Park terminus, Dublin Bus 14, 116. You will share lane space with buses and cyclists from your first lesson. Automatic gear shifts keep your road position smooth when traffic is moving in fits.
EDT in Ballinteer: what it actually is
The EDT is the 12-hour lesson programme every Category B learner has to complete before sitting the driving test. The Road Safety Authority introduced it in April 2011. It's mandatory, it's logged, and you can't skip it.
Our 12-lesson automatic package covers the full EDT requirement in a modern dual-controlled automatic vehicle. Your instructor signs off each unit in your EDT Learner Logbook as you go, and lessons run from a Ballinteer pickup of your choice.
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12 one-hour lessons. The minimum set by the RSA. Most learners add a few extras before they feel test-ready.
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Logbook signed off lesson by lesson. You can't book the driving test until all 12 are complete and signed.
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Sponsor driver records practice between lessons. Anyone with two-plus years on a full licence. Practice goes in the same logbook.
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RSA-approved instructor (ADI). Every instructor we send out is on the RSA register. That's the only kind we hire.
Three ways to start in Ballinteer
EDT, pretest prep, or a gift voucher. Pick the one that fits where you are.
EDT package
The full mandatory 12 hours, in our automatic car.
- 12 one-hour lessons
- Logbook signed off lesson by lesson
- RSA-approved instructor in Ballinteer
- Pickup and drop-off included
Or call 01 902 3100
Pretest + car hire
Test in the same automatic you trained in.
- Pretest lesson before the test
- Use of our car for the test itself
- Mock-test marking sheet included
- Designed around Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre (approx 7 km east) or Tallaght (approx 6 km west)
Or call 01 902 3100
Gift voucher
Lessons as a gift. Any number, any pack.
- 1, 6, or 12-lesson packs
- Personalised PDF, sent on the day
- Redeemable in Ballinteer or anywhere we cover
- Never expires
Or call 01 902 3100
Real reviews from learners across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
Verified Google reviews from learners across Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the area covering Ballinteer.
Cannot recommend Jonathan Martinez from enough if you are learning to drive in the Dun Laoghaire/Deansgrange areas. He breaks everything down and makes learning how to drive really enjoyable!
I completed my 12 EDT lessons with John, and I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. As a first-time learner, I was quite nervous in the beginning, but John’s calm, patient, and clear teaching style really helped me build confidence …
I passed my driving test on the first attempt with Jonathan Martinez in an automatic, and I would strongly recommend him to anyone looking to build their confidence behind the wheel.
From 814+ verified Google reviews of RSA School of Motoring
Pretest + car hire: why it matters
The Category B test isn't just a driving check. It's a fault-counting exercise on a fixed route the examiner runs every day. Half the people who fail say afterwards that nothing on the route surprised them. What surprised them was how the marking worked.
A pretest with us closes that gap. We run the routes the examiner uses out of Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre or Tallaght, mark you against the same RSA fault sheet, and tell you exactly which observations and manoeuvres need work before test day. You come out of the pretest knowing the difference between a competent drive and a test-passing drive.
If you train with us, the same automatic comes back on test day. You don't sit a test in a strange car you've never driven.
More on what the driving test actually involvesAre you test-ready for Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre or Tallaght?
Four quick questions. Honest answers only. We use them to point you at the right next step.
Automatic Lesson Prices in Ballinteer
12 Automatic Driving Lessons
6 Automatic Driving Lessons
3 Automatic Driving Lessons
1 Automatic Driving Lesson
Common questions about lessons in Ballinteer
A single automatic lesson is €61.41. Our best value is the 12-lesson EDT package at €659.24, which works out at €54.94 per lesson. Every lesson in Ballinteer includes pickup and drop-off, and the same automatic comes back for your driving test if you book the pretest add-on.
Pickup is flexible. Your instructor collects you anywhere within Ballinteer: your home, work, college, or one of the named pickup points shown on the map above. You're back at the same spot at the end of the lesson.
Learners in Ballinteer typically sit their driving test at Dun Laoghaire RSA test centre or Tallaght. We design our pretest lessons around the routes the examiner uses out of that centre, and we provide the automatic for test day so you don't have to learn a new car the day of the test.
Yes. Every instructor we send to Ballinteer is EDT certified and on the RSA Approved Driving Instructor register. That's a regulatory requirement, not a marketing line. Our 12-lesson automatic package covers the full EDT programme: 12 one-hour sessions, logbook signed off lesson by lesson, sponsor-driver practice slots between lessons.
Yes. We provide an automatic car for the test as part of our pretest package. Note that if you sit the test in an automatic, your full licence is restricted to automatic vehicles. To get a full manual licence later, you would train and test in a manual car separately. For most learners that restriction doesn't matter. Automatic, hybrid, and electric cars are the majority of new cars sold in Ireland.
Other automatic-friendly areas near Ballinteer
We cover 6+ surrounding neighbourhoods in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. Pick the one closest to your pickup point.