Driving Lessons in Portsmouth
Portsmouth's 11 driving schools and 38 independent driving instructors show a wide pricing spread, from £15 to £50 per hour, averaging £40. All rated schools achieve a perfect 5-star rating, with 6 offering automatic driving lessons and 5 offering intensive courses. One school offers female driving instructors, and there are 5 independent female driving instructors. Test centre pass rates vary significantly nearby, from Portsmouth's 52.8% to Lee On The Solent's impressive 63.2%.
- £40
- average price
- 11
- driving schools
- 38
- independent instructors
- 3
- test centres
Top driving schools in Portsmouth by what matters most
The standout school for each of the most-asked questions.
AA Manual Driving
Cheapest manual driving school in Portsmouth.
Learn With Joshua
Highest-rated manual driving school in Portsmouth.
Drive Confident Driving
Top-rated for automatic driving lessons in Portsmouth.
Pri-Plus School of Motoring
Top-rated manual driving school with female instructors in Portsmouth.
Driving lessons in Portsmouth
11 driving schools and 38 independent instructors.
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Showing 1–20 of 49 driving schools and independent instructors in Portsmouth.
Access 2 Drive
Automatic
Experienced instructor specializing in automatic driving lessons, with testimonials from nervous learners who found the clutch-free approach significantly easier. £40/hour, £60 for 90 minutes, or £280 for a 5-lesson block, with test day pickup from your door included at £70.
Julie's Happy Driving Academy
Manual and automatic
6 years' teaching experience with a calm, patient approach that adapts to each learner's pace. Weekday 2-hour lessons at £80 or 10-hour blocks at £390; intensive courses available at £1,600 for 35 hours over 1–4 weeks.
Learn With Joshua
Manual
152 five-star Google reviews back up Joshua's reputation for patient, clear instruction that gets results—one learner passed first time with just 2 minors after only 6 lessons. £50/hour for single lessons or £100 for 2-hour sessions, with intensive courses, mock tests, motorway training, and test car hire all available.
Learn To Drive With Alpha
Manual
A Portsmouth-based instructor offering patient, one-to-one tuition with a focus on two-hour lessons that give you extended practice time. At £45 per hour or £82 for two hours, you can save £55 by booking a 10-hour block at £395. Pass Plus courses are also available.
Pri-Plus School of Motoring
Manual and automatic
Flexible lesson lengths from 1 to 2 hours at £45–£90, with a first hour free when you book 10 hours in advance (£405 total). Test car hire available for £170, including 2 hours' practice and use of a dual-controlled vehicle on exam day. Intensive courses run from £180 per day, and Pass Plus courses are also available.
Eco Drives
Automatic
Founded by Vishnu, an instructor from Kerala with extensive Middle East and UK experience, Eco Drives specializes in automatic driving lessons and offers instruction in multiple Indian languages alongside English—a rare advantage for learners seeking culturally familiar teaching. The school boasts one of the highest first-time pass rates in the region, backed by consistently strong reviews praising Vishnu's calm, patient approach and confidence-building style. Pricing starts at £44/hour for 2-hour lessons, £43.33/hour for 6-hour blocks (£260), or £40/hour for 10-hour blocks (£400).
1st Top Gear
Manual and automatic
Competitively priced driving school offering daytime lessons at £40/hour or a 10-hour manual block at £390, with evening and weekend slots at £45/hour. Automatic lessons available at £70 for 90 minutes, making this a flexible choice for learners with different preferences and schedules.
Drive Confident Driving
Automatic
Intensive course specialists with flexible options ranging from 12 to 38 hours, all including test fees and home/work pickup. £42/hour for standard lessons or £410 for a 10-hour block, with Pass Plus courses also available at £330.
AA Manual Driving
Manual
Grade A instructor with a track record of first-time passes and consistently strong five-star reviews praising his patient, explanatory teaching style. Try the introductory offer of 2 hours for £30 to see if his approach works for you, then commit to lessons tailored to your needs at great value.
P.A.P Driving School
Manual
Consistently strong first-time pass rates backed by dozens of five-star reviews praising Carl's patient, relaxed teaching style and ability to build confidence in nervous drivers. Known for supporting learners through emotional or challenging circumstances, with particular strength in helping anxious students feel safe on the road. Intensive courses available for accelerated learning.
Adam Bishop
Manual
Krzysztof Dobkowski
Manual
David John Pride
Manual
Damien Thomas
Manual
Faradun Driving School
Manual
Heresh Ahmed
Mark Alan Andrew
Christopher Andrew Deane
John Arbon
Block booking
Best block deals in Portsmouth
Pay for a block of lessons upfront and the hourly rate drops. The best block here saves you £45.
How much do driving lessons cost in Portsmouth?
Most learners pay £40–£45 an hour. Under £40 is a good deal, over £50 is at the higher end.
Based on prices from 9 driving schools in Portsmouth.
Intensive courses in Portsmouth
Want to pass fast?
5 Portsmouth schools run intensive courses, compressing months of training into days or weeks.
Portsmouth Test Centres and Pass Rates
Even the lowest pass rate near Portsmouth is a good one: Portsmouth's own centre manages 53%, above Britain's average pass rate of 50%. Lee On The Solent does better still, at 63% overall and 53% for automatic tests, enough to place it among the top tenth of centres in Britain, but it also has the longest wait at about 4½ months. Newport Isle of Wight has the shortest, at about 1½ months. With every option above average, testing on the roads you learned on makes more sense than chasing the top figure.
Lee On The Solent
8,502 tests taken · typical wait 4½ monthsNewport (Isle of Wight)
3,616 tests taken · typical wait 1½ monthsPortsmouth
13,518 tests taken · typical wait 3½ months| Test Centre | Pass rate | Tests | Typical wait | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Manual | Automatic | |||
| Lee On The Solent | 63.2% | 67.3% | 53.1% | 8,502 | 4½ months |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | 54.1% | 56.6% | 44.9% | 3,616 | 1½ months |
| Portsmouth | 52.8% | 54.7% | 46.1% | 13,518 | 3½ months |