How much does an hour of refresher driving cost? The Lauto driving school in Warsaw explains the rates applicable in the capital.

The phone rang at the driving school in Warsaw.

„Hello, I’m Ajay from India and I’d like to sign up for driving refresher training,” a voice said in English. „But I have a problem…”

“What is the problem?” the center director asked in English.

— Firstly, in India there is left-hand traffic, just like in Great Britain, and secondly, I have to do these trips this week because I start working as a taxi driver next week.

— I don’t see a problem here. We can start riding tomorrow.

— But there is a third problem…

– What?

— I’ll tell you when we meet…

What was the third problem? More on that in a moment. First, let’s understand how much an hour’s drive in the capital costs.

1. What are refresher driving courses? A driving school in Warsaw provides a definition.

Refresher driving lessons are lessons following the basic course, which includes 30 hours of driving. Therefore, once you complete this course and pass the internal exam at the OSK, you will be eligible to take refresher driving lessons, or the supplementary course.

For example, at our „Lauto” driving school, refresher driving courses follow the exam routes. We know these routes because we bring our own cars to the exam at WORD and then use their GPS to track the entire route the car traveled during the exam.

Our students have the choice of taking the exam in either a manual or automatic car. Before the exam, they typically purchase an additional hour in a car of their choice from our driving school, which will then be provided for the exam. During this time, they practice cornering, hill-driving, intersections, and parking. They then take the driving test in the same car at the driving school.

If they choose a manual, they have a manual Hyundai available, which costs 320 PLN to rent for the exam (this price includes an hour of driving before the exam). The second option is an automatic, which costs 290 PLN just for the rental, and an additional hour must be purchased.

2. Who can benefit from refresher driving lessons? A driving school in Warsaw explains how these lessons should be conducted.

Let’s start with who can’t take advantage of these rides. Students who haven’t completed the basic course are definitely not eligible. They must first complete the course and pass the exam at their local driving school, and only then can they purchase the appropriate number of refresher rides at any driving school.

Who can benefit from refresher driving?

• First, there are students who have completed the course. This refers to those who have completed 30 hours of the basic course and passed the internal exam at their driving school.
• Secondly, drivers with a driving license who want to improve their driving skills. It’s worth noting that in this case, we’re talking about observational driving lessons, not refresher driving lessons. These are often purchased by drivers who have lost their license due to points.

How should refresher driving lessons be conducted to be effective? They should be systematic, meaning once or twice a week, not rushed just before the exam. Knowledge is absorbed better when learning is spread out over time than when daily driving lessons are booked at the last minute. Then, fatigue from work and stress increase mistakes and hinder efficient learning. Unless you take time off and take refresher driving lessons during that time, then you can actually drive every day, which won’t disrupt the learning process.

One more thing worth noting: during the basic driving course, we are assigned to a single school. If we want to change schools, this involves obtaining driving licenses and changing schools. We’ve already written about how to change driving licenses in this article . The situation is different with refresher driving courses. Here, we aren’t assigned to a specific school that locks our driver profile, so we have the freedom to choose even several schools at once.

3. Can an instructor force you to purchase refresher driving lessons? A driving school in Warsaw explains what privileges an instructor has.

Of course, the instructor can’t force you to purchase additional driving lessons. However, if a student fails their internal driving test, the instructor may offer additional paid driving lessons of 2, 5, 6, or 10 hours. These lessons are designed to teach safe driving and prepare for the exam.

Of course, the student could refuse this remedial plan and withdraw their documents and transfer to another school. But the fundamental question is: is this the right thing to do from a safety perspective? It could end in a dramatic way, as in this video .

4. How many additional driving lessons should you buy for your basic driving course? A driving school in Warsaw explains how it works in practice.

Purchasing additional driving lessons is a matter of personal preference. It depends on both the student’s individual predispositions and their level of dedication during the course. Virtually no student is 100% prepared for the exam. Typically, most drivers are 60% ready after completing additional driving lessons, while experienced drivers would be 80% ready. During our experience, we’ve noticed that students fall into three groups in this regard.

How many refresher courses do students buy?

• 20% of students do not purchase more hours beyond the basic course, which is 30 clock hours of driving.
• 50% of students purchase up to 10 hours of additional driving.
• 30% of students purchase up to 30 hours of additional driving lessons.

5. When is it worth investing in additional driving lessons? A driving school in Warsaw tells you when it’s worth investing in extra hours on the road.

If you pass 80% of your exam and fail, you may not need to purchase additional driving lessons, but simply re-schedule your exam. However, there are several reasons why purchasing additional driving lessons is worthwhile.

When is it worth purchasing refresher driving lessons?

• Firstly, when we feel insecure behind the wheel.
• Secondly, if we fail in WORD, for example, we will only complete 20% of the exam or 20 minutes of driving out of 40 minutes.
• Thirdly, when the instructor or examiner suggests it to us.

6. What determines the price of refresher driving lessons? Warsaw driving schools list the factors that influence their rates.

There are several key factors that influence the price per hour of a course.

What determines the price per hour of additional driving?

• Firstly, it depends on whether we drive a manual or automatic transmission.
• Secondly, it depends on whether we travel on the weekend, when it is more expensive, or during the week.
• Thirdly, it depends on how many hours we buy: usually, the more, the cheaper it will be.
• Fourthly, whether we buy the basic course package with additional hours: then it will be the cheapest.
• Fifthly, depending on our level of negotiation skills: it can always be cheaper.
• Sixthly, on the skills and experience of the instructor.

7. How much does an hour of driving refresher training cost? A driving school in Warsaw tells you how much you’ll pay in the capital.

In the capital, you’ll find a wide range of prices. Typically, one hour will cost between 140 and 200 PLN. However, if you purchase a 10-hour package and pay cash upfront, you can negotiate up to 125 PLN per hour on the road in some locations.

How did the story of the student from India end?

The next day, the head of the driving school from Warsaw met with a student from India.

“Please tell me what the third problem is,” said the head of OSK.

– Well, – replied the Indian – I have only spent half an hour in a car in my life…

— How much?! So how on earth did you get your license there?

Laughter rang out.

— Well, you know how…

„OK, I understand. If you want to buy refresher driving lessons from me, you have to agree to my terms. We’ll drive for as many hours as I deem appropriate. The point is, if you’re going to be a taxi driver, I need to be sure you’ll drive safely and that none of your passengers will be hurt…”

The Indian agreed to this condition. And so, the refresher driving courses at the „Lauto” driving school in Warsaw lasted 50 hours, during which Ajay learned to drive safely on Polish roads.