For a tour operator in Rome, the coach is the part of the package the end client only notices when something goes wrong: the vehicle that arrives late at the port, the driver who cannot find the bay at the Vatican, the group left waiting outside the hotel. The transport supplier’s job is to make sure this does not happen, even in the weeks when the whole city is full of groups.
We work with tour operators, DMCs, incoming agencies and congress offices from our depot in Via Ugo Forti. We are a company founded in Rome in 1956 and in coach hire since the 1980s: our coach and bus hire service in Rome covers everything from transfers to full tour days. Here we explain what we can take on and what we need to know from you.
What a tour operator asks a coach company in Rome
The questions we get from agencies are always the same, and they are the right ones: do you have vehicles on the peak dates, who owns the vehicles, what happens if a coach breaks down, who answers the phone on the day of the service.
The first depends on how early you write to us (more on that below). The others we can answer straight away. The fleet has more than 100 vehicles of our own, from 8-seat minibuses to 54-56 seat Gran Turismo coaches, and the workshop is in-house, with our own mechanics and scheduled maintenance. In case of breakdown we send a replacement vehicle. The phone number +39 06 4882027 is a direct line, also used for emergencies, and the service runs seven days a week, public holidays included, at any time.
High season, religious events and bookings
Demand for coaches in Rome peaks in spring, between Easter, school trips and the first international groups. During the 2025 Jubilee we handled the flows of religious groups in the city, and the experience confirmed a simple rule: in weeks of heavy demand, vehicles are confirmed months ahead, not weeks.
For services with several vehicles, structured events or spring trips we ask for 2-3 months’ notice; in normal periods 2-3 weeks is enough. For a multi-day programme with a schedule of arrivals, it is best to block the main dates straight away and settle the details later. Many programmes include pilgrimages by coach from Rome to Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, Cascia and Loreto.
ZTL bus permits, the Vatican and the Colosseum
Rome has a permit system for tour buses that visitors from elsewhere often underestimate. The historic centre is closed to tour coaches; around it there are two zones, ZTL BUS A and B (ZTL stands for Zona a Traffico Limitato, the restricted traffic zone), with paid permits, and the Vatican and Colosseum areas have specific permits in limited numbers, with time slots and shifts. Since 1 January 2026 permits can only be bought online.
For a DMC this has two practical consequences. First, the programme has to be written starting from the permitted stops, not from the addresses of the monuments. Second, the permit for the limited-number areas must be booked early on peak days. We take care of this for the vehicles running the service, along with the other ZTL permits for tour buses.
A typical Rome coach tour for groups is planned around the permitted drop-off and pick-up points, not around the monuments themselves.
Arrivals and departures: airports and port
The first and last services in a package are almost always transfers. For a group transfer from Fiumicino and Ciampino we monitor flight times: if a flight is delayed, the vehicle waits without you needing to tell us. With arrivals spread over several flights we decide with you whether to wait for everyone or run several trips, based on the number of people and the times.
For cruise groups the starting point is the port. The transfer from the port of Civitavecchia can be combined with a city tour on the same day, with the luggage in the coach hold, or with a direct transfer to the hotel.
Multi-day tours and trips outside Rome
Many incoming packages use Rome as a base for day excursions or as the first stop on coach trips across Italy. From Rome the main Italian cities can be reached in 2-8 hours, and on multi-day tours the driver stays with the group for the whole itinerary. The driver’s overnight accommodation is shown separately in the quote, together with tolls.
For these services we use the Gran Turismo coach, which, depending on the model, has Wi-Fi, USB sockets, a fridge and reclining seats.
On long tours the programme also has to take into account the legal limits on how many hours the driver can drive and the compulsory rest periods.
Drivers, languages and operations contact
Our drivers hold a category D licence and an up-to-date CQC (the professional driver qualification card). For international groups, on request, we assign an English-speaking driver: the driver does not replace the guide or tour escort, but the group leader can speak to the driver directly about a change of time or pick-up point. An escort on board is not included in the standard service and is assessed case by case.
For services with more than 100 people we prepare a logistics plan with pick-up points, times, coordinated vehicles and an operations contact who can be reached on the day of the service. It is the same approach we use for congress shuttles to EUR and La Nuvola.
How to request a quote as a tour operator or DMC
The quote is written and itemised. Driver, fuel, passenger insurance and maintenance are included; tolls, the driver’s overnight accommodation on multi-day trips and any extra routes are shown separately. Extra hours have an hourly rate agreed in advance, so you know what a delay by the group costs before it happens. For an idea of the hourly rates there is our guide to coach hire prices in Rome.
Send us the programme, even in draft, with dates, number of participants per service, arrival and departure times (flights, ships, trains), hotels and planned visits. Tell us whether you need English-speaking drivers and whether any services need several vehicles at the same time. We reply within a few hours during working hours; for urgent requests it is better to phone.
Phone: +39 06 4882027. Email: info@toddebus.it. For programmes that include Lombardy we look after tour operators and DMCs in Milan from our operating base in Lainate.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle the tour bus permits in Rome?
Yes, we take care of the ZTL bus permits for the vehicles running the service. For the limited-number areas at the Vatican and the Colosseum it helps to have the programme early, so we can book the right time slot.
How far ahead should a tour operator book coaches in Rome?
In normal periods, 2-3 weeks. For services with several vehicles, structured events or groups in spring, 2-3 months.
What happens if the group’s flight lands late at Fiumicino?
We monitor flights and the vehicle waits without you needing to tell us. With several flights arriving we decide together whether to wait for everyone or run several trips.
Do you own your vehicles or subcontract them?
The fleet has more than 100 vehicles of our own, with an in-house workshop and replacement vehicles in case of breakdown.
Do you also provide a tour guide or escort?
The standard service includes the vehicle and the driver. An escort on board is not included and is assessed case by case; on request the driver can speak English.
