In 2027 Easter falls on 28 March, and with it comes Rome’s busiest season for religious groups: parishes coming for Palm Sunday, dioceses organising a pilgrimage to Rome by coach in the week after Easter, groups wanting to attend a Wednesday general audience. For organisers the practical problem is always the same: getting 50 people close to St Peter’s, in an area where coaches have strict rules and there are few places to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Todde Bus has worked in Rome since 1956 and during the 2025 Jubilee handled the movement of religious groups in the city. For bus and coach hire in Rome<\/a> we have a fleet of more than 100 vehicles of our own; for spring 2027 what matters most are the dates, the rules for the Vatican area and booking times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Easter on 28 March, Palm Sunday is on 21 March and Easter Monday on 29 March. The times of the celebrations presided over by the Pope are published by the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff a few weeks beforehand: until then it is wise to plan the group’s programme with generous margins and confirm the coach times once the official calendar is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tickets for general audiences and for the Holy Father’s liturgical celebrations are free and are requested from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, through the official ticket portal for audiences and celebrations. Book the coach only after requesting the tickets, or at the same time, because the date of the celebration determines the date of the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The general audience is normally held on Wednesdays, unless the Pope has other commitments, in St Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Audience Hall. For a group this means entering the Vatican area early in the morning, along with many other groups. If the security checks open at a certain time, the group must already be off the coach and queuing before then, not arriving at that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A practical example: with a group staying at a religious guest house on the Via Aurelia and a meeting time at the security checks of 08:00, the coach picks up at 07:00 or earlier, not at 07:30. Security checks for thousands of people take time, and a group that arrives in a rush risks ending up at the back of the square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To operate in the areas near Vatican City, tour coaches need a specific permit, which Roma Servizi per la Mobilit\u00e0 issues in several types. Some permits involve parking in areas further away, such as the Via Aurelia car park or the areas around the Stadio Olimpico<\/a>, with pick-up and drop-off at set points such as the Terminal Gianicolo or Via Gregorio VII; others allow everything to be done at the Terminal Gianicolo, with the parking cost charged separately. The current permit types are published by Roma Mobilit\u00e0 in its section on permits for the Vatican area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Permits are valid for time slots, in the morning until 13:30 or in the afternoon from 13:30, and since 1 January 2026 they can only be bought online. For a group attending the audience in the morning and visiting the basilica in the afternoon, this split affects the programme: decide beforehand if you need both slots or if the coach will leave the area at midday. In the rest of the city the general rules on ZTL zones for tour coaches<\/a> apply, from checkpoints to parking areas (ZTL stands for Zona a Traffico Limitato, the restricted traffic zone).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many groups arrive in Rome by train or plane and only need a vehicle for getting around the city. For groups landing at Fiumicino or Ciampino the service starts with a group transfer from the airport<\/a>: we monitor flight times and, if a flight is delayed, the vehicle waits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the days of your stay you can have a coach with driver at your disposal for half a day or a full day, with a programme that alternates St Peter’s, the papal basilicas and the catacombs. A coach tour of Rome for groups<\/a> takes you around the city with stops already planned. With small groups, up to 20-27 people, a minibus<\/a> moves more easily through the narrow streets around the basilicas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For groups leaving Rome for the shrines, we also organise pilgrimages by coach from Rome<\/a>, from Assisi to San Giovanni Rotondo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From March to May several types of demand pile up in Rome at the same time: pilgrimages, school trips<\/a>, educational tours, sports events such as the Rome Marathon<\/a>, and weddings, which start in May. Coaches for the peak weekends are booked well in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For services with several vehicles, structured events and spring trips we recommend booking 2-3 months ahead. For a pilgrimage linked to Holy Week 2027, that means acting by December 2026 or January 2027, even if the number of participants is not yet final: the vehicle can be adjusted once registrations close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Milan the spring peak takes a different form: Salone del Mobile week in April, when demand for shuttles to the trade fair grounds<\/a> rises for everyone and transport for the Salone del Mobile<\/a> needs booking at least 2-3 months ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To prepare a written quote we need:<\/p>\n\n\n\nHoly Week 2027 dates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Wednesday general audience: how we organise it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Coach permits for the Vatican area<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Groups from outside Rome: arrival, accommodation, getting around<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Spring in Rome: the weeks when coaches run out first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to request a quote for a coach pilgrimage to Rome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n