Stefano Rome Tours

A Rome private-driver tour company

Stefano Rome Tours is a Rome company that runs private day tours by car, cruise shore excursions and long-distance transfers with its own English-speaking drivers. The homepage says it offers day tours in Rome and from Rome to the Roman countryside, Tuscany, Umbria and the Amalfi Coast, and shore excursions from Civitavecchia, Livorno and Naples. The About page adds full-day excursions from the cruise ports of La Spezia and Salerno, and day tours from Florence to Tuscan towns and Chianti wineries. Prices are shown in euros. The owner, Stefano Costantini, is named on the About page, which describes the business as the sister company to RomeCabs. The footer gives an Italian VAT number (Partita Iva 11638151008).

The site gives two versions of its age: the homepage says "For more than 15 years" in one block and "Established in 2004 along with our sister company RomeCabs" under a heading of 20+ Years in Business in another.

Day tours and shore excursions

The homepage lists five day tours with a starting price. The Postcard Rome Tour, which the site calls its "MOST POPULAR ROME TOUR", covers Rome's squares, ancient monuments and churches from € 450. The Rome City and Countryside Tour starts from € 490, the Medieval Wonders Countryside Tour is a full day from € 500, and the Montepulciano and Pienza Tuscany Tour is a full day from € 620. The site says its drivers take guests to ancient sites such as the Colosseum square, Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon, and to squares like the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona.

Beyond Rome, the homepage lists tours to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Sorrento and Herculaneum, Tuscany and Umbria tours, and wine tasting tours to both regions. The About page mentions a day tour to Assisi or Orvieto and a Civita di Bagnoregio tour. The company says it created signature tours including "Castles and Lakes", "Etruscan Mystery" and "Majestic Tuscany Tour", and the About page says its Vacanze Romane tour was recommended by Travel + Leisure magazine.

For cruise passengers, the La Dolce Vita Rome Private Excursion from Civitavecchia starts from € 650, and there are pre-cruise tours from Rome that end at the ship and post-cruise tours from Civitavecchia on disembarkation day, including post-cruise versions of the Postcard Rome, La Dolce Vita and City and Countryside tours.

Long-distance transfers

Private long-distance transfers are the most fully documented service on the site. Rome to Orvieto costs 380 EUROS for up to 4 people, 430 for up to 6 and 480 for up to 7, with Fiumicino to Orvieto at 450 for up to 4 and Civitavecchia to Orvieto at 500 for up to 6. Rome to Siena costs 620 for up to 4, 670 for up to 6 and 730 for up to 7, and Fiumicino to Siena 720, 770 and 850. Rome to Cortona costs 570, 600 and 680 for the same group bands, and Fiumicino to Cortona 670, 720 and 780. These prices are for daytime service between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM; night services carry a surcharge of 50 EUROS on the Orvieto route and 100 EUROS on the Siena and Cortona routes. Each price is one way and direct, with no sightseeing, extra stops or return trip. The pages say the price includes the private deluxe vehicle, the driver, taxes, highway tolls and parking, and excludes gratuities. Transfers to Florence and to Naples are also listed.

On the day: meeting the driver

The transfer pages spell out the logistics. At a hotel, the driver waits in the lobby; at an apartment or B&B, outside the main entrance. Where a street is closed to traffic, the driver parks as close as the law allows and walks to the door, so the site notes door-to-door service may not always be possible. At Civitavecchia, the driver waits on the pier next to the ship holding a sign with the name on the booking, and the page asks passengers not to leave the ship area or board a shuttle bus. For airport pickups, detailed meeting instructions are sent ahead. A minivan takes up to 6-7 suitcases and 6-7 carry-on cases in total, and the company asks for the luggage count when booking. The transfer pages describe the service as suited to families with children, travelers with mobility issues and older travelers; that is the company's own framing.

Booking, payment and cancellation

Bookings go through an online form with an availability calendar; dates that cannot be selected are unavailable. Payment is made in advance online by PayPal or credit card during confirmation. The cancellation policy on the transfer pages says cancellations must be made at least 7 days in advance by email, and that prepaid services are refunded at the net rate, meaning the price minus the fees PayPal or the card company does not return. The company asks for 24-48 hours to answer emails. The office is open Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Italian time, closed Sundays and Easter, and can be reached at info@stefanorometours.com or by phone on 0039 339 3525 028 from Europe and 011 39 339 3525 028 from the US and Canada. A separate Tours Terms of Service page governs the tours.

What the pages leave open, and who it suits

The tour prices are "from" figures and the homepage does not say how many passengers they cover, whether entrance tickets or a licensed site guide are included, or how long the Rome tours run; the transfer pages are far more specific than the tour listings. The cancellation terms shown are on the transfer pages, so tour bookers should read the Tours Terms of Service before paying. The two founding claims (more than 15 years and established in 2004) also differ.

Stefano Rome Tours suits travelers who want a private car and English-speaking driver for a day in and around Rome, cruise passengers docking at Civitavecchia who want to be met on the pier, and anyone moving between Rome, its airports and towns like Orvieto, Siena or Cortona without trains. Its fixed transfer prices by group size make budgeting simple. Travelers who want a walking tour with a licensed site guide, or a shared group price, will find the model different from what they need.