Touring - working away from your usual base - is becoming more and more popular with ladies who maybe don’t want to work too close to home, haven’t got a regular incall place or just fancy a change and enjoy travelling. Whilst it’s not the path paved with gold it’s sometimes thought to be, with hard work and good planning it can be fun, motivating and a great way to make some extra cash whilst seeing a few new places and even building up new regular client bases away from home.
Where to Go
This is really your choice and yours alone - we’ve all heard about places that are supposedly fabulously lucrative but the reality is that no single destination is great for everybody, and whilst it’s sensible to avoid places that have a huge number of local ladies working and/or very low local ‘going rates’, as well as places that are generally thought of as ‘sensitive’ if you’re not that experienced (ie. anywhere where prostitution is illegal or otherwise deeply frowned upon - the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the United States would be good examples, as well as the Scottish Highlands like Inverness), there really aren’t any rules.
If you’re fairly new or going to an unfamiliar place it doesn’t hurt to tie your tour in with something you’re already doing or going to a place you’ve been intending to visit, just in case you wind up with a diary full of cancellations.
Some ladies, for example, report airport tours as being lucrative, but being stuck in some nondescript room in the middle of nowhere without even a corner shop nearby is no joke if you’re not busy, and while this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, it’s well worth making sure you choose a hotel which allows you to cancel on the day if you don’t get enough enquiries to make it worth bothering (see Where To Stay).
Avoid very small towns and villages - there isn’t likely to be any suitable accommodation, and even if you find some you’re likely to get caught out quickly if you’re busy unless you’re incredibly discreet.
London is a popular and obvious choice for many, but the size of the place can be overwhelming if you haven’t been before, accommodation is very expensive, and standing out with such a vast amount of competition can be difficult. Fortunately the number of people working means there is also a vast amount of punters there, and ladies who do persevere and build up a client base can expect to do well - some also put their normal incall rates up slightly or use their outcall rates to cover the higher overheads and it’s nothing unusual if you decide to do likewise.
There are no particular rules as to where, but keeping to Zone 1 (or Zone 2 at most - look at the tube maps) is sensible and since the majority of punters will be arriving via public transport, proximity to an Underground station (preferably with a few interconnecting lines) as well as bus stops and if possible mainline railway stations is vital; Kings Cross, Euston, Paddington, Liverpool Street and so on are among the largest and best known, and can provide a useful starting point for deciding on a venue if you don’t know the city very well.
The Republic of Ireland is a contentious place all by itself - ladies from the UK have toured there for years but the general feeling seems to be that it’s not as busy as it was, plus it isn’t advisable to go by yourself and it’s not for the fainthearted. If you decide to have a crack at it, join the forums on Escort Ireland where you can get useful and up to date information and advice via access to the ladies only section, which also includes Ugly Mugs reports and other warnings.
How to Get There
Unless you plan to drive everywhere (which has advantages and disadvantages in itself), the chances are that you’ll be using trains, buses and flights to get either to or from your chosen location. Like hotels, there are often super-cheap offers on if you book early, but also like hotels you have to be prepared to lose your money if your plans change. You can often register for email alerts to let you know when your tickets go on sale if you’re booking super (12 weeks) early, and whilst sites like The Trainline are great for checking train times and figuring out your connections, they charge added fees and it’s almost always cheaper to book directly through the train company you’re travelling with (you can find out what this is on site like Trainline too). Upgrades to First Class bught this way can cost little more than the price of a standard ticket and some of the perks (like free meals, drinks and wifi) can be well worth it, but again, check the specific company and be especially wary if you’re travelling at the weekend when the usual extras may not be available.
If you’re not in any rush, buses and coaches can be a very cheap way to cover distance - companies like Megabus are worth a look as well as good old National Express. The obvious downside is that they can take an age and even if you can find one that will still get you to your destination at a reasonable time, you may not feel much like launching into a busy day after four to six hours on a coach, particularly if you’ve had to get up at four am just to catch it. For journeys of less than a hundred miles or so, they’re well worth a look if you’re aiming at major cities, but don’t forget to look at the whole picture - if the coach terminal is in the middle of nowhere and a £20 taxi ride from where you’re going, again, consider just getting a train in the first place.
Flights and ferries are the order of the day if you plan to travel even further or cross water - there are plenty of budget choices for internal UK trips and also for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The prices do vary, but bearing in mind that you can’t get a refund if you don’t use them it’s probably best to leave them until you’re sure of your plans even if it does mean paying slightly more. You can compare prices on sites like Expedia, Travel Supermarket and Opodo - don’t forget you will need a passport (or at least some form of photo ID) to pass through security in any UK airport even if you’re only going down the road - be sure to keep it safe when you’ve arrived and started taking bookings.
Where to Stay
The major decision is whether you want a hotel or a serviced apartment - both have pros and cons. Hotels are safer if you’re travelling alone, but can be costly in terms of extras like food whereas a properly equipped apartment will allow you to largely fend for yourself.
Apartments may cost more up front, but you’ll save money on eating out and you’re also more likely to find these to be unstaffed with no reception; look for things like ‘self check-in’ in the ads and read Laterooms and Tripadvisor reviews to see which have these sort of arrangements - often a member of staff will either meet you there with a key or better still, leave it in a secure box for you to collect when you arrive.
Just because you’ve booked an apartment doesn’t automatically mean there won’t be a reception though, and a portered/staffed apartment block can be far harder work than an ordinary hotel as they are likely to be far more interested in comings and goings when a lot of expensive furnishings and household appliances are at stake. Asking for recommendations on the SAAFE forum can save a lot of hassle and possibly wasted cash.
On the plus side, you’ll have more space, quite possibly laundry as well as kitchen facilities and if you are teaming up with a buddy an apartment can be a great cost-effective option. Some other downsides are that they can be expensive and the cleaning staff (when they’re about) can be super-nosy plus they can feel very isolating if the building is deserted during the day, and I personally wouldn’t work from one alone unless I had no other reasonable options.
On the hotel side, there are plenty with lifts or separate entrances that bypass reception altogether, and even if they don’t, a large anonymous hotel lobby is simple for punters to negotiate provided you make sure they have clear directions to your room - get them to ring when they’ve arrived, can describe something outside and give them the room number then. If you want to take extra care, tell them the floor and then ask them the room numbers they can see on the wall signs when they get out of the lift, or even send then to the room opposite and scoop them in when they turn up outside - only recommended for rooms with spyholes! You can ring the room opposite to check there’s nobody there - I’ve done this many times when I’ve not been entirely sure about a new client but there’s nothing setting off particular alarm bells. Try to get a room where you can see the approach to the hotel entrance if you can, and as ever, maintain normal security procedures: make sure somebody knows when you have a booking and what time it’s due to finish so they’re expecting to hear from you. Touring ladies have been the target of robberies in the past and it’s vitally important to be vigilant.
Generally, avoid small, family run type places and look out for well known business-type chains like Jurys, Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Novotel and the rest of the usual suspects - some ladies are happy working from the budget chains like Travelodge, PremierInn and Ibis but these are far more likely to have keycarded lifts and corridors (less so with Ibis) which are not an insurmountable obstacle but a real pain, and definitely best avoided. If you’re not sure, the simplest way to find out is to ring the hotel and ask - you can say you’re travelling with teenagers or elderly relatives and have had trouble with key card systems before so you prefer to avoid them. Don’t ring from your advertised work number (and it should go without saying not to make reservations in your work name or from your working email - hotel staff are more than capable of using Google); another thing when booking is remember that unless you’re absolutely sure your plans won’t change, don’t be too tempted by the rock bottom advance booking rates. You might save a few quid per night, but if you decide to leave early or cancel altogether you won’t get any of your money back - it’s up to you whether you take the risk, but having cancelled a couple of trips both through events that were no fault of my own and lost £700 or so in hotel and travel costs, it’s well worth giving some serious thought.
As far as hotel standards go, again, everybody’s different - I can’t cope with more than one (short) night in a Travelodge and find the lack of even basic comforts impossible, but it’s really up to you. Work out costs carefully though - it can actually work out more economical to spend a little more if it means you get free Wifi, breakfast (you can often pocket enough fruit/pastries/yoghurts and so on to see you through until evening - take freezer bags) and a better location. You will often find you can check in earlier and check out later without having to pay extra too, although this is still generally only around £10 if you do decide to maximise your working time and take advantage of the busy lunchtime period. The absolute bare essentials for me are a safe (unless there’s a branch of my bank within a five minute walk), a spy hole in the door and aircon in summer, with a fridge running close behind (even a tiny mini bar can hold enough food for a day if you balance it carefully). With nicer hotels you’re also more likely to get a coffee shop, gym facilities or even a pool, which isn’t crucial but can make all the difference if you’re busy and just need a break for an hour while they clean the room. Towels can easily be gathered from the housekeeping trolleys, but don’t be afraid to ring and just ask for fresh ones if you do run short; likewise bedding - if you’re really not feeling brazen, spill coffee over them first and sound apologetic. I always take my own towel from home and a thin throw for emergencies - other ladies use fitted sheets which cover the whole bed or just whatever they can grab. Try to arrange for your room to be cleaned first thing if you want to be left alone for the day (the Do Not Disturb sign is your friend if not, and you can also buy rubber door wedges from most pound shops if you’re really concerned about being walked in on!) I always leave tips for the housekeeping staff, but again it’s up to you.
The other major consideration is location - if at all possible you want to be near places where you can easily get food, bank your money at least once a day (and preferably more if you’re busy) and hopefully not have to spend a fortune on taxis. From a punter’s point of view, parking is usually important outside London, plus consider the place you are visiting - smaller towns mean that a venue slightly out of the way can be better as punters will worry less about running into people they know if they’re not risking being sighted walking into a large hotel in the middle of the local main drag. Again, the best way to find out is ask others who have done it.
Keeping Yourself Going
Most ladies use touring time to work far more intensively than we do at home - that’s why we’re there, after all! With effective advertising you may well get almost booked up in advance if punters are excited about your visit and don’t want to miss a chance to see you, but always have a proper confirmation procedure to help weed out timewasters and no shows. Apart from anything else, peoples’ plans change and a handful of cancellations the week before you go is nothing out of the ordinary - if in doubt, just don’t take bookings until (say) a week before you go.
I tend to reconfirm by email or ask for a phone call a few days/the weekend before I set off, and then again on the actual morning which is when I give them the name of the hotel. Don’t be tempted to do this until you’ve arrived and settled in, just in case - if you have punters coming shortly after you’ve arrived just take the confirmation call as normal, give them rough directions and ask them to ring you (or if you can ring them) once you’re in your room for the specific hotel name and address. Again, do a bit of research - if your hotel is the only likely one in the street, don’t give them the street name - the postcode will do fine and by all means use Google Maps to get the postcode for the next street if you’re concerned, although these sort of precautions really aren’t necessary outside the ‘sensitive’ places mentioned earlier.
If you’re only used to doing a handful of bookings a week, several (or more) in a day can come as a shock to the system even to the fittest - in addition to your actual bookings you’ll have long days, the constant worry about being caught out (which can get to the best of us!) as well as very limited time to get proper food, fresh air and exercise. Try hard to make time for at least one hot meal a day (Just Eat is a great site for ordering takeaways if you’re in a strange city and you can pay online too!) and take what you can with you to keep you going during the day - cup-a-soups, instant noodles and pasta-in-a-mug type things aren’t great nutritionally, but they’re better than nothing and you can improvise with deli bits, bought salads and fruit. Crackers or oatcakes and peanut butter are filling and good for energy too - it should go without saying, but avoid food that will make you or the room smell (a pity, since smoked fish fillets are ideal no-cook hotel food otherwise), that you need proper crockery or cutlery to eat or prepare or that is high in sugar including drinks - you’ll get tired out and headachy a lot quicker.
Try to get some daily fresh air and a bit of (non-work) exercise, even if it’s just taking your time going to the bank and picking up your lunch from the shops. You’ll probably be having more showers than usual too, so if your skin is sensitive you might want to pack extra body lotion - I take E45 as the combination of soap and aircon makes mine dry. You’re likely to need at least an hour a day to deal with messages and emails, return calls and so on - don’t forget to allow for this. And if you really do feel like you can’t cope with any more for one day then stop as soon as you can, switch your phone off and take a few hours out even if it’s just to sleep, watch TV or read while you recuperate a bit - this is really important if you’re going for more than just a couple of days and it’s worth factoring in a bit of time off in advance if you’re not used to working intensively. For example, if you have a day where you don’t have any appointments booked until noon, or after seven, consider leaving this time for yourself to have a lie in or an early finish. It’ll work out better in the long term if you don’t exhaust yourself by the end of the first day!
Some More Top Tips for Touring!
So you’ve decided to give it a try! Below is a list of tips, recommendations and knowhow compiled from posts by regularly touring members on the SAAFE forum, as well as a few very basic pointers that are always worth keeping in mind.
Check and double check everything - hotel reservations, train times, location of services and amenities. Don’t get stranded, miss your flight, go to the wrong hotel, find that the nearby branch of your bank you found shut two years ago. Above all, make sure your accommodation is suitable for working from.
Have contingency plans for any possible disasters - what will you do if you get asked to leave your hotel (rare, but it happens), get attacked or robbed, fall ill, lose your luggage or even have all your bookings cancel? And prepare properly - top up your phones, make sure your work clothes don’t need repairing, stock up on spare hosiery, batteries and so on before you set off.
Know your limits. Just because other ladies can see ten (or five) punters a day doesn’t mean you have to if you don’t want to. And just because you’re paying for a hotel doesn’t mean you have to see the sort of people you would turn away in a heartbeat at home, either - screening is just as crucial if not more so.
Treat all requests for dressing up with suspicion - even if you offer a fancy dress-type service at home, you don’t want to schlep a suitcase full of costumes all over the land just find that the one person who asked for them cancels the day before. Unless you’ve seen the punter already and think he’s reliable, consider turning down all ‘outfit’ requests flat.
Keep your receipts! Travel tickets, hotel costs, parking/toll fees and a reasonable allowance for meals are ALL tax deductible.
Above all, look after yourself properly. It’s bloody hard work, and don’t feel bad if you need a few days (or a week) off afterwards. Set aside some of your extra earnings for a treat, even if it’s just a new pair of shoes, a family day out somewhere or a massive takeaway. Equally, if you’re not busy, don’t be too downhearted. We’ve all been there and I doubt anybody who’s toured more than a handful of times hasn’t had at least one disaster. It’s easier said than done, but if you can stay and try to make the best of it do, or go home early and enjoy some extra personal time. Either way, it’s just one of those things.
Have fun! You’ve got no housework or laundry to do for a few days, at least.
(Last revised: 2024-11)