A travel day earns nothing and costs everything. Wages, driver, fuel, hotel and food all run while no ticket is sold.
What it costs
A club tour spends roughly €400 to €800 on a travel day once fuel, tolls, hotel and food are counted. Two of them in a ten-date run can turn a break-even tour into a loss, which is why routing gets argued over before anything is confirmed.
When it is worth it
- Crossing between regions, Germany to Spain, or the mainland to the UK
- Ferry and tunnel crossings that swallow a day anyway
- A gap that keeps voices working through the back half of a run
How to use one
Sleep near the next load-in rather than halfway. Do laundry. Clear the settlements and invoices from the last three shows while the paperwork is still in the bag, because nobody does it on a show day.