> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.chefmaison.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How is my travel cost calculated?

ChefMaison can automatically add a travel cost item to a proposal based on distance — but exactly how it's calculated depends on the type of request. Here's how it works.
## Personal requests (from your ChefMaison profile page)
When a client sends you a personal request through your profile page and enters their address, we calculate the distance using **Google Maps, based on actual road distance** — not a straight line. This means it accounts for the real driving route, which is especially relevant if you're in an area with winding roads or difficult terrain, where a straight-line distance would seriously underestimate your actual travel.
## Public requests (leads from the general matching system)
For public/general requests — the ones matched to you automatically rather than sent directly to your profile — the distance is currently calculated **"as the crow flies"** (a straight-line distance), not by road.
## You can always update it
Regardless of which method is used, this is just a **starting point** — you can always edit or update the travel cost item in your proposal if the automatic calculation doesn't reflect your real cost.
## What determines the price per km
* The automatic calculation currently uses a **default rate (around €0.21/km)** 
* Some chefs choose to charge a **flat fee** (for example, €50) instead of a per-km rate — this isn't a ChefMaison setting or calculation, it's simply a choice some chefs make manually when building their proposal.

> 💡 The automatic travel item is a helpful starting point, not a fixed number — always feel free to update it based on your real travel costs for each specific event.