Escorts

Escorting is a service where individuals are paid to provide companionship, social interaction, or ‘entertainment’ for a set period of time.

On a site like ours, it’s natural to immediately associate escorting with the adult industry, but it can include a range of services: attending events, corporate dinners, or even impressing your mates with a bombshell at a school reunion. Yes, we’ve seen it happen lol.

Unlike traditional dating or relationships, escorting is strictly a transactional arrangement where the client compensates the escort for their time and presence.

Most escorts operate independently these days (thanks to the Internet), while others (particularly the VIP providers) work through agencies that deal with the bookings and handle client screening.

While sex is often implied or expected, professional escorts typically emphasize that they are paid for companionship only (more on that below). This creates a legal distinction from prostitution in many jurisdictions.

Is Escorting Legal?

Escorting, like brothels, exists in a highly fragmented legal landscape across Europe.

While some countries fully legalize and regulate escort services, others ban them outright or allow them in legal gray areas. Sometimes these laws are enforced… other times they are not.

The key distinction between escorting and prostitution, in legal terms, hinges on the location of the service, and how the transaction is structured.

Many countries that prohibit brothels still allow escorting as long as the sex work occurs in private settings (e.g. a private apartment) rather than designated venues, and that no third party profits from the transaction (e.g. pimps and sex traffickers).

It varies by country, which is why we have over 40 country guides discussing the specific details on a case by case basis.

Escorting in Europe: It’s Complicated

In places where prostitution (the exchange of sex for money) is illegal, escorts and their clients will operate under a framework that technically keeps the arrangement within legal boundaries.

And that framework is quite simple:

Payment is for Time, Not Services

• The escort simply says that her clients are paying for companionship or time, not explicitly for sexual services. There’s nothing illegal about this.
• The agreed-upon fee is structured as a charge for time spent together, not for any specific acts.

No Explicit Agreement for Sex

• For the arrangement to stay legal, there can’t be any explicit mention or agreement about sex before or during the transaction.
• If a punter or escort openly discusses exchanging money for sex, it could be considered solicitation or prostitution, depending on local laws. At that point: game over.
• This dodgy loophole is why many call girls (and their websites) will use vague or coded language and avoid discussing specifics over text or phone. It’s to stay safe within the confines of the law.

Since the payment is legally for companionship (and ‘companion’ is exactly the marketing-jargon smart escorts will use!), what happens privately between two consenting adults is, theoretically, not part of the business transaction.

Keep in mind, though, and this is how things work in countries where escorting is a legal gray area (or outright banned).

In countries where escort services are legal, there will be no such code in place. Thus, it’s quite common to find companions with personal websites advertising extravagant menus of sexual services (and the cost).

These markets are also rife with highly-sophisticated escort agencies that make a LOT of money from providing VIP clients with elite courtesans.

Here’s a broad overview of the legal framework across Europe:

Legal Status Across Europe

Each of our country guides covers the legal side of the local escort industry, but we’ve summarised some of the major markets below.

Here’s a broad overview of the legal status of escort businesses across Europe:

• Germany & Switzerland – Fully legalized, regulated and a massive multi-million euro industry. Escorts can advertise freely, and agencies operate openly. Strict licensing laws apply, and taxation is mandatory.
• Netherlands – Legal and regulated, though under increasing scrutiny. Escorts now require permits in some regions, and agencies need to comply with strict employment laws.
• Austria & Belgium – Escorts operate legally under various regulations.
• Spain – Escorting exists in a legal gray area, as prostitution is decriminalized (and rife) but brothels remain technically illegal. However, large escort agencies and independent workers operate openly.
• United Kingdom – Escorting itself is not illegal, but soliciting and running agencies in certain ways can be. Advertising in print or online is becoming more restricted.
• France – While escorting itself is not illegal, many of the activities surrounding it are regulated or criminalized. Purchasing sex has been illegal since 2016.
• Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Iceland) – Buying sex is criminalized, making escorting difficult. However, independent escorts still operate discreetly. The risk burden is on the punter. Denmark is the exception, with much more lenient sex work laws.
• Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc.) – Regulations vary widely (see our specific guides for more info), with some countries tolerating escort work while others routinely crack down on advertising and agency operations, especially in light of negative press attention.

Advertising Restrictions & Availability

While escorts operate in most European countries, advertising can be restricted.

In places like the UK and France, agencies and directories are often shut down, forcing call girls and courtesans to rely on word-of-mouth (or the Wild West of classified sites like Locanto).

However, in countries where escorting is legal, advertising is widespread and easily accessible through well-known platforms.

Note: We do not publish links to agencies in countries where they are banned from advertising. However, common sense dictates that these services are not hard to find.

Types of Escorts in Europe

From elegant dinner dates to luxury travel partners to full-on adult film star experiences, there’s an escort for every taste and fantasy. The only real limit? Your imagination.

Well… that and your wallet.

The industry has evolved far beyond the stereotypical idea of “just hiring someone for the night.”

Today, punters can choose from a wide range of services, each tailored to kinks, preferences, experiences, and ‘levels’ of intimacy.

The most popular package is probably the GFE (Girlfriend Experience)—a more natural, affectionate, and emotionally engaging connection that is designed to replicate the honeymoon period of an actual relationship—while others opt for the famous PSE (Porn Star Experience), where the focus is on… you guessed it… shagging like you’re living out your wildest PornHub fantasies.

Beyond these, there are fetish specialists, dominatrixes, roleplay experts, social companions, tantric masseuses, and even escorts who will come on week-long holidays for a mix of all of the above.

There are different tiers of service and pricing structures depending on the location and clientele. The three main categories are:

1. Freelance Escorts

• Operate independently, often using online platforms, social media, or even the old-school method of newspaper classified ads.
• Freelancers offer flexibility in pricing, but safety and reliability can vary. YMMV.
• Common in just about every city across the world. A 2017 study estimates there are over 700,000 escorts operating in the EU, and most of these are freelance sex workers.

2. Agency Escorts

• Agency girls let their agencies handle bookings, security, and screening.
• Typically higher reliability and professional standards. The agencies take a cut to ‘protect’ the transaction for all parties concerned.
• Very popular in major cities. We’ve listed the most prominent agencies in our city guides (where they are legal).
• Some agencies specialize in “GFE” (Girlfriend Experience) or VIP companionship.
• It’s also quite common to find Asian specialty agencies, although not all of these girls will speak good English.

3. Elite Companions & VIP Services

• Strictly high-end escorts catering to high rollers: wealthy clients who want maximum discretion, travel companionship, or upscale social experiences.
• Often marketed under euphemisms like “model companions” or “exclusive courtesans.”
• Used by celebrities with the assurance that they won’t end up leaked to the press.
• Common in luxury hubs such as Monaco, Geneva, Dubai (where European escorts often travel), and parts of London and Paris.
• Rates can start at €1000+ per hour, with overnight and weekend bookings reaching five-figure sums.
• As a general rule… these escorts may not even identify as escorts. Some are just high-society girls (and guys) who take a booking once or twice per month.

Some other ‘escort’ categories to be aware of:

• Sugar Babies – Some escorts market their services under the umbrella of sugar dating, and there are many mainstream dating sites that operate in this legal gray area.
• Kinky & Fetish Specialists – Oh so you need a dominatrix?! These companions cater to niche markets and often charge premium rates for specialized services.

What Do Escorts Cost In Europe?

There’s no easy way of answering this question, and there’s no ‘right’ answer without considering the level of service required and (more specifically)… the calibre of the companion.

Here’s a rough estimate of pricing per region:

• Western Europe (UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland) –
  • Mid-range: €150 – €400 per hour
  • High-end: €800 – €2000 per hour
  • Overnight bookings: €3000 – €10,000+
• Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece) –
  • Mid-range: €100 – €300 per hour
  • High-end: €500 – €1500 per hour
  • Overnight: €2000 – €7000
• Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) –
  • Mid-range: €200 – €500 per hour
  • High-end: €1000 – €3000 per hour
  • Overnight: €5000 – €12,000
• Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria) –
  • Mid-range: €50 – €200 per hour
  • High-end: €300 – €1000 per hour
  • Overnight: €1000 – €5000

The easiest way to get a feel for price is simply to browse one of the many Europe-wide escort directories.

Our city guides provide the latest intel on pricing, but the market changes and as always: YMMV.