@sillysassy I know right? I love the topic and I love it allowed me to share my Hercules obsession but I 100% had a karaoke night at 1am.
Omg, this inspired me to go the piano and play and sing Go the Distance. I thought about recording a video for y'all, but maybe that's going too far lol.
Definitely charge for travel! Separately. There can be some radius where you don't charge.
Honestly I would not have a pro driving for hours to see me, even being paid for it, unless I was sure they were really ok with it. My experience is that a lot of people find driving stressful, and they don't know what state they will be in when they arrive; they might need time to decompress. Pros like to be at their best, emotionally, for the client and the session, so this can be a little uncomfortable for them—but they may not tell you any of this because they want to be professional. If a pro drives to see you, be kind and give them a little time and space to collect themselves.
And pros, factor in the time and gas you are expending and be compensated fairly, and only agree to what you are really comfortable with, so that thinking about that doesn't hang over the session.