With the Yucon 7.0 through Austria

It’s time to go – let’s roll!

Breakfast table cleared, baby packed up and out into the world. We already loaded the van the day before with our luggage and all the things we need for our trip. With so much space and countless stowing possibilities, packing was much faster and easier than we expected. Clothes, cosmetics and kitchen utensils – everything has its place, exactly where you need it: in the sleeping area, bathroom or kitchenette.

Lake Waller near Salzburg

The navigation system says we’re travelling 376 km on the first leg: beach camping at Fenningerspitz on Lake Waller near Salzburg. Just a few more kilometres on the motorway and lo and behold: Now this really feels like a holiday! A Bluetooth connection plays the right music from my phone and the cruise control keeps the right speed – “van life” couldn’t be any more relaxed. Thanks to four seats with seatbelts, our baby is safe and sound in her car seat. And we’ve been having such good conversations that the first 200 kilometres already flew by.

We take a pit stop and continue on our way the last few kilometres to the campsite. We’re here: “Fenningerspitz” – a simply picturesque beach camping site. After a nice greeting we take our assigned spot: 108. The power supply works like a charm, the satellite dish extends and automatically searches for the best reception. And we focus on the beautiful things in life: the lake, nature and, of course, food. We go for a walk around the campsite and return for our first meal in the Yucon: Pasta al Pomodoro. Thanks to the large fresh water tank and gas stove, the pasta water is quickly brought to a boil and the sauce prepared. We warm up a jar of baby food for Carlotta on the second burner. And this is how we end our first day: relaxed with Italian food and a bottle of wine. Now it’s time for bed – the next day is calling. Every window is equipped with a separate, sophisticated system comprising a mosquito net and blackout blind so we were able to completely darken the Yucon. 

As relatively new parents, this was an awesome night for us. Our child slept better than ever and we also woke up feeling great and well rested. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical because of my tall height of 1.92 m (6' 3.5"), but despite my concerns I was able to stretch out and enjoy my beauty sleep. It was real bonus to open up the blinds of the rear windows shortly after waking up and look out over the lake in the morning – breathtaking! What a way to start the day.

From Salzburg to Zell am See

We spent the next three days in and around Salzburg visiting friends, drinking excellent wine, touring the city and taking a dip in the lake. It was always a very pleasant experience with our Yucon, which was very practical and served as a towel dryer, mobile kitchen and place to rest. But we wanted to see even more of Austria, so we headed south west to the Großglockner! Our next big stop was the Zell am See campsite on Lake Zell. We loaded up our fresh water tank quickly before we left. Around 130 kilometres later we reached our destination and got a great spot to park our camper van again. The campsite is located directly on Lake Zell, so we were immediately drawn back into the cool water again. The mountain scenery with the Großes Wiesbachhorn peak is amazing and perfect for swimming and relaxing.

Our stop at this campsite was also the first time we emptied our septic system. We had never done this before, so we were a little uncertain about it at first. But when we pulled the Thetford cassette out of the compartment we were totally surprised. No unpleasant odour, no leaks or drips – and, thanks to the telescopic handle and wheels, it was super easy to pull. We were amazed again and now we understood more and more why so many people love camping.

There was a lot for us to discover around Zell am See. Visiting some of the “hotspots” with our van was quick and easy: Zell am See itself, the Großglockner, the Großvenediger (thrilling ascent on a roughly two-metre-wide mountain road), Hinterglemm and the Krimml waterfalls. We had no