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99 days of adventure: with an electric ID.Buzz through Eastern Europe

Anyone who thinks an electric camper limits you to short trips or crowded campsites with charging stations is mistaken. Nancy, Marco, and their 10-year-old son Brenn traveled 99 days through 14 European countries in an Outbase ID.Buzz and discovered that adventure and sustainability go together surprisingly well.

Before we left, we often got the same questions: Is it really doable, going that far with an electric camper? How do you find a charging spot and how does Brenn go to school? And to be honest: you do need to be well prepared. But yes, it’s possible. In fact, it’s a fantastic way to travel,” says Nancy ten Have. “The ID.Buzz has a greater range than many other electric campervans, which really makes a difference on the road. This bus gives you the freedom to venture further off the beaten track.”

Adventures as a trio

Marco and Nancy wanted to travel in a sustainable way. Marco: “We wanted to have adventures together and experience self-sufficient living. Thanks to the solar panel and charging the second battery along the way, that worked out perfectly. We also tried to produce as little waste as possible and to find our drinking water on the road.

Almost everywhere there was drinkable water, from the tap or from a public water point. So no plastic bottles for us. Often our water came from a spring, and there were even signs along the motorway pointing out these springs. It was really fun to be so consciously engaged.”

“In Greece you can park beautifully by the beach, that was really a highlight. With a small campervan you are so flexible”

Good preparation brings peace of mind

Nancy had prepared the trip well. “We mapped out the route in broad strokes, checked campsites and charging stations, and researched which charging cards were usable in each country. We took two per country with us. In hindsight, we could have managed with fewer, but it felt reassuring to set off well prepared. We charged at supermarkets, in cities, and at campsites by arrangement. Our route went from Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and back to the Netherlands. In the end, we covered 8,000 kilometers through 14 countries and didn’t have a single problem charging.”

“For us that was real camping: independent of the plug, wonderfully free out in the field.”

Freedom in nature

Eastern Europe turned out to be the perfect destination. “The nature there is breathtakingly beautiful, campsites are basic but wonderfully free, and wild camping is often still possible. Sometimes we just camped in a field, or by a stream where we could wash ourselves. In Greece we parked on a deserted beach – our son thought that was the highlight of the trip. With a compact campervan like the ID.Buzz you are flexible and can reach places where you might first think: “Is that even possible?” The answer is: yes, it is!”

Charging breaks as moments of rest

“Charging is just as unavoidable as refueling, but that doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. We actually turned it into a moment of rest: doing the laundry, cooking outside, reading a book. And often everything was finished just in time: the bus charged, the food ready, and the laundry dry. Efficient and relaxing.”

Curious looks and open conversations

Everywhere they went, they attracted attention. People were surprised at how spacious the ID.Buzz is and how cleverly it was designed. “We had many wonderful conversations. In some places, people didn’t even realize at first that we were driving electric! They found that really remarkable. Reservations? In many Eastern European countries that’s not common at all. “Why are you calling?” they asked us. That freedom, that relaxed way of traveling, without fixed plans or time pressure – that is real camping for us.”

“If you called to make a reservation, they really looked at you strangely. That’s not necessary here of course, why are you calling?”

Practical tips from Nancy for longer trips

We hardly used our awning; it could just as well have stayed at home. Flexibility and traveling light are worth gold when you’re seeking freedom.
Check in advance which charging cards or charging apps work. Also pay attention to the costs: charging cards can differ significantly in rates per provider.
Take B-roads; you’ll see more and drive more efficiently.

Electric camping — it’s possible!

Travelling with an electric camper requires a bit of extra preparation, but it gives back so much. Quiet, sustainable, adventurous – and full of unexpected encounters. With just a bit of courage, a dose of curiosity, and a good plan, you’ll get further than you think.