Emil, 29, and Lotte, 26, live in Hamburg – and spend as much time as possible on the road. They have been travelling in VW campervans for nearly ten years: sometimes for a weekend trip to the North Sea, sometimes for an entire summer crossing Europe. About two years ago they made their dream a reality and bought a custom-configured T6.1 California. We asked them what vanlife really looks like for them – and what it actually takes to make it work.
Two People, One Van, Ten Years of Experience
For both of them, this way of travelling was never a conscious decision – it was simply how they grew up. Emil travelled as a child in his parents' motorhome; Lotte started out with a tent and eventually moved on to a caravan. As a couple, getting their own van felt like a natural next step.
Their T6.1 California is fitted with modular furniture, flexible enough to travel with several people day-to-day, while still leaving plenty of room on holiday for camping chairs, a Fatboy and all the gear that outdoor living requires. Their preferred sleeping spot is the pop-up roof. "We only move downstairs when the weather gets really bad," says Lotte.
Planning? Rough. Decisions? From the gut.
You won't find detailed travel itineraries with these two: they pick a general direction, and let the weather, availability and instinct take care of the rest. One thing that is never missing before they set off, though, is supplies and water for at least two days. "Everything else sorts itself out," says Emil – and he means it.
Their three ground rules for a good campervan trip:
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Avoid crowded destinations: Drive a little further and actually arrive somewhere.
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Celebrate being outside: Nature over campsite-resort vibes – that's where you meet the most interesting people and get to know a region properly.
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One to two days per place. And if it's particularly beautiful: just stay longer.
What They Do Differently Today
In the early years, they packed too much. Over time, they cut a lot out and replaced it deliberately with things that pack small and actually get used. "Less stuff, more freedom to move," Emil sums up – and he means that literally for every centimetre of space in the van.
On the cut list: oversized lantern string lights, decorations of any kind, and the ladder for the pop-up roof. "You really don't need it – you can easily climb up via the seats."
What has stayed – and is now a permanent part of their setup:
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Cool box + solar panel: The heart of their self-sufficiency. "Without solar, nothing really works for us anymore."
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Fatboy Lamzac: Packs small, delivers big comfort. Their favourite spot under the awning after a long day of driving.
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Roll-up fairy lights: Atmosphere without the effort.
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Sun blocker: More shade, more privacy, more cosiness.
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Boxio dry-separation toilet: Practical, odourless, and keeps them independent from campsites.
For sleeping comfort, they swear by a spring-slat base – anyone who has ever felt every movement of their partner through the night will immediately understand why it's a game-changer. Add to that a four-season duvet in Tencel natural fibre, which regulates moisture and temperature, packs down compactly, and works just as well in summer as in winter. For pillows, after plenty of trial and error they've settled on the 60x40 size: "Not too big, not too small."
Their Favourite Routes
Germany
St. Peter-Ording is a real classic for the two of them – and for good reason: parking the van right on the beach, jumping into the North Sea, then sleeping in the shaded pop-up roof afterwards. "The North Sea makes you really tired," says Lotte, laughing. "You wake up refreshed and starving, and then there are amazing chips at the stilted restaurants."
Lake Constance and the Allgäu are also high on their list – great scenery, lakes and hiking trails. A personal tip from the two of them: the campsite in Wangen am Bodensee, just before the Swiss border. "It's less touristy because it's not that easy to reach. Beach and campsite in one, a farm shop and bakery right there, and the Rhine Falls are not far away." A place where you simply stay.
Europe
Jutland, Denmark – more specifically the Danish North Sea coast – is their absolute favourite for trips together. Rugged nature, hardly any tourists, and on the island of Fanø a pitch right in the middle of the dunes: "Camping there is so much closer to nature than anything in Germany."
Salzburg region, Austria – for hiking and rafting, the area is hard to beat for the two of them. Anyone heading on from there towards Italy should put the Alpencamp in Kötschach-Mauthen on their itinerary as a stopover – a lovely place to breathe before crossing the mountains.
France – a dream of Lotte's that they haven't yet done together: travelling through Provence and then on to the western Atlantic coast. La Rochelle has a particularly special campsite right on the beach, she says: "The site is laid out so that everyone genuinely gets a front-row spot." For France, she also recommends the app Passion France – the equivalent of the Landvergnügen app for French routes.
The Croatian coast from Zadar to Dubrovnik – that's Emil's wish for their next trip together. The coastal road and the towns right on the water have tempted him for a while, and he has firmly decided it's time to finally see them for himself.
Slovenia is also still on both of their lists – warmly recommended by friends for its good campervan infrastructure, varied landscapes and beautiful combination of mountains and lakes.
Better Avoided
Not every destination has lived up to what they hoped for. The Poel Peninsula on the Baltic Sea was a disappointment, mainly due to unfriendly encounters with locals. Istria in Croatia they find too touristy and overcrowded, and South Tyrol in peak season fails on three counts at once: touristy, overcrowded and expensive.
Top Tip: Landvergnügen
One app that Emil and Lotte use regularly – and that fits their style of travel perfectly – is Landvergnügen. The platform connects campers with over 2,100 farms and agricultural hosts across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, offering exactly what the two of them are looking for: pitches away from busy campsites, with real contact to people and places. A membership gives you 24 hours of free pitching on the host's private land, the chance to shop at farm stalls and enjoy regional produce straight from the source. The built-in route planner shows suitable hosts along your route – ideal for anyone who likes to travel spontaneously and prefers authentic countryside experiences over mass tourism.
What Emil and Lotte Want to Pass On
Tips for dealing with insects at the pitch: To keep wasps away, it helps to place sliced garlic on small plates around the van and light lavender scented candles – wasps reliably avoid both smells. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, can be kept at bay with citronella candles; anyone who also fits fly screens to the windows and sliding door will sleep noticeably more peacefully at night.
Be present, not just passing through: What the two of them value most after many years on the road is something you can't pack: actually being there. Anyone who experiences campervan travel mainly as a backdrop tends to miss the best of it. "We're looking for calm with little noise," says Emil. "The smaller the vehicle, the more time you spend outside – that's not a drawback, that's the whole point." Their advice: plan less, optimise less, and more often just sit still and see what the evening brings.
Respect is part of it: Anyone sleeping in a pop-up roof can hear everything – and that works both ways. Emil and Lotte would simply like more consideration from fellow campers: for each other and for nature. Finding rubbish left behind at pitches is something they experience far too often, and it's a genuine frustration for them both.
One honest observation to close: Spontaneous travel is getting harder. More people travelling by campervan means more pitches being closed off, more advance booking requirements and less freedom when planning a route. "It does limit things," they say – "but there are always places to be found if you're willing to drive a little further than everyone else."
Comfort in the Van: Sleep Makes the Difference
What Emil and Lotte are clear about: good sleep is the foundation of everything. Anyone who sleeps badly after a long day of driving or an intense day of hiking gets less out of the next day. Their setup – spring-slat base, Tencel duvet, the right pillow – is the result of years of trying things out.
The same logic applies on the road. Long stretches in the van mean hours of upright sitting – and a good travel pillow makes the difference between arriving rested and arriving stiff. Emil and Lotte have settled on the FLOWZOOM COMFY. Memory foam that molds to the neck, a flat back that doesn't push the head forward, and five press studs to dial in the fit. It hangs from the passenger seat in its travel pouch, ready whenever one of them wants to sleep while the other drives.
Just like their bed at home, the COMFY is something they stopped thinking about – it just works. No inflation, no adjusting. Put it on, lean back, rest.
Discover the COMFY travel pillow →
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Emil and Lotte reviewed and approved this article before publication. Thank you both – and safe travels!
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