I’m almost certain anybody with an adventurous side has asked themselves, “what would it be like to travel by van?” That was my husband and I every year before going on a 5-day road trip through Switzerland. We finally did it this year, so this is what our 5-day adventure, or should I say “(van)venture”, looked like:

We started in Luxembourg and headed towards the breathtaking Swiss landscapes. Our trusty Webcamper van became our little home on wheels, and we couldn't be more thrilled about the experience. Day 1 was a bit tough as we arrived late to our first campsite and as the amateurs we were, we didn’t check if the van was properly plugged in, and to absolutely no one’s surprise, it wasn’t – I know, shocker. We did manage to plug it in the next morning and everything started making sense soon after.

Day 1: Luxembourg to Lucerne
We arrived in Lucerne first, and the campervan really made the long drive a breeze, even though it was only a 6-hour drive. As we cruised along the picturesque highways, we couldn't help but feel a sense of freedom and excitement for the days ahead. We kept looking at each other saying, “OMG we’re finally doing the van trip!” Little did we know it was going to exceed our already huge positive expectations.

Days 2–3: Interlaken and Grindelwald Skiing
The next day, we woke up in the gorgeous Swiss countryside. We made coffee, had some sandwiches, and headed to the Interlaken area. Truly a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. We spent the day exploring the town of Unterseen and taking in the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Thun. We went for a 3-hour hike around the area and encountered highways, forests, gorgeous lakefront homes, and a huge esplanade for swimming in the crisp, cold lake.

I wasn’t brave enough to get in during sundown, especially because I had no change of clothes, but my husband managed to find more reasons than excuses and dove right in. Not sure if he was lying when he said, “It’s actually not too bad after the initial shock,” but the word “shock” was more than enough for me to stay and take in the views from a distance.

We went back to the campsite and cooked dinner inside the van, feeling organized as ever. You really do need to keep your space super clean and tidy. We had pasta outside, freshly showered, with cozy sweaters and a blanket, and played some card and board games right there. Truly such a dream.

The following day, we hit the slopes in Grindelwald, where we enjoyed some fantastic skiing. We encountered a tricky situation though. For context, I only started skiing last year and loved it, meaning I’ll take any and every opportunity I can to ski, especially someplace amazing like Grindelwald.

The thing was, there was a snowstorm that forced resorts like Zermatt to close due to high avalanche warnings.

We went straight to check the webcam of the resort we were going to — Jungfrau — and saw clear sunny skies and a few kids as well. Naturally, we thought: “If the parents are taking their kids skiing with an avalanche warning of 3/5, then we’re also going.”

We ended up having such an amazing time. My husband is a great skier and a more patient person than I could ever be, as he stuck by me the whole time, teaching me new skills and tricks. Plus, there weren’t that many people, which was great, as I felt I wasn’t going to fall and cause an accident.

The best part was: after we came down and went back to the van, we thought about how amazing and comfortable it was to already be home, no hotel check-in, no carrying bags, we were already there.

We decided to stay another night at the same campsite, and this time I was brave enough to get in the lake after skiing, as our campsite was lakefront too. It felt incredible afterwards, but at the start I was sure my hair would be frozen forever. Once again, we cooked dinner, some meat nachos this time. Played some games, and watched the sun go down with some homemad… sorry, van-made hot chocolate.

Day 4: Wilderswil
After a fun-filled day on the slopes, sore legs and a facial sunburn, we stayed in. It was quite rainy, so we spent a good portion of the day feeling cozy in our van, planning our next move, and watching movies. Another amazing thing about a van: you don’t need to check out, or leave your things, or worry about your bags. Everything is with you in the most convenient way.

We spent the afternoon hiking through Uferweg and walking through Wilderswil. We said hello to cows, watched couples playing golf, took in the breathtaking views of the snowy mountains we had recently visited, and completed around 25k steps, and yes, my step average dropped significantly when I got back home.

As the sun set, we parked our van and enjoyed some paninis while catching up on conversations and life itself.

Day 5: Brienz and Back to Luxembourg
The next day we headed to Brienz and Lake Brienz. The turquoise water was absolutely gorgeous and a beautiful way to say our goodbye. The final day was a Monday, so we got to see the commercial side of the towns being filled with locals who wanted to bike, paddleboard, kitesurf or for the brave, swim.

There were also plenty of terraces and restaurants where we enjoyed some cold drinks and took in our last views. We reflected on the amazing experiences we’d had and the memories we’d created.

WebCamper really made the entire trip seamless, and it was very relaxing and rewarding to focus on having the best time and doing adventures rather than on the logistics of a trip.

We stopped by our favorite cake shop in France on the way back Aux Merveilleux de Fred and bought a full cake to celebrate our recent trip and my husband’s upcoming birthday. We got back to Luxembourg safely and weirdly very quickly eager to plan our next van trip. It really was THAT good.

Final Thoughts:
Not that it wasn’t obvious, but a campervan gives you unique benefits that regular trips and accommodations wouldn’t: wake up when you want, where you want, cook your meals, have your own itinerary, timings, activities, and feel very much free and lightweight every single day. We thought this was truly priceless and an experience that we look forward to repeating soon and soon after that and again after that!