Some people’s idea of adventure is trying Starbucks’ newest coffee drink. Others may venture out and visit little-known towns, like Gold Hill, Utah, or Sargents, Colorado. But what if you take your sense of exploration and multiply it by a million? My husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I celebrated our 20-year wedding anniversary in 2024 by doing something unique and “out there.”
We love to travel, experience new cultures, test new vehicles (Andy and I are both automotive journalists), and spend time with each other. So, we decided to travel abroad and partake in the German-based Superlative Adventure Club’s 2024 Baltic Sea Circle Rally (BSCR), the northernmost rally in the world. We gave each other the gift of adventure through nine countries over 16 days and 5,000 miles. And we did it all in an early-generation 2024 German-market Volkswagen ID. Buzz EV van way before the North American ID. Buzz hit our shores.
From Ferries to Fjords, and Everything in Between
From fjords and ferries to remote camping and reindeer, every twist and turn afforded us new memories. We flew from Portland, Oregon to Frankfurt, Germany, and picked up our ID. Buzz test vehicle. We then made our way to my sister’s house in northern Germany for final rally prep. There, we shopped for food and last-minute supplies as we spent time with her and our niece and nephew. We prepared for our epic adventure in many ways before leaving.
We put on rally decals, proudly stating our names and the countries of our origin. We also learned how to use the German-made QUQUQ interior camping setup, allowing us to sleep in, cook with, and store much-needed essentials while competing. We made sure the paper maps I bought of each country were secured and in order—BSCR is a backroads rally where no GPS is allowed. It was up to me, the navigator, to tell Andy where to go, without running out of range. If successful, we’d travel through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland with all-electric power before returning to Germany for the event’s finish.
Armed with freshly baked cookies from my sister and well-wishes from everyone, we left for Gut Basthorst, Germany, the rally’s start line. Anticipation grew. There were 140 total BSCR teams, although we were the only all-electric vehicle this year, as well as the first non-European team to finish the BSCR rally in one.
My German and Volkswagen ID. Buzz Van Charging Challenges
I quickly realized my childhood would come into play: My parents emigrated from Germany to the United States, and I grew up speaking both languages as a dual citizen German American. It was relatively easy for me to communicate with most of the rally teams as they were from Germany.
We learned many things during the rally. We realized a smile and the attempt to speak local languages goes a long way. We needed help several times during the rally as many of the charging companies that should’ve worked with our German-based smartphone and coordinating apps, didn’t. Just before the rally, we realized none of the proprietary charging apps connected to European chargers would work on our U.S-based smartphones. We were simply “out of region” and couldn’t simply pay by credit card like you could at home, too.
The Kindness of Strangers
However, no matter what country we were in, kind locals helped us get connected or offered help as we faced a barrage of charging challenges with our Volkswagen ID. Buzz van. We learned tips and tricks to charge. For instance, Tesla allows non-Tesla vehicles to use their charging infrastructure in Germany and the Nordic nations, but that stopped once we tried to use them in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
The Elton charging app, which worked at Circle K in Norway and Sweden, didn’t work in Estonia. We had to download a new Circle K app in Estonia’s capital city, Tallinn, to charge in the pouring rain. Two of Poland’s Greenway chargers let us pay by credit card, but the other 34 of 36 total rally chargers consisted of a proprietary mass of different apps, charging cards, or RFID keys.
Note: To combat these charging complications, the European Parliament created the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). It mandates new public EV chargers installed after April 14, 2024, to accept ad hoc payments using debit or credit cards. Older chargers must meet this specific regulation by 2027.
Driving to the Northernmost Point in Europe and Beyond
However, we didn’t let charging challenges with our Volkswagen ID. Buzz van dissuade us. We got up between 4:30–5:30am and found camping spots up to 15–16+ hours later our longer days. Andy and I found a rhythm where he drove, and I navigated using paper maps. When we needed to charge, we used charge-finding apps to secure power.
We achieved many things and conquered a few bucket lists during the BSCR. We passed through two more Arctic Circle crossings in Norway and Finland. (This completes four of the eight global land crossings.).
We drove the jaw-dropping Geirangerfjord, saw the Arctic Cathedral in Tromsø (considered the northernmost church in the world), had a beer at the city’s northernmost brewery, and drove to the northernmost point in all of Europe: Nordkapp (aka North Cape). All this was in Norway! I swam at a former Soviet prison turned beach called Rummu Quarry in Estoania, too.
We also visited Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses, where we saw well over 100,000 crosses. We even crossed into Poland on a narrow gravel farm road. What incredible experiences.
We saw a lot of wildlife. From reindeer and sheep to a variety of birds and loads of drying monkfish, our trek around the Baltic Sea was filled with animals both large and small.
The Wonders of the World
Our German-market Volkswagen ID. Buzz encountered wildly varying weather. We saw deluges and dry skies. Cool temps to the midnight sun, we prepared for all types of conditions and came away unscathed as we camped our way through nine countries, 16 days, and over 8,000 kilometers.
But most importantly, we bonded with fellow BSCR teams and gained a lifetime of memories. We laughed over language differences, shared many stories, made new friends, and realized the true commonality and love of cars. That, in short, was the greatest anniversary gift of all.
Take the time to travel and experience the world. You never know what might happen tomorrow. The Baltic Circle Sea Rally and our time overseas during this grand adventure filled our lives with rich, friendly, and cultural experiences. We can’t wait to travel internationally again.