The European Chronicles 2026.15 - Four Wheels To Austria

August 09, 2026

The European Chronicles 2026.15 - Four Wheels To Austria - Part One

Mountains, Valleys & A VW T-Roc Cabriolet

TL;DR Krisanne arrived in Frankfurt, got through customs in record time. We met at the Frankfurt Airport Hilton, picked up a VW T-Roc Cabrio the next morning and Autobahn-ed to the National Park Lodge in Heiligenblut, on the Grossglockner. Driving, hiking, great food and ambiance, including a local fire department fundraiser. Volker's museum on the way to our next stop, the Kristall in Leutasch.

Austria has some interesting roadside sculpture. 😂

Krisanne had an opportunity to upgrade from "princess class" to "queen class" on the overnight flight, so she arrived reasonably rested, making her way through the EES system and customs with minimal delay. We met at the Frankfurt Airport Hilton, which is in a beautiful glass building attached to the airport and over the train station.

Picked up a VW T-Roc Cabriolet the next morning and immediately hit the Autobahn for Heiligenblut and the National Park Lodge. One quick stop at the BMW dealer servicing Mia to drop off her original clutch lever and cable. Krisanne "sherpa-ed" that from home with only a couple of questions by TSA. 😂

The T-Roc has no problem running 150 kph - the most surprising thing is how quiet it is, especially for a convertible. Only a few traffic jams, and we're in Heiligenblut by late afternoon. Happy hour awaits... 😎