How to Elope in Austria

Elope in Austria

Eloping in the mountains is special, but planning to elope in Austria is next level! The Austrian alps are hands down some of the most beautiful mountains you will ever explore. Then add in the beautiful Austrian culture and you’ll have one of the best experiences of your life. Imagine backpacking in the mountains and staying in a mountain hut, seeing cattle graze along the mountain hill sides, gorgeous blue alpine lakes, and quaint Austrian villages full of culture and amazing food, that’s Austria!

What’s included in this guide:

• Why you should elope in Austria
• How to travel to Austria
• When to elope in Austria
• Best places to elope in Austria
• How to legally get married in Austria
• Where to stay in Austria
• Activities to include in your elopement
• A full packing list for your Austria elopement
• Meet your Austria elopement photographer

Why You Should Elope In Austria

Austria’s mountains will leave you forever dreaming of returning. They are seriously breathtaking. It’s an adventurer’s paradise with so many amazing hikes. Plus you can stay in mountain huts overnight that offer warm meals to really get the most out of your experience. Even if you’re not into hiking as much, you can take gondolas up the mountains to a higher starting point and save a lot of time and energy. There’s adventure for everyone here.

The alpine lakes are on another level as well. Imagine taking a rowboat out onto a quaint alpine lake surrounded by nothing but nature and mountains. It’s magical. Then you add in the culture. Cattle and sheep surrounding the hillsides grazing, the food and wine, and the quaint villages full of so much character and charm. It’s honestly one of the most romantic places on earth.

How to travel to Austria

Austria has multiple airports you can fly into with the most popular being Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. It really depends which one you will choose depending on where you want to elope in Austria. Salzburg or Innsbruck are probably going to be the best choice however if you’re planning to elope in the most beautiful mountainous parts of Austria as it’s closer to those areas.

After you fly into Austria, you will have two options. You can rent a car or travel by train. Renting a car will give you full freedom to travel wherever you want on your own time. Keep in mind though that some villages in Austria are car free. So you won’t be able to drive there and will have to park your car outside the town and take transportation in.

The train system in Austria is unbelievable. For most travelers, buying a Eurail Austria Pass might be the best choice if you want to travel multiple days throughout the country. This is a great option for you depending on your length of stay and how much travel you plan to do. It offers seamless, scenic, and stress-free access to both cities and alpine, car-free villages. 

When to elope in Austria

Austria’s different seasons offer many opportunities for different activities for your elopement. My favorite season however is Summer or Fall. Here’s the breakdown of the seasons below.

Spring: (April – May)

Spring is a great time to explore Austria. The snow is melting, the days are getting longer, and the landscape is turning lush and full of color. The cattle are getting ready to return to the mountain pastures for grazing. It’s a great time to be here but the only downside is snow is still present in the mid to higher elevations so a lot of hikes won’t be accessible.

Summer: (June – August)

Summer is hands down my favorite time to be in Austria. The weather is warm and cozy. The landscape is lush green and the mountain sides and valleys are filled with wildflowers. The cattle are up grazing in the mountains and all the hikes are accessible. It’s the best time to explore. Plus the mountain huts are open so you can really have a unique adventure.

Fall: (September – October)

Fall is my second favorite time to explore Austria. The cooler weather feels amazing to adventure in. The landscape is still very beautiful and there’s less crowds than in the summer months.

Winter: (November-March)

Winters are colder in Austria but absolutely beautiful. If you ever dreamed of a winter wonderland for your elopement day than this is your season. There’s so much charm with the alpine villages and the snow covered mountains. If you love to ski and snowboard, this is the perfect time to visit and Austria is a premier place for those activities.

Best places to elope in Austria

Austria is full of incredible locations to elope in. The best part is after your elopement you can continue right into your honeymoon and continue exploring all over the country. Here’s some of the best places I would recommend.

Hohe Tauern National Park

Hohe Tauern National Park is located 1.5 hours south of Salzburg this is a great place to hike to waterfalls, alpine lakes, and a gorge. The area has so many hikes that lead to breathtaking alpine lakes surrounded by amazing mountain ranges. During the summer wildflowers fill the valleys and gondolas make hiking even more accessible in the mountains. This area is famous for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. There’s tons of great places to pull off and explore here.

Ehrwald Region/Tyrol

If you’re looking for a hiking paradise than you want to visit Ehrwald Region in Tyrol. The mountains are breathtaking here with the most stunning alpine lakes to explore. There’s great mountain hut options to stay at as well. It lies on the Austrian-German border making it possible to adventure in both alps locations.

Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg lies just across the Swiss border and boasts a quieter experience. Being a lesser known area your bound to have more privacy. However that doesn’t mean the scenery is less. The mountains are stunning here along with the alpine lakes. There’s some amazing hiking options that lead to epic views where you can also stay overnight in a mountain hut. You won’t want to miss this location!

Hallstatt

Being the most famously known place in Austria, you’re guaranteed to have many other tourists here especially during the summer. But Hallstatt famous for a reason with the amazing town resting on the lakeside surrounded by mountains. It might not be the best option for privacy for your elopement day but it’s definitely a must visit if nothing else.

How to legally elope in Austria

Austria is a very strict country to try to legally get married in. My personal advice for all my couples that are wanting to elope internationally is to do a symbolic ceremony. You might be asking yourself, what is a symbolic ceremony?

A symbolic ceremony is where you get legally married before or after your elopement day in your local area. There’s a few different options for this. You can go to a courthouse, you can have a mini backyard ceremony with your closest people, or if you’re religious get married by your pastor.

This allows you to take care of the legal paperwork at home so you don’t have to stress for months over figuring out if you’re doing any of the international paperwork right. Plus it can cost a decent amount of money. This way you don’t have to stress over anything, aren’t restricted to the country’s regulations, and you can enjoy your elopement day wherever you want to explore.

Where to stay when you elope in Austria

Mountain Huts

One of the best experiences you can do in Switzerland is plan an overnight stay in a mountain hut. There’s so many amazing Austrian mountain huts you can stay at. They all vary but a lot of them serve fresh food and you can even get your own personal room instead of the dormitory style you can sometimes find. The big advantage is you can experience both sunrise and sunset on the mountain tops and be close to where you are hiking. It’s such a unique experience and I can’t recommend it enought!

Airbnbs

If you want your own space where you can cook your own meals and make it feel more like home then Airbnbs are a great option. Just be sure the area you want to explore offers Airbnbs and I always recommend staying in or near the place we will be exploring.

Hotels

Hotels can be found all throughout Austria. Even in the smaller car free mountain villages you will have access to plenty of hotel options. Whether you’re looking for a cozy small mountain hotel or a luxurious upscale hotel, there’s something for everyone.

Activities for when you elope in Austria

Here’s a full list of options Switzerland has to offer to include on your elopement day or the days surrounding it:

• Backpacking deep into the mountains
• Rock climbing
• Hiking the many trails
• Photography
• Chase waterfalls
• Search for wildlife
• Mountain biking
• Geocaching
• Horseback riding
• Swimming
• Boating/rafting
• Rowboat on an alpine lake
• Golfing
• Picnic in the valley
• Skydiving
• Paragliding
• Skiing
• Snowboarding
• Helicopter ride
• Spa day
• Stay in a mountain hut
• Anything unique to your relationship

A full packing list for when you elope in Austria

You’re going to need to be prepared for your adventurous Austria elopement. Even during the summer months it can be cool exploring the mountains and weather conditions can vary. Here’s a list of items you should pack.

• Passport, driver’s license, and other ID you need
• Light puffy jacket, rain jacket, and lightweight layered clothing
• Hiking boots and plenty of socks
• Water bottle
• Snacks for flight
• Headlamps
• Sentimental items for your elopement
• Vow books
• Wedding rings
• Light gloves
• Dress pants, suit jacket, belt, pocket square, and anything you want to wear
• Wedding dress, earrings, necklace, leggings for under dress
• Marriage license (if applicable)
• Bathing suits
• Light gloves/hand warmers

Meet your Austria elopement photographer

Hey I’m Marcus, your Austria elopement photographer! I’ll be your go to resource for when you elope in Austria. Throughout my years of planning landscape photography trips and elopements, I’ve learned how to find the most breathtaking locations. I help all my couples with all the logistics from places to stay, where to go, what to pack, and so much more. I’ll help you plan an adventure of a lifetime. If you’re ready to plan your dream elopement contact me here or fill out the inquiry form below.

If you’re looking for more information about eloping, checkout these blogs below.

• How to Elope in Austria
• How to Elope in Norway
• How To Elope in Switzerland
• Sedona Elopement
• Palisade Head Elopement