How To Elope in Switzerland

Elope in Switzerland

Eloping in the mountains is special, but planning to elope in Switzerland is next level! The Swiss alps are hands down some of the most beautiful mountains you will ever explore. Then add in the beautiful Swiss 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 Swiss villages full of culture and amazing food, that’s Switzerland!

What’s included in this guide:

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

Why You Should Elope In Switzerland

Switzerland’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 Switzerland

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

After you fly into Switzerland, 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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland is unbelievable. For most travelers, buying a Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex, or the 50% off Half-Fare Card (Halbtax) is essential to save on high costs. These will all be great options 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 Switzerland

Switzerland’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 Switzerland. 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 Switzerland. 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. There’s also lots of festivals happening with classic Swiss traditions.

Fall: (September – October)

Fall is my second favorite time to explore Switzerland. The cooler weather feels amazing to adventure in. The landscape is still very beautiful and there’s less crowds than in the summer months. If you visit during October you might even catch a classic Swiss tradition where they parade the cattle through town in floral headdresses and their bell collars as they bring them back home from the mountains. It’s pretty amazing.

Winter: (November-March)

Winters are colder in Switzerland 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 Switzerland is a premier place for those activities.

Best places to elope in Switzerland

Switzerland 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.

Appenzell

If you want to elope in a fairytale mountain village in Switzerland, Appenzell is your place. The village is a car free area. The culture is rich here with traditions like yodeling and the area is surrounded by the most beautiful mountains. There’s so many incredible hikes that you can explore around Appenzell and stay in mountain huts along the way. The famous Berggasthaus Aescher restaurant is located along a mountain side here. There’s also a very romantic alpine lake that you can stay at a mountain hut near and rent a rowboat to paddle the lake. Seriously you will have the most stunning photos and experience!

Interlaken

Interlaken is a great central location to so many other places but it also offers a wide range of experiences of it’s own. You can relax in luxury here and experience some amazing hotels and take a boat cruise out on Lake Brienz which is a stunning glacial blue color. There’s also a famous hotel along the lake called Hotel Giessbachwith that has Giessbach Falls in the mountains behind it. It’s a beautiful place to checkout. Interlaken is home to many action sports and amazing mountain hikes as well. There’s no shortage of amazing experience to include into your adventure elopement.

Grindelwald

Grindelwald’s mountains will leave you speechless. They are so grand and offer famous places like Jungfraujoch to explore. There’s tons of amazing hikes to explore in the area with plenty of access to gondolas to make your adventures more accessible. A beautiful location in this area is Lake Bachalpsee. The backdrop with the massive snow covered mountains in the backdrop is an iconic Swiss Alps scene for your elopement photos.

Zermatt

When you think of the Swiss Alps, Zermatt might be the first place you think of. Zermatt is home to the iconic Matterhorn mountain. The mountain in Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas is based on this famous peak. This is another car free village in the mountains. The hiking like most of Switzerland is so accessible with the ability to take cable cars up to higher elevations to start your hikes. The five lakes hike is a great option to consider with three of the five lakes offering reflections of the Matterhorn. There’s so many other options to explore as well and the area offers many hotel options.

St. Moritz

If you’re looking for that extra touch of luxury and elegance to your elopement, then St. Moritz is your place. St. Moritz is located on the famous Lake St. Moritz with grand mountains surrounding every side. St. Moritz is home to some of the most stunning luxury hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and shopping centers that Switzerland has to offer. It’s also home to many sporting activities like a famous bobsleigh run, cross country skiing, and many ski resorts. They even do horse races on Lake St. Moritz when it’s frozen in the winter.

Lauterbrunnen

Dreaming of that lush green mountain village surrounded by waterfalls? Then you need to explore Lauterbrunnen! This area is home to 72 waterfalls with the most famous being Staubbachfall. The valley has two main villages called Wengen and Mürren. Both are car free areas so I recommend planning to get there by train. There’s tons of hikes to explore here and cable cars allow access to so many locations. There’s so many other amazing locations located nearby so it’s a great place for a full day elopement or pair it with another location for a multi day elopement experience.

Lucerne

Lucerne is a must visit location when visiting Switzerland. It’s home to the famous Lake Lucerne which offers so many water activities. It’s also home to the popular Mount Pilatus. A famous mountain in the area with a building built at the top where you can shop and book accommodations to stay at the summit. This way you can explore the many beautiful hikes located near the top. During the summer you can find tons of people paragliding from the mountains. The town of Lucerne is so beautiful to explore as well. There’s tons of amazing hotels to stay at, restaurants for food, and landmarks to explore. The Chapel Bridge and Water Tower is a must see.

How to legally elope in Switzerland

Switzerland 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 Switzerland

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 Swiss 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. You can also find some unique Airbnbs to stay at like an 18th century castle. 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 Switzerland. 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, a luxurious upscale hotel, or unique stay in an igloo hotel, there’s something for everyone.

Activities for when you elope in Switzerland

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 Switzerland

You’re going to need to be prepared for your adventurous Switzerland 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 Switzerland elopement photographer

Hey I’m Marcus, your Switzerland elopement photographer! I’ll be your go to resource for when you elope in Switzerland. The first time I explored Switzerland I was in awe. Every location we went to took my breath away with its beauty.

I learned so many tips and tricks on how to make an unforgettable experience here. There’s so many incredible locations including ones that are hidden from all the crowds. 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