Photobus Schweiz

Photobus Schweiz rents two kinds of photo booth: restored vintage VW buses fitted out as mobile photo studios, and a handmade wooden photo box for indoor venues. The company calls itself "Das Original seit 2015" (the original since 2015), and its home page says it delivers across Switzerland, with regional pages for Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Winterthur and Basel.

Two products, one company

The home page sums up the offer as two products and one specialist. The Photobus is described as a lovingly restored vintage vehicle that works as a mobile photo studio, suited to outdoor events, festivals and weddings. The site says the original VW bus is available in 11 exclusive colors or in the client's own branding, and that the bus can be used for indoor and outdoor events. Full service is optional and can include a hostess in a 50s look and branding packages.

The fleet is shown by name, and each bus is presented as one of a kind: Mr. Mint, Lady in Red, Miss Sunshine, Blue Velvet, Papa Mint, T1 VIP, Baby Blue, König, Rusty, a VW Käfer (a Beetle), a Festival Bus and Minty. The Bern page adds that each bus was fitted out by hand in-house, so every Photobus, whatever its color, is unique. For a couple who want the booth to match the flowers or the stationery, being able to pick a named bus in a particular color is a real point in its favor.

The second product is the wooden Fotobox. The home page describes it as a handmade solution in fine wood that fits into any concept, compact and stylish, and names a professional Canon DSLR reflex camera for sharp prints. It lists an instant-print flat rate, unlimited photos and personal delivery to the event as part of the all-inclusive service. The Bern page explains the difference plainly: the Fotobox is the classic handmade wooden box, compact and easy to place, ideal for indoor rooms such as restaurants, company premises or party venues, while the Photobus is the VW bus that is a showpiece in itself and can be used for photos outside and inside. Both print pictures within seconds.

What a rental includes

The clearest price on the site is on the Bern page. The Fotobox in Bern can be booked from CHF 690, and that price includes delivery, setup and dismantling, a web gallery with its own password, a retro suitcase of props and a download link with high-resolution images. Unlimited prints cost CHF 190 on top. The page promises no hidden small print and points to a separate prices page for more detail. The Photobus has no price on the home or Bern page, so couples who want the bus rather than the box need a quote.

The menu lists the extras the company offers: instant printing, an online gallery, backdrops, print layouts, branding, an attendant (Betreuung), props and delivery. Branding matters at weddings more than it sounds: one Google review on the site says the couple's own logo on every single picture was simply brilliant, and that the prints went into the guest book or home with guests.

On operation, the Bern page says the boxes are so easy to use that guests work them without help: one press of a button and the picture prints in seconds. The team sets everything up and gives a short explanation. On request, an attendant can be booked who stays all evening and makes sure everything runs smoothly.

Booking, timing and delivery

The Bern page advises booking early, because weekends and the high season from spring to autumn fill quickly. It recommends booking at least 4 to 8 weeks ahead, and says short-notice requests are still worth sending because slots sometimes remain. The home page invites couples to configure their setup online without obligation.

On delivery, the Bern page says the team covers the whole Bern region, naming Thun, Interlaken, Burgdorf, Köniz and Münsingen, and delivers in principle to all of Switzerland. Depending on the distance a small share of travel costs may apply, and the page suggests simply asking. One review on the site describes the practical side a couple from abroad will care about most: booking was uncomplicated, setup and dismantling were agreed directly with the venue, and the couple had nothing to do with it on their big day.

The footer gives an emergency number, +41 79 350 05 12, and links to contact, terms, a blog and a partner page. The site is written in German, in the informal du form.

Track record

The home page claims more than 11 years of experience and more than 8,000 events since 2015, and a banner says over 1,000 events a year. The Google widget on the site shows a 5.0 rating from 580 reviews. The Bern page lists some of the events behind those numbers: one of the first bookings in the summer of 2015 in Thun with the bus Blue Velvet, several appearances at the Suisse Caravan Salon, MariNatal Bern from 2017 to 2019, the VW Volksfest in Interlaken, the Gurtenfestival and the BEA, along with weddings in the countryside and company parties in Bern's old town. Blog posts mention the Swiss Wedding World fairs in Zurich and Bern and a football-themed wedding at the Kybunpark arena in St. Gallen. The founder is named on the blog as Lorenz Walter.

What the site leaves open

The site is published in German only and does not say whether the team works in English. For couples planning from abroad, the online configurator and the e-mail exchange that follows are the obvious test. The Photobus itself has no published price on the home or Bern page, and the Bern figure applies to the wooden box in the Bern region; delivery elsewhere may carry a travel share that the site does not quantify. The pages do not give the space or the ground a bus needs on site, which matters at a hillside or garden venue, nor whether the vehicle is driven onto the lawn or parked nearby. These are questions to settle in the quote.

Who it suits

Photobus Schweiz suits a couple who want the photo booth to be a visible part of the decoration, especially at an outdoor or countryside wedding where a vintage bus in a matching color becomes a backdrop in its own right. The wooden box is the practical choice for a restaurant or hall, with a published entry price in the Bern region that includes delivery and a gallery. The long event list and the review count point to a large, experienced operation. The caveats: the bus is priced on request, the site is German only, and at busy weekends between spring and autumn the recommended lead time is at least four weeks.