Traveling with Kids (6, 3, 1) and following is the option, Like to know what is the difference between 2nd Class Secondary and 2nd Class Family?
16:18
LUZERN (Switzerland)
3h 32m
EC 173
EuroCity
Operated by
Swiss Federal Railways-Passenger subsidiary
Direction
MILANO CENTRALE (Italy)
Seat reservations required
Delivered by email
You need to buy a seat reservation to board.
2nd class — CIS-02-CLASSE-FAMIGLIA
2nd class — CIS-02-CLASSE-SECONDA
Here is what the Google AI bot answered when I asked about Family Seating on EuroCity trains:
Family seating on EuroCity trains is available in 2nd class and is designed for passengers traveling with children:
Family compartments
These are specially equipped compartments for families with infants. They are located near the entrance, luggage storage, and lavatory.
Family areas
These are coaches dedicated to children's entertainment with games and personalized interiors.
You might find more on the EuroCity page from Man in Seat 61:
https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/switzerland-to-italy-by-train.htm
Sounds like the Family seating is the better choice. The “Seconda” is regular 2d Class.
What website are you using? Not Rail Europe I hope. If you buy from SBB.ch, the Swiss rail site, the reserved seats are included in your purchase and you can choose the Family seating. And the Bambi Gratis package with kids that age is very inexpensive. Probably on Trenitalia as well, but I did not check there.
since the description of the seating you provided is in Italian it looks like you may have used the Trenitalia website or a third party to reach that page.
I'd advise to use the SBB website which is the official Swiss railways website, and click the EN for English.
If you you buy from the SBB the seat reservation on that train is included. While it is in Switzerland (the bulk of the ride) it, like all Swiss trains, is unreserved seating. Once it crosses into Italy everybody on the train has to have a seat reservation. So you will have seat reservations for your whole journey - that will stop people popping into them in Switzerland.
Like Lola I was going to recommend a read of the whole page at https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/switzerland-to-italy-by-train.htm
Your EC 173 has the logo TT, and is a tilting train as described on that page.
It is a 3 and a half hour journey plus or minus and it is perfectly acceptable to bring (hopefully not too smelly) food and drink on board with you and picnic on the way. Snackies for the kiddoes too. There is a Migros food counter and small supermarket in the Luzern station as well as lots of other choices.
Unlike some Swiss double decker inter-regional trains these trains do not have a FA Family Car with playground, slide and dinosaurs.
Thank you for the response.
It was a Eurail reservation site.
I recommend you book directly on the SBB website as Nigel suggested.
From previous posts, it seems that the OP is getting a Eurail Pass.
The second class family compartments are quite nice on both Swiss and Italian trains, and IMO you should aim for one of those. Even if you have a Eurail pass there's no obligation to obtain the seat reservations through Eurail. They'll be a bit cheaper on Trenitalia or Swiss Rail.
