Help with upgrade using BOP 2nd class

You will purchase a first class upgrade in the SBB app.

You will show both your BOP and the upgrade on the train when the conductor comes by. As long as you have both of those in hand at the time of travel, that is all you need.

For the rest of the trip, do I need to make any kind of reservation,
or do I just show up on the train and show my BOP pass?

No, reservations are not even possible for the rest of your trip (Interlaken Ost to Mürren). Show your pass when asked on the train and again at the turnstile before heading up to Mürren.

Here is how to purchase an upgrade in the SBB app:

1. Enter Luzern - Interlaken Ost
2. Choose date and time of departure
3. Tap on the red bar saying “tickets from, and an amount”
4. Choose Point-to-point class upgrade (mine shows this to be CHF 12.00)
5. Purchase ticket

Fantastic! And done. Thank you so much.

Laurie

I have a concern that is very similar, so I hope it's okay to jump into this discussion. I'll be purchasing the HFC and a 10 day BOP. I've purchased a 1st class seat reservation on the Golden Pass Express from Montreux to Murren, although I believe the 1st class seat is only from Montreux to Interlaken Ost. I was planning to get just a 2nd class BOP since I was under the impression most trains/cable cars/etc don't really have 1st class. I do want to take a ferry on Lake Brienz and maybe Lake Thun, where it might be nice to upgrade to 1st class. As with the OP, do I just need to show my seat reservation and my 2nd class BOP when on the train or is there a step I'm missing?

KRS, you’ll need to upgrade to first class:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/offers/oute-specific-class-upgrade

The seat reservation is different. It assumes you have the appropriate class ticket.

Thank you Carrie. I suppose I have to actually purchase the HFC and then the BOP before I can upgrade on the SBB app since it only shows the fare with the HFC on SBB. In looking at the price difference and since I want to take a ferry on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun while I'm in Wengen and will probably want to upgrade to 1st class for those trips, it looks like it might be worth it to just get a 1st class BOP. I was planning to wait until later this month to get my HFC and BOP, but now I'm wondering if I should go ahead and purchase them so I can get the ticket for the Golden Pass train since I currently have a seat reservation, but not an actual ticket. This is all quite confusing.

To the OP, I hope it's not a problem that I jumped in here. I foolishly thought it would be a quick and easy fix, but it seems little about these various passes is quick and easy. :)

I don't mind at all! It makes me feel validated that I'm not the only one that finds this all so incredibly confusing. There are so many variables that even pricing out each option I decided to just get the HFC and BOP even if it costs more because I don't want to think about it anymore. Good luck with your planning!

@KRS

The BOP, HFC and class upgrades do not sell out and, assuming your trip is in 2026, the price will not change. You can buy them up until just before boarding the train.

Take your time to decide what class of BOP you want to get

The BOP is your ticket for the Golden Pass train

If you have a second class BOP and a first class seat reservation you need to pay the difference and buy an upgrade in the app (or in person at any Swiss train station) before getting on the train

The SBB app doesn’t care if you already have a pass or not, thus you can buy a class upgrade anytime, as long as you have everything purchased by the beginning of your journey, the order in which you buy things doesn’t matter

The only time sensitive thing is the seat reservation, which you already have

I'm sorry I was out of the house yesterday so I missed this post.

I would have said that in my opinion the best views on the Luzern Interlaken Express are from 2nd Class. The carriages are open plan and with good seating with floor to ceiling windows - you can see it all, comfortably.

I don't think you would get as a good a view from the small 1st class areas at both ends of the train. There is a door and wall separating the two classes, and the other end of the section is the driver's cab, so the view is restricted. Granted if you want to look straight out your window it is good, but if you like to see what's coming from an angle - like I do - the open 2nd class area is better for me.

In any event you'll have your 1st class experience. Perhaps you could circle back and say how the experience was.

Have a great trip!

SwissNomad, I am so thankful to read your response! That's what I thought at first, but the more I read about all this, the more I start to second guess myself. My trip is in a few weeks so I'm down to the wire trying to get all the details in place. I'm having a new issue with SBB this morning so will start a new topic about that.

Nigel -
Seriously??? Another glitch?? After all this, I'm better off in 2nd class? Yes, the view is very important to me. Should I go ahead and reserve 2nd class seats as well? Am I allowed or even able to do that now that I've upgraded to first class? Ugh....
Laurie

Laurie, even with a reservation you can sit in any available seat. We took that train one year in September and had most of the train to ourselves so we jumped back-and-forth from left to right as the views appeared. May you have such good fortune,

Thanks, Laurel
According to the site the train will be very full. But I'm not going to reserve any more seats (hardly any left anyway.) I'm sure it will still be fantastic. I'm just amazed at how difficult this process has been, not knowing that I could have reserved my seats before getting a ticket, etc, etc.

I read that only a portion of the seats are reservable and the rest are first come, first served. So I'm wondering what happens if someone takes your seat, not knowing that it's reserved.

Thanks again everyone for all your help.
Laurie (PS - real name is Laurel too!)

Everything I read seemed to suggest it's worth upgrading to 1st class, but not to premium, so that's what I did. I also googled which side is best to sit on and purchased my seat accordingly, but hopefully will be able to move from side to side to see the best views, which seems more likely in 1st than in 2nd where it will probably be more crowded. Planning for this trip has been more detailed and confusing than most, so I've let go of trying to plan the absolute perfect trip. It's Switzerland. It will be beautiful no matter where I sit.

Laurie, first class has the same big windows that second class has…although no windows on the train are floor to ceiling but rather seat hight to ceiling.

You can search for Interlaken express train in Google images - there are loads of them! Here is one that shows it well. The first car has a yellow stripe on it. That means it is the first class car. Note the big windows and also the tilted windows in the ceiling, this allows you to see the tops of the mountains as you pass by. Nothing lacking here. I am not sure exactly what Nigel means, but the first class experience will not give you an inferior view!

https://www.interlaken.swiss/en/experiences/poi/luzern-interlaken-express

I read that only a portion of the seats are reservable and the rest are first come, first served. So I'm wondering what happens if someone takes your seat, not knowing that it's reserved.

I just saw this as well. Reserved seats are marked, but if someone doesn't notice that and sits in your seat you just politely tell them that it is your seat and they will move. I have had this happen on German trains several times, it has never been a problem.

I agree, KRS. I have to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and just accept that mistakes will be made and not to sweat the small stuff. I'm grateful I was even able to get any seat reservation at this point, and it is on the righthand side.

Thanks, SwissNomad, for the website. There is no way I'm going to feel shortchanged by that view! I just had a moment.....
Take care,
Laurie