Swiss Travel Pass- first class worth it?

I did the Golden Pass route also in first class; that was my only time in 1st class out of 3 times that I have traveled there and taken the trains using the STP 2nd class. I feel the 1st class is not a good value since you have to pay for them to bring you drinks

I do not have experience with the Golden Pass but we bought first class Berner Oberland Regional Passes for the first time this trip. We’ve bought second class passes many times prior but I popped for first class because of COVID: we wanted more space and to avoid as many people as we could. It was worth it! I calculated that for 30 days of First Class BO Regional Passes it cost us an extra $300 for two. (We also had half-fare cards.)

In prior trips the crowding on some trains — especially between Interlaken and Spiez — was so bad! There would be young people with 28” suitcases in the aisles and you could barely move people were so packed into second class.

Even on the little “BOB” that runs from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, first class gave us a measure of distancing from others and we always got a seat.

First class in Switzerland is indeed not about seat comfort and amenities, but only about crowding, which can be severe at peak times on main commuting and tourist routes. This being said, fares are already so high that it is very hard to justify splurging for 1st class for the full-country pass.
Doing so for the Berner Oberland Pass like a poster above sounds smart!

If money was no object, I probably would get first class because it’s less crowded and quieter, but in Switzerland, the trains are so nice that it’s not that big of a deal.

We just returned from 12 days in Switzerland. We bought the second class Swiss travel pass and were very happy with it. We were never uncomfortable with the crowds, which were minimal. Worth noting we traveled late September during COVID, and we were never in a train earlier than 9:00 am. Everyone seemed very respectful of masking policies on the trains. I never felt uncomfortable. I also thought of going first class but was happy that the overall savings for our two tickets covered two nights cost in a very nice hotel in Gstaad.

I have ridden numerous Swiss trains in first for the quiet. On one route, I was the only person in the car. As the scenery changed, I could move back and forth from side to side.

On another route, there was one other person in the car. When the conductor came around, he kicked the other guy out because he only had a second class ticket.

My attitude is simple.....as long as my budget allows it, why not? And as I travel solo, with Covid all about, I don't mind paying for a single seat with no one next to me.

We had the 2nd class travel pass this past Sept. and we were on several trains that were super crowded. In fact, one was so crowded, we got off because we weren’t sure we were going to find seats. So, for the crowd factor, I might be tempted to consider 1st class in the future. I know they are lowering the price on some of the passes for 2022. 15 day 2nd class will be 429 CHF (was 513). 15 day 1st class will be 675 (was 810). So, 246 more for 1st class.

I’m thinking I like Frank’s attitude-- as long as my budget allows it, why not?

We just returned from Switzerland using the second class STP. We were very happy with that status, and saw no reason to upgrade. Our train cars were uncrowded, clean, had phone charger ports, and a hook at each seat for a backpack or jacket. Bathrooms were immaculate.
Safe travels to all!

Can only comment on second class as thats what we had for our recent 2 week trip (still lurking here because I miss Switzerland and love the new travel stories here!) Anyhow, second class worked fine for us and we only experienced crowds a couple of times. But we always got a seat. I wouldn't pay extra for first, but that's just me.

Semi-pro tip---apologize if already mentioned here. Download the app for swiss trains. It not only gives you your route and connections for your destination, down to the time and platform, it also has a handy little graphic for each train segment with three little people. If one is shaded, its not a crowded train, three it will be busy. The app was awesome and made hopping on and off the trains super easy. We used it to avoid trains that had 3 shaded peeps, which was just a couple (like Zurich HB to the airport).

First class in Switzerland is intended for for business travel. Company cars are not common here, but first class GA tickets are very often provided by employers instead. That means that if you travel on major lines during rush hour you will often find that it s full up and in some cases 2nd class is less crowded.

We got the 2nd class ticket and then upgraded to first when we could. Loved first class. Especially during these times.

How does one "upgrade to first class" on certain trains when using a second class Swiss Travel Pass? I'm considering buying the second class travel pass for my husband and self, if it is possible to upgrade to first when we end up on a train where the second class cars are too crowded, but I would like to know how to do this. Thanks.

ksb1949, Info on how to upgrade to 1st class can be found here:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/class-upgrade.html