My wife & I will be traveling via train in Switzerland & Italy on our upcoming trip later this month. Zurich/Lauterbrunnen/Como/Florence. We’ll be on a few trips a while (2.5-4hrs). Is a 1st class upgrade worth it?
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11776 posts
I think it is for the longer trips as well as some of the short hauls, especially if you value having some space between yourselves and other travelers. Our practice until 2021 was to buy a second class pass in the Berner Oberland in Switzerland but we popped for 1st class in 2021 because we knew even the little journeys from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost and then on to Spiez could be very crowded in second class. We wanted the physical separation during COVID and I probably will continue as we enjoyed having some empty seats around, more room for personal effects, and not having to stumble over large suitcases in the aisles.
Our habit in Italy has always been to buy 1st class and reduce the financial impact by buying saver fares in advance. Again, we like the distancing, often it is quieter, fewer children, etc., especially for 2+ hour trips.
Posted by
Chicago
3125 posts
You can view 1st and 2nd class here:
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-switzerland.htm
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-italy.htm
I used 2nd class in Switzerland this past Sept. and the seats are perfectly comfortable. But, we did run into some crowded trains. So, for my upcoming trip in June, I will be using 1st class.
Posted by
Paris
7300 posts
2nd class is already expensive in Switzerland, and the rides are short, so personally I would not splurge for 1st class, which does not offer any extra amenities besides fewer crowds (which, in my experience, are mostly an issue on the main commuting routes between Swiss cities, rather than in places like Lauterbrunnen) and a bit of extra space.
In Italy, you can get good deals, and the level of comfort is markedly better in 1st, so why not?