WeisserTee

should be "AND you will get an idea" not "BUT you will get an idea..."

PalenQ

Wow what great info from Weisser Tee - I think in Switzerland if you are in amobbed 2nd class compartment you can go and sit in first class and then pay the conductor the difference in price for full fare between the classes - not sure if this is currently the case as some trains are on the honor system with spot checks fining folks for not have valid tickets for their class - but if there is a conductor on the train ask if you can pay more and sit in first class if conditions dictate it.

All of Switzerland seems to be commuter train affected - at rush hours 2nd class IME - not as much as Weisser Tee - but a lot has seen many SRO trains at certain times of day say around Zurich, Bern, etc.

If you have a Swiss Pass you can similarly move into a higher class by paying the fare differential I believe. Again not sure on the exact current state of this.

FHurdle

PalenQ has already made this point, but if purchased in advance a lot of First Class tickets are a bargain. This is especially true for tickets with one leg in Germany purchased through the Bahn.com website.

For example, I think the lower Munich-Venice fare is 49 euros in second class, and you darn well better buy a seat reservation for 4.50 or risk standing the entire trip. Or you can pay 69 for a first-class seat, with no crowd and a free seat reservation. So people won't be standing up all around you making your trip miserable.

On most routes a second-class seat is fine, but first class is better. But I don't buy the first class seats unless I feel they are a bargain. On busy routes you should always get a seat reservation or risk having to sit on the floor or stand up the entire trip.

PalenQ

Yes cheapest is not always the best even though that is often the Fodor's mantra with some saying first class is not worth a euro extra - I suggest those folks have never ridden in first class or would not say something so blatantly wrong IME of decades of European train travel.

annhig

for me, first class at least when I'm working is definitely worth it. you get much more space and, i have to say, more peace and quiet.

VanCoerte

Man In Seat 61 is ... well ... The Man! When I was first figuring out how to get around Europe by train, I practically lived on his website.

My Bottom Line: Having tried all classes in several countries, I came to a swift decision: If you can afford it (and yes there are ways to buy inexpensively), go first class. Room for your luggage, quieter, far less hassle, and more often than not the air conditioning works.

PalenQ

1st class for a tourist on the trip of a lifetime is recommended by me highly - especially those with typically too much luggage - locals who use the train all the time sans any heavy luggage often say why pay more for first class but they should put themselves into the shoes of a foreign traveler with way too much luggage.