What's the difference between first class and second class on Swiss trains?
We have to take 2 rides of about an hour each. Is the price difference worth it?

Hi sssteve,

First class seats are a bit more plush. There are generally fewer travellers and lots fewer young children. That's about it.

For only an hour, I would say no, the price difference isn't worth it.

s

Both are clean and comfortable. The first class coaches are sometimes newer. Both get you to your destination at the same time. My experience is that in most of Europe, and Switzerland is no exception, first class is often quieter and a bit stand-offish, with people busy on business and not inclined to talk. In second class, the people are more inclined to talk with you, so it is a bit noisier, but not enough to be disturbing. We used to use first class, but now use second class almost exclusively, unless it is one of the glamour trains like the Bernina Express, and when we took that earlier this year, I didn't think the extra cost was worth it.

I suppose if we were on the Glacier express and wanted to dine, first class might be an interesting experience. But usually we pack a picnic and are very happy in second class.

I have to admit that on our first trip to Switzerland, we took a first class coach from Florence to Boltigen. At that time, they stopped at the borders and examined your documents. As we sat there, obviously new to the experience, a gentleman from Basel asked if he could help us. He spoke little English, his wife spoke more; we spoke no German. But we were able to converse and he explained how to change trains at the stations, and gave us a 1 Franc coin to rent a carrier for our luggage. So first class is not completely stand-offish, and the Swiss are not the cold remote people that some say. I didn't know how to return his coin tactfully, but we didn't need it as our luggage has wheels. I carry that coin to this day as a fond reminder of our first experience in Switzerland.

We returned home two weeks ago after spending a week in Switzerland. We did a lot of moving around by train, and we travelled 2nd class. It was perfectly fine and a lot cheaper than 1st class. Plenty of seats and not much noise.

I would suggest first class in the afternoons when schools are over for the day. Often, particularly local trains, the train is the school bus. Unfortunately some of the locals are 2nd class only.

Other than that I am not sure that the extra cost is worth the difference in cost even with a half fare card.

Thanks for that information. Now I've got another question regarding the Swiss train system, so I think I'll hijack my own thread and ask it.

I am completely confused regarding the city-ticket and the city-city-ticket. The SSB site prvides the basic information, but not enough. It shows that the city-city-ticket, which includes local transportation for 1 day both at departure city and arrival city as available only "online", but the city-ticket available at the train station. That doesn't sound logical.
Also, are we talking about 1 full day in the departure city, and 1 full day at the arrival city? Or is it one day total. Also, does this require that you order tickets for a particular train and in the departure city you are entitled to free public transportation for the 24 hours directly before the train departure time, or does it work differently?

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

I agree it is a complicated question and my knowledge is, shall we say, limited if not retarded.

Here is my understanding of the situation.
For the City-City ticket not all Swiss cities are involved.
For example, I don't think Interlaken is included. I just tried to buy such a ticket from Interlaken Ost to Geneve and could not.

The city-city ticket assumes that you will travel to the origin train station by public transportation.
Therefore you can pay a supplement for a pass on city of origin transportation.

You also may purchase a supplement for transportation at the destination city.

In between, you of course must pay the train fare. I fail to see how the ticket is much of an advantage because you pay the usual fare between cities and you pay a supplement for the local transportation pass.

As near as I can tell, the ticket is good for one day and there is a list of cities where it is valid.

City-City-Tickets sind einen Tag lang in folgenden Städten gültig. I looked up the German description, which is usually the final word on this, and as I read it it says that the City-City Tickets are valid one day long in the following cities: (Then you have to look at the list.)

The city ticket is bought at the train station and the assumption is that you are already at the station so there is no need for a public transportation supplement in the city of departure. You are already there!!

My own opinion is to buy the half fare discount card and not worry about all this folderol of city city, travel after 9 am with a 9 hour ticket, and other confusing options.

I will admit that the Swiss can throw a bewildering list of train ticket options at you.

How confident am I in what I just wrote above? Not very.

Thanks Bob!

Here's our program.
We arrive in Basel in the morning at the end of a Rhine river cruise. We plan to spend the day in Basel and take the train to Luzern in the evening. We will then spend 3 days in Luzern, and at the end, take the train directly to Zurich airport for our flight home.

We walk a lot, and I have no idea how much we will need public transportation. With the myriad options available, I thought there might be a discount ticket, or a ticket combo that would suit us. However, now I'm beginning to think that our best option is just pay for what we need as we go...

Any imaginative suggestions will be welcomed.

Luzern is a very compact town and there is no need for local transport there if you can walk. In fact, when we arrived I tried to get a taxi from the train station to our hotel, and the driver said why take a taxi when you can walk, and pointed to our hotel. Perhaps if we had used a more distant hotel he would have taken us.

However, to me some of the best activities from Luzern involve a boat ride to a train or cable car up a mountain and down, and a bus or train or boat back to downtown Luzern. Our half fare cards cut the cost of these activities in half. But we were there more than three days. I suggest you look up the attractions in Luzern and decide if you want to take boat rides, then consider whether something like the half fare card will make economic sense, bearing in mind that it will also cut your costs from Basel to Luzern, and Luzern to Zurich in half.

I no longer try to figure out which pass might work; there are just so many complications that I found myself spending all my time on pass calculations, rather than researching what sites we didn't want to miss.

I would be happy if the weather will be good enough to justify going up to Pilatus. We will be there in the middle of October.