German rail 1st class vs 2nd class
 

I will be in Germany next month and have two long train rides, one 3 1/2 hour trip and a five hour trip. I'm wondering if I should splurge for first class or if second class is fine. This is my first time to Germany and I know nothing about the trains. Can someone advise me if spending the extra euros is worth it? What's the difference between first and second class?

Thanks!

Jane, I've done both and for me it's not worth it. First class is nicer, a bit more roomy, and more quiet.

In Germany 2nd class means a pretty high standard. Also, I like to talk to people and 2nd class gives me more opportunities. It's usually just as clean and always just as fast.

We have done both 1st and 2nd class. The only reason that i would do 1st class again is if I had to tote around a bit of lugage. If all you have is a srandard suitcase, then I'd go for 2nd class.

Jane, I just returned from Germany, and took the DB from Trier to Paris, second class...it was just great, and perfectly fine. It was diffrerent from what I expected, tho: I had traveled in Hungary and Austria last year and all the trains had compartments. This high speed did not, but the ride was smooth and quick,a nd second class was cool. There are spaces in the center of each car for luggage. I ended up " talking" to an 8 year old who wnated to practice his English...

If you are traveling on ICE, you probably will be okay in 2nd class. This past September I bought a Bayern pass which is 2nd class and on regional trains. I went from Munich to Berchtesgaden and I was miserable. The train was so crowded and SO HOT . I thought I would die before I got there. There is no AC on the regional trains in 2nd class. So I will stick with 1st class.

If you decide on 2nd class, I would suggest you pay the extra for seat reservations. Some 2nd class cars can get pretty full.

First class is IMHO a waste of money. Do seat reservations in second.

In November there is no need to worry about air condition, by the way.

> There is no AC on the regional trains in 2nd class. So I will stick with 1st class.

There is either no AC or there is AC in a train. If you have got an old train without AC or with a defect AC on a hot day, you will sweat just as much in the 1st. But, as quokka said, it is not something you have to worry about in november.
Plus, in a regional train you cannot book a seat no matter what class.

As to long trips, it very much depends on the time of travel. On friday evening or early monday morning (to a less extent sunday evening) 1st class might make sense (although just pre-reserving a seat in the 2nd is a cheaper and still good solution). Otherwise don´t bother.

Three and a half hours (even five) is not a LONG trip. Just a blip.

Second class is fine - it's Germany not Tanzania or India. But second class is fine THERE too.

I've often wondered who first class is actually FOR on European trains.

Does anyone have the figures to hand? Does first class exist to service locals or tourists?

What does that question mean, who does first class exist for? Trains have had first class since they existed, it is certainly not some tourist ploy. Trains in Europe don't seem to really care that much about tourists, frankly, I've never seen ads or any promotions to make me think any national rail system in Europe is begging for foreign tourists or wants to get more of them.

I've taken first class on trains in Europe whenever it is a longer trip, I'm toting baggage, etc. It is sometimes more comfortable, almost always seems to have more space and can be quieter. It's never been that much more expensive than second on the trains I've taken in Spain and France, and trains in Poland/Czech Rep etc are cheap no matter what, as far as I'm concerned.

I would never take first class for a day trip or ride of less than 2 hours, and a lot of those don't even have first class, anyway.

I think I've taken first class in Germany, but only for trains that were going or coming from another country, so can't comment on the difference to me in that regard.

First class is often full of business users who want a bit of extra space and quiet to work. And of course, they aren't paying for the ticket.

Wow, thank you so much, everyone, for your quick and helpful responses! :-)

I think my concerns are based on my experiences in other countries, where second class is sometimes more like cattle class, so I usually spring for a first class seat. But the German trains sound like a very different experience.

I will be traveling on a Friday from Frankfurt to Themar and on Tuesday from Themar to Berlin, all midday trips, so I plan on a seat reservation, just to be safe. Both trips involve STB and IC or ICE trains and at least one connection and I'll have a large suitcase (I'm spending ten days in Germany and I have never mastered the ability to pack light). I don't mind train travel - I actually enjoy it - but I thought it might be worth it to spend the extra money for first class (I am also concerned about having a place for my suitcase). But from the consensus here, it sounds like second class should be just fine.

Thank you all again for the advice!

>>First class is often full of business users who want a bit of extra space and quiet to work. And of course, they aren't paying for the ticket.<<

Exactly. That's why I am always riding first class. First class has 25% extra space. This is priceless if you have to work on your laptop computer. Otherwise, second class is fine. Regarding space for your suitcase, there shouldn't be a significant difference between both classes. You will always find some space.

However, sometimes when you book special offers ("Sparpreis") first class is the same price or even cheaper (!) than second class - especially on weekends when few business travellers are on their way. So better check.

I've taken both. First class worked for me when traveling on business. I have reservations and someone else is paying for it. Second class when vacationing. I don't do reservations and I'm paying for it. The quality is maybe ten percent better than second class but you arrive at the same time.

I usually go first class. In addition to the extra space as mentioned above, first class is quieter. I talk to lots of people all day at work so I enjoy the serenity of first class. Plus, ICE trains aren't that expensive if you take advantage of advance ticket purchases.
Example: full first fare from Basel to Cologne via ICE costs from 140 to 170 euros. Advance purchase is only 49. In second class, the cheapest fare would be 29 euros (88 to 106 euros full fare). With advance purchases, the difference in price between second and first isn't huge.
Is it worth it? That's for you to decide. To me, it is.

Just bought two first class tickets at bahn.de from Vienna to Munich. Regular fare is 124E per person and there was a promo for 39 E each. Cheaper than the offers for second class and this is an ICE train.

Definitely worth looking into and the website is a pleasure to use versus other country's.

If you are doing two trips that long and don't wish to peg yourself into an exact unchangeable train weeks in advance then by all means investigate the German Railpass - two long trips at full fare can be more than the 4-day in one-month railpass in either class. And you can hop on virtually any train anytime - just hop on. The value of first class is like someone said - 25% more room since you have three seats in an aisle - an isolated one by the window and two seats on the other side vs two by two in the same space in 2nd class. Plus there are usually IME empty seats in first class so you can put you luggage in the empty seat as i have always in hundreds of trips almost always been able to do. And there is a comfort level - the reason railways charge about 40% more for first class and people pay it. And in first class if you want a coffee or snack the conductor will usually even serve you at your seat. For lots on German trains and railpasses i always refer two excellent sites: www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - each site, esp the latter, has tons of objective info on German trains in addition to the usual pass prices that most sites seem only to have. In addition to your two planned trips, with the pass you would have two other additional unlimited train travel days to use somewhere (the pass is a 4-day minimum - a Twin Pass is two names on one pass at about an 18% cheaper p.p. rate than two individual passes if two folks will always be traveling together.

For my last 6-10 ICE train rides in Germany, I've purchased 1st class tickets. I have had to sit on my suitcase more than one time in 2nd. At my age, I'd much rather pay more and know that I have a comfortable seat!

The ICE trains are really very nice!

Didn't see any reference to the latest news in this thread, so thought I should alert you that the ICE trains in Germany are all currently out of service -- at least as of last Tuesday.

Evidently, inspectors found a defect in the steel from which ICE coach axles are made, and have 'grounded' all ICE trains until the extent of the problem can be determined, and any risky trains repaired. Last I read in the German press, the 'grounding' was for an indeterminate length of time.

So...if you're paying for an ICE ticket in the near future, you may be diverted to a slower train. The good news: with very few exceptions, German trains are always excellent, no matter the class of train.

>alert you that the ICE trains in Germany are all currently out of service

Wrong.
It's only the new ICE-T series that has to be checked one by one. Four ICE routes are affected, meaning that some ICEs are substituted by slower IC trains or run with half the number of cars.
The routes affected are:
# Hamburg – Berlin – Leipzig - München
# Wiesbaden – Frankfurt – Leipzig - Dresden
# Stuttgart – Singen - Zürich
# Dortmund – Koblenz – Mainz – Frankfurt – Nürnberg – Passau - Wien

On these lines you'll be facing trouble till at least mid November. On all other lines, which means 90% of all long distance trains, traffic runs as usual.