Can someone please explain the difference between the S-Bahn and a regular Swiss passenger train? Will I be able to carry luggage aboard the S-Bahn?

You can bring luggage aboard an S Bahn train; it's just like a regular train but travels within a greater city network.

Thanks, DAX, for the explanation. S

In fact, many of the S-Bahn trains use the same train stations as the regular trains, although they usually use separate tracks.

In Zürich for example, both SBB trains and S-Bahn trains travel between the main station and the airport.

I think you will find that in Switzerland, the national trains, the S-Bahns, and the Post Buses are well coordinated.

If you look at the Sbb web site, be sure to drill down to the routes the trains travel. You will see each individual stop and the time of travel between each station. It is all worked out in great detail with intricate timing.

Think of the letter S as standing for Suburban and everything falls into place.

I may well stand corrected but my understanding of 'S-Bahn' in the German context at least means 'Stadt Bahn' or railways run by the state and not local authorities. Sincerely PalQ

I believe the "S" is for "Strassen-Bahn", as in street-car. The trains serve local districts, and run on the street ( Strasse). "Stadt" means "city", not "state".

Thanks to all for the information. I will be arriving in Zurich on July 2, and will immediately train up to Stein am Rhein from the airport station. The quickest route is to Winterthur, and then the S-Bahn to Stein. I'm going to be very tired and just wanted to check with you all to see if I'll be able to bring my luggage aboard the local train.

I'll be staying 2 nights in Stein, then 1 night at Des Balances in Luzern, 3 nights at the Alpenruh in Murren, and 1 night in Spiez.

I'm planning to buy an 8 day Swiss rail pass -- haven't decided if it's worth it to go 1st class.

After that first week of solo travel, I join a tour for 2 additional weeks.

I wouldn't spend the extra for first class for Switzerland. There is not a lot of difference between the size of seats or room in the cars in first and second class, and luggage room is virtually identical; really I never went first class in Switzerland but would in other countries, e.g. Italy. If you were traveling in a group and wanted to reserve seats together that would be one reason to go first class, but by yourself it realy does not matter, IMO. Save your money for other things in Switzerland. As for the S-Bahn, you won't be able to tell you are on one versus a Swiss Rail train, they are the same cars.

Cicerone,
Thanks so much for the advice regarding 1st and 2nd class! There's quite a savings in going 2nd class, so I'll follow your suggestion.

Susan

>both SBB trains and S-Bahn trains

The S-Bahn around Zürich is run by the SBB (mainly). They renamed local/regional trains, such as between Winterthur and Stein, into S-Bahn as well to emphasize that the transport system si interlocked (S-Bahn sounds so much more "urban" than a local train).

>I may well stand corrected but my understanding of 'S-Bahn' in the German context at least means 'Stadt Bahn' or railways run by the state and not local authorities. Sincerely PalQ

Yes, in Berlin and Hamburg S-Bahn meant originally Stadtbahn (city railway). (It has nothing to do with state (Staat) and also not with Strasse.
However since then the Stadtbahn connection has been lost and now it is fashionable to call any frequently running local train network in Germany, Switzerland or Austria "S-Bahn".