Swiss Travel Pass- First class or Second Class
 

Hi everyone. We will be arriving in Zurich Thursday November 1, departing on Friday November 9. We will be staying 3 nights in Lucerne, 4 nights in Bern and then 1 night in Zurich. All of our travel, including day trips out of each city, be be done with the Swiss Travel card. So my question is, is it worthwhile to pay for the First Class pass over the Second Class pass. At that time of year are the trains busy enough that it would be better to have that? Is there enough of a difference in service to justify the price? When we have traveled throughout England before we have always gone with the first class pass and found it to be worthwhile but we are unsure for our trip to Switzerland.
Thank you for any insight about the passes.

Between 7am and 9am and between 4pm and 6pm, Intercity trains between Zurich and Berne resp Lucerne are always crowded, indipendently of the class. But there are alternatives (for example a bit slower trains which stop at Aarau and Olten, etc.).
Trains to the Alps will be half empty in November, in both classes.
First class is a good idea for people who plan cruises on Lake Lucerne, Lake Thun or Lake Geneva, as the panoramic decks are first class only. But November is too cold (and often rainy) for boat trips anyway

I would look at the Berner Oberland Pass also - covers everything in Bern and Lucerne areas and Jungfrau Region too and may be cheaper and cover more than Swiss Travel Pass - sold locally no reason to buy ahead (as is Swiss Travel Pass) - for lots on Swiss trains check www.sbb.ch - Swiss Federal Railways site for schedules and regular fares - www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

Curious as to why Bern for 4 nights - a nice city but the real awesome part of Switzerland to me is the Swiss Alps - you may be planning on day tripping there but really if so I'd urge you to base in a small mountain village like Wengen or larger Grindelwald and be eyeball to eyeball with soaring glacier-girdled Alps. If wanting to see Alpine majesty you won't find much in Lucerne area Engleberg an exception) or Bern - Bern to me is worth about a day - if staying in mountains day trip there are a inclement day - Bern has miles of covered walkways.

And I've always had first-class passes and enjoyed then on inter-city trains where 2nd class can always be crowded but first have more empty seats usually but if traveling largely in mountain areas there is very little first class there - boats however are as neckervd says. I'd say first class or not depends on what kind of trips you will be taking.

https://www.regionalpass-berneroberland.ch/en/

But if using Bern as a base from which to do forays elsewhere in Switzerland outline the Berner Oberland then a Swiss Travel Pass could be the best deal or Half-Fare Card if know exactly what trips you will be doing and no more.

Thank you for the advice. In looking on the Berner Oberland pass site, it looks like it is only valid until October 30. Unfortunately we don’t arrive until November 1. So since that pass, which would have been perfect for us had the dates been ok, isn’t available, should we go back to the Swiss Travel pass? We will be staying in Bern for 4 days, Lucerne for 3 and Zurich 1 day.

what kind of transport trips will you be taking? Boats run reduced schedule that time and going to Jungfrau not optimal either except maybe a dash up the Jungfraujoch (only 25% off with Swiss Transport Pass above Wengen or Grindelwald however - fully covered up to those towns) - if not doing enough long trips look also at the Half-fare Card which gives half-off everything that moves - even whole of Jungfraujoch train. If staying mainly in those cities a Travel Pass hardly would seem efficient. But if doing day trips around Switzerland - Bern is a great transit hub - then may well be.

<<So my question is, is it worthwhile to pay for the First Class pass over the Second Class pass.>>

It certainly wouldn't be for me. We opted for First Class passes on our first trip to Switzerland eons ago, due to the cruise access mentioned up thread by neckervd.

Since then we've purchased Second Class passes on every visit. IMO First Class is a waste of money (in an already expensive Switzerland), especially as we travel low season (as are you) and can easily avoid the busy transit times in/around the cities.

But, like everything, it depends on what you want to do and how you want to do it.

Palen has an excellent kowledge of everyting within the Jungfrau area (much bettter than many Swiss people who prefer other alpine areas as Valais, Ticino or Grischun).
But his statement "the Berner Oberland Pass covers everything in Bern and Lucerne areas and Jungfrau Region too"
is only partly correct. It should be:
"the Berner Oberland Pass covers everything in the Bernese Oberland (incl. Loetschental), as well as the access lines from Berne, Brig and Lucerne to the Bernese Oberland, but nothing else around Bern, Brig and Lucerne."
But the question is of no importance for the poster because the Bernese Oberland Pass will not be sold for November; for the simple reason that it would be a waste of money to buy it for a period in which most mountain railways/lifts/gondolas/post buses/boats ( except the Jungfrau railway) don't run.

Having bought the Swiss Pass first class because we wanted to be able to walk onto trains and boats and sit in the most comfortable place possible without any hassle about tickets, I still wouldn't bother if I weren't going to be able to use the boats. Actually I think that the half fare pass is probably a better bet as it's a lot cheaper and as Pal says you save 50% every time you travel, even on the Jungfraujoch.

thanks neckervd for clarification about pass. Re boats even with 2nd class pass you can always sit in first class and pay onboard the conductor the different between 1st and 2nd class boat fare - not that much. We have to know exact travel plans of OP to say whether half-fare card or Swiss Travel Pass is best deal or maybe nothing at all - like if just staying in those cities - unlikely I guess.