Shall I buy 1st or 2nd class for our 15 days Swiss Travel Pass?
A traveler named Delraysun is planning a 15-day trip to Switzerland, focusing on train travel between cities like Zurich, Lucerne, Zermatt, and Lauterbrunnen. They are seeking advice on whether to choose 1st class or 2nd class train tickets for their journeys.
- Purchase a 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass and consider upgrading to 1st class for longer trips or crowded trains.
- Check anticipated train occupancy on the Swiss timetable to understand crowd levels.
- Traveling by boat in peak season may result in crowded lower decks, so opt for 1st class on the upper deck for more space.
AI-generated summary-
Deciding on which class of train to get for our 15 day STP.
For these routes, is 1st class worth the extra cost?
ZRH-Lucerne
Lucerne to Zermatt
Zermatt to Lauterbrunnen (to Wengen)
Lauterbrunnen to Zurich HB
Thanks
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Hi Delraysun,
That’s very much a personal preference, and I expect you will get responses favouring both options for various reasons.
For me, the route is not a deciding factor (except perhaps for the panoramic trains), but rather the occupancy level of the respective classes.
My personal approach is to buy a 2nd class pass and upgrade to 1st class for any trips when I am travelling any distance with luggage, or for special trips like one of the panoramic trains. Sometimes I wait to see how crowded the train will be before deciding.
If it’s crowded in second class, I simply buy a first-class upgrade on the spot via the SBB app in order to travel in a less crowded carriage, or on the top deck of a boat.
If it’s not crowded, and I can get a window seat on a scenic stretch, I’m happy to save money and travel in 2nd class.
Good luck deciding!
Alpenrose
Hi Delraysun,
I agree with Alpenrose, it is very personal and she has described the situation very well.
1st class vs 2nd class is described in the link below:
I travel both, quite happy in 2nd but if the journey is a longer one, I sometimes travel 1st.
In case you need any purchase options for your Swiss Travel Pass, some trusted online suggestions here:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
The main advantage of 1st class is avoiding crowds in 2nd class. You didn’t tell us when you’ll be in Switzerland, but if it’s July-August (and now it’s said that Sept. is also getting popular), then the tourists will be plenty. If you leave from a city around the rush hour(s), then second class can be packed. If you plan to do a boat trip, which I recommend out of Lucerne or Interlaken since you’ll be in that region, “high” summer season can find the lower deck of boats really packed. 1st class is on the upper deck, a nicer place to be, and usually has plenty of room. One disadvantage of buying a 2nd class ticket and upgrading when you want is that you must deal with buying the ticket (lines can be long at times) – but buying upgrades using the SBB app can take care of that problem, as mentioned earlier. But for a tourist who’s not familiar with the process, that’s one more thing to deal with.
I would strongly agree with everything pvonk says. And in Switzerland it should be stressed that thanks to the superb public transport and relatively cheap season tickets (an all Switzerland annual season ticket ‘General Abonnement’ (GA) with similar validity to the Swiss Travel Pass costs just 3990 Franks) means that work commuting has almost got back to pre-Covid levels.
My Swiss holidays are now taken in the ‘in between’ ‘zwischen saisons’ April-May and Late September-Early October. The Swiss themselves are mostly at work. But on any FINE day whatever the month the lower deck of a boat can be packed. The 09 12 out of Luzern on May 1st (NOT a holiday in Luzern or adjoining cantons) was packed on the bottom deck. There was less than fifty of us on the first class top deck. Out of Zurich (my usual holiday base nowadays) boats leaving at any time on a fine day may be well filled. If you hold a season ticket between (say) Zurich and Rapperswil you will normally use the train (six trains per hour). But if the weather is nice and you are not in a hurry you may opt for the boat. Your season ticket is valid on the boat!
We arrive in Zurich on 9/4 and will be traveling from Zurich to Lucern, Zermatt & Wengen and back to Zurich for 3 days each. This timeframe falls right after the end of peak in August so there still may be a high level of tourism travel?
So, in addition to any boat rides, it’s the trains between each of these stops that are most importance for comfort, space, etc.
Thanks
Hi DelraysunI,
Crowds are generally quieter in September. The Swiss schools have already returned back to term, so crowds should be less overall.
With the Swiss timetable you can also view anticipated occupancy on public transportation. If the little figures are red, then a high number of passengers is expected. Scroll to “How to check how busy your train will be”.
Here’s also our guide to visiting Switzerland during the course of the year:
Kind regards,
Yolanda
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