Routes justify buying 1st class Swiss rail pass?
A traveler is planning a trip to Switzerland during the first two weeks of September and is concerned about traveling in crowded train cars. They seek advice on the practicality of purchasing a 1st Class Swiss Travel Pass, considering much of their planned travel may not include 1st class seating. Their itinerary includes traveling from Bellinzona to various destinations, including Mt. Rigi and Lake Constance, and they want to avoid overcrowded trains during this busy season.
- Purchase a 1st Class Swiss Travel Pass for added comfort on most trains, although some scenic routes like the Rigi railway and certain boats do not offer 1st class seating.
- Traveling during September is generally less crowded, but be mindful of commuting hours to avoid busy trains.
- For the best experience, consider booking accommodations close to train stations to minimize hassle with luggage and enjoy the stunning views at locations like Mt. Rigi.
AI-generated summary-
Hi Connie-
I have become used to the high reliability of Swiss trains, plus occasional oral and signboard announcements when a train was going to be 6 minutes late (gasp!). That is the experience that underlays my most persistent memory of train travel around Tuscany and Umbria.
That is the column on all the train sign boards or video screens that was missing in all the other countries I have travelled in – there was a permanent column for how many minutes the train would be late.
Switzerland has a lot of such peaks for peak collectors, in the Jura, the Emmental, the Berner Oberland, etc. It’s not hard to see a whole lot of countries from a small country. The critical need- clear air. Septemebr and October, or some Winter days can provide that best.
There are other times and other months, but ,on average, September is a good one. I hope he can get a few new ones highs ;-0
Slowpoke.
I tend to like height spots that give good pictures. Attached
Slowpoke
As this is a very active thread for you Slowpoke, I thought I’d ask you a question about this thread here: https://www.myswissalps.com/community/thread/credit-card-usage-in-switzerland/
About US credit cards without a PIN and using them successfully in Switzerland. 🙂
We travel first class because the seats are more comfortable and we have more room for luggage. We’ve been there on business and need room for suitcases with business and casual clothes. We also had snowboards, hiking boots, etc. last year. It may be more expensive, but it is quieter and less crowded. The differences are less noticeable than on other trains, for instance we took the TGV from Paris to Basel and that was a world of difference in service, etc. between first and second class. Your trip sounds wonderful, enjoy!
Hi cam223 –
<<“The differences are less noticeable than on other trains, for instance
we took the TGV from Paris to Basel and that was a world of difference
in service, etc. between first and second class. Y”>>
I’ve had the same experience.
Both networks have a function of uniting the country by reducing travel barriers between cities or regions. Swiss rail is moving toward a model of fast, frequent service between major cities at least twice per hour.
However, there are a few factors that contribute to the difference between the Swiss approach and the TGV approach.
The TGV is meant to travel longer distances at high speed, to a significant degree competing with the airlines. The distances in France are greater. Switzerland is a small country, compared to France. Although you can fly between some Swiss cities, the distances are short enough that air travel is definitely not the first choice. The Swiss trains do not have to compete with the airlines. The TGV does.
The Swiss system is intended to provide mass inter-urban travel, having reduced but not eliminated its role on secondary routes in the country side. As such, second class is the ordinary mode of using the trains…everyday travel. The standards are such that second class travel is an acceptable and comfortable experience. There are certainly intercity and trans-European trains in Switzerland, but they don’t serve quite the same role as the TGV.
Geography is a concern. There are a lot of mountains in Switzerland. The really fast trains run on the new long relatively straight trans-Alpine tunnels, such as the Gotthard Basis Tunnel. Speeds there approach TGV speeds. The only other part of Switzerland where high speed track is practical in the “Mittelland” along the axis from approximately Olten to Bern. That high speed stretch has made the roundabout route from Geneva to Bern via a northern loop through Oftringen ( close to Olten) faster over a notably longer distance than the old, more direct route through the Emmental via Langnau.
There are not many places in Switzerland where you can build long stretches of high speed rail. If there were, you’d find TGV-type speeds to be common in Switzerland. But, then, the travel times wold be so short that any sort of luxurious service in First Class would likely not be leisurely…..probably…more rushed.
Those are not absolute reasons for the differences. But , they contribute. And, the French are quite proud of the TV and work to make it a superb symbol of French technology and culture.
My opinions, anyway.
Slowpoke
That line –
<<“That high speed stretch has made the roundabout route from Geneva to
Bern via a northern loop through Oftringen ( close to Olten) faster over
a notably longer distance than the old, more direct route through the
Emmental via Langnau.”>>
Should have read <<“….from Geneva to Luzern….”>>
Slowpoke
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