How important is 1st class travel for rail tour

We are two adults and a 20 year old. It seems to be about a $700 difference between 1st and 2nd class rail passes. How important is getting a 1st class pass for this type of journey where we are spending each day on a train for 7 days straight. Maybe if someone could tell me the distinct differences I could justify that price difference...

Hi Caseylight -

<<"Maybe if someone could tell me the distinct differences I could justify that price difference...">>

Perhaps this can help:

www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/practical/2nd1stcl ass

It is rather difficult to make a judgement like that for someone else. If you were a business person traveling on business, and needed to work, I could recommend a first class car with a "Silent" zone...no loud talking and no cell phone usage.... That is a clear situation. And, some train cars have a small playground for young children....another easy one. In other cases it comes down to somewhat more comfortable seats and less tendency for first class sections to be full.

Personally, I tend to use second class for most shorter trips within Switzerland, and find it quite comfortable. However, if I plan to spend a lot of hours on a train on a particular day, or have concerns about hauling a lot of luggage on and off the train at busy stations during morning rush hour, then I may choose first class.

( I carry a Halbtax card....functionally equivalent to a Half-Fare card for tourists. So, I can choose either first or second class for any given journey.)

Hope this helps.

Slowpoke