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If you have decided to travel to Switzerland, you have most likely started researching all the travel pass options and have come across several. For a country as compact as Switzerland, the abundance of choices can be overwhelming. The possibilities range from Day Passes and Regional Passes to Half Fare Passes and the Swiss Travel Passes, which come in consecutive and flexi formats.
After various trips to Switzerland, I have realised that for the average tourist wanting to explore as much as possible within a time frame, the Swiss Travel Pass offers the best value.
However, the question still remains: do you opt for a Swiss Travel Pass 1st Class or a 2nd Class, and what is the difference? As annoying as this may sound, the answer to this question is “it depends on your requirements”.
Both 1st and 2nd Class Swiss Travel Passes offer unlimited travel on buses, boats, trains and trams. They offer a couple of free mountain excursions and varying discounts on other popular mountain railways and cableways. The discounts range from 25% to 50% on very popular excursions such as the Jungfraujoch, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Mount Titlis.
Lastly, the pass includes the Swiss Museum Pass which offers access to over 500 museums, including Switzerland's most visited one - the Swiss Museum of Transport.
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So what are the advantages of 1st Class?
Seating format:
1st Class cabins are more spacious, with the seats being in a 2-aisle-1 formation, whereas 2nd Class cabins have a 2-aisle-2 formation. Also, the seat pitch is a little bigger in 1st Class.
Quieter surrounding:
The 1st class cabins tend to be quieter, and some trains even have ‘quiet zones’ where you cannot use cell phones or have loud conversations. These cabins are designed for those who want to catch up on some work, enjoy quiet reading or spend some time gazing at the amazing Swiss scenery in silence.
Scenic trains:
On panoramic trains like the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, the 1st Class cabins may offer more in-cabin service and larger panoramic windows.
Amenities:
Since one almost always travels with electronic gadgets, access to power sockets can be necessary. The 1st Class cabins will provide greater access to sockets next to the seats.
Does this mean that 2nd Class travel in Switzerland is not a pleasant experience?? Not at all. I have personally travelled in both classes several times and have had great experiences in both.
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Advantages of 2nd Class
Cost-effective:
Everyone wants the best bang for their buck, and if you are looking for a great but budget-friendly travel experience, you can opt for a 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass. You can use the saved cash for other experiences, such as an adventure-filled day atop the Grindelwald First or a leisurely sail on the Saphir Panoramic Yacht Cruise on Lake Lucerne.
Adequate Comfort:
The 2nd Class cabins, although more crowded, are still quite comfortable and clean and have luggage racks.
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So what should the 1st Class versus 2nd Class Swiss Travel Pass choice depend upon?
Well, here are a few things to consider-
Length of journeys:
If you have several long or cross-country journeys in your Switzerland itinerary, a 1st Class pass would provide the added comfort you need and also increase your chances of getting a seat during peak hours and seasons.
Seating requirement:
If you are looking to be seated together as a family, the chance of getting such a seating arrangement would be greater in 1st Class. As a couple, you can opt for the single seaters facing each other. For a solo traveller or someone wanting to get some work done while travelling, the single-seater would be the perfect option.
Amount of luggage:
If you are travelling with a lot of luggage, you will be able to get in and out of a less crowded compartment with ease. There would be a greater chance of getting luggage storage space on the racks at the end of the compartment, overhead and in between seats.
Time of travel:
Trains tend to be quite crowded during rush hours and particularly during peak tourist seasons, so it would be good to opt for a 1st Class pass if you are planning to travel during these times.
Scenic trains:
If you plan to take a couple of panoramic trains, such as the Golden Pass Express or Gotthard Panorama Express, you will benefit from the larger windows, cabin service, and greater space that 1st Class would provide for an overall enhanced experience. Some panoramic journeys can be long (the full Glacier Express journey is almost 8 hours) so having extra legroom and space would be nice.
Special needs:
In case you are travelling with kids, require extra legroom for a particularly tall family member, or are travelling with a special-needs person, the 1st Class will provide the extra space and comfort needed.
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Class Upgrade
One of the advantages of the Swiss transport system is that it also allows for class upgrades. This means that you can travel with a 2nd Class pass and pay for an upgrade on a particular segment that you wish. For example, you can opt for a class upgrade for just the Glacier Express or any other specific long journey that you are going to take. The Class Upgrade fare is the difference between the 1st and 2nd class ticket cost of a particular segment of travel and can be purchased at a station or via the Swiss Federal Railways website.
I have found this class upgrade particularly useful on trips where most of my travel included short segments, mountain trips (which often offer only one class of travel) and a single panoramic train like the Glacier Express. On such trips, taking a 2nd Class Swiss Travel Pass with a class upgrade only for the scenic journey made sense. This way, I avoided purchasing the 1st Class pass, which can cost 58% to 60% more than a 2nd Class pass.
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Final thoughts on Swiss Travel Pass - 1st Class or 2nd Class
As mentioned, the choice between 1st and 2nd Class depends upon your travel priorities.
If extra comfort and a quieter space are important to you, then spending the extra money is definitely worthwhile. However, if budget constraints or allocating expenses to other parts of your travel are essential, do not hesitate to opt for a 2nd Class pass, which offers excellent value for money and a lovely way to mingle with tons of fellow travellers.
Either way, the Swiss Travel Pass will be the perfect companion for a seamless, easy-to-use, comfortable travel experience through Switzerland. Buy it, download it and present it each time you need to use it. Travel can not get simpler, can it?
