- when I'm tired, hot and cranky;
- when I've got four bags of shopping to lug home;
- as a romantic overture. Because nothing says love like a Klassenwechsel. (2nd class is snugglier though.)
mind you, on the train from visp to zermatt, i normally go in 1st class; as i then can avoid the herds of skiers, families, dogs, strollers and children... 2nd class is packed, 1st is never more than half full
Company pays first class for any work related trips I make.
I come from the mid-west where we like our physical space. I'm also a tiny woman.
For me, first-class means:
· I get a seat
· No one pushes me or accidentally kicks my feet entering the train
· I don't take an elbow from the tall guys in suits who I expect to be more careful
· No one puts on make-up next to me
· Since, I’m tiny, the largest people tend to find the seat next to me attractive which means they take half of my seat as well
· I don't have to literally climb over the people who don’t get up so that someone can get to the aisle even though they can clearly see that their knees are touching the person in front of them
· No one blows their nose in my face
· People don’t tend to talk loud on their mobile phone
· No graffiti
· No hoodlums
· No drunk kids showing off
· No food or sticky drinks on the floor
· People don’t tend to eat smelly food on the way
· No end of the day body-odor from people sitting so snuggly close
Sorry, but the first class from Zurich to Bern in the morning would really disappoint you... the ICs at 7.00 or 7.30 more packed in first class till the last seat than in 2nd, people will easily push as much to get a seat when entering the train and are not in any way eating less smelly food. While there are surely less graffity or kids, people tend to talk louder on their phone! Because they are important! (I seriously overheard HR-related stuff with full names on things that I would consider very private...)
OTOH, as I usually travel with my wife and small daughter, if we can get 3 seats together we end up with a lot of room. Flying Coach isn't too bad because of this as long as we are together.
Brian.
I don't want to complain. It is still better in Switzerland than in many other countries.
At least, I can find some peace on my route by taking first class.
Due, initially, to the fall in the exchange rate, I demoted myself to 2nd class: a good decision in many ways.
In 2nd class I shared a day with an American lady that I met on the train. We had a most enjoyable day including lunch in Gruyères. Shame she was returning back to the USA the next day.
I was chatted up on a late night train from Arbon to Zurich by some Swiss girls who were keen to share out their vodka. They seemed impressed by my English accent. (Not sure they may have been so chatty if they were sober )
On Christmas day I was fed homemade chocolates by two girls on the journey from Bern to Zurich.
It is 2nd class for me every time now
If you really choose to always go 2nd class when flying, I can only assume that you're small enough to curl up on the seat and get a good kip.
Wouldn't bother here, I've better things to spend my money on.
Oh look I've got a better seat than you, mine has got a piece of cloth of the headrest
It's a real tonic...
Please refrain from the following in quiet zones:
conversation and discussion, even if conducted quietly listening to music or the radio, even using headphones using audio and video applications on laptops using mobile phones Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh
People enter his cabin and basically turn and run.
He sees this as racism. I would see it as a blessing.
She then put a plastic bag on her head to stop the dye dripping and they then waited for I presume the required time for it to work.
Unfortunately I had to get off so what happened next - I don't know. Maybe they went to the sink in the WC to rinse it off