The Difference Between 1st and 2nd Class on the Bahn (Railway)

I've ridden 95-percent of my railway trips in Germany over the years in 2nd class.  The other five-percent were in first class.  So the question arises occasionally, is there any real difference?

I would generally offer five observations here:

1.  Rarely if ever....are all the first-class seats full.  In fact, as long as it's out of some holiday period....I would suggest that only one-third to half of first class seats will ever be occupied.  I have found a lot of occasions when every single seat onboard a train in second class, was filled, with dozens of people standing. 

2. First class is cleaner.  Part of this answer is the fact that people who ride in 2nd class will leave coffee cups or trash occasionally around (not much but enough).  So it kinda stands out that first class is cleaner.

3.  Rarely do you ever see damage, graffiti, or hooligans in first-class.  For regional trains, graffiti is something that you notice a good bit now in 2nd class.

4.  People dress slightly better.  Lets not go overboard, but you won't find anyone sitting there in shorts....in first class....in the midst of July.

5.  People who regularly ride first class....see it as a privilege, and would prefer to keep the company
'intact' and limit regular people from the 'exclusive' club.

I say all of this because it came up today in an news article where someone got into the first class section of the Bahn, and was challenged by a fellow rider.  The challenger wanted the conductor to come immediately over and challenge guy who probably 'under-dressed' for the appropriate seating area.  The rider had the ticket for first class area, and so the situation rapidly defused.

I know, it is kinda silly, but this is one of the remains of a very divided society existing.

The cost factor?  This comes to an interesting point.  You would typically pay around 20-percent more on the price of a first-class ticket.   When the older model trains ran (the ones with windows and cabins, from the 1970s), riding the first section was nice with the larger and more luxurious seats.  Since the newer models came along in the past twenty years.....the seat difference isn't that big of a deal.