The EC9 Train

I rode the EC9, and will make some observations.

The train starts in Hamburg-Altona (about as far north as you can go in NW Germany (leaving at 6:30 AM).  It makes its way down to Mainz (not Frankfurt) by 12:45, and typically reaches its final destination of Zurich, Switzerland around 5 PM. 

There's three cars for first-class, a restaurant car, and around six cars for 2nd-class.  The 2nd-class cars are generally filled (let's say 75-percent of the seats filled).  But on the first-class seating, I doubt if more than 10-to-20 percent of the seats are filled (unless in the holiday period). 

If you were looking for a landscape experience, and a chance to see the geography details of Germany and north Switzerland....then I'd strongly suggest this extra-long train ride. 

Wi-Fi?  No.  That's one odd feature of this offering.  The seats are decent, and the food on the restaurant car is standard (Ok for coffee and snacks).  With the toilets.....don't go and expect a lot (even on the first-class car).  I bought the first-class tickets (two people), from Mainz to Lucerne (119 Euro total, one-way). 

Is there any big difference between the two classes?  I would suggest that having fewer passengers, and more open seating....was the only advantage.  Also, if buying such a ticket, at least for first-class, there is no charge for a seat reservation, and I'd recommend you making that.