I traveled in first and business class on trains across Europe. There was just a $3 difference, but the cheaper one was better.
Joey Hadden
- I rode a Trenitalia Frecciarossa train from Venice to Rome in business class in October 2022.
- A few days later, I rode a Trenitalia EuroCity train from Milan to Zürich in first class.
In October 2022, I traveled around Italy and Switzerland by train and tried business and first-class cars in hopes of having luxurious, comfortable travel experiences.
First, I took a 4-hour business-class train from Venice to Rome, which covers 327 miles.
A few days later, I rode in first class on a 3.5-hour train from Milan to Zürich, which is about 135 miles.
I booked both trains through Trenitalia, Italy's largest operator that runs several fleets. The trains provided varying experiences for premium classes like business and first. Here's how they compared.
For my business-class experience, I rode a train from the Frecciarossa series.
It's one of the fastest fleets of trains Trenitalia runs, with a max speed of 190 miles per hour, according to Italia Rail.
For my first-class ride, I was on EuroCity, a collaboration with several European train companies including Trenitalia.
EuroCity trains are only used for international connections and travel about 60 miles per hour, according to the Trainline.
To travel by train in Europe, I bought a Eurail pass for $477, which gives access to most European trains for a set number of days.
Some trains and classes only require a Eurail pass to ride, while others incur an additional discounted price.
For my business-class Trenitalia trip, I paid an additional $10 to upgrade my Eurail ticket. For my first-class ride, I paid an additional $13 to upgrade.
Without the Eurail pass, both tickets would have been about $100 each, according to a search on Trainline for three months ahead of booking.
I was surprised to find that the business-class ride on the Frecciarossa gave me a more luxurious experience than the first-class ride on the EuroCity train.
I compared every aspect of each trip from departure to arrival.
On both trains, the configuration was two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other.
Most single-row seats faced each other with a table in between, while most double-row seats faced another row of two seats.
On both trips, I sat across from my partner, who I was traveling with, in a row of single seats.
On the business-class ride, I thought we had adequate legroom.
Each seat has 31.5 inches of legroom, according to the train booking site ACP Rail International.
I'm not sure exactly how much legroom I had for the EuroCity ride, but it felt less.
EuroCity didn't respond to a request for comment on legroom.
In business class, I sat in what I thought was the most comfortable train seat I've ever experienced.
It was 25 inches wide with a curved headrest and reclining function. It felt like a small couch.
I thought the first-class seat was similar in size but less comfortable. It didn't seem to recline and, to me, felt thinner and stiffer than business class.
EuroCity didn't respond to a request for comment about the seat.
I thought both train cars provided adequate overhead bin storage for luggage.
The business-class car also had space to store luggage between each seat. It was large enough to fit my backpack.
While the first-class ride had less luggage space underneath seats, additional storage was at the end of the car.
On this ride, I used the overhead bin to store my backpack.
On both trains, the seats had a table in the middle that folded out on either side for additional space.
In business class, I thought it gave me enough room to eat, drink, and work.
Although I don't know for certain, I thought the tables on the first-class ride were smaller since mine wasn't large enough to fit my laptop.
The table had two leaves that folded out for extra space.
Both trains included a shared trash can for each grouping of seats.
In business class, the trash can appeared larger.
I thought the first-class trash can was tiny.
It was already full when we sat down, and as it was underneath the table, opening it intruded on legroom.
Both trains also had working outlets to charge devices at each seat.
I thought this was a nice touch for hourslong rides.
After the business-class train departed, attendants greeted passengers with complimentary snacks and drinks.
They came by once more toward the end of the trip with more trail mix and beverages.
On the first-class ride, attendants only came by at the beginning to collect tickets.
Like me, other first-class passengers I spoke with thought that our ticket included a meal, but no one came by to take orders or serve food.
After a couple of hours of waiting for someone to take my order, I went to the café car instead and purchased snacks.
EuroCity didn't respond to a request for confirmation about whether the first-class ticket includes meals.
I thought the bathroom felt spacious and clean in business class, with blue lighting and a large mirror above the sink.
It was the most luxurious train bathroom I'd ever seen.
On the first-class ride, I didn't notice anything special about the bathroom.
It was a typical, cramped train bathroom with a toilet and a small sink.
I ultimately decided that the elevated bathroom, couch-like seat, and attendants serving snacks and drinks in business class on Trenitalia's Frecciarossa train made me feel more like a luxury traveler.
I was also impressed that the Frecciarossa train took me more than twice the distance as the EuroCity train for the same price. It made me feel like the business-class ride was a stronger value.
At the same time, I was surprised to find that my first-class ride on Trenitalia's EuroCity train didn't feel much different from coach experiences I've had, save for the larger seats.
A representative from Trenitalia told BI that premium tickets on EuroCity and Frecciarossa trains are two different products "linked by the attention given to the passenger and the offer of a convenient and comfortable journey."
"The categories cannot be compared to those used in other sectors, such as the airline industry," the representative said, adding that "each travel class is characterized by different peculiarities and comforts."
Next time I'm in Italy upgrading to a premium train class, I'll make sure I book a Frecciarossa business-class train for a truly luxurious experience.
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