When booking your Interrail or Eurail pass you get the choice between first class or second class, with a noticeable price difference as well. Below is a summary per country what kind of extras you get for what kind of operator. This page is in large part made because of Gaelan’s excellent comparison table found below.

Austria

With ÖBB Nightjet there is no difference from second class.

With ÖBB Railjet there is a difference, there is normal first class with no extra cost, or there is Business class which you can only upgrade to if you have a first class ticket, for €15 and that includes next to a much better seat also one drink.

With Westbahn your first class pass only allows you entry into second class, so the exact same as the second class pass. Upgrades are available, but for a surcharge.

Belgium

NMBS/SNCB just gives you access to the first class seat, with no additional service at no additional cost.

Switzerland

SBB just gives you access to the first class seat, with no additional service at no additional cost. The same applies to all other Swiss operators with first class (most of them!) with the exception of below

Glacier Express has multiple levels of first class, and while a normal first class seat costs nothing extra other than the compulsory reservation like in second class, there is another class that gives you a 5 course meal (Excellence). This has a reservation cost of 421 CHF on top of the normal reservation though.

Czechia

České dráhy has just the first class seat in most trains, with some free water and with the restaurant staff coming over to serve food from the restaurant at your seat. In the Pendolino (marked as SuperCity in the timetable) between Praha and Ostrava a sandwich, hot drink and cold drink (including alcoholic) plus a bottle of still or sparkling water are included in the price, and food or more drinks can be at your seat from the bistro. Below is the free food and drinks available on a Pendolino.

In the České dráhy Railjet there are a few business class seats (prices may vary) where you get a voucher for the bordrestaurant for 50CZK (roughly €2).

Leo Express allows you free access in the Business compartment, with a free seat reservation to be made at leoexpress.com or in the Leo Express ticket office in Praha, Olomouc and Ostrava-Svinov.

RegioJet allows you to book business class for the same price as second class ticket holders can book low cost (€1.30). This includes a free bottle of water, orange juice or sparkling wine and throughout the journey coffee or tea. It is possible to purchase food from the attendant that will stop by regularly.

Germany

DB just gives you access to the first class seat and occasionally the ability to order via ICEPortal to your seat, at other times a staff member may come around to take your order and bring your order back, but this depends on staffing levels. Reservations booked via DB are €1.30 more expensive with first class, but booking via DSB or ÖBB isn’t affected by this, nor is just not having a seat reservation.

Bookings through ÖBB in first class from Switzerland to Germany and vice versa are free for first class ticket holders (only without going through another country and only if the reservations are not compulsory, also works when changing trains after Basel), tested via Basel to many stations in Germany.

Denmark

DSB Intercity, IntercityLyn and IntercityLyn+ gets you free snacks with no additional cost. In Regional trains it is just the first class seat.

Spain

Only Renfe accepts Interrail/Eurail, so we are only looking at those. for AVE and Euromed it is €3 more for the reservation than it is for second class with just the first class seat. For Business in some trains you can pay €13.50 more, which does give you free food and drinks.

On Aliva and Intercity it is €3.40 more than second class, only for the first class seat with no additional service.

Eurostar

Eurostar has two different trains, the trains to London (formerly Eurostar) which are now called Eurostar Blue and the trains between Paris and Germany/the Netherlands (formerly Thalys) which are called Eurostar Red.

In both cases the first class pass only allows you access to the middle level, Eurostar Plus. For Eurostar Blue this is €8 on top of of the second class reservation and includes a free cold meal plus any drink, including alcoholic.

For Eurostar Red this is €5 extra, but this only gives you access to the first class seat, with no additional service.

France

SNCF is the only operator in France that accepts Interrail and Eurail. Intercités has no extra charge for first class, just the same as second class. There is no additional service other than the first class seat.

Intercités de Nuit also has no extra charge, but with your first class pass you can reserve the 4 berth couchette instead of the 6 berth one. This includes a wider bed and a nicer pillow and duvet.

TGV has the same price for first vs second class in reservations, but there is no additional charge. Sometimes first class reservations are €10 cheaper, this depends on demand.

TGV Lyria does have a difference between first and second class, the second class reservation is €10 cheaper than the first class reservation. There is no additional service in Standard 1ère.

Great Britain

Avanti West Coast is the main Intercity operator on the West Coast Mainline, and first class is available without any additional cost for first class pass holders. This includes a nicer seat, a hot meal and alcohol. See this page for more information including pictures.