• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  Trains  >  Train Review: Deutsche Bahn Intercity Express (ICE) First Class
Trains

Train Review: Deutsche Bahn Intercity Express (ICE) First Class

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 27, 2020February 26, 2020 16 Comments

What is first class like on a high speed train in Germany? I had a chance to try first class recently on a Deutsche Bahn (DB) Intercity Express (ICE) high-speed train from Basel to Frankfurt, though perhaps my experience was a bit unusual.

I’ve used DB ICE for years and never bothered to pay the supplement for first class. This time, however, it just made sense.

ICE First Class Booking

Deutsche Bahn has an excellent website, not only for booking for you train travel from checking train schedules across Continental Europe. The app for iPhone is also excellent and highly recommended.

As often happens when leaving Germany, I find it easier to take a train to Frankfurt to begin my journey then start from Basel (where prices are higher) or drive to Zurich. Train schedules to Zurich are less frequent and I prefer FRA over ZRH, since upgrades and award space is usually easier.

For this trip, I wanted to spend the entire Sunday with my family, then get up to Frankfurt in time for an early flight on Monday. That mean the dreaded overnight train. Germany offers many “Nachtzug” trains (trains specially intended or overnight service with sleepers). This was not one of those routes. Instead, this was a typical ICE train that has seats that are more akin to traveling economy class (i.e., not roomy like Amtrak in the USA).

But look at the price the day before:

I’ve never seen a ticket that cheap…and then I noticed the first class upgrade was only 10EUR.

It was an easy choice to book first class, if for nothing else than first class is generally not as crowded as second class.

First Class bookings come with a seat assignment included (you pay extra for one in second class) and I was able to pull up a seat map and choose my preferred seat. The cabin looked empty!



After confirming my seat, I was able to pay by credit card and issue the ticket immediately, then download a .pdf to my computer and a mobile ticket on the DB app.

ICE First Class Onboard Experience

My wife accompanied me to the Basel Bad Station and kissed me goodbye as I boarded the train. I smiled because I had the entire carriage to myself. That wouldn’t be the case the entire journey, as more passengers are picked up as the train travels north, but this was definitely already worth the extra 10EUR, just for the peace and quiet.

The seats are the same as in second class, but covered in faux leather instead of cloth and in a 1-2 configuration instead of a 2-2 configuration.

Complimentary newspapers and magazines were available.

I noticed that the six-seat compartments were empty and decided to spread out in one, creating a “poor man’s first class”. It was a cold night and I appreciated temperature and lighting controls to heat up the cabin and make it dark.

We departed on-time and soon a conductor entered my cabin and scanned my ticket. With that, I fell asleep and managed to get nearly four hours of sleep before arriving in Frankfurt (yes, I sent multiple alarms to ensure I would not sleep past my stop). The compartment stayed empty the entire journey.

While I don’t have experience traveling on a train in first class on regular basis, I’ve never been on a train so empty in second class. 10EUR for a short, albeit solid night’s rest? What a great deal!

If you are traveling with luggage, there are no checked bags, but plenty of space above seats and in between rows to store bags.

ICE First Class Dining

ICE trains feature a dining car onboard. While I slept through this journey, I wanted to share pictures from a meal I had on a previous journey.

First Class does not receive complimentary food (except on ICE trains to France in cooperation with TGV), but you can order food and drinks at your seat. If you are traveling in Second Class, you must visit the café or dining car to order food.

Here’s the current menu:

On a previous trip, my wife and I had lunch onboard, splitting maultaschen with salad. I’m a picky maultaschen (a Schwabish dish with an outer-layer of pasta dough and a filling of minced meat, spinach, bread crumbs and onions) eater and this was very tasty.

I look forward to dining on ICE again on a future journey.

CONCLUSION

This was literally the best 10EUR I’ve ever spent. If you see an upgrade for that cheap, grab it. Overall, I’ve run into several delays over the years on DB…the train certainly does not always run on time. But I’ve come to appreciate DB and suddenly am a big fan of the first class product, even if the hard product isn’t that much different.

Have you traveled on DB ICE in first class?

> Read More: TGV First Class from Stuttgart to Paris Train Review

Previous Article Air New Zealand Economy Skynest: Innovative, But Practical?
Next Article What Did Korean Air Flight Attendant With Coronavirus Do In Los Angeles?

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • Thunberg Deutsche Bahn

    Deutsche Bahn Is Angry At Greta Thunberg…

    December 16, 2019
  • Amtrak European Model

    Amtrak Wants To Turn European

    September 9, 2019

16 Comments

  1. 121Pilot Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 8:05 am

    On the trains in Germany do you have to be concerned about having luggage stolen from the overhead racks?

    I’ve been told that in Europe it’s generally a bad idea to put your bags up there as their is a high probability of having them stolen. I even saw it happen once to a family on a train into Paris where when they went to get up and get off a bag they had placed on the overhead rack was gone. I didn’t see the bag being taken just the family frantically trying to figure out where it went.

    • Mallthus Reply
      February 27, 2020 at 8:36 am

      It’s not Japan, but I’ve found it’s generally not an issue on ICE trains, especially in 1st. Still, common sense should prevail…don’t leave bags unattended, especially during stops.

    • debit Reply
      February 27, 2020 at 9:32 am

      So easy for cops to setup stings. Put GPS enabled bags. Then follow the thief and beat him up. Don’t bother with arrest and court cases. Just beat him up.

      This extra judicial justice needs to off the records through mutual trust between a group of cops that will never snitch on each other. That’s very hard. All type A rambos always snitch.

      • German boy Reply
        February 27, 2020 at 10:32 am

        I think one information is wrong. The DB does not offer overnight trains with sleepers. This service was shut down in 2016.
        Now the only overnight trains are from the Austrian railway (öbb).

  2. debit Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 8:06 am

    So clean. If this was the liberal california everything would be dirty and graffiti and people would defend the rights of the perpetrator.

    • Aaron Reply
      February 27, 2020 at 8:40 am

      Is someone else posting in debit’s name? Because this sounds like someone else…also, what trains in “liberal california” are these?

      • Eric Reply
        February 27, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        @Aaron, “credit/debit” isn’t an actual person. Someone has just been posting inflammatory and/or bizarre things under those handles for years in an attempt to sow chaos on this and a few other travel hacking blogs. Best just to ignore it.

  3. Florian Dietsche Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 11:02 am

    I usually prefer to travel 1st on ICE if I’m booking the tickets myself and they are not too expensive (as is the case 60% of the time). I have however had several negative experiences with delays and have found the east-west routes to be really slow because the tracks are not rated for high speeds. I would also say that the service in first class is really inconsistent because the trains are understaffed. I have been on 5hr journeys where I was not once asked whether I wanted to order something from the menu. When there is someone to take your order, it may take them 20min to bring you a coffee and another 90min to finally get your cup after you drank it. Ryanair has better service than that.
    The seats and the quieter cabin are a nice plus though for paying marginally more.

  4. Aaron Huynh Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    I found that service in 1st, during a trip last Christmas, to be nothing special. Some attendants were fine, others cold. Having a train car that was almost empty was a nice bonus, but I hated how I was nickel and dimed for everything. They even returned after I paid my bill to tried to charge me for mayo and mustard packets!

  5. Andy Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    The German railways sold their overnight sleeper trains to OBB who still run over night trains between Switzerland and Germany. If you had booked via OBB you would have been on the same service as the DB overnight train as both operators coaches make up the same train. Bless

  6. Onyxi Reply
    February 27, 2020 at 3:01 pm

    10 eur is a standard upgrade price to 1st on DB. I usually pay it since the seat assignment in 2nd is 5 eur already.
    There are also first-class lounges, though they are super bare-bones even compared to a basic airline lounge.

    • Matthew Reply
      February 27, 2020 at 11:46 pm

      That’s not standard based upon the Basel – Frankfurt routes I usually book. I’d always pay that. Usually it is 30-40EUR.

  7. Mike Reply
    February 28, 2020 at 2:20 am

    DB is Good But OBB is better!

  8. Paolo Reply
    February 28, 2020 at 7:53 am

    I cannot imagine anything worse than arriving in Frankfurt ( or anywhere else..) at 0321, unless for a very early flight.
    I find the online booking system a bit confusing, but the staff at the stations have always been very helpful and obliging.
    One of the nice things about European trains is that the quality of the food in the stations is very good, not only eat-in but also the ‘fast’ options ‘to go’, and usually cheaper than the airports.

  9. Michael Reply
    March 2, 2020 at 7:15 am

    On my recent ICE first class mid-day trips in Germany from Hamburg to Berlin almost none of the menu food items were available– just candy and beverages. I would rate ICE first class a big step down from the French Thalys trains (which have a choice of tasty complimentary meals and snacks in first class, as well as a much more polished crew) and a huge step down from the Green cars (first class) on Japanese trains, which have LA-Z-BOY style seats.

  10. Brigitte Reply
    July 12, 2022 at 12:20 pm

    First Class experience on ICE train from Zurich to Amsterdam was hugely disappointing. Constant changes announced mid-journey from original scheduled route.
    No airconditioning – very hot day.
    Very poor service of food and drinks to seat as advertised.
    German passengers were extremely noisy on the telephone and on Zoom calls so the promise of quieter travel was an empty one.
    And finally, all the footrests need to be oiled to stop the irritating squeaking everytime someone moves their feet.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Southwest Airlines Wheelchair Accident
    Family Sues Southwest Airlines For Negligence After Death Of 25-Year-Old Daughter February 1, 2023
  • Hotel Hairdresser Massage
    Hotel Hairdresser Invites Himself To My Room February 1, 2023
  • Mount Nebo Jordan
    Visiting Mount Nebo In Jordan February 1, 2023
  • A Silly Attack On United Airlines’ Boarding Process January 31, 2023

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Casting Couch? Kuwait Airways Forces Prospective Flight Attendants To Undress For “Research Purposes” January 4, 2023
  • Spirit Airlines Captain Runs Out Of Cockpit After Woman Yells “I Hope Y’All Crash And Die!” January 17, 2023
  • Hotel Worker entered room
    Woman Demands $3,000 In Compensation After Hotel Worker Walked Into Her Room At Midnight January 24, 2023
  • SWISS First Class Awards Bookable With United Airlines MileagePlus January 5, 2023

Archives

February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.