Background:
My friend and I were going to spend the weekend in Amsterdam, and we needed to get from the German city of Cologne to Amsterdam. There are a few direct trains per day, via the Intercity Express (ICE) services. Be aware, they aren’t too frequent. For example, there is a 12pm train but the next one isn’t until 5pm. We decided to take the one around noon, and our ride was scheduled to be 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Booking + Seating:
We decided to book our tickets a little over a month before departure. You can book on the App and have a QR Code scanned on board, or book online and print out a ticket. Super saver tickets in First Class were about 46 Euros, and they were only 12 Euros more than the lowest priced second class tickets. Considering you also have to pay a few euros if you want a seat assignment in second class, we decided to pay for the first class seats as they come with an assigned seat, on top of the added space.
The first class cabin is arranged in a 1-2 configuration, versus 2-2 in the second class cabin. Additionally, the first class cabin has some compartment-style seats that are their own room, in sets of 4 and 5. These could be really good for families or larger parties travelling together.
Note: While there is a DB Bahn Lounge at the Cologne Train Station, you cannot access it with a First Class ticket if you have a Super Saver or Saver Ticket (Super Sparpreis Europa or Sparpreis Europa).
The Train:
Our train arrived close to the scheduled departure time, and we were in the first car.
First Class Car
The seats had power plugs (Type C), as well as a footrest. Additionally, the seats could recline. Sadly, towards the end of our trip, our lower backs started to ache, as the seats were not that comfortable. The seats seem a little thin and stiff.
ICE First Class Seats
First Class Seating on the “1” Side
Reserved Sign/Route Above Seat
There is a dining car onboard the train, but no food service served in first class (unlike on the more expensive Thalys trains in Premium Class, which I took from Brussels to Cologne a few days prior).
There were a couple of intermediate stops along the way. And a few delays where the train moved slowly, so the train overall was late about 20 minutes to our destination.
Wi-Fi and Entertainment:
There is free Wi-Fi aboard the train, and it worked for me for general surfing on the web. For my friend, she was on her mobile device and unfortunately had some issues streaming. Additionally, DB Bahn has a partnership with Paramount Plus, so you can stream movies for free via the Wi-Fi to your device.
The Verdict:
Overall, being in the Intercity Express (ICE) First Class cabin was a good way to get from Cologne to Amsterdam. The larger and assigned seat plus the potentially quieter cabin could be worth the upgrade fee if the train is looking to be busy. On the website, there are labels warning you if a train is going to be on high demand or not, and for our case it was. So, I think it was worth the 12 EUR upgrade fee.
Have you taken the Intercity Express (ICE) First Class train before in Germany? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
Part of first class service on the German Railways is that passengers can order food and drink from their seat by flagging down any uniformed staff.
Thanks for reading and sharing! I didn’t see anyone actually utilize it, nor did it seem proactively offered. I did see a few people walk to the dining car and bring back food though.