Points Miles and Bling (blog) contains referral or affiliate links. The blog receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continued support. Credit Card issuers are not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details, current product information, and Terms and Conditions, click the link included.
There isn’t a ton of train coverage here on Points Miles and Bling, and maybe that’s something we change going forward. Right now, you can receive complimentary upgrades to first class on trains in Europe when booking a trip through Byway Travel.
What is Byway Travel
Before we talk about complimentary upgrades to 1st class, it’s important to know who Byway Travel is and what they do.
Byway Travel is a UK-based travel agency specializing in slow travel across Europe (read: flight-free travel). But this is PMB, and we’re obsessed with flying! Well, yes, but we’re not obsessed with flying narrow-body planes with blocked middle seats that pass as business class; train travel is hands-down the best way to travel around Europe. You’d be surprised at the time difference on a 1.5-hour flight compared to a 4-hour train when you don’t need to travel to the airport outside the city minimum 1-hour early, clear security, and fight EasyJet on the size of your personal item.
I digress, and back to Byway Travel. Byway Travel books complete packages for your European train journey, including transportation (train), accommodation, and a journey guide (suggested itinerary).
Affiliate link to book with Byway Travel
Free 1st Class Train Upgrades
Normally, we shy away from agencies that offer this kind of all-inclusive pricing, since we can use points to subsidize our travel. But in this case, train travel is not easily booked on points, and complimentary upgrades to 1st class can be worth quite a bit, which can make this whole thing worthwhile.
- Trip must be booked by March 26, 2025
- Departure dates between April 15, 2026 and December 31, 2026
- Sleeper trains, ferries, and buses are excluded
- Trains with more than two class options will receive an upgrade to the next class (e.g. Eurostar Plus, not Eurostar Premier)
When booking a trip, there is a checkbox for “Free First-class travel available” that must be checked in order for the itinerary to be booked in 1st class, and the nice part is that it is checked off by default.
When Does it Make Sense to Use Byway Travel?
Firstly, I will say the Byway Travel website user interface is shockingly good. When was the last time you created a custom itinerary online with train travel, being able to select which cities to visit, how long to spend in each city, and then changing your desired accommodation, and the website spits out a final price that you can immediately book and check out?
Click “Create a trip” on the top right
Adjust your hotel nights
Select alternative hotel options
I appreciate how transparent Byway Travel is about where the accommodations will be, and the final price adjusts automatically based on your selections.
When deciding whether to book through Byway Travel, one important consideration is whether your itinerary makes sense to buy an Eurail pass in the first place. Unfortunately, there’s no way to figure this out other than planning your trip, adding up the cost of train tickets individually, and comparing it to the cost of the Eurail pass.
Of course, the main benefit of the Eurail is unmatched flexibility, allowing you to hop on the next train whenever you wish to depart, paying only the seat reservation fee, if applicable (required for special trains like Eurostar or Glacier Express and included when booking through Byway Travel).
Eurail Pass 1st class
A 2nd class Eurail pass costs about 30% less, and consider 1st class being complimentary when booking with Byway Travel if you’re planning to ride the train around Europe this summer (or anytime this year).
A Rail Journey Through Switzerland
The most obvious example of “A Eurail / Swiss Travel Pass is worth it” is when travelling by rail through Switzerland. A few years ago, I spent about two weeks travelling around Switzerland, primarily to ride the famous Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, and the Gotthard Panorama Express.
Swiss trains are extremely expensive, so the Glacier Express and Bernina Express being included in the Eurail pass is fantastic value. Furthermore, the Gotthard Panorama Express is offered only in 1st class, so if you purchased a 2nd class Eurail pass, you would have to pay the upcharge to ride this train at all.
Glacier Express windows hate cameras…
On the Byway Travel website, I came across “Switzerland by Rhaetian Railway & Glacier Express“, which starts at $4,178 CAD per person for two people sharing a room and is 13 days by rail across Switzerland and northern Italy, originating and ending in London (the origin/destination can also be changed).
Another existing itinerary, “Rhaetian Railway: The Bernina Express route” starts at $2,779 CAD per person and both of these are actually decent value, in my opinion. Trust me when I say that there aren’t any points hotel options in Zermatt or Chur, anyway (outside of redeeming fixed points like Scene+).
For comparison, the Glacier Express 1st class fare is $578 CAD (2nd class is $378 CAD) including the seat reservation fee. The Bernina Express costs $355 CAD in 1st class and $234 CAD in 2nd class.
Takeaway
For trips booked through Byway Travel before March 26, 2026, for travel between April 15 and December 31, 2026, you will receive complimentary upgrades to first class on all rail journeys.
Byway specializes in all-inclusive train journeys across Europe, with accommodation, trains, and seat reservation fees included. The website is very easy to navigate and features transparent pricing for both custom and existing itineraries.
When deciding if booking with Byway Travel makes sense, you can map out your trip and compare costs directly with the quote from Byway’s website. Switzerland is an easy example where booking with Byway could make sense, given the high price of individual train journeys.
Affiliate link to book with Byway Travel
