I had a chance to travel by rail from Amsterdam to Belgium and I chose a first class ticket, hoping to experience some real luxury (I've never travelled first class anywhere before)
It was very disappointing. We had to wait on an exposed end of the platform away from regular commuters. When I boarded it was no more luxurious than a regular train. I got a meal which consisted of a sandwich which was, I swear, a 1" x 4" sliver of bread with broccoli pesto on it, and another piece on top. not even a full sandwich. I also got a lukewarm cup of coffee and a yoghurt.
First class varies by train. Most often, though, it means fewer seats packed into the same space; for instance, often coach has a 2/2 configuration (2 seats on each side), while first class has a 2/1 configuration. First class also more often has seats facing each other with a table.
It was very disappointing. We had to wait on an exposed end of the platform away from regular commuters. When I boarded it was no more luxurious than a regular train. I got a meal which consisted of a sandwich which was, I swear, a 1" x 4" sliver of bread with broccoli pesto on it, and another piece on top. not even a full sandwich. I also got a lukewarm cup of coffee and a yoghurt.