Train Transfer Times: How not to miss your connection?

Ten minutes is more than enough assuming it's the same railroad station and train is not delayed, which is rare in western Europe. If you miss your train because of delay you can use another train (in the case you got the ticket for specific train, otherwise you can use any train going your direction that day).

KnB, not sure where you are from, but its a lot like transferring buses, or the subway/metro, in a US city. Get off, walk to next track, get on. Biggest obstacles are too much luggage, not being ready to get off, crowds getting on, and knowing the track your next train is at. Yes 8 mins is usually feasible, if your incoming train is on time, but no guarantees. Smaller towns and stations may only have a few tracks anyway.

If you look at the websites for the actual railways, Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, etc., you can often drill down to find maps of the rail stations that you'll be using, showing track numbers, and that will help orient you to how far apart tracks might be and where you need to go.

Highlighted transfer times may be for larger stations with many tracks and/or different levels. In these cases 10 minutes may be cutting it close, especially if you are traveling with children or lots of luggage. In most cases, and it will depend on the station, 5-10 minutes is plenty to change trains if you travel light and are ready to move when the train stops. They wouldn't list these connections if they were not normally possible.

RailEurope is not your best source for schedules or pricing. Use dbahn.com or the French rail site.

10 minutes is not enough time unless you are a local adult with no bags and you know what track your train is departing from and how to get there.

Some stations have multiple levels and you have to check the main departure board to see which track your train departs from. If you ask anybody they tell you to check the departure board.

KnB,

To begin with, don't use Rail Europe for researching rail trips as it has limited information compared to other sites. The best place to research rail trips all over Europe is the bahn.de (German Rail) website. You can also use the websites of the various rail networks such as Trenitalia in Italy.

To answer your question, the amount of time required for transfers will vary with each one. In some cases it will only be necessary to walk across the platform to board the next train which will only take a minute or so. In other cases, you'll have to go down stairs into a transfer tunnel and then up stairs to your next platform. If you have to check the electronic signboard to verify which track your next train is departing from, add a minute or two for that.

It depends how big the station is that you are doing the transfer. Another factor to take into account is should you miss the connection, how long will it be until the next train for the route you desire?

This is by far the best site with advice for Euro Rail travel:>http://www.seat61.com

Another advantage to using www.bahn.com to view schedules is that you can specify minimum connection times when looking at schedules. If 10 minutes seems tight, you can specify 20 minutes or more. This might slow down your journey though. As Ken said, at smaller stations, the short time is planned as it is really all the time that is needed. Switzerland has especially well co-ordinated train schedules with short connection times.

Probably the best thing is to post your questionable connections here. Between several of us we are familiar with many of the usual stations.

There are some where that sort of a connection would be fine - into Fuessen from Munich for example, and others where I wouldn't want that short a time - like Genova PP.

*Caveat that this statement may not apply to all of Europe...

Part of the consideration should be the types of train you're exiting and boarding. If you're transferring from a high speed intercity (ICE) train to a regional or local train, if you miss the connection, you can often simply wait 30 minutes for the next one. Reservations are often not sold for these trains, and your ticket is valid for the entire day.

Now, transferring from one ICE to the next... that's a different story. At least on Deutsche Bahn, if the incoming train is delayed and that causes you to miss your connection, you can ride the next available train without penalty. Most major intercity routes run at least hourly. You'll lose your seat reservation, however, so you'll have to find a vacancy (not usually a problem).

All that being said, I've found 10 minutes to be enough time for transfers in most stations. Two exceptions might be Antwerp Centraal and Berlin Hauptbahnhof, because the platforms are located on several different levels.

I once got 48 college students on a train with a 4 minute stop time in Geneva! Each student had a 24" suite case and a backpack. I was so concerned about the logistics of this connection that I worked out a diagram, cased out the train location on the track the night before and had a team of students help with luggage loading. This doesn't have a direct impact on the OP question except to stress the quickness that a train will zip into a station and zip out again if you're ready or not.

This boarding the night train from Geneva to Rome has a lot more to it as this was post 9.11.2001. We were traveling for 4 months throughout Europe but no longer the Middle East portion of our trip. We had to do some creative solutions that didn't involve flying to reconnect our locations so that's how we found ourselves on the night train with a 4 minute time to board. We had a whole train car to ourselves. The Italian attendant for our car looked at us incredulously as the last of us got on and turned to me and said "we would have waited for you" as we met our 4 minute boarding time. Thinking about this a lot today.

+1 to Mona

One very important point about transfers is that you must be ready to get off the train BEFORE you pull into the station. A few minutes before arrival, start gathering your belongings and head toward the exit (you'll see others doing the same). If you wait until the train comes to a stop, you'll be going against the passengers who are getting on, and this is like swimming upstream - with luggage.

It's helpful to know both your scheduled arrival time, and the name of the station before the one you want. The easiest way to get stations is from the Bahn website http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en; here is Rick's excellent tutorial on using it: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/online-schedules. You want to click "show intermediate stops."

Yes, the time required to transfer depends VERY MUCH on the stations and trains involved. If you're just going across a platform, 10 minutes is plenty. If you have to change levels and find your way in a large and confusing station, it's not nearly enough. And if you're packing heavy or have any kind of mobility impairment, you need more time than others might. But station size is not the only factor. For instance, Milano Centrale is huge, but the tracks are all on one level and you don't have to go up or down to change trains, so a transfer there can actually take less time than at a smaller station where you have to go down stairs, through a passageway, then up stairs to your train (and smaller stations often have no elevators, escalators, or ramps to make this easier, while larger stations usually do).

So, if you post your routes, people who know the particular stations involved can give more details.

In case a delayed train causes you to miss a connection for a reserved train, go to an information desk and explain the situation. It might be necessary that your ticket is validated for a next train. (I had it once in Germany as a result of a rail strike. My ticket was stamped with the memorable text »Zugbindung aufgehoben«.)

KnB,
I would not feel comfortable with an 8 minute connection time.

If you are very familiar with the train station & the order of the tracks, then 8 minutes may be possible for making a transfer, but it you are not familiar with the train station then I would not risk it.

If you plan to travel in Spain, be aware that you have to pass through "security", where your ticket gets scanned, your luggage goes through an x-ray machine & the trains leave 2 minutes before the departure time printed on the ticket.

Heed Harold's advice. Be prepared to get off when the train stops in your station and know where (track number) you are going.

For most connections in Germany, the Bahn website shows the track numbers, so you can know how far you have to go before you get there. Often, for important connections, they are cross platform. In many stations, this is between tracks 2 and 3, 4 and 5, etc. For cross platform changes, eight minutes is an eternity. Your connecting train might not even be in the station when you get off your train.

If your connecting train is not on the adjacent track, you will have to change platforms. You will probably have to go down stairs to the connecting tunnel. The stairs to the platforms are not very far apart in the tunnel. A 3 or 4 platform change does not take much longer than a 1 platform change. Most people will be going to the tunnel. Follow the herd. Once in the tunnel, look for large number signs above the stairs.

Bahn.de gives station layouts for major stations here. Fill in the town or station name in the field under Bahnhofssuche. Layouts for stations in Bavaria can be found here.

Of the many train connections, I've never missed a one as reader boards and other signs give adequate directions. Just be ready to depart your train promptly and make your way with moderate speed to the connecting train. Too many and heavy bags, mobility issues and young children may force you to seek longer connection times.

Several years ago I had a 3 minute change in Eindhoven. I thought this was too short, asked (either here or TA, can't remember), gave my route, and was informed that it would be a cross-platform change and not to worry. It was, and it worked fine. Long way of agreeing with what was said upthread--post your route and the experienced folks here will be able to give you an accurate answer.

KnB - working under the assumption that trains are all on time, 10 minutes may be an eternity, or you may just barely scrape by. As others have said, if the change is cross-platform, you'll have ages. If it isnt, it depends on the layout of the particular station you are traveling via, and how prepared you are. If you are struggling with lots of luggage, things will be much more difficult. If you arent ready to exit the train when the doors open, it will be more difficult. Websites like bahn.de, or seat61.com, trenitalia, or (if your travel will bring you through the uk) nationalrail.co.uk may have station maps to give you a better idea of what the particular station looks like ahead of time. As the saying goes, proper prior planning prevents poor performance.

I will end this post by echoing what others have said again - many who read/post on this site have experience in a variety of stations in Europe. If you can post your itinerary, we may be able to offer some insight.

we can all ask KnB to post their itinerary, but after over 3 days of silence I think KnB has left the building

Thank you all for the wealth of information! I greatly appreciate all of your advice and all of the links! This site is full of the most insightful people!

My trip tentatively includes:
1. Dublin
2. London
3. Brussels
4. Paris
5. Lucerne
6. Munich
7. Salzburg
8. Ljubljana
9. Venice
10. Florence
11. Rome

I'm not overly worried about luggage as I will only be traveling with a 60L backpack.
I was recently advised to book 1st class tickets because 2nd class is not always guaranteed a seat. Is this true? I definitely do not want to be standing for 6 hours between some of these cities!

Ah, good to see you again.

Those cities that you list - are those where you will be stopping or will you be visiting places between them?

Most major cities have direct trains, not those which require changing. Where did you see the short connection you were questioning?

On major trains between major cities you will have to make and pay for reservations on top of your Global Pass, as we discussed in your other thread. Once you have committed yourself to that seat (and paid for it) you will have a reservation and that seat is yours. I don't see any reason to do the First Class if you have a reservation. The standard or second class seats on most European trains are comparable to business class on a plane. If you want fancier than that, fine, but I don't see the necessity.

If you are taking a rush hour train in London, though, one where 2/3 of the train passengers stand for the first 40 minutes, First Class can be a boon.

1. Dublin
2. London
3. Brussels
4. Paris
5. Lucerne
6. Munich
7. Salzburg
8. Ljubljana
9. Venice
10. Florence
11. Rome

1- isolated

2-3 Eurostar, mandatory res.

3-4 Thalys, mandatory res.

4-5 Fly or TGV mandatory res.

5-6 various DB routes with various SBB

6-7 use Westbahn or Railjet, easy seating and no res needed, both currently disrupted

7-8 dunno

8-9 dunno

9,10,11 Italo or Freccia high speed trains, mandatory res.

I saw that there were connections between a few, such as getting to Lucerne and Ljubljana. However I was seeing a lot of connections intercity in a few places. For example I was looking at going to Neuschwanstein from Munich or the Werfen Ice Caves from Salzburg and that's when I noticed that most of the connections had short times in between.
I'm from a small town in Florida and have never really used public transportation outside of flying so planning this train trip has been a little intimidating! I really appreciate your help!

KnB what's different between transferring trains vs flying, is that there is no queuing up to get on or off, no security screening, gate agents, checking of tickets, etc., before boarding, etc., Some exceptions to this, but generally true. You just get off and get on the next train, and sometime during the trip, a conductor will come by and check your ticket. That also means its up to you to know that you're getting on the right train.

"For example I was looking at going to Neuschwanstein from Munich or the Werfen Ice Caves from Salzburg and that's when I noticed that most of the connections had short times in between. "

Salzburg-Werfen: Most connections from Salzburg to Werfen are direct (no change). I see one connection that uses a direct EC to Bischofshofen, which is beyond Werfen, and comes back on an IC. It has 5 minutes to make a cross-platform change. No problem, but it is about as good to take a direct connection. I'm not aware of any public transportation from the Werfen Bhf to the ice caves. When I was there, a couple that got off with me were was walking to the caves.

Munich-Neuschwanstein: Most connections from Munich to Füssen are direct. Sometimes there is a connection with one change in Buchloe. This change is cross-platform, and almost all passengers on the Buchloe to Füssen train come from the Munich to Buchloe train, so the Füssen train will usually wait for the Munich train.

The connection in Füssen is from the train to a bus(es) that leave from the parking lot in front of the station. Ten minutes is more than enough time.