Getting on the correct train car

Were there not indicator signs on the platform showing train destinations? If I am not sure, I ask one of the conductors who hop onto the platform to monitor boarding, "Nach Mannheim?" You might have gotten on the wrong train. I notice that, for instance, there is a train going to Mannheim at 8:33, and one going to Luxembourg at 8:37. But trains to Luxembourg originate at Trier and leave from the stub Track 10 Sued, while trains to Mainheim originate in Koblenz and go up the Mosel to Trier, then head south to Saarbruecken, Kaiserslautern to Mannheim. They are are one of the through platforms like 11, 12, or 13.

I should also ask was this from Trier Hbf, or another station like Trier Sued? Also, ask the conductor and show him/her your ticket. I once got on a wrong train at a small station outside of Erfurt and after about a half hour started thinking something was off. Then we pulled into Ilmenau (middle of nowhere, Thuringia) and they announced everybody off, end of the line. I then grabbed the conductor, showed him my ticket. He muttered "Falschen Zug", pulled out his iphone and jotted out a schedule showing me how to get back on the right track, so to speak.

I feel your pain, Joe! I took a train from Nuremburg to Vienna last winter and ended up in the section of the train that was only going to Passau, roughly 1/2 way to Vienna. We were in the BACK of the section staying in Passau and had to haul it to get to the front section during the 4 minutes the train stopped at Passau station. Learned my lesson, LOL!

There is a sign on each wagon, normally on or beside the door, showing the destination of that particular car, often listing a few stops along the way (but not necessarily yours).

I once got on a train in Luxembourg that was headed to a rail yard. That was really unfortunate. I was very happy I was taking a day-trip and had no luggage with me, because it was quite a walk back to the city.

I'm almost paranoid about getting on the right train, and right car. Make sure you are at the right platform at the right time, as indicated on the station departure board. On the platform there should be a large sign with train layout diagrams, showing the usual configuration of trains going to different destinations (IC of ICE). These are important if you have a seat reservation and/or the train will split off to different end destinations down the line. Finally, there should be a sign beside or on the carriage door, as Acraven mentioned, stating the train number and some of the stops before the final destination.

We once hopped into a random car on a train in the Netherlands, without looking at the sign. 2 stops later, the train split, and, yep, we were on the wrong half. Hopped off at the next station, and luckily were able to catch the next train to where we actually wanted to go.

Thanks for your replies I'll be more observant next time.

To avoid getting on a wrong train, look for "Zugteilung" and the city it will happen. This takes place in certain cities, eg, Dortmund. What i do is listen and pay attention to the announcements prior to boarding and look at the electronic board.on the platform, especially if that particular departure is different from what the yellow "Abfahrt/Departure" sheet says. That happens when the change in platforms is made at the last minute.

The easiest thing to do if you're not sure is just to ask your fellow travelers...those people getting on the same train as you.