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Karlsruhe Hbf Train Station

Looking at a ticket that gives me 6 minutes to transfer. Is that doable? We are in good health, but don't want to have to run!

Coming from Strasbourg, going to Baden-Baden.

Posted by
8095 posts

You'd be better off going through Offenburg instead of Karlsruhe, imo. It's right on the way whereas Karlsruhe is farther up and you have to backtrack. Is there a reason you want to transfer at Karlsruhe?

Posted by
32 posts

No reason, it seems to be where the train was taking me! I will re-look at my options. Thanks!

Posted by
7015 posts

Where are you looking? I agree that via Karlsruhe is a detour, but so is backtracking via Offenburg. There are connections with one change in Appenweier that take you to Baden Baden in about an hour. And there are also direct TGVs, but they are not frequent.

Posted by
32 posts

I am using Trainline as well as the DB site. I will check out the Appenweier connection! Part of the problem is that I can see I waited a little too long to book these! Thanks for the help!

Posted by
14997 posts

No problem with Karlsruhe Hbf re: transferring. I was there this summer and also last summer. The 2nd time this summer I was coming from Saarbrücken. All and all Karlsruhe Hbf is a nice place, spacious, and easy set -up.

Posted by
1529 posts

I recommend you use the Appenweier route. It's not much of a station, but you'll be taking the RE 2 regional train, and if there's a delay there will be another in an hour. Lately it's a good idea to plan on a delay.

Posted by
19276 posts

I suspect any ticket from Strasbourg to Baden-Baden via Karlsruhe probably uses a long distance train, ICE or TGF from Strasbourg to Karlsruhe. If you change in Offenburg, both the train from Strasbourg and the train to Baden-Baden will pass through Appenweier on their way to/from Offenburg, so you might as well stop in Appenweier. You'll have more time to change train (and you'll have more time to wait) and the ticket will be cheaper. However, the train from Strasbourg arrives at platform 9 in Appenweier and the train to Baden-Baden departs from platform 1, which is about a 400 m (¼ mi) walk from platform 9.

Absolutely do not purchase your ticket from Trainline. Buy them from the ticket counter in Strasbourg or at the machine in Appenweier. The price for a ticket from Strasbourg to Appenweier is 8,90€ and the price for a ticket from Appenweier to Baden-Baden is 8,-€, 16,90€ total. That's $18.36 today.

Trainline shows the lowest price as $19.25, and that's not the end. The also charge a $1 booking fee.

You will have almost an hour layover in Appenweier to purchase your ticket to Baden-Baden.

Posted by
19276 posts

On the other hand, if you look up the Appenweier "station" (train stop) and the Offenburg Bahnhof, there is a world of difference between the two. The Appenweier stop is pretty primitive, mostly in the open, and the stop for the train from Strasbourg is nothing more than a platform, and the two track stop for the trains to/from Baden-Baden is only slightly more developed and it's a quarter of a mile walk along the road between them. Look it up on Google Maps. Bahnhof says there is no toilet available at Appenweiler.

On the other hand, the Offenburg Bahnhof is a lot more developed. I stopped there for breakfast twice in the 80s, and back then they had a full service, sit down restaurant. There is what looks like a fast food burger joint with tables and also a bakery shop outside. There is a public toilet at the Offenburg Bhf. The station is in a developed neighborhood with a handful of cafes and an ATM, etc. A ticket including Offenburg will cost a few euro more, but it's probably worth it for the facilities.

Posted by
2594 posts

They only got my dummy wallet in my back pocket as I was looking at the schedule poster.