Munich to Mannheim, Mannheim to Paris

Hi Baby- Look for the word Gleis in your online ticket. That is the track number. If you can't find it, go back to the DB site and look for it there.

Hi Kenneth, thanks for your reply. I tried to find the word Gleis but I cant find it. I checked DB website again. Other route has platform information but not the route that I bought haha. cant attach a picture here.

This is not a reason to panic, "Gleis" numbers are not normally shown on tickets, because they sometimes change at a few days notice. Most people just look at the signs once they get off at the interchange station.
Look for yellow departure posters, which list every train, with the "Gleis" number. See photo: https://schriftzug.sob.ch/fileadmin/_processed_/4/5/csm_wo_ein_wille_fahrplan_24c549e022.jpg
Or video screens: https://schriftzug.sob.ch/fileadmin/_processed_/3/6/csm_wo_ein_wille_nase_89c6b6c483.jpg

Other ways:

1) Go to the DB website ( https://www.bahn.com/en/view/index.shtml ) and look up your trains. It should show both the arrival and departure platforms. I can't do this for you as you haven't told me the date or time of your train.
2) There is a leaflet on the train listing all the stops, connections at that stop, and corresponding platform numbers.
3) Ask the ticket inspector when (s)he checks your ticket on the train.
4) There is usually an announcement on the train "In a few minutes we will arrive at Mannheim station. Your onward connections are . . . . ICE to Paris platform xx . . .". But this is in German.

Thanks Chris F for the reply. I just got a reply from them. DB said they have not set the platform for the trains as the travelling date is August. They asked me to check back at nearer date. Thanks all for the advice.

Insomnia. Just paging through the schedules, ICE 616 departs Munich at 3:24 am. That is one early train. Also, I've gleaned that it must be a Mon-Fri train, since all the Sat-Sun connections going to Paris are in Stuttgart. Before June 10, they all show arriving Mannheim Gleis (Track) 3 with an 11 minutes connection to ICE 9558 departing on Gleis (Track) 2. That means it is a simple cross-platform connection.

After June 10, the track information disappears. That is the semiannual schedule change over most of Europe. The German schedules are set, as are the French ones, but they could alter the track arrival and departure numbers. Probably not, but they are not saying right now. Also, even if you have the track number information before hand, it could be altered at the last minute due to a late arriving train blocking the track, or a maintenance issue. So always check. Like Chris said, the conductors will have last minute information. Show them your ticket and ask what the tracks will be. Conductors on ICE trains generally speak some English, as it is the default language communicating with people who don't (or pretend not to) speak German.

Mannheim Hbf has tracks 1-5 and 7-10, Track 6 is a through track with no platform. Track 1 is next to the station building on its own platform. Tracks 2-3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 share platforms. So even if you did have to change from say Track 10 to Track 2, you just go down stairs to the crossing tunnel, walk maybe 200 feet, and up the stairs to Track 2. There are also escalators at one end of the platform and elevators at the other end in addition to stairways. Deutsche Bahn considers even these kind of connections are doable in 8 minutes. There are electronic signs above the tracks showing the destination of the next train arriving at that track, the arrival time, and if it is running late, by how much.

Lastly, if your train from Munich is running a tad late, still try to make it because they will often hold the connecting train to facilitate connections, at least for a few minutes. If you do miss the connection due to DB late arriving train, just go to the Reisezentrum (ticket office) and get a new seat reservation for the next train to Paris, which will be 1 hour later.

Thanks Sam for being so informative!!! I downloaded a map of Mannheim. Yes DB rep mentioned the same thing. The platforms info for Aug is not out yet. She advised to check again later. Thanks on the tips to check the platforms. Didnt know they will change it after booked. Appreciate it!

Hi All-
My 26 Sep Munich to Paris on-line ticket from DB clearly shows a train change in Stuttgart. The train arrives from Munich (ICE 596) on Track 10. The train to Paris (ICE 9572) departs 8 minutes later on Track 9.
I chose this connection since the Stuttgart Hbf station layout that I found indicates these tracks are adjacent to each other and do not involve any down/across/up maneuver to make the connection (SO has a significant number of bags.) There is an EC train leaving Munich about an hour earlier than ICE 596 which allows almost an hour to make the change to ICE 9572 in Stuttgart but I couldn't get any seat reservations on the EC from Munich to Stuttgart.

As a result of some of the posts above, I am getting the feeling that the track numbers in Stuttgart
may change, correct? Oh well, even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry ...

If they are posted as Track 9 and 10 for your travel date, I would not worry about it. Like I say, they could change, so you have to be prepared for anything, but it is not worth spending 5 seconds worrying about. I had a similar quick change at Leipzig, also a "terminus" station, a few years back, and they were on different platforms so we had to walk to the head of the platform to change. We were 10 minutes late arriving and I thought we would never make it, but they held the connecting train long enough for everyone to make it.

Track 9 to 10 in Stuttgart is cross-platform, as easy as it gets.

Kenneth, carrying a large number of bags is never a good idea on a train, so I would try to reduce that number; but still, no need to worry about the connection. Track numbers do change, but that is still the exception - not the rule. 8 minutes are sufficient even if the connecting train does depart from a different platform (though I would try to move to the front of the train well before arrival in that case; you will be able to check for any updates in the DB Navigator app).
If you still want to take the earlier EC train - it is unlikely to be fully booked several months ahead of time; so probably, reservations will be possible closer to your travel date. I do not think that is necessary, though (unless you absolutely have to be in Paris by a certain time, in which case you should think of a possible delay and missed connection).

Sam and Chris-s, Many thanks for taking the time to comment on my trip. Your inputs put me at ease. I will check the EC train to see if seat reservations are possible less than 90 days out.

I will check the EC train to see if seat reservations are possible less than 90 days out.

I don't want to discourage you from taking the earlier EC but it should be possible to make your original connection even whith heavy luggage. Just call the Mobility Service Center before departing from Munich, ideally the day before, for assistance. (Personally, I'd just grab a strong-looking guy on the train and ask him for help)

Besides, I'm not sure if that EC would be a good alternative. It originates from Graz in eastern Austria and has been already travelling for six hours when it arrives in Munich: plenty of opportunity to accumulate delays.