Train connections in Germany

That is cutting it close. Keep in mind that for various reasons a train can be late in arriving and cause you to miss the next train.

You can always adjust the transfer time up. If you put in 15 minutes, you'll see it will take almost 4 hours, but you will have comfortable connection times.

Believe it or not, the 4 and 5 minute connections are pretty comfortable. At Steinach, the train to Rothenburg will be sitting in the station when you arrive. That is all it does, shuttle back and forth between Rothenburg and Steinach all day long. If the conductor sees you trying to make the train, he'll certainly hold up the departure until you board.

If it was me, I'd take the cheap way with a 23 euro Bayern ticket. The connection at Treuchtlingen is only 5 minutes, but it is just a matter of crossing the platform to the other track. Just have your luggage and 6 yo in hand and be standing by the door when the train pulls in to Treuchtlingen.

I assume you mean Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The connection at Steinach to Rothenburg is a designed connection where this spur line will waiting a reasonable time if your train is running a little late. Otherwise wait one hour at Steinach and catch the next one.

The Nürnberg to Ansbach is certainly doable in nine minutes, though it helps to be at the door waiting to exit when the train pulls in the station or you may be delayed by folks entering the train. If you are late, there are frequent trains running from Nürnberg to Ansbach and then hourly trains running to Steinach.

My 70 year old knees are not as fast as a 6 year old's. I tell my wife that we can just wait an hour if something goes awry. That has only happened once in 10 recent train vacations in Germany. Conductors usually keep an eye out for folks transferring. Try not to be overly concerned. It will work out.

BTW, I agree with Sam that the connections through Treuchtlingen are a little slower but significantly cheaper and probably easier as the stations are so small.

I think I will try the Treuchtlingen connection, thank you for the suggestion. It's 2 connections as opposed to 3, but it's an hour longer, but I'll go by the advice that it's an easier station to navigate. Thank you.

"... but it's an hour longer."

I looked at the schedule on the Bahn website for two different months and both showed just under 3 hours for the connection through Nürnberg with and ICE vs just under 3½ hours for the regional train connection through Treuchtlingen - a half hour longer. Plus the trip by regional train can be done with a Bayern-Ticket for 23€ vs 65€ for a full fare ticket on the Nürnberg route. You might be able to get a Savings Fare ticket as low as 29€ for the Nürnberg route, but that would require advance purchase, as much as 3 months in advance, of a ticket for a specific train with limited refundability.

There are 7 tracks in Treuchtlingen and for some of the connections you will make, I see one train arriving on track 1 and the other going out on track 7, so you would probably have to make a platform change. Just make sure you are at the end of the car with you luggage, ready to get off, when the train stops (this isn't an airplane). Head for the stairs (just watch where other passengers are heading). I've done this many times, the platforms are not far apart, maybe 30 or 40 feet between adjacent ones. A four platform change doesn't take much more time than a one platform change. The Bahn schedule page will show the platform numbers; you'll save time if you already know where you are going.

Another option using the Bayern-Ticket would be to leave Munich at 9:05 on RE 4012 to Nürnberg. You'd have 33 minutes in Nürnberg before you would take the S4 to Ansbach. In Ansbach you would have 8 minutes for a one platform (1 to 3) change. Alternatively, you could leave Munich at 10:05 on RE 4016. You'd have only 5 minutes to make the change in Ansbach, but it is cross platform (2 to 3). These options take 3:44, 20 minutes more than through Treuchtlingen, but you avoid a change that might be stressful.

You'd still have the 4 minute change in Steinach, but that can't be helped. In Steinach, virtually everyone will be making the same change. Just stay with the herd.