Does anyone have recommendations for trains to Heidelberg from Geneva? I'm looking at the recommended DB Bahn line, but am nervous as the switch times are in as little as 6 minutes between trains. We have to switch 2 - 3 times, which is fine; I just don't know if it's easy to get from one platform to another. If you have a recommended "minimum" switch, such as give at least 15 minutes between trains, please let me know. Thanks!
Posted by
Green Bay
20072 posts
You must be looking at the 7:13 departure by S-Bahn to Mannheim with a 6 minutes change from track 12 to track 4. That is certainly doable, but if you are nervous, take the 7:09 S-Bahn or even the 7:03 S-Bahn. Then you will have plenty of time. See revision below.
With a Sparpreis ticket, you are allowed to take earlier local and regional trains to get to the point where you board the IC or ICE train. The ICE connection for that itinerary goes to Basel where you change to trains to Geneva. In Switzerland, you can take any train on your route, so if you miss a connection, you just take the next train, which in Switzerland are very frequent on routes between major cities, and regardless of where you are, at least every hour.
Edit - Sorry, got that turned around. Going from Geneva to Heidelberg, same principle. The 6 minute connection at Biel I am seeing for the 7:15 departure is from track 3 to track 2. That means they will be across the platform from each other, so you just get off the arriving train and walk 15 feet and board the connecting train. That train originates in Biel, so it will be waiting there on the platform. Transfer is 20 minutes in Basel, time enough for a cup of coffee by Swiss standards. At Mannheim, take any S-Bahn to Heidelberg. They go every few minutes.