In May we are going to Munich, Fussen, Salzburg, and much of Switzerland. Do they have elevators and/or escalators in the train stations? There will be a lot of train changing and going up and down stairs with luggage seems daunting, also, I have bad knees.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23268 posts
I cannot vouch for every station you mentioned but elevators and escalators are common. BUT, they are not always working so you may have to climb a few stairs once in awhile. Of course, that puts a premium on efficient packing. And sometimes the elevators are stuck in odd corners which makes them hard to find.
Posted by
OP
The Villages, Florida, USA
17 posts
Thank you, it is nice to know that they are available.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
In Germany, a few stations will have escalators, most will not, but a lot of them will have elevators on the platform to get to or from the connecting tunnel.
Munich is not a "through" station. The trains come in from the west and back out of that end too. There is a platform level connecting platform at the end of the tracks.
Fuessen has two "dead-end" tracks with a platform in between, and you get off of the platform at ground level at the end of the tracks.
Many of the express trains have entry doors at platform level, but the older regional trains, like go to Fuessen, have a couple of steep steps up to the seating level.
Posted by
OP
The Villages, Florida, USA
17 posts
That's good to know. I can handle some steps and a little push from my husband will get me on the train.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
A typical change will be down a flight of stairs, through a hallway under the trains and up a flight of stairs to your platform (assuming you know what platform you are going to). If you have a delay between trains, there may be an escalator up to the main part of the statio to shops/cafes/TI/ticket booths.
Escalators/elevators aren't really all that common in smaller stations. Your best bet is to only carry the amount of luggage you can easily carry from train to train.
On the train, packing light helps you keep your stuff close at hand. Train cars have multiple layouts but often you may have to leave a large bag at the end of the car where you can't keep an eye on it.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
In Germany elevators are signposted either by the elevator pictogram or by different kind of "names": Lift, Aufzug, Fahrstuhl with Aufzug probably being the most common.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19092 posts
If you go from Munich to Füssen, about half of the connections have a change of trains in Buchloe. The station layout for Buchloe shows elevators, but every connection I saw is a cross platform change, that is, you don't have to go up and down stairs, the train you want will stop on the other side of the platform.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Rosemary , I am fit and have no knee issues, but I do sincerely offer you this, PACK LIGHT!! Europe is filled with stairs, it just is,, elevators are often hard to find, if they exist at all, escalators often standing still,, just do not count on it being easy ,, so do NOT take that big case. You do not need it. GET strong wheels too,, the cobblestone streets beat the heck out of bags.