Train from Nuremberg to Dresden-3 minute transfer time?!

I have made very short connection times in Germany. If the conductor of the first train knows there are passengers connecting within a few minutes, they will contact the second train to wait for a few minutes.

The transfer times you are citing suggest to me that yours will probably be a simple cross-platform transfer with no stairs involved. Most likely you'll just walk a few feet across the platform to the train waiting on the neighboring track. If you're unable to communicate with train personnel, there will almost certainly be an English-speaking fellow passenger who can explain the Hof situation to you before you pull into the station.

Be sure to grab your luggage and get into position near the door of the carriage before the train pulls into the station.

The German Rail schedule webpage shows the two tracks involved to be 8 and 10. This webpage shows that they are cross platform from each other. As long as you get off the train in a timely fashion, you should have plenty of time to walk across the platform.

If you miss the connection (if it is just from Nürnberg to Dresden), they are just regional trains and the ticket or pass should be valid for the next train.

Thank you all so much! I truly love and appreciate this forum and my fellow travelers! It sounds like it will be fine. We'll be ready by the door with luggage and if all goes as expected we can just walk across the platform to the connecting train. Thanks for the great link, Lee! Wish I could read the German. Nice to know we won't have to buy another ticket if anything goes wrong and we miss the connection for some reason. There is another connection an hour later - I checked! :0) Happy travels

Another thing is that your arriving RE train terminates at Hof. Your departing RE train originates at Hof. So I imagine they are designed to connect and should hold the second train until everyone has made the transfer.

You realize there is no need to book this in advance unlesss you want to travel before 9 am on a weekday and money is no object, It is a Quer durchs Land ticket for 44 EUR for the first person and 8 EUR for each additional person, up to 5 traveling together after 9 am. You can buy it from a ticket vending machine just before you travel. There are no reservations accepted. On the weekend, it is a Schoenes Wochende Ticket for a flat 44 EUR for a group of 1 to 5 traveling together.

PS, Between Nuremberg and Bayreuth you will pass through the Hersbruecker Alb in a narrow limestone gorge which is quite scenic.

Hi,

When the transfer time is 3 minutes, my experience has been that your "connecting" track (Gleis) is the opposite one from where you got off. Yes, I've encountered this numerous times. In German you'll hear the announcement before they say it in English, "Dem Bahnsteig gegenüber." (The opposite platform.).

In Austria it's expressed just a bit different so that they aren't following exactly the Germans. You'll hear in Austria, "Demselben Bahnsteig gegenüber." (Opposite of the same platform) Hof is one of the the three letter towns/cities in Germany like Ulm.

Yes, they are all cross platform transfers between tracks 4 and 6, except the couple of cases where both trains are on the same track and you just walk to the front of the train and the end of the connecting train will be sitting there.

Fred I love that insight that the Germans and Austrians use different phrases to convey exactly the same thing. Fascinating!

@ Kim....If you read German, you will notice automatically these differences quite often in the usage of the language in Austria and Germany.

Some examples here: In Wien I saw the sign to denote where the men's toilet is, the sign had "Pissoir" (which is considered vulgar en français, n'est pas?) Never saw that sign in Germany. On buses, trams in Vienna the "hand grip straps" for you to grab onto while standing, there is a sign saying, "Bitte, sich festzuhalten." In Germany I've only seen, "Bitte, festhalten." ie, simple command form form using the infinitive. Note that in Vienna to convey "please hold on" they put it in the reflexive, unlike in Germany.

Likewise in the major train stations: In the train food shops to pick up food, beer, etc. the Germans indicate that as "Reisebedarf". In Austria you'll see the word, "Reiseproviant." This one you can't miss everything you take the escalator...in Austria as you stand to the right of the escalator, there is the word, "Fahrtreppenbenutzungshinweise"...I've never seen this word ("instructions on using the escalator") in Germany.

In Germany to travel on a train you have to buy a "Fahrkarte" (click for photo), In Switzerland it is a Billett (photo).

But, who are we to complain I say railway and travel by train on holiday, some posters here say railroad and ride a train on a vacation. Tom-AH-to, Tom-AY-to, sounds like the basis for a good song.

You will most likely make that connection.
Regional trains are unter the rule of each state, that tenders them etc. And Hof ist right at the border between Bavaria and Saxony. And you'll change from a Bavarian train to a Saxon one. Personnel will do their very best to make the connection work (wait with the departure a few minutes i.e.) If you miss the connection then your ticket (that was bound to a certain train) stays valid. With the purchase of the ticket you entered into a legal contract with the train service (Beförderungsvertrag). If they run late, they cannot not (double negation) honour your ticket.
Both Nürnberg and Dresden have fantastic museums (Verkehrsmuseum, one in each city, Nationalmuseum, Alte Meister, Mathemathisch-Physikalischer Salon, Grünes Gewölbe ....). And Frankonia and Saxony have some of the best beers in the world (contrary to Bavarian beer, which is .......... <-- enter very bad word here) and some good white wine on top.
Do not worry and enjoy your trip!

Hey everyone!

Thanks again for all the information; really helpful! Sam, you did give me another question though. How do I know if I need to purchase the tickets before my trip versus wait until I'm there and get tickets at the station? For example, this trip is on a Wednesday, and after 9:00 so sounds like you are recommending me to wait until I am there.

I am buying three other tickets also, Zurich Airport to Luzerne; Bern to Strasbourg and Strasbourg to Nuremberg (this one requires a reservation I believe). But my question, now, is how do I know if a route is popular and may sell out (buy tickets in advance) versus just buying on or close to the departure date while I'm there?

This seems a bit confusing to figure out. Thanks again to all and for any input on this latest question. :0)

P.S. Michael, Thank you for the info on the museums! Both places have a lot to offer and I will add them to the list! Happy Travels!

The two Regional Express trains connecting between Nuremberg and Dresden at Hof are completely unreserved. So if you buy 4 months in advance or 4 minutes it makes no difference, its first come (to get on the train and grab a seat), first served. If the all the seats are taken, you stand until someone gets off and you get the seat. In practice, it would be highly unlikely for that to happen, unless maybe Nuremberg was playing Dresden in a soccer match that afternoon.

This pricing of the Q.d.L. tickets is unique to Germany, so it does not apply to Swiss trains and trains originating in Strasbourg nor with German ICE, IC, EC trains.