Transfer at Dresden Train Station in Germany

I've always found that much time (11 minutes) to be plenty of time if you are prepared and know where you are going. Give us the train numbers and times, the Bahn website has the track numbers. Before the train comes to a stop in Dresden, have your luggage with you and go to the end of the car, ready to get off when the train stops. Get off the train and locate the nearest stairs to the connecting tunnel. Go down the steps and use the large number signs in the tunnel to find the steps to your new platform. Stay with the herd. The conductor is not going to release the train while people are getting on.

There is no train number given. And I have to go from Platform 12 to Platform 1.
I've never been there before.

If you enter your travel from Glauchau to Prag into the German Rail website, you will find connections through Dresden. If you are leaving Glauchau at 11:37, you'll be on train IRE 3087. It looks like most of the connections come into Dresden on either track (platform or Gleis) 12 or 13. Looking at the Dresden station layout, it looks like the incoming tracks, 6-14 are on the ground level. Most likely you'll be transfering to a train on track 1-3. 1-3 and 17-19 are on the upper level, separated. The escalators to 1-3 are nearest track 6. OK, this is embarressing. The link to the Dresden station layout seems to be crashing my browser. Go to DB. Without changing the language to English, click on "Services". In the second gray box down on the LH side, click on "Deutschlands Bahnhöfe". Go to "Zum Bahnhofs Portal" (orange box). Click on Großstadtbahnhöfe Osten", then "Dresden Hauptbahnhof", "Bahnhofsplan", then "PDF Herunterladen". Now you know all of my secrets.

Here is the direct link to the pdf file: http://www.bahnhof.de/site/bahnhoefe/zubehoer__assets/de/bahnhofsplaene/bahnhofsplan__dresden.pdf

"The layouts are very clear and easy to navigate." Most of the time, yes. In the case of Dresden, when you get off on the lower level, tracks 6-14, there are probably signs pointing the way to tracks 1-3 and 17-19 on the upper level, but it is still nice to be forewarned of the layout. With only a few minutes to make a connection, a few minutes of searching could make the difference. In Mainz, the seven through tracks (1-6, 8) are in order (what happened to 7?) but track 11 is a stub track across the platform from track 1, next to the station building. And what about tracks 101, 102, 103, 201, 202, & 203 in Bingen?

I've seen my share of German train stations, large and small. And even with luggage and kids in tow I never needed more than 5 minutes to change tracks. The layouts are very clear and easy to navigate. It may be different if you are mobility impaired and thus slower and struggling with stairs (not all stations have elevators). The only reason I was not able to make a tight connection was when there were train delays. That happens to me at least once per trip (more if it's a severe winter like the recent one) and I do travel to Germany every other year or so. Very few trains wait for another one if there's a delay. Should you miss your connection for that reason simply go to the station's information point and ask about the best connection to continue your journey. If you have a ticket that is meant for specific trains only they will also stamp it at that time to allow you to use different ones.

The point is that it is a rare case that somebody misses his train despite full 11 minutes of transfer time because s/he gets lost in the train station. They aren't really that complicated (the track numbers in Bingen may sound "weird" but it's a small station where it would be hard to get lost). While not as common as in other countries even in the German train system it is much more likely that the anticipated transfer time dwindles to next to nothing or vanishes entirely because of a delay. That could also result in unexpected track changes or even in a complete change of itinerary which is a bit more difficult to deal with. That was the part I wanted to make the traveller aware of.

This will be in September so weather shouldn't be bad...
If I miss the connecting train will I get to go on the next train for free or will I have to purchase a new ticket? Also, I don't speak any German so signs might be confusing to me. I will be arriving on track(gleis) 12 and have to transfer to track(gleis) 1. I looked at the layout of the PDF but I only see one set of escalators that will bring me up near track(gleis) 18&19. How do I cross over to track(gleis) 1?

Jury, it's good to be prepared and RS has a short video on train travel skills that may help you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moLGxdId9uU Fortunately, most signs are quite international and numbers and arrows make it well beyond any language barriers. If there is indeed a delay long enough that you miss the connection you can take the next one. According to www.bahn.de there is a direct train from Dresden to Prague every 2 hours. You do not need to buy a new ticket in that case. And if you have a regular full prize ticket you don't have to do anything. However, if you have a special deal ticket that restricts you to the train printed on the ticket you need to get your ticket validated for a change of trains either by the ticket inspector in the train that IS running late (and you realize already that you won't make your connection) or in the train station at the information point. I took a train ride 2 weeks ago (good weather conditions!) from Leipzig to Duisburg with train changes in Magdeburg and Hannover. My train arrived in Magdeburg on time but the connecting train to Hannover was running 20 minutes late. At that point I already knew that I wouldn't be able to make my connection in Hannover to Duisburg where I had a 8 minutes window. So while I was waiting for the delayed train I went to the information point in the train station - I simply followed the sign with the "i". They stamped my ticket revoking any restrictions and gave me a new itinerary for a different train connection to get me to my destination.

Arriving at track #12 you go to the end of the platform and turn right. You walk in the direction of "Ausgang 4, Bayrische Straße" (exit #4). On your right hand side you pass the end points of the #11, #10, #9, and #6 tracks, and the stairs labeled "zu Gleis 3."
When you see the stairs labeled "zu Gleis 1/2" on your right side, you walk these up. You're now on the platform between track #1 and #2.

Will they be checking my ticket as I'm trying to board the transfer train or can I just hop on and they will check my ticket once I'm on the train?
There seems to be a train from Dresden to Prague every hour, but will I be allowed to change my ticket(if I missed my transfer train) to only the same type of train(EC) and have to wait for the train that leaves 2 hrs later as opposed to 1 hr later?

Tickets will only be checked inside the train. If I have a choice of a) taking the next train in an hour that takes over 3 hours to the destination and requires 2 changes (each of which with the risk of additional misses) or b) wait 2 hours to take a direct train that takes a bit over 2 hours
I would choose b) and take the direct train! Hopefully, none of this will happen and you have a pleasant journey!

First, what kind of a "ticket" do you have? If it is full fare (Standard) ticket, it is an open ticket, valid on any train of that type (EC/IC) or lower (RE), that day and for some time in the future. However, a reservation is train specific- only valid for the train specified. OTOH, if you have a Europa-Spezial-Ticket, it is valid only for the specified train. But, if you miss the connection due to the fault of the Bahn (late train), they will honor the ticket and put you on the next available train. As for getting to track 1. The part of the map marked "Erdgeschoss" is the ground floor. Where tracks 6-14 end is a cross platform which extends from Ausgang 3 to Ausgang 4. Near Ausgang 4 are stairs marked "Zu Gleis 1/2" (zu, pr tsu, is "to"). So get off the train on Gleis 12, walk to the station end of the platform, turn right, look for stair zu Gleis 1/2. On the Obergeschoss part of the map you see the top of the stairs next to the 'C' part of the platform. If you go into the station building, to the "Empfangshalle" (lobby), then towards Ausgang 5, there is an elevator to Gleis 1/2.