There are no grand rail expeditions without transfers. During planning, I minimize them as much as possible.
Once I’m actually on the rails, those chaotic sprints and too-long snack breaks become the memories I’m desperate to keep. Train transfers are either long snack breaks or racing hurdles. I’ve found there is no in-between.
This is train transfers in action
These are things I need to remember. When the time for planning a connection has passed and I’m in my window seat, racing past platforms…or standing in line at Yorma’s hoping my croissant doesn’t magically make my train pull away ahead of schedule.
I’ve learned these things about transferring trains surrounded by garbled announcements, guided only by numbered blue Gleis signs.
Things to remember about transferring trains.
Check your navigation app from the window seat.
The App you used for planning is still your best friend on the rails.
DB Navigator, ÖBB Rail App, and the luxuriously detailed SBB app are just a few of my go to journey assistants.
These apps will have realtime and seriously helpful information such as:
- Your planned or updated platform number
- Where on the platform your train is expected to stop
- (SBB-specific) A walking route through the station from your current train to your connection
- Whether your train is delayed and your connection is now impossible and what your best alternatives are
- When the announcements start looping or sound off, your real-time app is usually more accurate.
One train insisted every stop was Heidelberg Hbf.
At 6 a.m., I nearly rolled right past my transfer in Mainz.
fueled by pastries, coffee and too little sleep, still made my transfer.
- French train transfers are a different beast. The apps are… less helpful, though still worth having.
Know which type of train you’re seeking.
S-Bahn, ICE, and regional trains like RE and RB might all use Platform 2 but that doesn’t mean they leave from the same spot.
- Stations are often divided by train type, not just platform number.
- If a local asks where you’re going instead of what platform you need, you’re probably in a multi-platform 2 situationand you should be thankful.
Shoutout to the kind stranger in Munich who knew we were confused before we did.
Make the Best of a Long Transfer
That tight 15-minute connection just turned into an hour and a half?
Perfect. It’s time to find snacks and maybe a future train beer.
Bakeries at train stations are delightful, with more options than you could possibly justify indulging in. (Not that I haven’t tried.)
It’s also a chance to pick up regional beer from an area you’re technically not visiting.
It’s the perfect window for a bit of train watching, people spotting or both.
And sometimes? A quick peek at Google Maps will reveal that the station, which looked like nothing but two platforms in the middle of nowhere, is actually perched above a castle… or just down the road from a legendary bakery.
Fast is Smooth, and Smooth is Slow
Short train transfers need to be hasty, but they also have to be mindful.
Taking five seconds to orient yourself is better than wasting five minutes backtracking.
Before you sprint for the stairs, take a moment to scan for:
- Which direction the platforms are numbered
- How frequently stairs or escalators appear
- Any signage indicating train type (S-Bahn, ICE, RE) or pointing toward single-platform locations elsewhere
You might need to move to figure some of this out. Moving with the intention to observe is better than standing frozen in place.
Just make sure you’re not already standing at the platform you need.
Traveler’s Tongue
Gleis = platform (German)
Le quai = platform (French)
Perron = platform (Dutch). Good for asking directions.
Spoor = train track (Dutch). Commonly used on signage, especially in the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium. Basically fills the role of Gleis.
And of course, the rule every intergalactic explorer should remember:
Don't Panic
Missed your transfer?
Train delayed? Canceled? Or maybe you just couldn’t resist that really short change time in your Plan A itinerary?
Another train will come… eventually.
A taxi is an expensive option but it’s an option.
Remember, It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.
Eventually the train transfer comes together and…
The doors swish shut with their warning beep as the train surges forward.
I’m more unsteady in my steps than the locals, who glide through the moving cars with practiced ease.
I’m careful not to swing my bulky bag into anyone, still muttering Entschuldigung if I even think I’ve come close.
I reach my window seat, exhale, and settle in.
The platforms I just raced fade behind me.
One successful train transfer down. About fifteen more to go on this trip.
I can’t wait.
I’ve had croissants, castles, and chaos between connections.
If you’ve got a transfer story that still makes you laugh or double check that platform number, please share. I’m so listening.
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