Changing at Mannheim Central

Peter
Traveller
9331 comments

Hi.
Can you give me the date and travel times. Then I can check the platforms.
Usually the train from Mannheim Hbf to Saarlouis run from platform 1.
But you will arrive by ICE train at platform 4 or 5.
The main stairways down to get from 4/5 to 1 are rather small.
The best is to use the stairways which you find when you leave the ICE train at its end.
I would say: 5 minutes is not a lot. Sometimes the train to Saarlouis is in delay (luck for you). But the ICE can also be in delay.

You have trains every hour from Mannheim to Saarlouis. If you miss the original one, take the next one. this is no problem with your ticket.
Some connections from Mannheim to Saarlouis require a change in Kaiserslautern. But it is easy. The train arrives, you leave it and jump to the other one right opposite on the same platform. It is relaxed! :)

If you have to wait for the next train in Mannheim, you can sit in the "DB Lounge" if you travel 1st class. Otherwise you will find food, etc in the lower floor of the station.

I hope this information will help you! Peter :)

nltrainer
Traveller
1334 comments

Expect DB ICE trains to be late, certainly if that train comes from further north via FRA. The connections will not wait in general.
Simply use DB-planner, it will also show platforms (as planned,m changes always possible late minute) and click on train nr and it will show whole trip that train makes with all stops.

Britboy
Traveller
4 comments

Thanks for your help Peter.
We will be on the 16:50 or 17:50 from Frankfurt on March 11th 2022.
kind regards

Britboy
Traveller
4 comments

Thanks nltrainer!

Arend7
Traveller
587 comments

Be careful with eating at the station. It is not allowed yet in Germany (because of covid, I presume). I had a problem with Duisburg police recently, because I didn't know that.

Britboy
Traveller
4 comments

Thanks for the heads up

Peter
Traveller
9331 comments

A) The 16:50 train arrives in Mannheim at 17:31 on platform 4. Departure is at 17:36 at platform 10. Honestly, very hard to do. It is as nltrainer said, trains are often in delay, even this are only 3 minutes, it is enough to miss the connection. I travelled the past week on 5 connections, 4 was delayed. Not that much, only some minutes, but enough to miss my connections and arrive in delay.

B) The 17:50 train arrives in Mannheim at 18:29 on platform 5. Departure is at 18:36 at platform 8. A little be better than the first one above.

Solution:

1) Travel by direct local train without change. It is even on a scenic route trough the River Rhine Valley. Slow, but nice. :)
Frankfurt Hbf (main station) departure at 17:08
Saarlouis arrival at 21:23

2) For (A) you can change to:
Mannheim dep 17:48 / platform 1 / Intercity train. You can use it as you missed your original connection.
Saarbrücken Hbf arr 19:18 / platform 14
Saarbrücken Hbf dep 19:31 / platform 12
Saarlouis arr 19:53

or

Mannheim dep 18:36 / platform 8
Saarlouis arr 20:35

3) For (B) you change in Mannheim to this option:
Mannheim dep 19:40 / platform 1 / ICE train. You can use it as you missed your original connection.
Saarbrücken Hbf arr 21:00 / platform 14
Saarbrücken Hbf dep 21:19 / platform 12
Saarlouis arr 21:35

If you arrival is delayed more than 60 minutes than planed, you get a refund of 25% of the ticket price. Let me know and I will give you details where to reclaim it.

Enjoy your trip, Peter :)

Britboy
Traveller
4 comments

Peter
Thanks so much for this information- it is really helpful. Kind regards Britboy