Originally Posted by
mamb0
When you are lucky and arrive an hour earlier, you still can sent me rant emails.
Rant emails? Not a chance. If I arrive an hour early I'll have the biggest smile of peace on my face... For once in my life to board a European train and not be drenched in sweat! More likely I'll be sending you roses!
Based on the feedback I'm getting, I took another look at Munich. The problem with the Munich departure was that I only had 7 minutes train connection time in Stuttgart with kids and luggage. So the first question is, is this a reasonable connection time? The train from Munich arrives on track 10, the TGV to Paris departs from Track 9. I assume this is an easy connection, but I suppose it depends on whether I'd just cross the island or have to run around the end of the trains. I know German trains are supposed to be famously punctual, but I've experienced trains in Germany that were a few minutes late. The 10:23 Munich-Stuttgart train is listed as an ICE train. Does that mean I can count on an on-time arrival, or is 7 minutes cutting it too close?
The other thing I've just learned is that the next earlier train from Munich leaves at 9:40 (the tight connection leaves at 10:23) and erases any worries of a missed connection in Stuttgart.
So now I'm beginning to try to weigh the options between the 10:23 from Munich (7 minute connection in Stuttgart) and the 9:40 from Munich (53 minute connection in Stuttgart).
Even if I have to leave 40 minutes earlier to catch the earlier Munich train, an extra 30 or 60 minutes built in for staus on a nominal 1-hour drive is much better insurance than the same cushion on a nominal 3-hour drive.