Ok, here it is: How to take a train in Germany!!
First, you know already that you have to find the long distance railway station at Frankfurt airport (called Fernbahnhof). And there your train is supposed to leave from track 4. But better check this on the departure board.
Once at the track you will find various signs to help you around. First there are these monitors which will show the next train leaving from this platform:
For your train it ought to read:
train number ICE 527 and final destination München - Nürnberg should be listed as one of the stops along the way.
At each platform there will be huge boards like this one:
They show for every train what the set up of the train will be like and in which section of the platform your coach will be in.
Here you can see more detail:
Your position on the platform will be marked with a red dot:
Your train will most likely be made up of two train sets. One with the coaches 21 to 28 (including yours, 26) and one with 31 to 38. Make sure that you get into the set with the 20s, there is no way to walk from one set over to the other, but all the coaches are connected. So as long as you get into 21, you will be able to walk to your seats. But in case you would otherwise miss the train, just hop on!!
You ought to be able to figure out the best area to wait for your caoch, but be prepared that sometimes they change the train layout. If you hear an announcement (which ought to be in German first and then in English at Frankfurt airport station) and you then see people starting to move to the other end of the platform, you better ask someone, ideally someone with a blue uniform.
When the train arrives, you will be able to see its destination and the coach number on the monitors on the side of the train.
And a closer shot:
These might only become switched on just before the train stops, so don't worry if you don't see them at first when the first coaches go past you.
You don't have to hurry into the train (and it is considered polite to let people get of the train first

), they won't close the door as long as they see people getting on. But don't think you have plenty of time. These trains normally just stop for two minutes or so. So if you find out that you are nowhere near coach 26, you might want to still try to get the right set of coaches as I said above, but then just get into 28 or 21 (even if it is a first class coach, you will be allowed to walk through first class to get to the second class).
Once inside the train there is another monitor telling you which train you are on and the coach number:
Here you can see the location of the monitor in the entrance area:
You can then enter the coach through some nice ´glass doors and if you turn around once inside you will see a monitor again which shows the coach number and the train:
Now you can go and search your seats. They should look like that:
Do you see the small black rectangles above the window? These are monitors again which will show the seat number and if the seat is reserved:
In your case it would of course read Frankfurt-Nürnberg for all your seats!
And then it is time to relax and to enjoy your train ride!! But I even have some more information for you!
This neat little leaflet will give you all kind of information about the train, its arrival times at the various stations and possible connections. It will also help you finding the buffet car:
Luggage can be stored above your seats, or between some of the seats that are back to back. But in the walkways where the coaches are connected you can find some luggage racks as well:
This is also where you find the toilets and the garbage bins:
There are so many because we also recycle on the train!
I hope you will arrive in Nuremberg well rested and without any train problems!!
Now I am looking forward to the game tomorrow!! But I am still stuck in Part 1 (at post 90 now...). It is so much fun to read it all, not just the updates!
