I am getting ready to buy tickets from Venice to Paris with an overnight stop in Lausanne. The train change in Milan allows only 15 minutes. When I did a search some said it was impossible, some said it could be done. Is there somewhere I can get information on the layout and what tracks the trains will be on ahead of time. I can catch a later train but that entails a layover of several hours. I did some searching and found a lot of pictures of a big train station. I've only done European trains a few times.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Harvey,
I have catched lots of trains at Milan Central Station, sometimes with a very little change time. Sometimes the previous train arrived in time and I could catch the other train even with 10 minutes change time, some other times it was late so I would lose the connecting train and I needed to wait for a later train sometimes paying a difference in price (for the swiss fast trains). At Milan station there are tv screens on the platforms that show the train timetables but sometines you need to reach the top of the platform where there is that big time table with flapping and rotating letters in order to see where your train is going to depart from and that can also happen right a few minutes before the departure of the train, which can be annoying I know. This is the site of Milan Central Station. I hope you can find other more useful info
http://www.grandistazioni.it/milano/indexf.cfm

Centrale is a large station but if the train arrives relatively on time 15 minutes is MORE than enough time to get from one to the other even if they are at opposite sides of the station. I suggest knowing the train number you are connecting to. When you arrive in Milan you'll see a LARGE black board at the head of the platforms (the one described by Batuffolina) with all the currently departing trains with their number and major destinations and the "binario" (track) number listed.
I don't think you'll have any trouble changing trains there.

Good morning, Harvey
Yes, 15 mins between trains is most ample at Milano Centrale. Station is
large but with an excellant layout almost equal to Zurich HB.Once our train which was to go to Milano Centrale was diverted to another
station in Milano and we had to make a dash via taxi, but did get our connecting train at Centrale. Also miss
the wonderful salami sandwhiches which
the basket venders used to sell on the
trains while in Centrale. They as time
progressed disappeared...Richard of LaGrange Park, Il.

Havvey,

I agree, 15 minutes is plenty of time to make your connection. What I do, in stead of finding out where I need to go when I get to the station, is just ask the conductor before the train gets to the station. They have the most update to date info so all I need to do is hop off the train and head to the right track. Have a good trip.

Greg

The train station is pretty simple. If your first train arrives on time, you are fine. IF not, you have to change tix and wait.

Sorry to disagree. Italian trains are notoriously late. 15 minutes would be ample if you could count on your train arriving on time. But in my experience, this is a dream.
Gary

Well, I'm sorry to diagree but when i was last in taly this May and took trains everywhere almost every day every one of them but one was on time..that one was actually early.
And if you do miss your first connection you do NOT have to change tickets...just get on the next train to Lausanne..you can check schedules at www.bahn.de...not trying to start a pissing contest here, just telling you my own experience rather than resorting to generalizations.

Two years ago we took a train from verona directly to Lausanne, I know it started in venice. If this option is available it would eliminate the agravation.
As was stated above the most important facet is the arrival time of your train. Most longer distance trains leave from the tracks near the center of the staion, so the change shouldn't be too hard.
Buona fortuna!