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Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 06:00
Hello!
I will be heading directly from Osaka Kansai Airport to Toyama next week. Since I will need my luggage the same night I get to Toyama I cannot send it by ta-q-bin service but have to put it on the train.

My suitcase is 62 x 45 x 25 cm (or 24.5 x 18 x 10 inches) so it wont fit on the luggage rack on the Thunderbird train.

I can manage sitting with it in front of me (the legspace area), but not sure if it would fit in there. Once I travelled on a train from Chitose Airport to Sapporo and it fitted in front of me but not sure if this will.

I will try to reserve a seat in the back of the car in case I can put the luggage there.

What do you think? Any suggestions? I have another bag which is I think 60 x 40 x 25 cm but doubt it would do any difference.
by Kleenex (guest)  

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 11:29
I've taken the Thunderbird before. Although it technically fit in the space in front, we faced some issues.

We were 2 females travelling with 2 luggages (similar size to yours). We could fit 2 luggage side by side into the area between our feet and the chair before us. However, the luggage would stick out in the aisle, so we would have to arrange it in kind of a slanted manner, with our feet squashed together in the middle.

Another issue that would occur would be IF the person in front were to adjust their seat backwards, you'd both be stuck in an uncomfortable position. I would recommend you to try booking seats in the first row, so at least there is no one in front of you and you won't block the alley that much.

So if your legs are any larger than ours, it may be a problem to squeeze..

by BloodPrincess rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 19:19
Well I am rather long (about 6 feet) so I suppose squeezing in my legs would be a mess... I am not sure how much space is between the chair and the next chair, I read on a Japanese page the Thunderbird pitch is 96 cm in regular car (green car a bit more), but you are quite right about it would be very uncomfy for the person in front of me. I thought of maybe sitting with my legs on my suitcase but not sure how that would work out for 3 hours... Since I am not sure about the height of the sitting area either. As well as the width. I wouldn't want to interfere in my neighbor's seat.

I did a picture on the situation by the way. Marked the pitch (green), seat height (blue) and seat space in front (orange).

So situation A would be a mess. I don't know if C (in the front of the car) would work out if B is not possible. Not sure if the area in front is more than in tbe B situation. At least I need not to worry about anyone in front.

I am just a bit worried there will be no such space even if I would reserve a seat in the back, since I get on in Shin-Osaka, not Osaka station... I will ride sometime from 10 to 12 in the morning so perhaps not so many people?

by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 19:25
I might as well ask for some simple guidance on how to correctly ask for a seat in the front or back (I suppose a front window seat would be best, since it would give more options if there are already bags behind me).

I did once try to reserve a back seat on shinkansen but ended up with a front seat, even though I did a drawing like this:

http://oi59.tinypic.com/2u7105v.jpg


(Oh here is the picture I draw for the previous post sorry...
http://oi60.tinypic.com/25s4enn.jpg
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 22:21
When you make the booking you can request for the front or back seats. They usually have more room too. window or aisle seats have the same amount of space. If someone is leaning back you can turn your seats 180 degrees and face the other way. Or you could use bag packs.
by jh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 22:47
One thing I do when travelling on longer distance trains is to use the space behind the back seat and the wall to put my larger luggage.

Of course - I'm not always the only person who does this. However - I now tend to travel more with a large hikers backpack that easily fits into the storage racks above the seats...
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 23:11
Well as I posted I did try once before to make a reservation for front seats. Drew a picture on a paper with Japanese writing asking to have a seat in the back of the car. But I got a front seat. It was no problem but I was seated in the aisle so I felt a little awkward.

Anyone know how wide the seats are usually? If I risk interfering with the neighbor space even if sitting window side?

Maybe I should try getting to Osaka station instead to make sure to get a spot for my luggage in the back.
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 23:12
I found a page which had some phrases to use but I lost the link.

What kind of phrases should I use to make sure I get in the front of the car? I know how to express window or aisle seat as well as non-smoking when needed but not sure how to express front of the car (in the direction of Kanazawa in this case) since the seating number differs depending on direction, and I am not sure if they can see on their computers the direction.
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/8 23:55
I am honestly thinking of using ta-q-bin instead. I looked at a video from the inside of a Thunderbird train and the seats looks way too crampled compared to Shinkansen. To easy my worry I would have to put up with going to Osaka station (either by getting of at Tennoji and going by Loop Line or by getting of att Shin-Osaka and backtrack) to make my chances of getting space in the back.

Again, I will travel past rush hour. Unless there are a lot of foreign tourists traveling that day (and time) I suppose the train wont be full... Otherwise it would be a mess, as I suppose many would use the same strategy.

As for now I am staying in Kanazawa one night, checking out Kanazawa the next day before going to Toyama for another night. I was in fact thinking of staying in Toyama instead but the hotel was full already the night before I go there... Then I will go through Tateyama on the third day (could be on the second day if weather turns bad early, and do Kanazawa when returning to Toyama again in the evening).

Anyway. I will send my luggage away on the 2rd day evening or 3th day morning, so I ought to have it packed and so before that.
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/9 00:37
Thunderbird seats. Front and back rows are 1 and 14. Seat numbers are 1A, 1B, 1C & 1 D and 14A,14B,14C & 14D.
by Dick H rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/9 00:40
Is this in the Kanazawa direction?
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/9 06:37
Row 1 is the front heading toward Kanazawa.
by Dick H rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/9 07:09
Despite the other replies, lets go back to the original misconception.

Your suitcase will fit onto the overhead luggage racks. Your case is a good size and you will be fine.

(done this many times)
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

Re: Space between seats Thunderbird 2015/10/9 07:32
Alright! Well I'll go for it then. Let's put a lock on this thread (I suppose). Thank you for your help!
by Kleenex (guest) rate this post as useful

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