Train Kansai - Osaka - Kyoto (Icoca Haruka)

Hello,

we are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers) and we arrive at Kansai airport on a Tuesday. We will spend the night in Osaka city center and travel onwards to Kyoto on Wednessday. Is it a good thing for us to buy the Icoca Haruka ticket upon arrival at Kansai?

Should we make prior reservations for train seats or are there Always empty seat on these trains (March/April)?

Thanks a lot for your help!

we are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers) and we arrive at Kansai airport on a Tuesday. We will spend the night in Osaka city center and travel onwards to Kyoto on Wednessday. Is it a good thing for us to buy the Icoca Haruka ticket upon arrival at Kansai?

It depends where in Osaka's city center you will be staying. If it is conveniently accessed by JR (e.g. Umeda), the package can make sense, but if it is better accessed by non-JR trains (e.g. Namba), then just buying an Icoca card is better.

Should we make prior reservations for train seats

You should not make reservations for the airport train because you do not know when you will be arriving. As for urban trains, reservations are usually not possible. For long-distance trains I personally always prefer to make seat reservations for peace of mind.

To add to Uji's response, remember that without a rail pass that allows free seat reservations, the reservations will incur an extra fee.