The Limited Express Thunderbird timetable and the train information. The train bound for Kanazawa from Osaka and Kyoto.

thunderbird 683Kanazawa, Toyama, Wakura-Onsen, Fukui
683 series is the primary fleet for limited express train in Hokuriku region, such as Thunderbird and Shirasagi.
683 series is the primary fleet for limited express train in Hokuriku region, such as Thunderbird and Shirasagi.

The limited express Thunderbird connects Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Fukui, and Kanazawa. One round trip of this train operates to Wakura-Onsen. This train is the fastest way to get to Kanazawa from Osaka/Kyoto. If you go to Kanazawa from Osaka, simply take this limited express train.

This train is fully covered by JR Pass, Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass, Takayama Hokuriku Area Pass, and Hokuriku Arch Pass.

In this post, I will explain you about the train information of limited express Thunderbird.

Route, schedule and trip time

Thunderbird runs one or two departure(s) in every hour and it runs more than 20 round trips a day. Average trip time is 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to Kanazawa from Osaka. Please see the route map below to find the trip time on the major segments and stations on the route:

The Limited Express Thunderbird train operation route (Click to view large)

You can find the timetable in the link below:

Due to COVID-19, it may be operated on a schedule different from the normal timetable. Check the train schedule on Hyperdia.
Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine

Accommodation

683 series for the limited express Thunderbird

Thunderbird is serviced by 681 or 683 series. 681 series is a bit older fleet than 683. But both fleets are basically same.

The seat pitch in a Green seat is 1,160 mm (46 inches). It is the standard of most JR trains. The seat layout is 2+1. It offers very spacious leg room and quite good seating.

The seat pitch of an ordinary seat is 970 mm (38 inches). It is a little bigger than the standard of JR trains. Some seats on Car #3 are exclusively available for women and small child. Some of JR trains offer this service for women travelers.

By the way, the seat pitch of most major airlines is 76 cm (30 inches) to 84 cm (33 inches). You can imagine how spacious an ordinary seat is. Unless you have a big body, an ordinary class seat is fine.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images of accommodations below.

Train formation

Thunderbird train formation

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*G=Green seat R=Reserved seat NR=Non reserved seat
Smoking is not allowed on board.

Images

Green seat

Ordinary seat

Sanitary space

Other resources

I have a few more posts which explains you about the access to Kanazawa and surrounding area, such as Shirakawago, Takayama. Please refer the posts below to find more information. I believe these posts will help you to build your trip plan:

How to access to Kanazawa and Toyama from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Niigata.
Kanazawa is very popular destination in Hokuriku region. Toyama is also well known as the gateway to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and Kurobe gorge. In this post, I will show you the access to these cities from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Niigata.
jprail.com
2011.10.27
How to get to Takayama by a train and a bus
Takayama is very attractive small town. It is very closed to another popular spot, Shirakawago. In this post, I show you how to get Takayama by train and bus.
jprail.com
2020.05.17
How to access to Shirakawago from Takayama, Kanazawa, Takaoka and Toyama.
This post gives you the access guide to Shirakawago from Kanazawa, Takayama, Toyama and Takaoka. You may find a lot of photos of Shirakawago. It helps you to understand how you stay in Shirakawago easily.
jprail.com
2010.07.31

I hope this post will help you to create your trip plan.

Comments

  1. Jeremy Chow says:
    September 12, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    Hi Takeshi San,

    We are planning a trip with the following itinerary:-

    6/11/2018 – Tokyo Narita Airport to Osaka (2 nights in Osaka)
    8/11/2018 – Osaka to Awara Onsen
    9/11/2018 – Awara Onsen to Takayama
    10/11/2018 – Takayama to Shirakawago
    11/11/2018 – Takayama to Tokyo (2 nights in Tokyo)
    12/11/2018 – Tokyo to Narita Airport

    Kindly advice the best pass to purchase on our trips.

    Thank you

    Cheers

    Jeremy Chow

  2. MARIA JOSE PERAZA says:
    August 31, 2018 at 8:00 am

    I am not getting time schedules for the Limited Express Thuderbird between Kanazawa and Kyoto, can you help me?.
    We are travelling to Japan second forthnight of October and I do have to prepare our route, if I could find the link showing trains timetable from Kanazawa to Kyoto would be most convenient.
    Thank you very much!!!

  3. Lishya Chiu says:
    August 26, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    Hi Takeshi San,
    Do you think the nationwide 7 days JR Pass or the Hokuriku Arch pass good enough to cover my itinerary.
    8/10, Tokyo to Kyoto
    9/10 , Kyoto
    10/10 Kyoto Travel to Kurobe Gorge by thunderbird & JR Hokuriku Shinkansen, back to Toyama
    11/10 Toyama to Kanazawa
    12/10 Kanazawa to Toyama for Alpine Route toward Nagano
    13/10 Nagano , Karuizawa
    14/10 Karuizawa to Tokyo

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      August 27, 2018 at 12:11 am

      Hi Lishya san,

      I recommend you to use JR pass. It is better choice than using Hokuriku Arch Pass. Hokuriku Arch Pass is cheaper but it does not cover Tokyo to Kyoto direct route. If you use JR pass, you can take Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. It’s direct and take about 2.5 hours.

      Meanwhile if you use Hokuriku arch pass, you have to go through Kanazawa from Tokyo to Kyoto and need to change from Hokuriku Shinkansen to Thunderbird. Trip time is 5 hours. It is inconvenient.

      Both JR pass and Hokuriku arch pass do not cover Kurobe Gorge and Alpine route. You have to add extra fare for Kurobe Gorge and Tateyama Kurobe option ticket for Alpine route:
      http://www.jrtateyama.com/e/

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  4. Alyona says:
    August 6, 2018 at 10:09 am

    Dear Takeshi,

    please could you help us with your advice. Do we need to get a JR pass for this trip or is it cheaper to buy tickets individually?
    day 1 – Osaka airport to Kyoto
    five days in Kyoto and then to Kanazawa
    two days in Kanazawa and then to Tokyo
    Five days in Tokyo and then departure from Narita.

    If it is better to buy the tickets individually, how and where do we do it?

    Thank you for your help.

  5. dhandie says:
    May 25, 2018 at 12:38 am

    Hi Takeshi,
    Can you help me asses what train and bus pass should we get? Here’s our detailed itinerary:

    Dec 09 to 11 (kansai airport to kyoto)
    Dec 11 to 13 ( kyoto to tokyo)
    Dec 13 to 15 ( tokyo to yuzawa)
    Dec 15 to 16 (yuzawa to tokyo)
    Dec 16 to 19 ( tokyo to osaka)

    Thanks,
    Dhan

  6. Yii says:
    May 6, 2018 at 4:56 am

    Hello, can you kindly advise which is the best pass to purchase based on the shortest travel time for the following itinerary:
    – Osaka Airport to Osaka (1.5hrs via express)
    – Travel Osaka to Kanazawa (2.45hrs via thunderbird)
    – Day Trip Kanazawa to Noto Peninsula
    – Day Trip Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go (2hrs via Nohi Bus)
    – Travel Kanazawa to Kyoto (2.20hrs via thunderbird)
    – Travel Kyoto to Osaka (45mins via shinkansen+local)
    – Osaka to Osaka Airport (1.5hrs via express)

    Thank you.

  7. Vitaly says:
    April 12, 2018 at 2:14 am

    Good day<

    I am traveling Tokyo – Nagano, Nagano – Kyoto, Kyoto – Tokyo. which trains should I take using Osaka-Tokyo Hakuriku Arch pass

    thanks
    Vitaly

  8. Chan says:
    March 16, 2018 at 4:38 am

    I am planning Osaka-Kanazawa-Toyama-Osaka all within 5 days. what is the best JR pass I should get? Thanks

  9. LDG says:
    January 18, 2018 at 5:43 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    Can you help us with what JR passes and other train pass should we get? Here’s our detailed itinerary:

    Feb 17 KIX to Umeda
    Feb 18 Umeda to Kanazawa (day trip) to Umeda
    Feb 19 Umeda to Kyoto (day trip)
    Feb 20 USJ
    Feb 21 Osaka and Nara (daytrip)
    Feb 22 Umeda to KIX

    Thank you

  10. Yong SL says:
    December 10, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    Dear Takeshi San, good day to you. Please assist me how to make a seat reservation on Nohi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa and return to kanazawa .thank you in advance.

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