With incredible views, centrally located stations and usually much more leg room than a plane, traveling by train is both comfortable and convenient. Whether travelling between tropical cities in Indonesia, zipping between Japanese cities or exploring capitals in Europe, trains offer a variety of classes to suit your needs. 

Most of the time, there’s Economy or third class, Premium Economy or second class, Business or first class. Each class differs in price and amenities. If asked which is the most sought-after, it's undoubtedly Economy. These seats are the most affordable and unlike planes don’t have as great of a difference between offerings in economy and business class.

However, one drawback of economy class is that passengers can be assigned rear-facing seats. This often makes passengers feel uncomfortable throughout the journey. Don't worry, there are several ways to choose an economy class seat so you don't have to face backward.

Traveloka tip: If you’re travelling on the Shinkansen in Japan, all seats will be facing forward. Staff will rotate seats before each journey starts to ensure every one is facing the right direction.

Sitting on a train seat moving against the current can be uncomfortable, or even nauseating, for some. But we know a few hacks that will ensure you’re in a forward-facing seat every time. And not just that… There’s a few other things to consider like the position of the sun or proximity to toilets. But don’t worry. We’ll cover all of that.

If you’re buying train tickets through Traveloka, such as a Eurail pass, you’ll be able to reserve specific seats on your journey once you know where you want to go. Check to see if your train journey has a seating map attached to the booking so you’ll have a clearer idea of exactly where your seat is.

Some trains always travel in the same direction and seat number patterns make it easy to determine which direction you’ll be facing.

For example, if you’re taking the train in Indonesia, trains to Surabaya’s Pasar Turi Station from Jakarta's Pasar Senen Station, aboard The Dharmawangsa economy train is simple to figure out. The configuration is 2 seats on the right and 3 seats on the left. It's highly recommended to choose an odd-numbered seat, such as 1, 3, 5, and so on. If you’re on a 2-2 configuration train, you’ll want to choose seat number 2 or 4 on the left side, or seat number 1 or 3 on the right side. You can adjust your seating to suit your needs or preferences. This way, you'll be seated facing the front or in the direction the train is traveling.

If you’re travelling with someone else (who doesn’t mind the direction they’re travelling in), choose two seats facing each other. Not only is this ideal for conversations, but it allows you to simply switch seats with each other to make sure you’re travelling forward.

Some trains, including older KTX and newer KTX-Sancheon trains in South Korea have the option for “family seat” arrangements, meaning seats can be turned around to face other travellers that you know. 

Similarly, local trains in Sydney let you adjust the back rest on the seat to face the other direction, which can make longer day trips from Sydney much more comfortable.

Usually first-class tickets are always forward-facing, and may not cost that much more than an economy seat. If sitting forwards is worth the price to you, it may be a great value upgrade.

If your train is traveling from west to east, pay attention to the position of the sun. It tends to be on the right side if you’re in the northern hemisphere. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, it will be the opposite. 

If you want to avoid squinting for the duration of your journey, choose a seat on the left side of the train in the northern hemisphere, and on the right side of the train in the southern hemisphere.

The previous method also applies if the economy class train you choose is traveling west, just in the opposite direction. 

For east-to-west trips, if you want to avoid squinting for the duration of your journey, choose a seat on the right side of the train in the northern hemisphere, and on the left side of the train in the southern hemisphere.

economy class train