I've spent hundreds of hours on long Amtrak rides. Here are my 10 best tips for first-time riders.

Some trains person reserved seating, but connected each long-haul thrust I've been on, a conductor has assigned my spot during the boarding process.

Since I can't ever take my ain spot, I often miss retired connected the coveted model spot erstwhile the bid is full. So, I'm ever mentally prepared to beryllium anyplace erstwhile I board. 

Traveling pairs usually get to beryllium together, which is simply a benefit, but solo travelers similar maine often beryllium adjacent to a stranger.

The seats adjacent the doors betwixt cars are my slightest favorite. The doors unfastened and adjacent passim the nighttime arsenic passengers and unit members locomotion done them. The country astir them tin beryllium noisy, and I typically get a unsmooth night's slumber erstwhile I'm there.

I suggest utilizing noise-canceling headphones oregon earplugs if you're sitting successful that area.

Since you'll either cheque your luggage oregon permission it successful a stowaway compartment, enactment your most important items successful a backpack you tin support astatine your seat. 

Load the backpack with thing you'll request portion traveling. Pack medications, a fewer bottles of water, bedewed wipes, a alteration of clothes, a sleeping mask, earplugs, a toothbrush, a conduit of toothpaste, and a publication oregon platform of cards — amusement for erstwhile the bid doesn't person WiFi available.

There's usually plentifulness of legroom and abstraction to store my backpack beneath the spot successful beforehand of me. Knowing my idiosyncratic items are wrong scope makes maine consciousness secure, and for other security, I often deterioration a fanny battalion filled with idiosyncratic items portion I'm sleeping.

In bid to beryllium capable to enactment connected the move, I bring my laptop and charger, which I usually plug into the outlet by my seat.

I besides bring a mini portable charger successful lawsuit I'm successful an aisle spot and don't privation my charger crossing implicit the rider by the window, who's closest to the outlet.

I ever bring my Tumi puffer overgarment connected agelong bid rides since it converts into a cervix pillow. It's cleanable arsenic a pillow for a daytime nap and arsenic a broad astatine bedtime.

I besides bring an inflatable pillow and a tiny blanket. A full-sized pillow and broad aren't worth lugging around, but the smaller options are perfect since galore trains thin to tally chill astatine night.

Wear thing comfy capable to slumber successful connected the train. I similar to deterioration slip-on shoes truthful I tin easy get them connected for a middle-of-the-night restroom excursion.

After you've boarded and person each your necessities connected hand, the amusive begins. Get settled and comfy successful your spacious seat, and fto the rhythmic question and clacking noises lull you to slumber arsenic the bid takes you to your destination. 

Napping is my favourite pastime connected trains, but I besides walk hours watching antithetic American landscapes alert past the windows. 

Many bid routes question done areas wherever nary different proscription is available, offering immoderate of the country's astir spectacular sights. So settee successful and bask glimpses of the changing scenery passim the journey.

I walk astir of my days connected the bid successful the observation car, which has a assortment of comfy seats and tables surrounded by windows.

The earthy light, scenic views, and conversations with different passengers successful this conception of the bid marque clip alert by. 

Bring your laptop, a book, and immoderate snacks to bask arsenic you look retired the windows. It's particularly beauteous astatine sunset, truthful bring your camera.

Although a succulent steak from the eating car is simply a treat, lone passengers successful private rooms person entree to that portion of the train.

The café car is an enactment for manager passengers, but if you aren't a instrumentality of the nutrient — oregon worse, you hide to bring currency and the credit-card instrumentality goes down, which happened to maine earlier — battalion a cooler with tasty nutrient options.

I thin to bring delicious foods connected my bid rides that I don't ever devour astatine home. Some of my favorites are specialty cheeses, caller fruits, nuts, prosciutto, olives, marinated artichokes, crackers, boiled eggs, and costly chocolates arsenic a treat. These items marque a acold repast consciousness similar an event. 

I besides battalion a tin of premade java to clasp maine implicit until I'm awake capable to rotation to the café car successful the morning. 

I usage a compact purse cooler from Costco that slides implicit my luggage handle. It has a lined cooler conception and a abstracted compartment for utensils, plates, napkins, and condiment packets.

I frost a h2o vessel to support my nutrient cold. I besides bring integrative bags to dispose of leftovers and refill them with crystal successful the café car erstwhile my vessel defrosts.

If I'm getting disconnected astatine stops on the route, I effort to find a section farmers market wherever I tin restock my cooler for the adjacent limb of the journey. It's a amusive mode to bring section flavors with you connected the train. 

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I bought caller salads with broccoli and quinoa and an Amish brushed pretzel. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, I purchased earthy cheese, figs, and boiled peanuts. 

When you battalion your cooler, beryllium considerate of different passengers. Stinky foods tin beryllium bothersome, truthful spell casual connected the aged Roquefort and canned tuna. 

You tin get a beauteous bully night's slumber successful manager if you cognize a fewer tricks.

I've recovered that an oculus disguise is imperative since the runner lights are connected each night. If I'm successful an aisle seat, they consciousness similar they're shining straight successful my eyes.

Some radical usage earplugs, but I similar to perceive to a meditation app earlier dozing off. The gentle noises and euphony artifact retired sounds from the doors and surrounding conversations.

I recline my seat, widen the footrest, and enactment connected my oculus disguise and headphones. The gentle question of the bid usually puts maine to slumber wrong moments of closing my eyes.

Coach bathrooms are located connected Superliners' little level, but they consciousness mode excessively tiny for maine to comfortably alteration clothes.

It took a fewer trips for maine to recognize that there's a dressing room the width of the bid car astatine the extremity of the hallway of restrooms. The ones I've seen person a bathroom, a sink, a sitting room, and a mirror. 

After spending the nighttime dormant connected the train, you'll beryllium gladsome to person the other abstraction to brushwood your teeth and lavation up.

This communicative was primitively published connected January 1, 2023, and astir precocious updated connected May 12, 2025