What snacks do you bring on the train?

Do you takes snacks on the train or do you buy them from the cafe car? What snacks do you bring? This is intended for coach and sleeper car people.

I always have two stashes. One for the trip and one I don't touch that is my emergency needs (always come home with. Now am superstitious if I don't take it will need it). My regular is a water bottle, snack crackers like PB, or cheese, apples, and few non melting cookies. I do very similar for my other stash.

You know any snacks/drinks on the train will be marked up in cost so if you can practically bring them from home you can certainly save $.

I would say best snacks would be those that don't require refrigeration for 1-2 days (you can only keep items cooled in a cooler for a few hours until your freezer pack defrosts). I probably wouldn't bring the apples as Lonestar suggested unless either you don't mind eating unwashed apples or apples washed in the Amtrak sinks (same holds for any fruits you should wash). I'd worry about non refrigerated oranges. I guess bananas would be reasonable but you have to make sure they don't get squished. I remember bringing Doritos', Oreos/Chip's Ahoys.

I'd probably buy drinks on the train in general as they will be colder. But you could always bring a bottle of water, buy a bottle on the train (they should give you ice), drink that bottle, and then pour your bottled water into the ice so you get two cold waters and only pay Amtrak price for one.

I took a three-week trip, and vacuum-sealed a serving of mixed nuts for each day. It is a favorite snack, and not generally available en-route at a reasonable price.

Nuts, seeds, etc. (single serve packs if available) for in between meals especially late evening. A bottle of Jack Daniels.

As others have said: nuts, pumpkin seeds, my own water bottles. Plus dried fruit and chocolate bars, LOL. When I am in sleeper, the meals in the diners are large enough that all I need is a bite or two mid-afternoon, but when I am in coach, I know to take plenty! Plus something more substantial if I am going to need a real meal (crackers and cheese sort of thing).

Philly Amtrak Fan said:

I probably wouldn't bring the apples as Lonestar suggested unless either you don't mind eating unwashed apples or apples washed in the Amtrak sinks (same holds for any fruits you should wash). I'd worry about non refrigerated oranges.

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Apples can be washed before the trip, and oranges are good for up to one week if they aren't refrigerated.

My favorite train snacks are: apple slices with peanut butter (you can buy disposable go-packs of PB if you don't want to bring a little Tupperware container), cheese cubes, Nature Valley Peanut Butter/Chocolate protein bars, and cheddar rice cakes.

I also bring some go-packs of Crystal Light to dump into the bottled water. If you're in coach, you'll have access to potable water, and sometimes one of those packs can help with the taste (which varies by region). There are some Dixie cups near the water, but they go quickly, so you might want to bring a water bottle.

I make sandwiches or something along the lines like that when I am on the CZ going to or from Denver. I've even done subway once. But I'll bring a little extra with me, in case of emergencies. I will have little baggies of chips, cookies and jolly ranchers (Along those lines) as well with a liter of coke or water with me. One time on the way to Chicago from Denver, I brought some extra freezer blocks and brought a little thing of milk with me and to-go thing of cereal. Worked out great in the morning. Milk was still cold so I had a decent breakfast. The neighbor across from me thought that was a brilliant idea for an overnight trip.

At home I often mix various nuts and seeds to make my own trail mix. Just dump a few handfuls into a jar or baggie and it's good for a few days of travel snack. And a few single-serve plastic bottles (not cans) of soda and spicy tomato juice, which means a bottle of Vodka is not too far behind