- Dec 28, 2025
- 9 min read
How to Entertain Yourself on Amtrak
In a world where people expect to travel thousands of miles in a matter of hours on an airplane, train travel is a completely different mindset. Amtrak’s longest train ride is a whopping 65 hours… that’s over 2 and a half days straight on a train! This way of slow travel is becoming more and more popular, especially as the prices of flights continue to rise and airline rewards and amenities continue to shrink, so we have a bunch of suggestions for ways to keep yourself entertained throughout the train journey to make sure you enjoy it as much as possible.
Most of Amtrak’s longest train routes DO NOT have wi-fi, and if you think “well that’s fine because I have unlimited data on my phone”, you are making a mistake. Part of the charm of riding the trains is going through remote parts of the country that you wouldn’t see otherwise, but that also means there is often little to no cell service, much less cell data. If you’re not experienced with that feeling, let me tell you, it can be SO freeing! …But you need to be ready to not rely on streaming services or social media for entertainment.
Download Movies for Offline Viewing
I think this is the obvious answer for entertainment, but depending on which train you’re going on, it may take a bit of planning beforehand. Before your trip, download some movies or TV shows onto your devices. Many streaming service apps will allow you to download movies for offline viewing on a phone or tablet, and a select few will allow it on laptops as well. Don’t forget to check any physical movies you own (like blu-rays and DVDs) for digital copies too.
Pro Tip: If you’re traveling with someone, take a headphone splitter and make sure you both have wired headphones so you can watch a movie together. Don’t be that person blaring what you’re watching so that strangers have to listen to it too.
Click here to see the headphone splitter we have from Amazon. A lot of newer devices don’t even have a spot to plug headphones in, so if that’s the case with your device, you can also get a USB-C adapter to plug your headphones into. Click here to see the one we bought on Amazon.
Download Music and Podcasts for Offline Listening
Just like with movies, you’ll need to download some music and/or podcasts to your devices before you get on the train. I personally like to have music I can listen to while sleeping and reading, plus a few more upbeat things for while I’m just enjoying the views going by. (We use Spotify Premium for this.)
Bonus points if you listen to music and podcasts about somewhere you’re going on the train!
Read
If you have a Kindle or something similar, now is the perfect time to use it! If not, then a good old fashioned book will do; it will just take a little more space in your luggage. Good thing Amtrak has a generous bag policy! And don’t forget about magazines too, especially if you have some laying around waiting to be read like I do.
Puzzle books
Grab a physical book or download an app that doesn’t require internet access to do some crossword puzzles, word searches, sudoku, or the like. You can find good offline crossword apps for Android here, and for Apple here. I’ve even seen some puzzle books at the dollar store, so this can be a cheap way to keep your mind active while you enjoy some relaxation time on the train.
Journal
There’s something about being on a train that brings out the desire to write. I enjoy taking my beautiful, physical journal book and a nice pen to write with on the train, but beware that the bumps can sometimes make your hand slip. A digital version would do just fine too. Let your thoughts and creativity flow!
Play Games with a Deck of Cards
Refresh your memory on some classic card games before your trip, such as War, Go Fish, and Solitaire. Bicycle Cards has the instructions for a bunch of card games on their website; click here to take a look. War and Egyptian Rat Screw are our personal favorites for a regular deck of cards, but the possibilities are practically endless.
Card and Dice Game: Roll For It!
This is our TOP go-to travel game because it is compact and easy to play. Made for 2-4 players, Roll For It! is a simple card and dice game that relies a lot on luck, but it does have a bit of strategy to it as well. We even use the little box it comes in to roll the dice into so we don’t risk them flying off the table. Click here to find it on Amazon.
Dice Game: Farkle
Farkle is a luck-based game that only requires 6 dice, but you’ll probably want a notepad and pen to keep score (you could do it in a note on your phone in a pinch too). You can have as many players as you want, because all it takes is one player at a time rolling the dice to earn points, and it’s good for kids (recommended 8+) all the way up to grandparents, so this is a crowd-pleaser. Click here to find it on Amazon.
Tabletop Game: Shut the Box
Shut the Box requires a specific box and 2 dice, and one player plays at a time. There are several different versions available, but since this is for taking on a train, you’ll want one that’s compact and easy to pack. This is another simple, luck-based game that will have you doing the tiniest bit of math. Click here to find it on Amazon.
Tabletop Game: Cribbage
Cribbage is a card game that can seem to have a high learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it is an incredibly strategic game. We have a special version of this that Adam’s dad wood-carved for us, but if we were going to buy a travel set, I think we would go for either this one or this one.
Bonus: if you have this game with you, then you’ll already have a standard deck of cards that you can play other games with too!
Card Game: Uno
Of course, Uno is a classic! Mattel (the manufacturer) claims that Uno is good for ages 7+, but I know my siblings and I started playing it way younger than that. There are tons of versions of Uno available these days, including a Junior version for young kids, themed decks (The Simpsons, Disney, NFL, Star Wars… I have a Harry Potter one), and decks that put a twist on the original game. The cheapest option is going to be the classic card game (click here to find it on Amazon), but if you want to spend a couple extra bucks then you can get the classic game in a hard tin case that’s meant to stay sturdy while traveling (click here for that one).
Card Game: Phase 10
Phase 10 is a rummy variation card game where you have to play specific groups of cards over your 10 phases. It’s great for larger groups, but is also fun for even two people. Technically, Phase 10 can be played with two regular decks of cards, but we recommend picking up the pack made specifically to play Phase 10.
Watch the Scenery
One of the greatest things to do on an Amtrak train is to just sit back and watch the scenery go by, and you can do so with a drink in your hand! The United States is an extremely large country with an incredible amount of different climates that lead to wildly different scenery. It can be fascinating to watch the landscapes change, sometimes gradually and sometimes drastically, on Amtrak’s cross-country train routes.
While some of the scenery can be boring (the Great Plains have their own kind of beauty, but it gets old when you have 30+ hours of it like we did on the Empire Builder), there are places that Amtrak passes through that aren't accessible to other modes of transportation. Taking the California Zephyr between Emeryville and Denver will have you winding through canyons of the Rocky Mountains where the only other way to access the views is via white water rafting in the river below, so make sure you write that Amtrak route on your bucket list!
Chat with Other Passengers
One of our favorite pastimes on Amtrak is to chat with other passengers. People are generally much more friendly on Amtrak trains than on an airplane, and if you’re going to eat a meal in the dining car as one or two people, you will often be sat at a table with strangers anyway because there is limited space.
The observation car (also known as the lounge car) is very open and encourages you to be social with others, but be aware of signs that people are not interested in chatting, such as having headphones in or reading a book. Otherwise, feel free to grab a drink from the cafe car, sit down next to someone you don’t know, and ask them if they’re traveling for business or pleasure. The stories you’ll hear are priceless.
Crafts
The slow travel of Amtrak means you can finally take the time to do things like knitting or crocheting. I also enjoyed doing latch kits (like this one) when I was a kid. We’ve seen a bunch of people carrying yarn around and doing crafts while on Amtrak trains; just stay away from anything with a sharp needle since the trains can often be a little bumpy.
Small puzzles
The tables in the observation car are big enough to do a modest puzzle, just make sure you bring one that can be done in one sitting. I recommend a maximum of 500 pieces, and that’s if you have more than one person working on it. We haven’t done this yet so we can’t speak to their quality, but Puzzlebug offers a variety of 350 and 500 piece puzzles that could be done in one sitting, and they even sell 100 piece puzzles at some Dollar Tree locations.
Offline work
Commuter Amtrak trains are a great way to get work done on the go, but you can also do a fair amount of work on long-haul Amtrak trains as long as you don’t require wi-fi. Even if wi-fi is offered on your Amtrak train, be prepared for it to be spotty. Make sure to download whatever documents you need while you still have internet access and take advantage of the peace and quiet of the train to finally tackle that project you’ve been putting off.
Take advantage of fresh air stops
Regardless of how you entertain yourself on the train, when the attendants announce an upcoming fresh air stop (sometimes referred to as a smoking break), take advantage of it! Being cooped up inside a train for long periods of time can be taxing on your mental health, so take a step outside for some fresh air whenever you can, walk around a bit on the train platform, and try to stay away from the smokers. You don’t realize just how stale the air in the train cars can get until you step outside and take a deep breath of crisp air.
Bonus Ideas Not Mentioned in the Video
Skip-Bo is a card game with a 162 card deck that requires players to build sequences and be the first one out of cards. It’s for 2-6 players and says it’s for ages 7+, but this is another one I started playing at a younger age (just like with Uno). Click here to find Skip-Bo on Amazon.
Monopoly Deal is a card game version of Monopoly that takes as little as 15 minutes to play. There are several themed versions of it too, such as Harry Potter, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and even the NFL. Click here to find the original version on Amazon or click here to find the original version in a tin travel case.
Five Crowns is another rummy-style card game, but it can’t be played with a regular deck of cards, as it requires five suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, Stars). It’s good for 2-7 people and is easy enough to learn that kids as young as 8 can pick it up. Some friends introduced Adam to this game at a bar one night and he enjoyed it so much that he got his own deck. Click here to find it on Amazon.
Pro Tip: If you’re bringing a card game along on your travels, it might not be a bad idea to buy a carrying case like this one to keep your cards from being damaged.
With all of this being said, slow travel is not for everyone.
Some train routes are going to be way more exciting than others, and that all depends on your personal preferences and life experiences. If you grew up around a whole lot of flat land like we did, you’ll probably be more excited by train routes that go through the mountains, or vice versa. The point is that if you take our advice and prepare multiple ways to keep yourself entertained on long train rides, then your journey on Amtrak will be much more enjoyable than if you just wing it and then pout about being bored.
Happy travels - we hope to see you In The Great Wide somewhere!
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