I second the hoodie/blanket, small/travel pillow, small cooler with snacks, and water/soda, along with entertainment stuff ... books, cards, etc. Also a portable charger if there's not a power socket at your seat so you can recharge your phone/devices. I've ridden the auto-train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL a couple of times.
We used to travel to Florida from NJ by train. We had the little bedroomettes or whatever they were called - 2 person, and then we also traveled in the 4 person bigger bedrooms/seats. It was fun way back when. I believe there are empty dining cars you can take breaks in, use the tables, play a game or so whenever it wasn't meal servicing. Yahtzee, cards, travel quirkle, etc. My friend and I would sit, play games, bring snacks, and chill. Check if you will be able to charge while traveling, watch a movie, see if they have a microwave for all to use, pop popcorn. Or check with train about wifi availability. With listening, or headpohones, try a headphone splitter - so you can both watch same, but have individual headphones. We would get up and walk around a bunch- usually 1 or 2 time walking the distance of the train from beginning to end too.... just to see new faces, count cars, and move around. People are friendly (or were) and we would make friends easily. If not eating in the dining car, then pack sandwiches, snacks (mandarins, fruit cups, pretzels, cheese sticks, nuts, granola bars, yogurt, etc.) Take more than you think, lol! I think you could probably ask for ice if you needed. Check if the train has a water cooler to fill up at and just bring a refillable insulated cup. Mio water flavoring to squeeze into water to change up flavors. Wet wipes. Make sure you try to sleep, if you don't, the trip becomes even longer. Maybe ear buds or eye mask to help that. Light blanket for comfort. Blow up pillow? We had the little bedrooms so all of that was provided. It was go to bed early, rise early though.... I hope you have a blast. I have only good memories of our train trips!
This is so smart! I totally didn't think of this, and taking my own water is way smart! There should be! I've driven the route many times, and we go through Colorado on the train which has some pretty gorgeous parts to it. I'll definitely take photos to share when I get back. There is none. LOL! Each seat has an outlet, so we should have 2. But I'm totally going to bring a power block or two just in case the outlets don't work. I'm so glad! I figure it's going to be memorable. And I'm hoping for a positive rather than a negative memory when it's brought up in the future!
I always carry a small one with me when I'm at Disney ... I've never had to use it, but my granddaughter and a friend did.
Less of a tip and more about expectations. My husband and I did a trip up the east coast several years ago and the one thing we hadn't expected was the number of unplanned stops - mostly waiting on the tracks for other trains to pass - sometimes for hours. This added a significant amount of time to our journey. Good luck on your trip!
You’ve gotten some good ideas here. I’d add Ear plugs/noise cancelling headphones to block sound, eye/sleep mask to block out the light. As far as food, pack a picnic and put it in a cooler! Get special things that you normally wouldn’t get. Don’t forget chocolate! I always seem to get the munchies when I travel, so I make sure I have something sweet, something salty, and something healthy (fruit or veggies). Bring a journal to write down things you see, about the people you meet, foods you ate, to place your ticket stubs and stuff in. Also, don’t forget a power cord to charge your electronics!