Rude to have takeaway food on the train?

No. The selection on the train is limited.

Taking food to share with family on the train is very common in Europe. Taking a whole roast chicken though seems a bit messy to me. I’ve seen people eat sausages, sandwiches, etc. but never pull apart and eat with their hands a whole roast chicken.

It's not rude at all. In fact you'll see a lot of people pulling out "picnics" at meal time while on the trains. There is a reason why there are so many food kiosks in the major train stations - full of options to take with you on the train. Just try not to bring anything too smelly. Maybe cut up that chicken before boarding. And there's nothing wrong with adding a bottle of wine to that picnic that you bring with you. Make sure you clean up after yourselves and properly dispose of the detritus of your meal.

Yes to bring food onto the train, including wine if you like.
Roasted chicken seems like a poor choice because of the limited room at your seat. I would choose already made sandwiches/salads.

I’d ask vendor if he would cut the chicken into pieces for you .

Everyone picnics on trains - just be sure to grab some extra napkins . Another tip I read and tired is , you know those four litre gallons of ice cream ? Put a few of the plastic lids in your bag - they take up no space or weight - and they are great to use as plates , or cut cheese and salamis on ( like a cutting board ) ,you can wash and reuse or thrown them away . They are lighter than most plastic ware plates , flexible so don’t break , better than paper as they won’t let grease leak through !

The usual etiquette is to eat things that don’t smell, so no curry, burgers or roast chicken etc! Sandwiches, baguettes, cheese, salamis? Yes.

It's quite common to bring your own food on the train. But like Jennifer said, bringing smelly food or food that would in any way annoy your fellow travellers is rude.

People eat on Amtrak trains in the U.S. and they eat on trains in many parts of Europe. Difference is that many don't stop to think about the smells wafting off some of their foods - it's not just curry that's smelly. I forever feel like I'm stuck next to some yahoo who brings aboard a sandwich loaded with onions or a salad doused in some sort of vinegar based dressing.

Ideal situation is you are on the kind of train that has compartments and you occupy one compartment with just your family members. Five of us knew in advance a train we were taking to Normandy would have compartments and so we waited to make sure no one else needed to sit in the last seat in our compartment and then we broke out some bottles of wine and hard ciders and a bunch of different cheeses to eat with bread and crackers. We stuck with the easier finger foods and we carried our empty bottles and cheese wrappers off the train to dispose of rather than throw it in the trash on board. Even cut up in advance, a whole roast chicken just seems a little over the top. Even if you pick that chicken carcass clean, the end result is you are now clogging up what is often a surprisingly small trash receptacle on board the train with a bunch of bones unless you are willing to properly bag up and carry the bones and other scraps off the train and throw them in a trash can once you arrive at your destination.

Yes, everyone eats on the train, but as others have already said, a roast chicken is not ideal. Get some sandwiches, some pastries, some fruit, raw veg. No eggs, no fish, no curry, no garlic, nothing with strong aromas or that is greasy, nothing that is messy to eat. The trash receptacles are tiny and clean up in the tiny bathrooms is limited too.

and please clean your greasy fingers before you use door handles, toilet flush buttons, and arm rests or table surfaces.

As others have said, nothing too smelly or messy. I was once on a train with people who brought McDonalds on board. They were on one end of the train car and I was on the other. We could all smell it. Roast chicken would be the same.

Don't worry there will be no shortage of greasy surfaces from previous passengers. Bring wipes.

Of course not everyone is inconsiderate.

It is that difficult to bring a nice but reasonable sandwich with some protein - chicken or turkey - or if inclined, a veggie wrap? And maybe limit the extra spices or dressings?

You can have some greens and tomato added also - no real scents there. Some chips and a little dessert - like cookies or a brownie?

Just bring something to fill and satisfy you.

is it considered rude to bring certain food on the train to share with
my family, such as roast chicken from the Bastille Market in Paris?

Yes, rude.

If you want to avoid reproachful views take care that it is no smelling food. Nothing against a cold salami sandwich but some warm and smelling food is not appropriate to win local friends.

Really wondering about the other entries here.

No, I don't think its rude as long as you're bringing on something that compact/ non smelly like a sandwich or baguette as a few other people mentioned. I think the only reason it should bother anyone is if you're disrupting other people's ride with open mouth chewing or being messy. Basic public etiquette should suffice.

Since this post has resurfaced from the dead, I’ll add my two centimes for future travelers.

Yes, a chicken would not only be rude but would be be considered vulgar unless you had a serving dish, plates and cutlery. I have one French friend in the States who finds eating even a burrito held in a paper wrapper disgusting. Touching a delicious chicken from the market with hands and getting grease smeared around is a no-no. Those birds do leak a lot of grease into the bags. So sandwiches (yes, hand held), those boxed salads, packs of cookies, yogurts, fruit is the typical train picnic. And if you were with us there’d be beer or wine from the dining car. Europeans are more finicky when it comes to food, tables, plates, utensils, and hands.

As for food delicacy—my French husband once demonstrated to me how to peel and eat a banana with a knife and fork. I think you are safe eating a banana with your hands, though,

Europeans are more finicky when it comes to food, tables, plates,
utensils, and hands.

That is the non-European view.

Well Markk I was trying to be gentle on the US reader, but underestimated how this reads to a European. So I’ll rephrase without the kid gloves—pulling apart and eating a chicken with your hands, whether on a train, a park bench in Paris or Berlin, the Spanish Steps or next to the Grand Canal, is disgusting to Europeans and unacceptable. It might pass at a US picnic but not in Europe; children learn at a young age to cut the meat from the bone. The same goes for all those rotisserie foods. They are sold assuming you ‘ll have the proper plates, napkins and utensils for eating them.

Maybe it won't be too odorific.

I once had breakfast with a French fellow. Coffee (generously au lait) in a cup that I would have used for a cereal bowl - that big, no handle. He slathered the baguette with butter and jam, then, holding it in one hand, dunked it in the coffee and ate it over the cup as it dripped. He held the cup with his other hand, his thumb well inside the cup. French food etiquette is one contradiction after another.

For the train, if you want to bring wine, best to have it uncorked before you board and use some plastic cups: some hotels have them in the bathroom room, usually wrapped individually in cellophane - no reason not to reuse them. Carry some wet wipes too - great for handwiping before eating (think about what have you touched) and sticky fingers after.

I can recommend sushi for a train picnic :-)

If you eat it with chop-sticks it is indeed very neat. A good white wine goes nicely with this. Buy wine with a screw cap so you can close it after every pour. That way you don't risk to spill the content all over the carriage in case of a sudden stop.

It's fine to bring food on the train. Virtually everyone does it, especially if they're going to be on the train for a couple of hours.

My only advice is bring food you can eat on your lap. Having a table to spread things out on isn't likely. Most people pack a sandwich and drink, not much more than that.

Chani, Sounds like he was from Brittany. They drink their coffee from bowls.

Brad—everyone drinks their coffee (or hot chocolate or Banania) from a bowl at home, except for the high-faulting crowd. North, south, east, west—it’s not just Brittany. There are bowls next to the coffee machines at breakfast in the Ibis.
We’ve been in the States for almost forty years and still use big coffee bowls.

hey hey
we are taking the train from Paris to Geneva after spending first night in hotel at gard de Lyon. Plan to pick up sandwich or deli meat/cheese, baguette and bottle of wine (screw top) at a shop or at train station. we have seats with a table. Will have our utensils and glasses, napkins, and etiquette. did this couple years ago, Paris to Amsterdam, was wonderful.
have a great vacation and enjoy
aloha

Whether I am commuting on a NJ TRANSIT or Long Island Railroad commuter train or the Thalys or Deutsche Bahn, I typically bring something to eat whether it’s breakfast like a bagel or muffin or a sandwich for lunch. The key is that the food has no smell that wafts and that it is not messy.

Whether I am commuting on a NJ TRANSIT [etc.]

NJ Transit was the first railway company where I saw signs with the inscription
"Trains are not restaurants, dude". Until today I don't dare...

Just don't try that on San Francisco's BART or any other transit system where most of the people are standing -- not fun to get splashed with hot coffee! But I love civilized picnicking on a European train (especially with a table.)

So you have you are going to juggle your bags and a whole roast chicken getting on the train? Sounds like a hot mess waiting to happen. My lunch has to be able to be stuffed into my purse. Love those sandwiches from Paul.

you are going to juggle your bags and a whole roast chicken getting on the train? Sounds like a hot mess waiting to happen.

Yikes ha ha

I think the OP sort of got the impression it may not be wise? I think he and his chicken have been gone and back by now, lol.

His OP was in April. He never returned to tell what happened - if he was successful or did he just wing it....

The thread got spam-attacked (now removed) and people started commenting to it not noticing that it was so old.

Thanks Philip. Maybe the OP is shaking his head and laughing?

Still though, some replies or suggestions might be helpful to some others wondering the same.

"Trains are not restaurants, dude". Until today I don't dare...

I have been on NJ Transit since it was Erie Lackawanna in the late '70s with woven reed seats and windows you pull down. I have NEVER seen that sign! LOL

Thanks everyone for your reply. We didn't end up bring a chicken on the train, but we did enjoy it under some shade with the view of Eiffel tower. Ironically, the best roast chicken we found was in Venice, from a fancy grocery store, much cheaper than in Paris.

Our 6-week trip was amazing, and we did plenty of picnicking on trains, from Barcelona to Paris, Paris to Zurich, Zurich to Zagreb, the Bernina Express...just to name a few. We had our own cloth napkins, utensils, plates, cups, etc, as to not create more plastic waste. We took care of our garbage and there were plenty of other groups doing the same.

Happy travels everyone.

I don’t understand — What exactly is the irony of a roast chicken being better in Venice?

@ Continental, roasted chicken from Paris, such as from the Bastille Market or Rue Cler, are famous. And it was definitely on my must-eat list for Paris. Or am I the only one thinking roasted chicken in Paris was worth sought out for?

OP- I totally sought out the roast chicken after reading so much about it! Picked one up with potatoes and something else, came home to our apartment and devoured it. Thanks for coming back and letting us know how the food part of your trip went. I have many photo's of our train picnics. part of train travel we look forward to.

Be considerate. I love a good curry, smoked herrings and garlicky kielbasa, just not if someone else is eating either in a stuffy train compartment. Or the smell of either in an empty elevator.

“The same goes for all those rotisserie foods. They are sold assuming you ‘ll have the proper plates, napkins and utensils for eating them” - Not at all. I’ve been on picnics with French and Brits. They both attacked a hunk of bread, a slab of cheese or a chicken leg as well as Charles Laughton did as Henry VIII. Many Germans will gnaw at a schweinshaxe in their hands, it’s impossible to finish one properly with the best of cutlery. You should have seen the fathers of my childhood Polish and Ukrainian friends going at it, their leftover animal bones were works of art.

Gundersen, I'm imagining all the greasy hands on everything after such meal. I'd say just wipe them on the seats.

Great advice has already been given like that it is perfectly o.k. to bring food on a train (except for into the train restaurant, obviously), unless it's food that will in some way annoy the other travelers, like hot and smelly food. The advice "Don't bring anything you can't eat from your lap without making a mess" is also great.

I do want to comment on the European etiquette thing though:

I am not pretending to be an expert on French etiquette, but the "inventor" of German etiquette, Mr. Knigge, and his successors explicitly allow eating a roast chicken with your fingers. It's one of the few official exceptions to eating with a fork and a knife. I guess they figured there is no way of eating a roast chicken gracefully with knife and fork.

That said, I still wouldn't recommend it on a train, for various reasons. :-)

‘Or am I the only one thinking roasted chicken in Paris was worth sought out for?”

You aren’t alone. My husband always has us buy one with the potatoes. They are in all the arrondissements, outside the butcher and charcuterie shops, particularly on Sundays. Although my husband grew up in Paris, we first saw them popping up sometime in the 1980s. We never saw them earlier.

You said they are famous—are they in guidebooks or on foodie websites? What did you read and did your bird and patates live up to reputation?

I have been on NJ Transit since it was Erie Lackawanna in the late '70s with woven reed seats and windows you pull down. I have NEVER seen that sign! LOL

I saw it first time aboard the Princeton Dinky back in 1996. I remember it since I didn't know the word "dude" then. ;)

(Will search all Dinky cars in two weeks for the sign - cars seem to be the same as back in the 90s).

I would agree with all of the things mentioned before ex. not to bring any smelly food with you. But wine? A train is still a public place, I don't think this is an appropriate drink to pair with your food while on a train. Of course, this is not the case for a restaurant car.

Drinking alcohol is not generally considered illegal in public places in Europe.

That said, a train is not a public place in a legal sense, and the rules of the company go. There are small local railway companies in Germany for instance that do have a zero alcohol policy.

And on the Paris-Frankfurt run, we were served wine with our meal in 1st in the DB train.
Wine is perfectly acceptable in France, even on a train. If someone wants it, it’s a small amount to accompany the food; it’s not chugged, ;—)

Then it's a great option for my Paris - Bayeux trip with SNCF this October ;)

If you are travelling in the UK, you should be warned that there are alcohol bans on certain specific long-distance departures on specific days, because they are likely to be used by football supporters travelling to matches. These are strictly enforced and you won't be let off just because you're foreign. Also, drinking alcohol is banned on Scottish trains every day after 9pm and before 10am.

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its okay but take care that its no smelling food