Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride
Plan your routes. Claim your tracks. Connect the country before your rivals block your path!
In Ticket to Ride, players collect train cards and use them to claim railway routes across a map. Complete destination tickets for bonus points — but beware: if you don’t connect your routes in time, you’ll lose those points instead. It’s elegant, fast-paced, and endlessly replayable.
How to Play Ticket to Ride
Your goal is to earn the most points by completing routes and connecting cities across the board. Turns are simple but full of meaningful decisions:
- Setup: Each player receives destination tickets, train cards, and a set of colored train pieces.
- On Your Turn: Choose one action:
- ➤ Draw two train cards (from deck or face-up options)
- ➤ Claim a route (play matching color cards and place your trains on a connecting path)
- ➤ Draw new destination tickets (choose at least one)
- Scoring: Earn points for each claimed route (longer routes = more points) and for completing destination tickets.
- End Game: The game ends when a player has 2 or fewer trains. Final turns are triggered, then tickets are revealed and scored.
➤ If you fail to complete a destination ticket, its point value is subtracted from your total — so choose wisely!
Core Mechanics
Ticket to Ride is simple on the surface but offers lots of tactical and strategic depth. Here's what shapes the gameplay:
🚂 Set Collection
Collect matching colored train cards to claim routes. Knowing when to draw and when to act is key.
🗺 Route Building
Connect cities by claiming adjacent tracks. Longer routes are harder to build but score more points.
📍 Hidden Objectives
Each player has secret destination tickets. Bluffing and reading opponents adds subtle tension.
⛔ Route Blocking
Players can cut each other off — intentionally or not — creating pressure and urgency.
📉 Risk vs. Reward
Do you keep drawing destination tickets for big points — or focus on safe plays? Balance is crucial.
Beginner Tips
New to Ticket to Ride? These practical tips will help you avoid common mistakes and enjoy your first few games:
- 1. Choose your first tickets carefully.
Pick routes that overlap or connect — fewer risks, more efficiency. - 2. Claim key connections early.
If there’s only one path between cities, don’t wait — someone else might grab it. - 3. Watch opponents’ moves.
Try to guess where they’re heading based on card draws and track choices. - 4. Don’t overdraw tickets late game.
Unfinished tickets will cost you — draw new ones only if you’re sure you can complete them. - 5. Use wild cards wisely.
Locomotives are powerful — save them for high-value or hard-to-complete routes.
Variants & Expansions
Ticket to Ride has dozens of official maps and expansions. Some introduce new mechanics — others just shift the setting.
- 🌍 Europe: Adds tunnels, stations, and ferries. A favorite for its balance of strategy and variety.
- 🧭 USA 1910: Includes new destination tickets and a larger deck for more replayability.
- ⚓ Nordic Countries: Designed for 2–3 players with tighter, more competitive routes.
- 🔄 Asia, Africa, Germany, and more: Each map introduces regional rule tweaks and unique strategy twists.
- 👨👩👧👦 First Journey: A simplified version designed specifically for younger players and families.
➤ No matter the map, the core experience remains smooth and satisfying. Pick your favorite region and explore!