Ticket to Ride (board game)

Ticket to Ride

The box cover of the original "Ticket to Ride" version
Designers	Alan R. Moon
Illustrators	Julien Delval Cyrille Daujean
Publishers	Days of Wonder (2004)
Languages	English Arabic (سكة سفر) French (Les Aventuriers du Rail) Italian (Treno per Treno) Icelandic (Miði til að Ríða) Chinese (铁路环游 – simplified / 鐵道任務 – traditional) Czech (Jízdenky, Prosím!) Danish (Billet til Ride) Dutch (Kaartje om te Rijden) Finnish (Menolippu) German (Zug um Zug) Greek (Τρενάκια) Hungarian (Jegy a Ride-re) Japanese (チケット・トゥ・ライド・アメリカ / 乗車券) Korean (티켓 투 라이드) Norwegian (Billett for å kjøre) Polish (Wsiąść do Pociągu) Portuguese (Bilhete de entrada) Russian (Билет на поезд) Spanish (¡Aventureros al Tren!) Swedish (Biljett till Ride) Thai (เกมต่อรถไฟ)
Players	Varies in each version
Setup time	<5 minutes
Playing time	10-15 minutes ("City Collections") 30–60 minutes (general) 15–30 minutes ("First Journey" versions) 20–90 minutes ("Legends of the West") 90–120 minutes ("Rails and Sails" version)
Chance	Moderate
Age range	6+ ("First Journey" versions) 8+ (general) 10+ ("Rails and Sails" and "Legends of the West" versions)
Skills	Strategy

Ticket to Ride is a series of railway-themed Eurogames designed by Alan R. Moon, the first of which was released in 2004 by Days of Wonder. The game has sold over 10 million copies, amounting to a total estimated revenue of over $400 million (USD). Days of Wonder has released electronic versions of the board games in the series, as well as "Ticket to Ride"-themed card games and puzzles.

Gateway game

The introductory nature of the "Ticket to Ride" has been noted. Alan R. Moon, wrote "The rules are simple enough to write on a train ticket – each turn you either draw more cards, claim a route or get more Destination Tickets". Chris Heindenriecht (Gameology), when listing notable gateway games, "those games striking a balance between simplicity and depth, making them perfect for beginners and seasoned gamers alike", argued that "Ticket to Ride is a classic gateway game that combines strategy, route-building, and a touch of luck". With respect to the game's ability to get new players into board gaming, "Ticket to Ride" scored second in a 2019 Meeple Mountain survey of over 800 people, in the critical ability of bringing new people into the market and by capturing more spending of existing gamers.

Reception

The reception to the "Ticket to Ride" series as a whole has been positive. Giving the series an 8.6 out of 10, Board Game Halv wrote "Ticket to Ride is one of the most popular games in the world, period. They have painstakingly earned that distinction over several years and sever iterations of the game so it is all well deserved."

Gameplay

Set-up

At the beginning of each version of the game:

• Each player selects a prescribed number of coloured train pieces specified for that version, with a matching scoring marker.
• Players are usually dealt 4 train car cards. The exception are the cities' versions (2 train cards); France (8 train cards); World (3 cards, with 7 ship cards); Great Lakes (2 cards with 2 ship cards); United Kingdom (an additional wild card); and Africa (an additional terrain card).
• Players are also dealt a prescribed number of ticket cards which show a route between specified destination cities, the numbers of which are specified in that version's rules. Each player must keep a prescribed number of those assigned ticket cards, but can discard any other unwanted tickets. Retained destination tickets may not be discarded for the rest of the game.

Play

Each turn, the player chooses from one of three options:

• Draw two railway car cards in various colours from the face-up 5 draw cards or the pack (the "Rails and Sails" versions use two draw piles of 3 ships and 3 trains instead), with the restriction that drawing a face-up wild Locomotive card forfeits drawing another card for that turn (this restriction does not exist in the Switzerland map of the "India/Switzerland" version). Any removed face-up draw cards are automatically replaced, with all five face-up draw cards being completely replaced if three or more wild locomotive cards are face-up (this later rule does not exist for the "Rails and Sails" version); or
• Draw a number of additional destination ticket cards, specified by the version being played, keeping a specified minimum number in that version; or
• Play their collected railway car cards from their hand to claim a route on the board and place the corresponding number of train pieces from their store on the claimed route. The routes are of varied lengths, and only one player can claim each discrete route marked on the board. Some cities are connected by two parallel routes that can be claimed by two different players (unless the game is played with a number of players lower than a stated threshold of players, in which case only one of the routes can be claimed). A single player may not claim both parallel routes between two cities. On their turn, a player can claim any route on the board that has not already been claimed, regardless of whether the route helps to complete their destination tickets.

The game ends when one player possesses a number of their remaining coloured train pieces which falls below three trains (except for the "Rails and Sails" version, which is ended when the combined number of any player's own trains/ships falls below 7). Every player then takes one additional turn (two turns in the "Rails and Sails" version) and then reveals their previously hidden retained ticket cards.

Scoring

Standard Route Scores

Route Length (Trains)	Score (Points)
1	1
2	2
3	4
4	7
5	10
6	15
7	18
8	21
9	27

Players can earn points by:

• Routes – The points awarded for a route are based on the number of wagons required for that route, using a standard point value for every version.
• Tickets – The combined prescribed points on the ticket cards whose objectives have been completed, i.e. by connecting specified cities in one of their ticket cards (occasional in a specific order), once the combined prescribed points of any ticket cards with uncompleted objectives have been subtracted.
• Longest Road – A 10 point bonus for the player, or each player for those tied in length, who has built the longest continuous route. In some versions, there is a "globetrotter" instead, i.e. a road from one end of the board to the other, with each player potentially obtaining the points if they build it. Some versions do not have this bonus.
• Most Completed Tickets – A point bonus for the player, or each player for those that tied in number, who completed the most tickets (10 or 15 points depending on the version). Some versions do not have this bonus.

Some versions have additional special rules.

Stand Alone versions

The game's original version is played on a board depicting a railway map of the United States and southern Canada, however, localised editions have subsequently been published depicting maps of other countries, cities, and regions, many of which have been positively received by critics. The wild cards are Steam locomotive. The transport cards are based on various models of train carriages:

Transportation Cards

Card colour	Model of Train Carriage
Black	Hopper car
White	Reefer
Red	Coal car
Green	Caboose
Blue	Passenger car
Yellow	Boxcar
Purple	Freight car
Orange	Tanker
Multicoloured Wild	Steam locomotive

Ticket to Ride: (Original)

The original version of the "Ticket to Ride" board featuring North America and south Canada.

The original game was released in late February 2004 in Europe and in late March 2004 in Korea and North America, where it had a suggested retail price of $US 39.95. It features "railway routes connecting cities throughout North America", and was released in 2004, published by Days of Wonder. The recommendation is that it is played with only 2–5 players, who are aged 8 or older, for a game lasting between 30–60 minutes. In 2008, Days of Wonder released USA 1910, a card expansion that contains additional destination tickets and larger decks for both routes and railway cards to replace the much smaller ones included in the original game.

The box of the original version of Ticket to Ride is 30 cm × 30 cm × 8 cm. Influenced in part by the game's popularity, these dimensions have become a very popular standard for medium-size games, and are commonly referred to as "standard TtR size".

• 10th Anniversary Edition – After the official announcement of its release on 13 February 2014, in May 2014 in Europe and in June 2014 globally (including the United States), the company released Ticket to Ride: 10th Anniversary at a suggested retail price of €80 and $100 respectively. Whilst there were no rule changes to the original game (USA), the edition had a larger (50%) newly illustrated map, large format playing cards, and metal boxes for its 5 sets of uniquely-designed train pieces. The USA 1910 expansion is also included in this version.
• Ticket to Ride: 15th Anniversary – A 15th Anniversary edition was released in August 2019 with translucent train cars and a special booklet detailing the history of the game. The card borders and backs were updated and are clearer and more vibrant than in earlier editions. There are no rule changes to the game and no expansions are included in this edition.

Reception – Board Gaming, when giving the game a 7.8 out of 10, wrote "A game almost everyone loves to play. It's easy to learn and quick to play, which makes it ideal for introducing you, your friends and your family to board games." "Ticket To Ride is a classic game and there is a reason why it has won so many awards. Its accessibility for those not accustomed to the modern era of board gaming means everyone will enjoy it. Giving the game a 4.7 out of 10, "Board Game Review" wrote, "Those in the board game community call games like these ‘Entry Level’. Ticket To Ride epitomises this term and is one of the best entry level games."

The original Ticket to Ride version won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
Game of the Year (Germany) – Spiel des Jahres	2004	Game of the Year	Won
Origins Award	2004	Best Board Game	Won
Japan Boardgame Prize	2004	Best Advanced Game	Won
Games on a Board – Jeux sur un plateau	2004	Gold Award	Won
Bruno Faidutti (Personal)	2004	Game of the Year	Won
Parents' Choice Award	2004	Silver Honour	Won
Meeples' Choice Award	2004	Meeples' Choice	Won
Swiss Games Prize – Schweizer Spielepreis	2004	Family Games	2nd place
German Games Prize – Deutscher Spiele Preis	2004	Game of the Year	6th place
Golden Trictrac – Tric Trac d'or	2004	Game of the Year	Nominated
Dutch Games Prize – Nederlandse Spellenprijs	2004	Game of the Year	Nominated
International Gamers Awards	2004	Best Multi-player Strategy Game	Nominated
Games Magazine – Games 100	2005	"Family Games" Category	Top 100
Diana Jones Award	2005	Excellence in Gaming	Won
Golden Ace – As d'Or	2005	Game of the year	Won
Game of the Year (Sweden) – Årets spel	2005	Family Game of the Year	Won
Game of the Year (Norway) – Årets Spill	2005	Family Game of the Year	Nominated
Game of the Year (Spain) – Juego del Año	2005	Game of the Year	Won
Game of the Year (Finland) – Vuoden peli	2005	Family Game of the Year	Won
Game of the year (Czech Republic) – Hra roku	2006	Game of the Year	Won
Japanese Boardgame Prize	2006	Best Japanese Game	Won
Ideal playroom (Italy) – Ludoteca Ideale	2008	Official Selection	Top 10
Hungarian Board Game Award	2010	Game of the Year	Nominated & Top 4

As of August 2008, over 750,000 copies of the game had been sold according to the publisher. As of October 2014, over three million copies were reported sold, with retail sales of over $150 million.

Mike Fitzgerald called Ticket to Ride "a game that I never tire of, one that lends itself well to the many expansions that Days of Wonder have released. The design principles it uses are all simple and have been done before, but they have never been put together in a game as compelling as Ticket to Ride." Board Game Quest mentioned that it is "one of the greatest gateway games ever made", and Board Games Land described it as "one of the best family board games ever made".

Europe

A game of Ticket to Ride: Europe at the end of a two-player game.

A Europe version was released in 2005. Ticket to Ride: Europe takes place on a map of Europe as it was at the turn of the 20th century. Two new types of routes were introduced: Ferry routes that require locomotive cards to be played when claiming them, and tunnel routes which add the risk that additional train cards may be necessary to complete the route. The game includes "stations" which allow the player to use a route owned by another player and thus complete their destination ticket. In 2009, DOW released Europe 1912, a card expansion for the European game. It contains additional destination tickets, and an additional play mechanic— Warehouses. In 2015, DOW released a mini extension Orient Express, containing eight destination tickets featuring a route of the Orient Express.

• 15th Anniversary Edition – Similar to the original's 10th-anniversary edition, a larger map of Europe was released in late spring (8 July 2021) in North America and Europe at a suggested retail price of $99.95/€99.99 respectively. While this edition had the same rules as "Ticket to Ride – Europe", this edition included a larger newly designed board and custom train/station playing pieces in metal tin boxes, with the green train being replaced by pink ones. It also featured the destination cards from the original game, Europe 1912, Orient Express, and a promo card, bringing the count to 108.

Reception – The Ticket to Ride: Europe version won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
International Gamers Awards	2005	General Strategy – Multiplayer	Won
Japanese Boardgame Prize	2005	Best Advanced Game	2nd place
Game of the Year (Norway) – Årets Spill	2006	Best Family Game	Won
Games Magazine – Games 100	2006	"Family Strategy Game" Category	Top 100
Hungarian Board Game Award	2013	Special Prize	Won

Märklin

A German version, Ticket to Ride: Märklin, was released in 2006 by Märklin, a German toy company best known for model railways and technical toys. Whereas railway car cards of each type in the previous games were identical, the cards in Ticket to Ride: Märklin each show a different image of Märklin rolling stock. This edition features a passenger mechanic, where a passenger token is placed on the board, and can claim point tokens by travelling along a player's route.

Reception – The Ticket to Ride: Märklin version won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
Games Magazine – Games 100	2007	"Family Game" Category	Top 100

Nordic countries

Released in late October 2007, this version is based on a map focused on the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), but additionally has cities in Estonia and Russia. This version also incorporates the ferry routes and tunnels from "Ticket to Ride: Europe". Players only receive a set of 40 coloured train pieces for this version. The recommendation is that it is played with only 2–3 players, who are aged 8 or older, for a game lasting between 30–60 minutes. Following its success in the eponymous countries, this version also became available in the English, French, and German languages.

Germany

In September 2012, Zug um Zug: Deutschland (German: [Zug əm Zug: Deutschland], Ticket to Ride: Germany) was released by Asmodee, Days of Wonder's German distributor, solely in the German language. It was developed and produced specifically at Asmodee's request (as Ticket to Ride: Märklin had gone out of print) and was only available in Germany and Austria. This version was based on a map of late-20th century Germany, with the same route layout as in the Märklin version. In 2015, Asmodee released Deutschland 1902, a card expansion for this German map that contained additional destination tickets.

On 12 April 2017, Days of Wonder announced its pending release of a version entitled Ticket to Ride: Germany for the English speaking market, similarly based on a map of Germany at the end of the 19th century. This version was released in June 2017 in Europe and then subsequently in August 2017 in the United States through its American premiere release at Gen Con (Booth #1619; 17–20 August 2017), at a suggested retail price of €44 and $50 (USD) respectively. This version was a combination of Zug um Zug: Deutschland together with Deutschland 1902, with the same map as Ticket to Ride: Märklin and likewise including that game's passenger mechanism. The game was designed for 2–5 players aged 8-years-old or older for a game lasting 30–60 minutes. Adrien Martinot (Days of Wonder general manager) wrote "We decided to release this version, which was limited to German market only, in order to answer the demand of all Ticket to Ride fans worldwide".

Reception – The reviews were generally positive. Derek Thompson (Geeks under Grace) wrote "If you don't want to get the original base game or are just looking for a second standalone, I would actually venture to say that this is the best standalone box." Jennifer Derrick (I Slay the Dragon), while giving it an 8.8 out of 10, wrote "Overall, this is a solid addition to the [Ticket to Ride] line. I'd recommend picking it up if you're a fan who likes to have all the maps, or if you're in the market for your first Ticket to Ride game." but added "It's fun and the passengers/destination tickets add new strategic layers, but it's still Ticket to Ride at its heart. None of these additions change the game so much that you think, “Wow, this is what I've been looking for all of my life.""

Rails and Sails

A four-player game of Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails during play

On 21 June 2016, Days of Wonder announced its pending release of a standalone version called "Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails", featuring a double-sided board with a world map on one side and a map of the Great Lakes of North America on the other. The game premiered at that year's Gen Con (Booth #1829; 4–7 August 2016), before subsequently being released globally in early September 2016 at a suggested retail price of €70 / $80 (USD).

The game's board is the largest used in any Ticket to Ride game. This version contains train pieces and ship pieces, with a corresponding train card deck and ship card deck, to be played on land routes and on water routes respectively, as well as 3 harbour tokens for each player. The games was designed for 2–5 players aged 10-years or older for a game lasting 90–120 minutes. Alan R. Moon wrote:-

"Since our planet is about 70% water, when I started thinking about doing a world map for Ticket to Ride, it just seemed natural to add ships to the game. As I started laying the routes, it also became obvious that I would need some way to accommodate the longer ship routes. The double ship cards were the simple answer. To balance these powerful cards, I decided to put all the Wild Cards in the train deck.

It was tough to figure out what the optimal mix of ships and trains was in the game. That led to the rules allowing players to choose their own mix of ships and trains at the start. Combining all of these elements created a game that has some fairly diverse strategies and what I hope is a totally refreshing Ticket to Ride experience."

Reception – Opinions among the critics were mixed. Chris Way (Opinionated Gamers) wrote "Rails & Sails continues the tradition, arguably even taking it to the next level by making the game more think-y. Throw in the stunningly-beautiful double-sided map, and this could be a hit." Brian Biewer (Board Game Quest) wrote "I was not impressed with Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails. I appreciate the attempt at changing up the Ticket to Ride formula, but the increased luck factor combined with the increased game length reduced my enjoyment of the game. I would only recommend Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails to diehard Ticket to Ride fans who would not mind playing a longer version of Ticket to Ride that adds boats and a new set of cards to draw from."

Northern Lights

Released on 9 November 2022, this version is a standalone game featuring a map focused on the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), similar to the "Ticket to Ride – Nordic countries" version, but also contains cities in the Baltic nations (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Poland, and Russia. It differs from the "Ticket to Ride – Nordic countries" version, in that it recommends a game played with 2–5 players (compared to 2–3 players), and there are 11 bonuses, awarded by fulfilling varying conditions. This edition is mostly available in Scandinavia.

Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

On 30 May 2023, Days of Wonder and Asmodee announced the release of this version on 3 November 2023. The game was premiered via a demonstration at Gen Con (3–6 August 2023), before being launched as scheduled in selected retailers and the Asmodee official store, at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $119.99 (US). This version was designed by Alan R. Moon (Ticket to Ride), Matt Leacock (Pandemic), and Rob Daviau (Pandemic Legacy). The recommendation is that it is played with 2–5 players, who are aged 10 or older, for a game lasting between 20–90 minutes.

This version adapts of the original Ticket to Ride concept to the legacy format, i.e. a campaign board game where new content is gradually unlocked, through sealed boxes and envelopes, not only permanently changing the state of the game during play, thus altering the story as it unfolds, but also, permanently transforming the entire game into a unique version, depending on the outcomes of the previous games played. Matt Thrower (IGN), commenting on its legacy structure, wrote "The fashion has moved on to more “resettable" campaigns, but Ticket to Ride: Legacy sees you making permanent changes, resulting in a version of the game that's unique to you. While it's good to see this back, those changes feel less personal than they did in the earliest legacy games, and some of the mini-games are gone forever once they're over. So it's questionable how often your group might continue playing once the twelve games are up."

This version is a standalone game containing 13 frontier boards, in the form of 13 jigsaw pieces (five of which make up your starting game board), which are unlocked gradually by completing the 12 games of this Ticket to Ride version During this version's 12 stages, players must complete tickets and build their fortune as they go from east to west in 19th century America, successfully managing their own North American railway company through various campaign adventures. This version uses the original basic rules, with the following additional rules specific to this version:

• Money is earned, rather than points, and there are no default dollars in claiming routes like the original, with each player getting two points every time they build a route matching their player colour, and a bonus card if one of the cities connected has a large city icon (a small bonus to players who have completed tickets early).
• There exist both a story deck and a postcard deck; with the former containing cards that are read out before and after each game in the series, offering a faux-historical narrative framework and occasionally setting new rules to incorporate into the game; and the latter being collected after the first game by completing certain tickets, offering rewards, to the player that owns it, if the specified objective has been achieved.
• The train deck has several newspaper cards, shuffled into the train deck, resulting in a revealed event when drawn.

Adrien Martinot (Days of Wonder Game Line Manager), when describing the game, said “With Legends of the West, each game is different, with the story unfolding one layer at a time. New rules and game elements will punctuate this unique play experience, rife with unexpected events and cunning rivals.” The game creators noted that they deliberately omitted the real-world exploitation of Native Americans and railroad workers, stating that "We found no way to include [these aspects] within the lighter theme of the game", urging players to research the history in their own time.

Reception – The game received largely positive reviews. Matt Thrower (IGN), while giving the game a 9 out of 10, wrote "A triumphant new turn on an aging series, proving there's good mileage in this old rolling stock yet. There's more than enough novelty here to thrill fans of the franchise without overwhelming less dedicated players, although if you want in, you'll need to commit to the campaign's duration." Mollie Russell (Wargamer), while also giving the game a 9 out of 10, wrote "Ticket to Ride Legacy is a game that feels great, even if the storytelling doesn't back its theme up. The simple concept of the original game translates well to a campaign-based experience, and there are enough treats and surprises to engage a legacy fan of any experience level."

First Journey versions

The First Journey series is designed for a younger audience (aged 6 and older), involving bigger pieces, a smaller board, shorter connections, with a quicker games time (10 – 30 minutes). The games are designed for 2 to 4 players. The games in this series were billed as "the perfect introduction to the Ticket to Ride series" for younger players.

The rules of First Journey versions vary from the standalone versions. Notable changes to the rules of the classic version include: players are initially awarded only two mission cards, each automatically replaced when one is completed; and a points system is not used, with the winner determined by either the first to complete six destination tickets or the person with the most missions completed when one player places their final train.

America version

This was released in America as an exclusive in Target stores in 2016 at a suggested retail price of $(US) 34.99. The map is based on a map of America.

Europe version

In 2017, Days of Wonder would also create a version for Europe, with the same rules but a European map.

Reception – The Europe version won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
Boardgames Australia Awards	2017	Best Children's Game	Won

Ghost Train Version

On 7 July 2022, Days of Wonder forecast the release of a Junior Version based on the premise of the "chilling journey", revolving around a map of a fictitious "hair-raising" town. This version was released in both Europe and North America in September 2022 and then subsequently globally in October 2022.

Cities versions

Cities versions maps are designed as standalone games featuring the original edition's standard gameplay, but with games that are shorter and smaller than the original edition. Each version in the cities line was designed for 2–4 players who are 8-years-old or older for a game lasting for 10–15 minutes. Allan J. Moon, when introducing the concept of the cities series, wrote "This is the fastest way for new players to enter the Ticket to Ride world, but it's also a rewarding fifteen minutes game for Ticket to Ride veterans." Each of the games in the cities series has a different unique additional scoring mechanism.

New York

On 15 May 2018, Days of Wonder announced that a new "express" version of Ticket to Ride was being released called "Ticket to Ride: New York", based on a 1960s map of the city of New York City (New York, United States). This version was released in North America and Europe in July 2018, at a suggested retail price of $20 (USD) and 20€ respectively, being released in the United states on 8 July 2018 exclusively through Target stores.

This version has a BoardGameGeek complexity rating of 1.25 out of 5 The unique point scoring feature was the claiming routes into tourist attraction destinations. Instead of trains, the tokens were taxis. The transportation cards represented a variety of common New York transport options:

Transportation Cards

Colour	Mode of Transportation
Red	Bus
Orange	Yellow school Bus
Green	Bus
Blue	Train carriage
Purple	Bus
Black	Train carriage
Multicoloured wild	Yellow cab

Reception – The game received positive reviews, wih the majority of reviews focusing on the difference of the new cities-style of game from the format of the original versions. Mathew Bolton (T3 magazine), while giving the version 5 out of 5 stars, wrote "I think if you play it over and over, every week, you might find that it lacks variety, but in all other cases, it's fantastic value for money." Matt Jarvis (Table Top Gaming) wrote "What Ticket to Ride: New York lacks in staying power compared to its bigger sibling, it absolutely makes up for with a breathless pace and absurdly compact size. Keep Ticket to Ride on your dining table – play Ticket to Ride: New York everywhere else." Whilst receiving praise, recurring general criticism of the cities line have been made. Andy Matthews (Meeple Mountain) wrote "Days of Wonder have released a game which gives you the Ticket to Ride experience in a fraction of the time, but perhaps at the expense of long-term strategy."

Emphasis was placed on its veracity as a introductory version to the Ticket to Ride series. Derek Thompson (Geek under Grace) wrote "This is the definitive travel edition / lunchtime version of Ticket to Ride. It never overstays its welcome. It’s a great introduction to the series for new players, and it’s a great snack for gamers who don’t have time for the full meal." While awarding a 4 out of 5, AnnaMaria Jackson-Phelps (Board Game Quest) wrote "Ticket to Ride: New York introduces nothing new but it’s a great way to introduce new players to Ticket to Ride. Simplified rules and a smaller footprint make for faster teaching, faster setup, and faster games. Tourism in the Big Apple theme is enhanced by the breakneck speed of play, as well as the focus on taxis and notable Manhattan attractions." Andy Matthews (Meeple Mountain) wrote "With New York, Ticket to Ride proves yet again that it is one of the strongest brands in board gaming. This game is an excellent way to introduce your non-gaming friends to board gaming in a manner that's fast, fun, and easy to teach. ... Great little simplification of the Ticket to Ride series will make a great teaching tool, but doesn't add anything for seasoned players."

On BoardGameGeek, based on a vote of 242 voting users, this version holds an average rating of 7.37 and an adjusted Geek rating of 5.693.

London

On 2 April 2019, Days of Wonder foreshadowed the release of a second installment to the cities line called Ticket to Ride – London, based on a 1970s map of London (England, United Kingdom). It was released in June 2019 in Europe and in July 2019 in North America, exclusively through Walmart in the United States, at a suggested retail price of €20 and $20 (USD) respectively.

This version has a BoardGameGeek complexity rating of 1.34 out of 5 This version used bus tokens instead of trains. The game's unique scoring feature was based on the number of districts a player fully connects with their bus tokens. The transport cards are modes of transport imortalised by famous british songs, film and TV series:

Transportation Cards

Colour	Mode of Transport	Cultural Reference
Orange	Dino 246 GTS	"The Persuaders!" television series
Yellow	Submarine	"Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles
Green	Lotus Seven	"The Prisoner" television series
Blue	Dairy Pure milk truck	"No Milk Today" by Herman's Hermits
Pink	Rocket Man car	"Space Oddity" by David Bowie which inspired "Rocket Man" by Elton John
Black	London cab	"London Calling" by The Clash
Multicoloured wild	Red double-decker bus (AEC Routemaster)	The Austin Powers franchise

Reception – The reviews of this London version were largely positive. Andrew Borck (Geeks under Grace) wrote "This might be an odd game to start with in the Ticket to Ride line, but London does have a lot to offer in a small package. Especially for players looking for a quick route-building duel game or filler title. If you’re a die-hard Ticket to Ride fan or looking for a quick, easy to setup and play game, well then London is calling." Chris Way (opinionated Gamer) wrote "Ticket to Ride is beautiful in its simplicity, and that shines through in London. I enthusiastically recommend this new entry in the famed series." On BoardGameGeek, from a vote of 4,692 voting users, this version holds an average rating of 7.09 and an adjusted Geek rating of 6.583.

Amsterdam

On 7 May 2020, Days of Wonder announced the pending release of a version called Ticket to Ride – Amsterdam, based on a 17th century map of the city of Amsterdam (Netherlands). This version was released in the Netherlands on 31 July 2020. Foreshadowed for a September 2020 release in North America generally, this version was available on 2 October 2020 in Canada and on 16 October 2024 in the United States. The game had a suggested retail price of €20 and $20 (USD) respectively.

This version has a BoardGameGeek complexity rating of 1.54 out of 5 Instead of trains, the tokens were horse-drawn carts. The unique scoring mechanism for this version was the accumulation of merchandise bonus cards, from routes claimed with a merchant cart on them located at the perimeter of the city. The transportation cards depict a variety of 17th century scenes:

Transportation Cards

Colour	Mode of Transport
Red	Handcart
Orange	Oar-steered boat
Yellow	Draught animal-pulled covered wagon
Green	Pack animal
Blue	Sailboat
Purple	Barrel-rolling
Multicoloured Wild	Handcart and pack horse.

Reception – Reviews were mixed. Andrew Borck (Geeks under Grace) wrote "Overall it’s a fun little addition to the Ticket to Ride line, but it doesn’t add so much that you need to get it if you already have a similar small-box [Ticket to Ride] game. But as an entry-point game, it excels and will easily draw people in who might balk at the original’s 60+ minute playtime." On BoardGameGeek, from a vote of 1,383 voting users, holds an average rating of 6.98 and an adjusted Geek rating of 6.066.

San Francisco

On 5 May 2022, Days of Wonder announced the pending release of its fourth entry in the cities series entitled Ticket to Ride: San Francisco, based on a 1960s map of San Francisco (California, United States). In June 2022, this version was initially released in the United States, exclusively through Target stores, subsequently being realsed through other United States retailers during its global release in August 2022

This version has a BoardGameGeek complexity rating of 1.73 out of 5 Instead of trains, the pieces were cable cars. The unique scoring feature was the collection of cardboard tourist tokens of the city's famous landmarks positioned around the board. The transport cards depicted specific modes of transportation prevalent in San Francisco:

Transportation Cards

Colour	Mode of Transport
Red	Cable car
Orange	Trolley car
Green	Car (Ford Mustang)
Blue	Trolley car
Purple	Van (Volkswagen Type 2)
Black	Bus
Multicoloured Wild	Ferry

Reception – Critical reception was largely positive. On BoardGameGeek, from a vote of 844 voting users, this version holds an average rating of 7.23 and an adjusted Geek rating of 5.984. Andy Matthews (Meeple Mountain) wrote "If you love Ticket to Ride and you’d like to expand your collection, San Francisco is a good addition. If you’re just curious about the city versions, either San Francisco or New York are great choices." However, for some critics this version compared less favourably to other versions in the cities series. Derek Thompson (Geeks under Grace) wrote "I can't easily recommend it over New York, Amsterdam, or London, because I don't especially love the tokens. On one hand, I’m glad there are far fewer tokens to mess with than Ticket to Ride: Netherlands had. On the other hand, for me these small maps are also a pathway for my kids from Ticket to Ride: First Journey to regular Ticket to Ride. In that regard, I don’t like having many extra rules, and I also find having the second player add the tokens somewhere kind of clunky, and confusing for young kids ... It’s still Ticket to Ride, so it’s still great, but I’d get it last among the current offerings in the line."

Berlin

On 9 May 2023, Days of Wonder announced a fifth instalment in the cities line entitled Ticket to Ride: Berlin, based on a map of 'current day' Berlin (Germany) featuring landmarks in the downtown area. This version was released on 25 August 2023 at a suggested retail price of €22.99 / $24.99 (USD).

This version has a BoardGameGeek complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 The unique aspect of this game was that it used both tram (street car) tokens and underground (subway) tokens, instead of overground train carriage tokens, with routes specifically requiring the use of one of the two new types of tokens. The transport cards depicted specific modes of transportation prevalent in Berlin:

Transportation Cards

Colour	Mode of Transport
Red	Train
Orange	Train
Green	Tram
Blue	Taxi
Purple	Bus
Black	Water taxi
Multicoloured Wild	Bicycle

Reception – Reception to the Berlin map was largely positive. Adam Roffel (Game Reviews) wrote "If you love Ticket to Ride as a game franchise, I think Berlin is the best small-box adaptation available." On BoardGameGeek, based on a vote of 242 voting users, this version holds an average rating of 7.37 and an adjusted Geek rating of 5.693.

Paris

0n 2 February 2024, Days of Wonder announced the sixth release in the Cities line entitled Ticket to Ride: Paris, based on a 1920s map of Paris (France). This version was released globally on 29 March 2024 at a suggested retail price of €22.99 and $24.99 (USD).

The unique scoring mechanism is the gaining of victory points by the waving of flags to celebrate Bastille Day through the completion of blue, white, and red route combinations. Instead of trains, the tokens were buses.

Hoax versions

As part of April Fool's Day (1 April 2024), via its Facebook page, Days of Wonder forecast the release of an addition to the Cities line entitled Ticket to Ride: A Moon Adventure, designed for 12 players (the 12 astronauts who had set foot on the Moon), with the unique objective being to complete missions before blasting off back to Earth, and a release date 6 years in the future (horizon of 2030). The transport cards were supposedly types of rockets with the wild cards as satellites.

Map collections

Starting in 2011, DOW began releasing expansions consisting of new maps. Expansion maps require a base game, i.e. the original or Europe version of "Ticket to Ride" to play. Each game introduces new rules specific to that version, and requires pieces from either Ticket to Ride: USA, Europe, Germany, or Nordic Countries to play. The following map collections have been released to date:

Volume 1: Asia – Team Asia and Legendary Asia (2011)

Team Asia allows 6 player games, on teams of two, while Legendary Asia introduces Mountain Routes.

Volume 2: India + Switzerland (2011)

India has a bonus for connecting your destinations in a mandala (circle); it is for 2–4 players. Switzerland introduced the city-to-country and country-to-country cards; it is for 2 or 3 players only.

Volume 3: The Heart of Africa (2012)

The Heart of Africa introduces Terrain cards, which give a bonus when claiming a route if you also have the terrain cards to match it.

Volume 4: Nederland (2013)

This is the first ticket-to-ride game with a currency system, used to pay bridge tolls for your routes.

Volume 5: United Kingdom + Pennsylvania (2015)

United Kingdom introduces a technology system, requiring upgrades to complete certain routes. Pennsylvania has a stock market system.

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
BoardGameGeek – Golden Geek Award	2015	Best Board Game Expansion	Won

Volume 6: France + Old West (2017)

The France board is mostly blank, requiring you to lay tracks to decide the colour of the route before you can claim that route. Old West allows for 6 individual players. It introduces the city system and breaks from Ticket to Ride tradition by only allowing you to build routes that connect to your initial city.

Volume 6 1/2: Poland (2019; 2022)

Days of Wonder created a version based on 1950s Poland. On 28 June 2019, it was released exclusively for the Polish market, published by Rebel under the Polish name Wsiąść do Pociągu – Polska. On 19 April 2022, it was announced that it would have a wider release, being available in July 2022 throughout Europe at a recommended retail price of 22.99€ and in September in North America. The game was subsequently released in North America in September 2022 at a suggested retail price of $24.99. Early December was available from online merchants in the rest of Europe, but for a limited sale only; the trade was shut down in January. However, DOW officially announced that the volume will be launched worldwide in September 2022. The recommendation is that it is played with 2–4 people who are 8 years or older for a game lasting 30–60 minutes. It is the smallest expansion map board in the series, having only 4 sections as opposed to the standard 6. Gameplay has an emphasis on connections to neighbouring countries.

Volume 7: Japan + Italy (2019)

This version was released in the United States on 31 January 2020 and in Japan mid-February 2020 via Hobby Japan at a retail price of 5,600 yen (excluding tax). The Japan side of this version features the Shinkansen and comes with physical bullet train pieces, which are collaboratively built and accessible to anyone. The reverse Italy side features a new ferry route mechanism, i.e. instead of drawing two train cards you can draw one ferry card, and adds a scoring rule for Italian provinces. There is no "Globetrotter" or "Longest Route" bonus in either the Italy or Japan game. The recommendation is that it is played with 2–5 players, who are aged 8 or older, for a game lasting between 30–60 minutes. Game Board Memo, in a review of the Italy side that gave it a 7/10, wrote that "In terms of the balance between the lack of additional rules and the amount of fun, the cost performance is on par with the German map."

Stay at Home (2020)

Released to mark the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a free print at home expansion that allows players to control family members as they navigate domestic life and complete daily tasks.

Card game

Ticket to Ride: The Card Game

The card game was released in the summer of 2008 and includes a similar artistic style and theme, and general game mechanism to the set collection. The card game is playable in 30–45 minutes and supports 2–4 players. Players start with 1 locomotive card and 7 other random train cards in their hands. Players are also dealt 6 destination tickets of which they must keep at least 1. The destination tickets have 1 to 5 coloured dots which match the colours of the train cards. In order to complete a destination ticket, players must move cards from their hand to their rail yard (playing area directly in front of the player), and finally to their on-the-track stack (scoring area). During play, players can "train rob" another player, by playing more of a specific colour than their opponent has in their rail yard. When the train card draws piles are exhausted, the players use the train cards in their on-the-track stack to complete their destination tickets, by matching the coloured train cards with the coloured dots on the destination tickets. Completed tickets are added to the player's score, while uncompleted tickets are subtracted. Additional bonus points are awarded to players who complete the most tickets to the six big cities, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Seattle.

Reception – Ticket to Ride: The Card Game won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
Fairplay's Annual Card Game Award – À-la-carte-Kartenspielpreis	2008	À la carte	Won
Boardgames Australia Awards	2009	Best International Game	Nominated
BoardGameGeek – Golden Geek Award	2008	Best Card Game	Nominated
	2009	Best Card Game	Nominated
JoTa Awards	2009	Best Card Game	Nominated

Computer games

Main article: Ticket to Ride (video game)

Online

Ticket to Ride and most expansions can be played online at Days of Wonder's website. A four-game free trial subscription is available. Due to the major browsers and Adobe discontinuing support for Flash, the future of this version of the game is uncertain.

The Computer Game

Days of Wonder published a computer game developed by Twin Sails Interactive for Windows, OS X, and Linux in 2012 that allowed players to play the original game. Ticket to Ride: Europe, Ticket to Ride: Germany, Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries, USA 1910, Europe 1912, and all Map Collection boards were available as purchasable enhancements to the game. In February 2017 Days of Wonder abandoned Linux support. However, the version available on Steam was playable on Linux. On September 27, 2023 it was announced that this version of the game would be sunsetted to make way for a new version developed by Marmalade Games. It was delisted from PC and mobile storefronts on October 3, 2023.

This version received mixed reviews on Steam and Google Play on release due to technical issues and a lack of features compared to the previous version. However, after release, the game received generally favourable reviews.

The Marmalade Games version released on PC and mobile on November 14, 2023. The only boards playable at launch were the base USA and Europe maps.

Xbox Live Arcade

The Xbox Live Arcade version was released on 25 June 2008, and supports play with up to five people on Xbox Live or four people on the same console, and can use the Xbox Live Vision cam.

iPad

The iPad version was released on 18 May 2011 and supports play with up to five people using the Game Center or Days of Wonder's own servers. Its offline mode originally only supported a single player with up to four computer players; however, pass and play was added later.

This version was released with three additional extensions available for purchase and download: Ticket to Ride: Europe; Ticket to Ride: Switzerland; and Ticket to Ride: USA 1910, which itself includes three separate game modes. In August 2012, Ticket to Ride: Legendary Asia was added, and in April 2016, Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries became available.

The iPad version of Ticket to Ride was named the 2011 Digital Game of the Year by the Danish Guldbrikken (The Golden Pawn) Awards, which referred to the game as "the exemplar of how a board game makes the leap to the digital world without compromise. The iPad version dazzles with its superb finish, easy availability and unparalleled expandability, as well as the ability to play on just the iPad or over the Internet."

iPhone and iPod Touch

The iPhone version was released on 16 November 2011, which is a simplified version of the iPad game. Online play was added as an update on 2 February 2012, and users can also play a multi-player game on a local network via WiFi or Bluetooth. The company released a redesigned version of the digital game in November 2015.

Reception – Ticket to Ride Pocket won the following awards:

Accolades

Award	Date Held	Category	Result	Ref
Gamzebo	2011	Best Board and Card Games	Won
Pocket Gamer – Pocket Gamer Awards	2012	Best Strategy / Simulation Game	Won
		IPad Game of the Year	Nominated
Pocket Gamer – Reader's Choice Awards	2012	iPhone / iPod touch Category	Won
		iPad Category	Won

Alexa Digital Assistant

Amazon's Alexa Digital Assistant can now play Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride: Europe, provided the players have a physical copy of the game.

See also

• Railway Rivals (a similar train board game)

External links

• Official Days of Wonder's Ticket to Ride site
• Ticket to Ride and the Ticket to Ride series at BoardGameGeek