Ticket to Ride is one of my favourite games. It’s a game that effortlessly blends strategy, luck, and a touch of nostalgia especially if you liked playing with trains when you were younger, this makes it a perfect choice for game nights with friends and family.
I’ve taught this game to loads of people because it’s so easy to teach and pick up but offers a lot of replayability. If I am introducing someone to board games Ticket To Ride is often my go to game.
So, What is Ticket to Ride?
At its core, Ticket to Ride is a game about building railways. Players collect train cards of different colours to claim routes on a beautifully illustrated board of North America. The aim is to connect cities and complete secret destination tickets to score points. It’s a game of forward planning, a little bit of bluffing, and the occasional frustration when someone snatches the route you desperately needed.
Quick Game Info:
- Playtime: 30–60 minutes
- Player Count: 2–5 players
- Recommended Age: 8+
- Theme: Railway travel across North America
- Designer: Alan R. Moon
- Publisher: Days of Wonder
How to Play Ticket to Ride
The beauty of Ticket to Ride is that it’s incredibly easy to learn, but the strategies can be as deep as you want them to be. Here’s a quick rundown of how a game plays out:
Setup
Each player starts with a hand of train cards and a set of destination tickets. These tickets show specific city connections—completing them earns points, but failing to do so results in penalties. The game board is laid out, showing various railway routes between cities. Each player also gets a stash of plastic trains in their colour, which they’ll use to claim routes.
Taking Turns
On your turn, you can choose one of three actions:
- Draw Train Cards: Pick two cards from the available face-up options or draw blind from the deck.
- Claim a Route: Spend matching train cards to place your plastic trains on a route between two cities.
- Draw Destination Tickets: Take additional tickets if you’re feeling ambitious, but be careful—you’ll lose points for any incomplete ones at the end of the game.
Scoring Points
Players earn points by claiming routes and completing their destination tickets. The longer the route, the more points it’s worth. At the end of the game, there’s also a bonus for the longest continuous railway.
End of the Game
The game wraps up when a player has two or fewer trains left. Everyone gets one final turn before scores are tallied. Whoever has the most points wins!
Playing Ticket To Ride at Different Player Counts
Ticket to Ride scales well whether you’re playing with two or five people, but the experience shifts depending on how many players are involved:
- 2 Players: The board feels more open, making it easier to complete long routes without interference. However, blocking a key route can be devastating!
- 3–4 Players: This is the sweet spot, where competition for routes gets more intense but there’s still some room to maneuver.
- 5 Players: Expect chaos! Popular routes will vanish fast, and you may need to rethink your strategy on the fly. To balance things, some maps introduce additional rules, like limiting certain routes to one player only.
If you’re playing a variant like Ticket to Ride: Europe, there are also tweaks like train stations that allow you to use opponents’ routes, which can be a game-changer in a crowded match.
Components and Production Quality
One of the standout aspects of Ticket to Ride is its top-tier production quality. The game includes:
- A large, beautifully illustrated game board
- Dozens of tiny, coloured plastic train pieces
- High-quality train and destination ticket cards
- A well-organised rulebook
It’s no surprise that Days of Wonder has made this game a benchmark for board game presentation.
Why I Love Ticket to Ride
I’ve played this game dozens of times, and it never gets old. Part of the charm is how it balances strategy with accessibility—you can teach it in minutes, but experienced players can develop deep strategies. There’s always that tension of whether to grab a route now or risk waiting for the right cards. And the moment when someone swoops in and takes the one track you desperately needed? Pure drama.
It’s also incredibly replayable. The different destination tickets and player dynamics mean no two games feel exactly the same. Plus, with expansions covering maps from Europe to Asia, there’s always a new challenge waiting.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a fantastic board game that’s easy to learn, endlessly fun, and great for both casual and serious gamers, Ticket to Ride is a must-have. It’s the perfect game for family nights, competitive friends, or even just a chilled-out evening with a few drinks and some lighthearted banter.
So if you haven’t played it yet—what are you waiting for? or are a casual gamer, Ticket to Ride is a game that’s sure to provide hours of fun and enjoyment.