Ticket to Ride
Modern strategy board game for 2-5 players in which players collect train cards to claim railway routes across a map, connecting cities for points and completing hidden destination tickets.
What is Ticket to Ride?
Ticket to Ride is a family-strategy board game designed by Alan R. Moon and first published by Days of Wonder in 2004. 2-5 players collect coloured train-car cards and use them to claim railway routes between cities on a map (originally the USA). Completing routes earns points, and hidden 'destination tickets' award bonus points at game's end if the two cities are connected (or penalty if not). The base game is easily learned in 15 minutes ('the game to teach your grandma') but has strategic depth. It won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) — one of the industry's most prestigious awards. Since 2004 Ticket to Ride has sold 10+ million copies, spawned 30+ regional maps (Europe, Nordic Countries, Africa, Asia, Nordic Countries, France & Old West, Amsterdam, etc.), plus mobile/PC versions. It's credited (with Catan) with introducing millions to modern hobby-board-gaming.
Quick facts
Category
Board Games
Type
Individual
Players
2–5
Duration
~60 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
railway map board
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
2004 designed by Alan R. Moon; published by Days of Wonder
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Score most points by claiming railway routes (points based on segment length) + completing destination tickets (bonus/penalty) + Longest Route bonus.
Match structure
On your turn: choose 1 of 3 actions — draw 2 train cards (from face-up 5 or blind), claim a route (spend cards + place trains), or draw 3 destination tickets (keep at least 1). Game ends when a player has ≤2 trains left; final round + score.
Rules
Basic rules
3 turn actions
On your turn, choose exactly one: (a) Draw 2 train cards; (b) Claim a route; (c) Draw 3 destination tickets (keep ≥1).
Claim a route
Spend N cards of the route's colour (gray = any single colour); place N of your trains along segment.
Route scoring
1 = 1 pt, 2 = 2, 3 = 4, 4 = 7, 5 = 10, 6 = 15.
Destination tickets
Bonus points if you connect the ticket's 2 cities with your continuous route; -N if not.
Game ends when trains run out
When a player has 0-2 trains left after their turn, each other player takes one more turn; then score.
Longest Route bonus
Player with longest continuous route at end gains +10 pts.
Advanced rules
Locomotive wild cards
Locomotives count as any colour but you can only take 1 per action (or 0 + 2 coloured).
Tunnel routes (Europe map)
When claiming tunnel, draw 3 extra cards from deck; each locomotive-matching adds required cards.
Ferry routes (Europe/Nordic)
Require at least 1 locomotive plus coloured cards.
Stations (Europe map)
3 stations per player; place on city to use one route claimed by opponent.
Big Cities / Small Cities (variants)
Various expansions add unique mechanics per map.
Scoring
Route points (by segment length) + completed destination bonuses - failed destination penalties + Longest Route +10.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| 1-train route | 1 |
| 2-train route | 2 |
| 3-train route | 4 |
| 4-train route | 7 |
| 5-train route | 10 |
| 6-train route | 15 |
| Destination ticket completed | +N (as printed, 5-22) |
| Destination ticket failed | -N (as printed) |
| Longest Route bonus | +10 to holder of longest continuous route |
Win condition · Highest total score wins. Tiebreaker: most destination tickets completed.
Playing area
Called
railway map board
Dimensions
USA map ~60×40 cm with 36 cities and 78 route segments (some double).
Map of railway network with colour-coded route segments between cities. Each segment requires N cards of the segment's colour (gray routes accept any single-colour set).
Equipment
Map board
Cities + coloured route segments printed on board.
Train car cards (110)
8 colours + locomotive wilds; players draw and collect.
Destination ticket cards (30-46)
Hidden objective cards showing 2 cities to connect for points.
Player trains (45 per player)
Small plastic trains in 5 colours (black, blue, green, red, yellow).
Scoring track around board
Marks each player's score 0-100+ during game.
Longest Route bonus card
+10 points to player with longest continuous route at end.
Officiating
Self-refereed; scoring tracked on board with train pawns.
- Self-refereed (casual)
- Tournament Judge (World Championship)
Strategies
Long routes = better points/train
6-train route = 15 pts (2.5 pts/train) vs 1-train route = 1 pt (1 pt/train).
Claim contested routes early
Key connections (e.g. Denver-Kansas City in USA map) may block opponent's tickets.
Take more tickets if leading
Late in game, if leading, draw tickets for bonus points.
Block opponents' longest route
In tight games, claim a segment that breaks opponent's Longest Route bid.
Save locomotives for tunnels
Europe map: locomotives crucial for tunnel routes.
Terminology
- Route
- Coloured train-track segment between two cities on the board.
- Destination ticket
- Hidden card showing 2 cities you must connect for bonus/penalty.
- Locomotive
- Wild train card matching any colour.
- Gray route
- Colourless segment — can be claimed with any single-colour set.
- Longest Route
- Longest continuous route at end of game — worth +10 bonus points.
- Tunnel
- Europe map: draw 3 extra cards after starting claim; locomotives may require additional cards.
- Ferry
- Europe map: route requiring ≥1 locomotive.
- Station
- Europe map: allows use of opponent's claimed route (3 per player).
- Draw pile / discard pile
- Train card draw stack (face-down) + 5-card display; discarded cards after route claim.
Major competitions
Ticket to Ride World Championship
annual · worldwide · since 2008
National Ticket to Ride Championships
annual (30+ countries) · worldwide
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Days of Wonder (publisher)
Founded 2002 · Paris, France
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Alan R. Moon (USA) — designer; also designed Union Pacific + other train-themed games
- Christophe Kwiatkowski (France) — 2015 Ticket to Ride World Champion
- Steve Perry (USA) — 2013 US National Champion
- Ricky Royal — 2017 World Champion
- Steffen Bogen (Germany) — Multiple national champion
Records
Most copies sold
Ticket to Ride (all editions) — 10+ million (2024) (2024)
Spiel des Jahres award
Ticket to Ride — 2004 winner (Germany's top game award) (2004)
Number of regional map versions
Ticket to Ride — 30+ (Europe, Africa, Asia, Nordic, France, Amsterdam, etc.) (2024)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play first game USA map
Simplest rules; 45-60 min including teaching.
- 2
Understand ticket-vs-route tradeoff
Balance short routes (fast points) vs destination tickets (bonus).
- 3
Move to Europe map
Adds tunnels, ferries, stations for more strategy.
intermediate
- 1
Try heavier maps
Nordic Countries, Asia (heavy tunnel/mountain), or 1910 expansion for USA.
- 2
Local tournaments
Game shops host TtR tournaments — good practice.
- 3
Online play
Board Game Arena / Days of Wonder online — global player pool.
advanced
- 1
National championships
30+ national qualifiers annually.
- 2
World Championship
Top national champions play in France annually.
Frequently asked
Is Ticket to Ride good for beginners?+
Yes — one of the best introductory modern board games. Rules learn in 15 minutes; 45-60 min game length. Called 'the game to teach your grandma'.
What's the best map version?+
USA (2004): simplest, most balanced. Europe (2005): adds tunnels + ferries. Nordic Countries: 2-3 player tight map. Asia (Team Asia + Legendary Asia): most complex tunnels.
How many players is best?+
3-4 players is ideal balance. 2-player uses just the base game; 5-player becomes contested for routes and might feel crowded.
Who invented Ticket to Ride?+
Alan R. Moon (American designer) — also known for Union Pacific + Airlines Europe + other route-strategy games. Published by Days of Wonder (French publisher owned by Asmodee since 2014).
Is Ticket to Ride an Olympic sport?+
No — it's a hobby board game. However, competitive World Championship is held annually at Days of Wonder headquarters in Paris.
How long is the World Championship?+
One weekend — 4 rounds Saturday, semifinals + final Sunday. Top 4 from each of 30+ national championships qualify.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Ticket to Ride— Wikipedia
- Days of Wonder — Ticket to Ride— Days of Wonder
- BoardGameGeek — Ticket to Ride— BoardGameGeek