Connect cities across Europe with coloured trains to complete routes and score points. Longer routes are worth more points. But watch out — rivals may be racing for the same cities, forcing you to find alternate paths.
Full thoughts here: Ticket to Ride: Europe – Review
Also on our list: Best Board Games for Beginners
Note: This guide covers the core rules to get you started — not every edge case. Read the rulebook for full detail.
The Objective
Connect two cities on a Destination Route card using a chain of coloured train segments on the board. Completing routes earns points. Failing to complete a route by the end of the game costs you points equal to its value.
Setup
On Your Turn — Choose 1 Action
Action 1
Draw Train Car Cards
Take 2 cards from the face-up display or draw pile (your choice). If you take a face-up Locomotive (wild card), that counts as both draws — you get only 1 card total.
Action 2
Claim a Route
Play matching Train Car cards equal to the number of spaces between two cities. The route is now yours — no one else can use it.
Action 3
Draw Route Cards
Draw 3 Destination Route cards and keep at least 1. Uncompleted routes count as negative points at game end.
Action 4
Place a Train Station
Costs Train Car cards (1 card for your 1st station, 2 for your 2nd, 3 for your 3rd). A station lets you use one of another player's routes to complete your own destination.
Special Route Types
| Route Type | Rule |
|---|---|
| Grey | Use any single colour — all cards played must match each other |
| Ferry | Requires at least 1 (sometimes more) Locomotive card to complete |
| Underground (Tunnel) | After playing your cards, flip 3 from the draw pile — if any match your colour (including Locomotives), you must play extra cards or abandon the route |
Scoring
During the game — when you claim a route, score points immediately based on length:
| Route Length | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 6 | 15 |
| 8 | 21 |
End of game bonuses:
- Completed Destination Route cards: +card value
- Uncompleted Destination Route cards: −card value
- Longest continuous train: +10 points (train stations don’t count toward this)
- Each unused train station remaining: +4 points
End of Game
When any player has 2 or fewer trains left, finish the current round so everyone gets one more turn. Then total all points.
