Ticket to Ride is what I’d call a gateway game in that it’s easy to play and get started in more modern games instead of old classics. However, there are a ton of different versions and expansions so I thought it would be helpful to explain them all and catalog them in one spot! Keep reading to find details on each below!
[Stephanie’s note: If the voice sounds different it’s because this post was written by Tyler, my husband, and originally published on Kidsloveboardgames.com which is now defunct!]
Unfamiliar with Ticket to Ride? Start Here!
If you’re already familiar with Ticket to Ride, go ahead and skip this paragraph. There are a lot of Ticket to Ride versions, but no matter which version of ticket to ride you’re playing, the game is all about building the best railroad company. In each version you have trains, colored train cards, and route cards, as well as a map of a certain country or region. The map shows colored connection between cities. Players work to collect enough train cards of the corresponding color to claim a route. Points are earned for each connection you claim, as well as longer routes completed based on the route cards. You also lose points at the end of the game for uncompleted routes.
The different versions described below all have a similar premise to what I described above, but some introduce different tweaks and complexities. There is a lot for kids to learn playing Ticket to Ride. Geography is the most obvious, but there’s so much more. Mental math is worked on through the scoring of the game. Planning, strategic thinking, and decision making are all required to play the game. Ticket to Ride is also a great introduction to economics for kids. While they may not be learning the terms, but supply and demand is an important aspect of the strategy involved. Keep reading to find the version that is right for your family.
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Pin this round-up of Ticket to Ride expansions with this photo or link!
Ticket to Ride versions: a comprehensive guide:
When you’re shopping for games, consider looking on Facebook marketplace for secondhand, buying from your local, small board game shop/toy shop, searching on Ebay, or checking Kidizen for used games. These are linked to Amazon for convenience but we’d much prefer you shop secondhand and/or small when you’re able!
1. Ticket to Ride
I’ll start with the original Ticket to Ride, this game follows the gameplay described above without any variations. This version uses a map of the United States and is one of the simplest versions of Ticket to Ride. This game is one of my favorites for introducing new gamers to board games, and the first game I recommend to someone who is unfamiliar with modern board games but looking to try them. While easy to teach, there is still enough strategy involved that serious gamers can enjoy playing this one. There is also a Ticket to Ride 10th Anniversary edition. This features the same gameplay but a larger board, larger cards with custom art, and nicer train cars.
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with simple strategic thinking games
2. First Journey
Ticket to Ride: First Journey is geared at younger gamers who aren’t quite ready for the full game. This version uses pictures on the game board and route cards so reading is not required to play. It also simplifies the scoring, rather than earning points, players are racing to complete six routes to win the game. This, combined with a smaller game board, speeds up gameplay which is also great for younger gamers. Days of Wonder’s recommended age is 6+ for this game, however once kids are capable of evaluating two options and making a decision, they are ready to play this game. For reference, our kids started playing this around four years old.
There is also a First Journey version with the map of Europe, gameplay is the same as the United States version. It does offer kids the opportunity to learn geography for a different part of the world though!
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 15-30 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Ability to evaluate two options and make a decision
3. Ticket to Ride: Europe
While the overall goal remains the same, Ticket to Ride: Europe adds some new twists. This versions adds three new aspects to gameplay:
- Tunnels, which require extra cards to build them
- Ferry routes, which require a special card to claim them
- Stations, which allow you to sacrifice points to use opponents routes
If you’ve played and enjoyed the original version of Ticket to Ride, the European version is definitely worth checking out. Each new addition to the game expands the strategy. There is definitely more thinking involved in this version! I love the stations allowing you to sacrifice points to leverage your competitors already claimed routes. It adds a really enjoyable layer to the strategy!
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
4. Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries has a lot of similarities to Ticket to Ride: Europe. Tunnels and ferry routes are still in play with slightly altered rules. The main difference in Nordic Countries is it is a two to three player game. The game board is smaller and there are less paths between cities. This change encourages a lot more blocking and more aggressive play style and creates a fun twist on the previous versions. Perfect if you usually play with two or three gamers. While the original and other version of Ticket to Ride play well with two to three players, this version has amazing gameplay at this leve since it’s specifically designed for two to three players
- Number of players: 2-3
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
5. Ticket to Ride: Germany
Ticket to Ride with Meeples? Sign me up! Ticket to Ride: Germany adds Meeples! Players collect meeples for being the first player to reach a city. The meeples add another layer to the strategy as they are worth a significant amount of points at the end of the game. Additionally they give players another reason to play more aggressively/block off other players. The other addition in Ticket to Ride Germany is with the destination tickets. In prior versions the destinations are selected randomly, in this version players have the option to choose shorter or longer destination routes. This adds another nice twist as players consider their score relative to the competition and decide whether to go for longer routes worth more points, or play it safe with shorter routes.
There is also a ‘Ticket to Ride Marklin’ which also features Germany as the centerpiece of the board game, this version is no longer available via retail, but even adds some new layers on top of Ticket to Ride Germany for one of the heaviest Ticket to Ride experiences.
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
6. Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails
You can probably guess what Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails adds to the equation….boats! This edition in the Ticket to Ride series has players decide on how many trains and how many boats they want to have at the start of the game. During the game you can switch boats for trains or trains for boats, but it will cost you to swap. This version also introduced a double-sided game board! One side features the great lakes of the United States, while the other side has a map of the whole world!
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 90-120 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
7. Ticket to Ride: New York
Ticket to Ride: New York is one of the most unique versions of Ticket to Ride. While the other versions are all adding twists and increasing the strategy, Ticket to Ride: New York scales the game back. The game board is smaller and players have less train cars (15 to be exact). During play once a player has only two train cars left, players take one final turn and the game ends. These changes mean the games last no more than fifteen minutes! I love this version of Ticket to Ride with kids. Sometimes they really want to play a game but don’t have the attention span or time to sit for thirty minutes to two hours. This version is a great way to get some family bonding, game time in during a short window.
- Number of players: 2-4
- Game Length: 10-15 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
8. Ticket to Ride the Card Game
Another more unique iteration in the Ticket to Ride series because there are no trains and no game board. The goal is the same with players trying to earn points by claiming routes, but the execution is unique. Players create a train yard and scoring pile in front of them, the play the cards to the scoring pile (and claim routes), players must first play the cards from their hand to the train yard. There are special rules regarding how cards can be played into the train yard. Overall this version felt kind of forced to us. The other Ticket to Ride games have a beautiful elegance and simplicity. The card game just didn’t have that for us. It was more difficult to learn, bu also offered less strategy and replayability.
- Number of players: 2-4
- Game Length: 30 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with games with more complex rules
Ticket to Ride Expansions
The following are NOT stand alone versions of ticket to ride, but expansions to current games. So make sure you already have one of the above versions before buying! These expansions do not contain the trains, so if you only have the Nordic Countries version the below expansions would only be able to be played with three players. Additionally, the limited trains with Ticket to Ride New York does not work well with these expansions. If an expansion is for a specific version of Ticket to Ride, I have noted it below.
1. Map Collection Volume 1: Asia
Ticket to Ride Asia is a map expansion. The pack contains a double sided map and route cards, but no train cards or train cars. The really cool thing about this map expansion is each side features a different style of gameplay.
- Team Asia side is the first introduction of team play in the Ticket to Ride series. This side plays with four to six players (in teams of two). In this version, each player has their own cards, but also some pooled cards, you and your partner can both use. This adds a very fun twist, I wouldn’t want to play it all the time, but it’s a fun occasionally, especially when you’ve got a large group of players!
- Legendary Asia side is similar to traditional Ticket to Ride, but adds mountain routes. Mountain routes are claimed similarly to normal routes, however they require you to place train cars in your ‘mountain stash’. These will earn you points at the end of the game, but are unavailable to you for building new routes for the rest of the game.
Both these iterations, plus the new maps, are fun elements. Check them out!
- Number of players: 2-6
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
2. Map Collection Volume 2: India & Switzerland
This expansion includes the maps of India & Switzerland. While other versions add twists to how and where you can place your trains, these maps add twists to the route cards/scoring.
- India: The main change with the India map is in the scoring. Players can add bonus points if they have multiple routes connecting two cities. Bonus points for this can reach up to forty points making it a significant factor in the end game. This map can be played with 2-4 players.
- Switzerland: This is another smaller, more compact game map (in the style of the Nordic countries game above). This map can be played with 2-3 players. The main addition in this version is with the route cards. The Switzerland map adds country to country routes, and city to country routes. This change reduces the value of blocking and adds a lot of flexibility to the strategy involved.
I really enjoy the scoring twists involved with these maps, its amazing how different the game can feel while keeping the underlying gameplay the same.
- Number of players: 2-4
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
3. Map Collection Volume 3: The Heart of Africa
The Heart of Africa is a single map expansion. Gameplay is similar to other versions of Ticket to Ride, but adds Terrain Cards. Terrain cards are played when claiming routes and double the points earned in certain situations. For us this was kind of a minor iteration on the other Ticket to Ride versions. Gameplay was fun, but I don’t know that I would seek this one out, personally. It just doesn’t add enough to the original games.
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
4. Map Collection Volume 4: Nederland
This map adds a really cool twist to the gameplay (our favorite)! On this map almost every route is a double track, and all routes require tolls. If you claim the first track the toll goes to the bank, but the when the second track is claimed the tolls get paid to the player who bought the first track. Each player also starts with a limited number of coins. Once your coins are used up you have to take out loans to buy new routes. The loans deduct points from your end game total, while the coins you hold at the end of the game adds points to your total. This version is a lot of fun, especially with large groups!
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-60 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
5. Map Collection Volume 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania
Another two sided map collection, that also adds some fun twists to the gameplay.
- United Kingdom: Introduces technology to the the Ticket to Ride world. Players start off only being able to build 1 and 2 train routes, by spending wild cards, players advance to being able to build longer routes and ferries, as well as routes in other countries. Players can also buy bonus cards which grant extra points at game end for certain actions. This technological advancement is a cool way to represent the passage of time in gameplay.
- Pennsylvania: This map lets players claim shares of companies when buying routes. The player with the most shares of each company at the end of the game wins bonus points. This is a fun twist that I found most enjoyable with four to five players.
These maps both add interesting new twists, and really thicken the strategy (especially if you regularly play with four or five people).
- Number of players: 2-5
- Game Length: 30-75 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
6. Map Collection Volume 6: France & Old West
This map pack against adds some new and interesting twists to the ticket to ride gameplay.
- France: This map let’s the players determine the route colors as the game goes on. When players draw train cards they also place a route color tile next to a route to determine its color. Any player can claim a route once the color has been determined. The other aspect added on the France map is overlapping tracks. Once a color tile has been placed on a route, any overlapping tracks are off limits. These aspects add a lot of gamesmanship that you don’t see in many of the other versions.
- Old West: This map is one of the bigger changes there is to the Ticket to Ride gameplay. Old West adds cities. Players have a limited number of cities. Players place a city to start the game and they can only build routes connecting to that city! From that point on players have to build on their network of tracks. If you build a route into a city owned by another player, that player gets the points. This board again adds a lot of gamesmanship and really adds depth to the strategy.
While neither are changes I would want to play all the time, but they are a lot of fun with the right group, and they make for a great expansion.
- Number of players: 2-6 (6 players is only for the Old West side)
- Game Length: 60-90 minutes
- Prerequisite skills: Reading, experience with strategy games
7. USA 1910 Expansion
1910 is an expansion specific to the USA game. This expansion adds new cards to the game, 35 destination cards, a globetrotter card, and 4 mystery train destination cards. The rules also lay out 3 different ways to play the game using a various combinations of cards from the original game and the expansion. If you love the original Ticket to Ride, you should check this expansion out! It adds new wrinkles to the game while still feeling very much like traditional Ticket to Ride.
8. Europa 1912 Expansion
1912 is an expansion specific to the Europe game. Similar to 1910, this expansion adds new route cards (55 in total). This expansion also adds warehouses and depots. At the beginning of the game, each player places a depot on one city. Each time players draw train cards they add a train card to one players warehouse. When claiming routes, if the end of your route touches a depot, you have the option to discard one depot and claim all the train card on that player’s warehouse. This expansion adds a lot to the strategy base game, and if you’re a serious Ticket to Ride fan you should definitely check out Ticket to Ride Europe with the 1912 expansion.
9. Ticket to Ride Europa Orient Express
This expansion is no longer sold retail, but can still be found on eBay and other sites second hand. This is a very simple expansion that just adds new route cards to the Ticket to Ride Europe base game. It does not add any other elements to the gameplay.
10. Ticket to Ride Dice Expansion
This expansion is no longer sold retail, but can still be found on eBay and other sites second hand. If you’re looking for a version of Ticket to Ride with more luck involved, check out the Dice expansion. This expansion replaces the drafting train cards process with rolling dice. It works with any version of the game.
11. Ticket to Ride Alvin & Dexter
This expansion is no longer sold retail, but can still be found on eBay and other sites second hand. Alvin and Dexter are an Alien and Dinosaur respectively. The possess cities throughout the game and no routes to those cities can be claimed while the monsters is there. Players can spend wild cards to move Alvin and Dexter. The player who moved them the most during the game also receives bonus points at game end. This is a fun expansion that adds some nice depth with players trying to strategically place Alvin and Dexter to block other players.
What’s Your Favorite?
I’d love to hear from you, what is your favorite version of Ticket to Ride? Comment below! Ticket to Ride is a great family board game, if you’re looking for more, check out the best family board games for all ages!
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