Ticket to Ride: Europe Review

Intro

Ticket to Ride: Europe takes everything that made the original train game brilliant and cranks it up with tunnels, ferries, and train stations. Released in 2005, this isn't just a new map slapped onto familiar mechanics. It's a genuine evolution that keeps the elegant simplicity while adding clever twists that'll make you think twice about every route.

The game handles 2-5 players beautifully, though it really shines with 4 people around the table. You're looking at about 60 minutes of gameplay that feels perfectly paced. With a solid 7.53/10 rating from the board game community and multiple awards under its belt, this one's earned its reputation. Don't worry about complexity either. If you can match colors and count to five, you can play this game.

How It Plays

The core loop is wonderfully straightforward. Each turn, you'll either grab train cards, claim a route on the board, pick up destination tickets, or build a train station. That's it. Four choices, but each one matters.

Train cards come in different colors, and you'll collect sets to claim routes between cities. Want that blue route from Paris to Brussels? Better collect three blue cards. The twist comes with Europe's special routes. Tunnels might force you to pay extra cards if you're unlucky with a die roll. Ferries require those precious locomotive cards (the wild cards of the game). And those train stations? They let you borrow someone else's route when your grand plan gets blocked.

Your secret mission comes from destination tickets that connect far-flung cities. Complete the route from Edinburgh to Paris, and you'll score points. Fail to connect them by game's end, and those same points get subtracted from your total. It's this push-your-luck element that keeps everyone engaged until the final count.

Highlights

The European map is gorgeous and functional. Unlike some games where the theme feels pasted on, you genuinely feel like you're building a continental railway network. The cities feel authentic, and the routes make geographical sense. Plus, the larger format cards are a welcome upgrade from the original.

Those new mechanics aren't just gimmicks. Train stations add a brilliant safety valve to the game. When someone blocks your crucial route (and they will), you can sacrifice some points to use their connection. It keeps the game from devolving into pure spite and gives losing players a way to salvage their plans.

The tunnels and ferries inject just enough uncertainty to keep things interesting. You might have exactly the right cards for that tunnel, but if you flip matching colors from the deck, you'll need to pay extra or abandon the route. It's never game-breaking, but it forces you to plan with some cushion.

What really makes this sing is how it scales. With fewer players, you've got room to breathe and execute longer routes. Pack in five players, and suddenly every decision becomes crucial as routes disappear left and right. The game adapts beautifully to whatever group you throw at it.

Criticisms

The luck factor can occasionally sting. When you desperately need red cards and keep drawing everything but red, or when that tunnel costs you three extra cards at the worst possible moment, it feels unfair. Experienced players learn to mitigate this through smart hand management, but newer players might feel victimized by the draw.

Some groups find the interaction level too indirect. Yes, you can block opponents and fight over routes, but you're not attacking each other directly. If your group thrives on confrontation and aggressive tactics, this might feel too polite. The train stations also reduce the impact of blocking, which some competitive players find disappointing.

The destination ticket balance occasionally creates runaway leader problems. A player who draws well-connected, high-value tickets has a significant advantage over someone stuck with awkward cross-continent routes. While this adds tension, it can sometimes feel like the game was decided in the initial ticket draw.

Conclusion

Ticket to Ride: Europe deserves its spot in countless game collections. It's the rare game that genuinely works for families with kids, casual game nights, and serious strategy sessions. The rules explanation takes five minutes, but the decisions will have you thinking long after the game ends.

You'll love this if you enjoy tactical planning without overwhelming complexity, games that reward both short-term opportunism and long-term strategy, or simply want something that looks great on the table and plays even better. It's particularly perfect for groups that mix experienced gamers with newcomers.

Nearly two decades after release, Europe remains the gold standard for accessible strategy games. It's earned every award and accolade through solid design that respects your time while delivering genuine decisions. Whether you're new to modern board games or looking to expand your collection, this train's worth boarding.