Ticket to Ride - Europe Reviews

• One of the best "Gateway" games ever.

  
  By A42TV8FJP7MI3 on 2006-01-11
  Ticket to Ride Europe is perhaps the best game of its kind. And part of what makes this easy to say is Ticket is really quite innovative and in a class of its own. I'll provide a short and detailed review for those interested.
  
  Ticket to Ride revolves around collecting different cards that correspond to a color. Those cards are then used to build railway lines of that color on the gameboard (a map of Europe). Each player is trying to build certain routes from city to city in return for points. But there are only so many ways to get from place to place and the intrigue of the game is balancing when to collect more cards used to build rails and when to play cards to make sure you secure that critical link in your transcontinental railway. Ticket to Ride, as I mentioned above, is a great "gateway" game because it's not a classic board game style (e.g. Monopoly, Sorry, Cranium, etc.) and so those who are new to the "enhanced board game" field (e.g. Settlers of Catan, Axis and Allies, Pirate's Cove, etc.) will still be comfortable playing Ticket to Ride. The rules are pretty straight-forward and the game moves quickly. It also takes less then an hour.
  
  Longer Version
  
  Ticket to Ride revolves around getting rail cards of certain colors and securing city-to-city lines of that color. The colors of the rail lines vary and the trick to this game is getting to where you need to go in the most efficient manner.
  
  The game starts with everyone receiving "tickets." These tickets have two cities on them and a point value. Your goal is to pick a few of these tickets to try and make a railway between the cities during the game. You try to pick routes that are overlapping and, throughout the game, you can choose new tickets. But, you never know what routes you'll get and any tickets you don't accomplish by game's end are worth negative points.
  
  Once everyone has chosen their initial tickets, play commences. Each player may choose two of five face-up rail cards (the color cards discussed above that you use to lay rail of that color). Or, you can choose to take 3 new tickets (of which you must keep at least 1) or take two face-down rail cards (so you risk getting colors you can't use yet). The final option on your turn is, instead of taking any cards, you can lay rail using your cards. I won't go into detail here but suffice it to say you can only lay one city-to-city rail line at a time and you must use the required color or colors.
  
  Play continues like this as each player tries to complete his or her route while taking new tickets to branch off into additional routes. The game ends when someone runs out of rails (which can happen suddenly). After a few games, the turns go quickly and the game is fairly fast-paced.
  
  
  The Original
  
  I would be overlooking a whole population of readers if I didn't comment on the differences between Ticket to Ride Europe and the original Ticket to Ride (which takes place in the United States). Europe adds the ability to build stations which allow you to piggy-back from one city to another on another player's rail line. These cost you points, however, so should only be used sparingly. Again, I won't dive into the details, but stations are necessary to Europe since now you start the game with a long route that is sometimes hard to reach without using a station (or two in worst-case situations).
  
  Europe also adds "locomotive" cards which are essentially wild cards. You can use them as any color rail but they are also needed for certain lines (e.g. to get from London to any city, you'll have to build across water and this requires a locomitive card). And as I mentioned above, another change in Europe is that you often start with a long route that is worth 20 or more points.
  
  Summary
  
  Overall, Ticket to Ride Europe is a fun game that even those used to traditional board games will probably enjoy. For those who like extremely complex strategy games, this isn't one. But even still, this is still a great game that you will likely enjoy for its quick and versatile gameplay. It even won me over, and I'm more towards games like Risk 2210 and Settlers of Catan Knights and Cities.
  
  I strongly recommend this game. To learn more or play a demo, go to the Days of Wonder website and check it out (but it can't beat playing at home with friends!).
  
  

• A great game for the entire family!

  
  By A20UCZESTP07IE on 2005-12-11
  When I first read the rules for this game, I worried that it would be too complex, but the gameplay really isn't that hard to master, and it quickly becomes an addictive playing experience. The beautiful board is a great opportunity to teach European geography - and languages! - to kids and a wonderful conversation starter with adult players about places they have been or would like to go. The pace is quick, and the little train pieces are fun to play with. Even our four year old will sit quietly to watch us play if we give her a few train pieces.
  
  I'm now eager to play more games by the Days of Wonder line because I enjoy Ticket to Ride Europe so much!
  
  

• Good but a little complex for Ticket Fans

  
  By A32EBQDMOPEJHE on 2005-11-15
  Part of the brilliance of the original Ticket to Ride was how easy it was to explain and play. A great gateway game. This is pretty much the exact same game with a different board and about 3-4 new rules. In my opinion they do a great job of making the game harder to understand, but don't really make it necessary to have better strategy. In fact the new rules make it easier to get to your destination, thus removing the tenseness of the original.
  
  Bottom Line: If you like tense games, go with the original. If you like more complex games, go with this one.
  
  

• Strategy enough for the whole family!

  
  By A1OFXBB34ZFVWU on 2005-09-26
  A great strategy game that is simple enough to be played (and played well!) by my 8 yo, while challenging enough to be enjoyed by the parents and 12 yo! Beautifully designed, excellent quality board, cards, etc. Clear instructions. First game is definitely a learning game, but the rules are picked up quickly.
  
  A worthy addition to the new generation of board games, where thoughtful strategy has a far bigger role than mere chance of the dice. Rediscover "Family Game Night" at your house!
  
  

• A step up from Ticket to Ride (US)

  
  By A2H1W8V6R9TJ9E on 2006-01-08
  An expanded version of Ticket to Ride, this version complicates the game somewhat. The shorter distances between cities and rules allowing only one player to build on a double line make it harder to create nonstop routes. This can be overcome with the creation of train stations, another innovation from the original version. Other challenges include routes that require locomotives (wild cards) in order to build, and routes that can cost more than expected, based on the luck of the draw. The board is large and attractive and the game involves a good deal of strategy. Best for adults or older children or those looking for a bit more of a challenge than Ticket to Ride (US version).
  
  
• Like the Godfather II an even better sequel
  By A17BT73RVRQYSP on 2005-11-11
  Ticket to Ride Europe adds the great European cities of the 1800 to the game and throws in several addition to make a good game even better.
  
  STATIONS: The use of the stations ends the frustration of blocked routes but at a price of 4 points, Personally I think a 6 point fine would be better but that's something individual players can decide for themselves
  
  Tunnels: The need to match cards when digging tunnels is a great twist and simulates the risk involved for the investor.
  
  Locomotive lays: Various lays needed wildcards adds to the flavor.
  
  This is a game that appeals to me as a big game player and appeals to my non-gaming family for it's fun. Like the old Pirates and Traveler and Game of the states it is a nice sneak geography class.
  
  Buy it for Christmas (or even better don't wait that long).
  
  
• Great game
  By A1MWZRHDJZLPXM on 2007-01-09
  The Europe edition is more complex and in my mind, an improvement over the original version. The tunnels and stations add some flexibility and challenge to an already good game. We got this for christmas and we spent hours playing it with our kids (ages 23 - 11). It's a great strategy game and enjoyable but not so complex that you need a MENSA membership card to play. It's a keeper in our house. A game of 4 players usually takes a little over an hour to play. The locations are in the native language, which took some getting used to but it exposes kids to geography and other languages.
  
  
• Too abstract for the casual gamer and too light for the serious gamer
  By A1HQG1EXAL2HXU on 2007-06-12
  First and foremost, if you want a game about trains look elsewhere. While the pieces may look like trains and the cards may have trains on them, there is no "train experience" to be had here. The principle mechanic of the game is collecting cards to fill spaces and create networks, and that mechanic is implemented in an abstract enough way that you could shape the pieces and artwork to be anything and it would be exactly the same game. The level of abstraction is such that this game's utility as a "transition game" for non-gamers is very limited, you'd be better off with Settlers or Carcassonne.
  
  For people that are already serious gamers, sadly, there's just not that much here to love. The game play is strongly luck based, the strategic options are extremely limited (and sometimes non-existant), and the theming is poorly implemented.
  
  If you want to play a game based on trains, I recommend the Empire Builder Series, if you want a transition game to get new people interested in gaming I recommend Carcassonne or Settlers of Catan. Unfortunately I can't think of anyone to whom I would recommend Ticket to Ride.
  
  
• Tunnels and Train Stations
  By A2ZIEXE21S7LIU on 2007-08-03
  The Europe edition of Ticket to Ride stands alone from the basic (United States) and Bavaria/Marklin editions of the game, both in the narrow sense that it is not an "expansion set" to those games, but also in the broader sense that it's a lot more than just the original game with a different map. The rules are fairly similar, so learning all three games only takes a modest amount of time, but the differences across the games alter the strategies a fair bit. Each one feels like a distinct experience.
  
  For those unfamiliar with the series, here's what they all have in common: There is a game board indicating routes among a bunch of cities. The object of the game is to amass the most points, and in one way or another those points come from collecting the routes strategically. Collecting any route between two places will generate points, but each player holds hidden Ticket Cards indicating longer routes of special importance to that person, and stringing together little routes to make this longer connection adds to the payoff (whereas failing to do so imposes a penalty). How do the players take possession of routes? They take turns drawing cards that, when collected into sets, determine which routes they can use, and eventually they start using those cards to claim routes. The main random element is the timing of when those cards turn up in the deck.
  
  The Europe edition contains a few differences from the other two. One difference is that claiming routes is more complicated in this edition. The cost of claiming certain routes is uncertain until you actually try to do it, and some routes require special wild cards to claim (allowing the possibility of a long bottleneck as a player tries to score one of those cards). More important, in terms of changing the gameplay, is the combination of two features: the Train Station rule and the denser map. Whereas an offensive strategy can be effective in the other two games, blocking routes needed by other players, this game offers more feasible routes for connecting cities and allows players to use each others' rails as long as they pay the relatively modest cost of building a station. Gameplay therefore differs significantly between this edition and the others.
  
  Forced to choose, I'd say the Europe edition is the weakest of the three because random elements influence the outcome more than in the other two. Often a player can win right near the end of the game simply by claiming a route from nowhere to nowhere that's worth lots of points. But my family loves all three of them. You don't have to care a whit about trains. You don't have to worry about the backstory provided by the designers, which we found implausible and tossed out in favor of a conventional "robber baron" interpretation of the action. Even small children can enjoy these games, as long as they focus on the pleasure of successfully connecting things instead of focusing on beating the older players. (A suggestion: Keep a pad of paper in the box and track the child's points so that the competition is personal rather than with the adults.) The pace is especially fast, as each player takes turns drawing cards or claiming routes. (My family likes to play a board game while we eat but this one moves so quickly that we have a hard time doing both at the same time.) The boards are gorgeous, the pieces colorful and sturdy. We have just been thrilled with these purchases.
  
  
  
• Good game source
  By A28Y1HJA27ZVA1 on 2006-11-06
  I was happy to find this game. It was not in the local stores.I received it promptly.
  
  
• Fun and educational!
  By A2AK8SOO9PVL46 on 2007-02-13
  "Ticket to Ride/Europe" provides an opportunity for players of all ages not only to learn a bit of European geography when "traveling by train" between major cities, but also to hone their competitive strategy skills as "destinations" are achieved "secretly." (Germany and USA versions are also available.)
  
  
• Great game, easy to learn yet complex enough
  By A37A0ZGG1R1V7Z on 2007-09-15
  Gream game that is very easy to learn, yet complex enough to keep playing for both kids and adults. We used to have the basic Ticket to Ride (US) version but gave it away to my niece and nephew so had to buy a new one. Got the Europe version which is slightly more complex but does a good job at balancing shorter and longer routes which could tilt the outcome in teh basic version a little too much at times.
  
  
• Taken the place of TV night
  By A26U1IXMD03M9H on 2007-09-24
  Ticket to Ride Europe is our new favorite evening activity. My husband and I compete with each other, while our 10-year-old daughter plays along and tries to best her own top score.
  
  I discovered Ticket To Ride (the U.S. version) over the summer at my sister's house, and fell in love with the game there. When I went to buy it for my family, I decided to get the European version to help us bone up on our European geography.
  
  This game helps us improve our planning and strategizing skills, math skills, geography knowledge, and spatial skills.
  
  
• Ticket to Ride great game for adults
  By A1WGSST6QCSR1P on 2007-12-11
  Ticket to Ride Europe is a great game - educational and fun - recieved quickly and in perfect condition. Not meant to be durable - cards, small pieces - not for children.
  
  
• Love this game, and you can play live on line too
  By A2WK5AL5CAZ0ZQ on 2007-12-14
  I bought this for my 8 year old daughter and we both became hooked! A year later and it is still our first choice. It is a good game for two players, but aldo fun with more than two. You learn geography as you play, which is great. Also, for a limited time you can link into the on line game and play live with others. This is also a lot of fun. Buy it, it is worth the price.
  
  
• strategy-luck
  By AA3TDQ34248M7 on 2007-12-20
  Brand makes awesomely constructed pieces. High quality boards and such.
  
  I like this one a bit more than the "america" map version of the game. a few rule twists.
  
  I disagree with a previous poster, the strategy is not "limited and sometimes non existent". I will, however, agree that there is more luck involved in this game than some other strategy board games I've played... he recommends carcassone (also a great game) in which also has a luck of the draw aspect... I wouldn't bash it so soon. definitely not pure strategy like in chess, but not so strategyless as "sorry" or "trouble." For someone who is getting sick of all the same old games (-types that have been on target shelves for a good 20 years, or the fad games like apples to apples that have no strategy whatsoever (aside from knowing the personality of the juge)) I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS GAME.
  
  All but one person WE've played this with has wanted to play again. It wasn't quite aggressive enough for that one
  
  For the non-chess types who aren't ready for pure and absolute strategy games, this is a good strategy/luck mix to start with. It got me started on strategy board games, and I still love it several games later. IF you are ready for a bit more intense strategy (without making it a complete brain game), I recommend carcassone, Settlers of Catan, Colosseum...
  
  
• This game is awesome!!
  By A1P9AHIP5VRYQK on 2007-12-26
  We really love this game. It's very fast moving, so nobody gets bored. And yet it still has strategy. My SIL who usually hates to play games, and is either very confused and has no idea whats going on, or gets sick of games, actually loved this game and didn't complain at all while playing it!! Definitely a great family game.
  
  
• All Aboard!!!
  By A2M68PGPN4SAPF on 2008-01-12
  Played this one first thing Christmas morning and had a lot of fun. The board is big and vividly decorated. It was a challenge to build our paths and the directions were easily understood. Learn your European countries with this fun adventure game!
  
  
• Ticket to Ride
  By A2Q7HXH2I43QQB on 2008-04-05
  This is a strategy game which takes some thinking. Beats TV! Rules sound complicated but once you lay out the game and follow the directions it all starts to make sense. Had our children here for several days and played this game each night after the grandchildren went to bed. Each time we came up with more strategies and became more competitive. Thinking about buying ticket to ride - America.
  
  
• Ticket for fun
  By ALW1HJWLI553W on 2008-04-14
  This game is a lot of fun for this family of teenagers and adults. It is constantly in play on our dining room table! It doesn't take a long time to finish a game, but strategy and luck are both in play. It is a better for three and more. If the rules seem difficult to understand, once you play, all will become clear. There are lots of pieces so that you have to be sure not to lose them and you need a flat surface to play. You will become familiar with the geography of Europe and the country's own names for their cities. Again, loads of fun!
  
  

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