Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #622 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Days of Wonder
• Model: 4098806
• Dimensions: 11.75" h x 3.00" w x 11.75" l, 1.65 pounds

Features

• New Version on Famous Ticket to Ride Game
• Exciting gift for railway lovers!
• Winner of the prestigious toy Award Spiele des Jahres
• Includes 240 train cars and 15 train stations

Manufacturer's Description
From the craggy hillsides of Edinburgh to the sunlit docks of Constantinople, from the dusty alleys of Pamplona to a windswept station in Berlin, Ticket to Ride Europe takes you on an exciting train adventure through the great cities of turn-of-the-century Europe. The second installment in our best-selling Ticket to Ride series of train adventures, Ticket to Ride Europe takes you into the heart of Europe. In addition to the new board map, Ticket to Ride Europe offers you brand new game play elements including Tunnels, Ferries and Train Stations. We've also upgraded you to First-Class accommodations with larger cards, new Train Station game pieces, and a lavishly illustrated game board.

When Alan R. Moon, the game designer, and we embarked on this new adventure, we worked hard to make sure we'd bring you more than just a new map, but rather a whole new game experience on the tracks of turn-of-the-century Europe. Here's what your private berth will offer once you step on board:
"Ticket to Ride Europe adds a new layer of decision-making to the basic formula, making this sequel fresh, new and even more attractive to the gamers in the crowd. Even owners of the original Ticket to Ride will find the original touches in Ticket to Ride Europe just the thing to make this train ride first class."--Herb Levy--Gamers' Alliance
"The new [Ticket to Ride Europe] actually puts a bit more emphasis on strategic and planned gameplay than its predecessor, but this by no means makes the game less attractive. Quite the opposite, I would say that Alan R. Moon succeeded in making a good game better, and thus I can recommend the game without any reservations..."--Frank Schulte-Kulkmann--Kulkmann's G@mebox

Box Contains

Customer Reviews

"Trainy" enough for him, but not too "trainy" for me
We got this game because the other half likes trains and we enjoy playing games (both together and with friends), so this seemed like a good mix and different to our other games.

There are several different versions of this game, including the original Ticket to Ride (which is US based), but we chose this one as the map is of Europe and we read some reviews that said it is easier to learn, teach and play than the original. I don't know about the original, but this is certainly easy enough to learn.

The basic idea is that players draw tickets (say London to Frankfurt) and then you have to connect these two cites along pre-set routes on the board using small plastic trains and by playing coloured cards. You frequently have a choice of routes, and you don't get points for "directness", only for being able to get between the two locations on the ticket - If you choose to go via Moscow that's up to you. You also get points for longer steps, so Edinburgh to London is a longer step than Berlin to Essen, thus it costs more (in terms of cards and plastic trains), but you get more points. The more tickets you can satisfy, the more points you get, but there are penalties for tickets left in your hand that you can't use.

In terms of the game, it takes upto about an hour and a half, depending on number of players, how long people take to think and their strategy - we typically take about 45 mins for a two player game. There is a resonable amount of luck involved, but quite a bit of strategy and although the game plays well with any number of players, it is most chaotic with 3 or 5 players (due to a very clever little rule change). For a family board game, it is not cheap, but you do get quite a lot of quality bits for your money (including 45 plastic trains per player), and it's a well thought out game with a big board and lots of cards with a nice feel to them.

In summary, it's a good game that's not just for Christmas and has a lot replayability. If you like playing "modern Euro boardgames" (ie games, typically from Germany, with a little more to them than Monopoly and Cludo) or have a thing about trains, then this is definitely for you. However, if you haven't exerienced modern boardgames, there are other, cheaper options to try first (like Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan etc.), but this should be next on your list once you are addicted.

In our view, although it's not cheap, it's well worth the money!

Brilliant game
A brilliant game! It is best played with 3 or 4 players although it can be played with 2 or 5. The names of the countries on the European version (don't know about other versions) are the names of those places in 1901 which can sometimes make things confusing but once you learn it is OK. It is quite quick to learn the game becase the rules, although fairly long, are simple.
On the whole it is down to luck of which routes you get (e.g: Paris to Edinburgh) and how well those tie in with the long route or if any other players have similar routes. It is also luck as to which carriage colours you pick up in order to complete the route. The set is very durable and well made and good value for money for the high play value that can be gained from it. An excellent buy. 5 out of 5!

Still a favourite after a year
Others have described this game well. I would simply add that we have played this with both family and friends and it has proved a reliable hit that people have been keen to replay, and in at least one case, buy for themselves. We got it last Xmas and it is still probably our favourite game.
One good feature (among many) is that although you know how you are doing in terms of your objective, you cannot be sure exactly how the other players are faring. So you don't know until the final scoring who has won, which keeps interest going for all players throughout the game.
The game has got a good quality feel to it and is satisfying and enjoyable to play.