Ticket to Ride has been one of the most popular board games for years. The game is easy to learn, but difficult to master. There are so many expansions and variations that you can play with your friends and family! In this post, we will list 5 of the best ticket to ride expansion sets around for purchase today.
How to Play Ticket to Ride (A Summary)
Ticket to Ride is a map-building game. Players collect cards of different types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes and add those routes to their personal network. The more you have in your own network, the faster you can get from point A to B when they are connected on the board. However, other players may block or run through these lines with ease if not careful!
Gameplay
Ticket to Ride is a game for two to five players, aged eight and up. The length of the game varies depending on how many expansions you choose to play with; in general, Ticket to Ride games take about 30-60 minutes. A single game takes place over three rounds (or “rides”), with each round consisting of several turns during which players can perform one action repeatedly or perform different actions based on certain conditions.
Rules and Scoring
Players begin by having seven train cards dealt out among them (to start) and drawing destination tickets that match some number of these cards—the number matching the number of players plus one (i.e., if there are two players playing, they will draw four destination tickets). Players receive points for completed destination tickets.
Players then take turns claiming routes on the board with their limited supply of trains, represented by cards in hand.
Each route claimed during a turn scores points for the player at the game’s end based on how long that route is and if they were able to complete one or both of its destination tickets; longer routes score more points, and completing all the requirements on a ticket awards bonus points in addition to those granted simply for claiming such a route. The first player unable to place any trains loses the round (thereby receiving zero points for this round), while whoever has the most total route points after three rounds wins overall.
Best Ticket to Ride Expansions on the Market
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Best for Long-time Fans
| Ticket to Ride Europe
| Check Price |
Best Ticket to Ride Expansion Overall 
| Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails
| Check Price |
Best Map Expansion 
| Ticket to Ride USA 1910 Expansion
| Check Price |
Best for Beginners 
| Ticket to Ride United Kingdom
| Check Price |
Best for Kids and Parents 
| Ticket to Ride First Journey Board Game
| Check Price |
1. Ticket to Ride Europe – Best for Long-time Fans
This is the newest version of Ticket to Ride published by Days of Wonder. It contains a new double-sided gameboard with updated graphics.This expansion works to bring all the fun that you know from playing “Ticket To Ride” to an entirely different continent! This map connects many major European cities including London, Paris, Rome, etc., while also visiting some lesser-known locations like Madrid and Budapest. Players will need both strategy skills as well as luck in order to master this map since it requires much more planning than players are used to when playing on the original USA board. Although there have been complaints about the lack of destinations for the longer routes since they tend to go nowhere exciting or rewarding.
Components
Ticket to Ride Europe contains:
- One double-sided gameboard
- 210 translucent train car miniatures
- 80 wooden route marker tokens (20 per color)
- 110 cards for adding additional routes throughout Europe
Gameplay And Features
Ticket to Ride Europe plays just like the original USA version, with players trying to claim routes across a map. However, there are some slight tweaks and changes that come along with this new addition including:
- The use of train cards in order to add extra routes throughout the board (similar to the Marklin version)
- The ability for players always having access to their last claimed route which can be used each turn after it has been completed until another route is claimed instead (known as Train Stations). This allows you never to lose your trains even if they reach their destination meaning additional points at the game’s end!
As mentioned before, one of the biggest complaints about this expansion comes from its lack of long interconnected paths since many longer routes seemingly go nowhere interesting. This can be especially frustrating to new players who are just beginning their journey into the world of Ticket to Ride since many routes have an added cost for being completed that can’t always be paid off in time leaving them with little choice but taking a zero-point penalty instead!
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
All in all, this is one expansion worth checking out if you’re looking for something different from your usual game sessions or even if you want more variety between rounds making it great for long-time fans as well as those newer to the series!
2. Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails – Best Ticket to Ride Expansion Overall
Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails is another great add-on that can be played with or without having previous versions in your collection adding a whole new element into gameplay that shakes things up significantly. If you’re looking for transport options other than just trains then this version will have something you’ll definitely want to check out! While it may not offer routes going everywhere, there are enough different changes here that make it worth checking out if you’ve been playing either ticket to ride USA or Europe extensively before now!Components
Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails contains:
- One double-sided gameboard
- 12 wooden ferry boats
- 40 plastic passengers (in four colors)
- 12 metal coins, six custom sail tokens, and 90+ new cards including 30 Destination Tickets which give access to 36 island locations across three continents.
The complete set also includes a rules booklet that provides the instructions for two different games; one using ferries and ships while the other uses train only. It’s up to you how you want to play!
Gameplay And Features
First and foremost, this expansion is great because it actually adds a whole new element to the game. Players will now be able to cross water spaces using ferries or sailboats which allows for plenty of options in regards to building routes giving players more places they can start from when trying to build their empire.
One of the biggest complaints about previous expansions (namely Europe) was that there were no longer any long interconnected paths between cities making many longer routes go nowhere interesting; however, with Rails & Sails, things have changed significantly! This particular edition provides even more variety than we previously thought possible while simultaneously adding enough changes into gameplay so as not to appear too similar all at once! In other words, if you’re looking for transport options other than just trains this version will have something you’ll definitely want to check out!
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails is a great expansion pack for those looking for more variety between rounds of gameplay and features enough new elements and changes so as not to feel too familiar all at once. On top of this, it also has a stronger theme behind it which makes playing through each round much more interesting than we previously thought possible; making this particular version one you’ll definitely want to check out if you’ve played either Europe or the USA extensively before now!
3. Ticket to Ride USA 1910 Expansion – Best Map Expansion
Ticket To Ride USA 1910 Expansion comes complete with a double-sided gameboard allowing you to pick either coast or country depending on which side of the board you prefer; one featuring East Coast locations while the other shows just how expansive everything is has become throughout American cities located in Midwestern states. In addition, it also includes new destination tickets that connect several major metropolitan areas such as New York City and Chicago along with 30 brand new colored train cars that fit alongside all previous versions without any issues.Components
Ticket to Ride USA 1910 contains:
- One double-sided gameboard
- 83 wooden train cars
- 40 plastic passengers (in four colors)
- 80 Destination Tickets which give access to 84 cities across two continents.
These tickets have a different look from previous versions of the board, with bright and colorful illustrations by Ian O’Toole. There is also an all-new cast of characters featured on these destination tickets. In addition, there are some small rule changes as well such as longer routes being possible for this version!
Gameplay And Features
Ticket to Ride USA 1910 is an expansion for the original game. The rules are mostly the same as in its parent game, with two big exceptions:
- There are no longer routes that span multiple regions (e.g., “Cincinnati to Atlanta”).
- The non-USA maps (and any expansions you’re using) remain available; if they include a route that goes through or into one of the new states, then it’s still there! This means that you can now take your train all over North America and beyond!
It also comes complete with several brand new features including air travel options included across every major state throughout North American cities plus three additional ferry services along coastal areas making transportation much easier than before. With this expansion, you can easily learn how to play the game within minutes and get your hands on playing through each round even more exciting than before.
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Ticket To Ride Rails & Sails is a great expansion pack for those looking for both another way play as well as adding enough changes so as not to feel too familiar all at once. If you’ve played either Europe or the USA extensively before now then picking up this version will be worth your time and money!
4. Ticket to Ride United Kingdom – Best for Beginners
Ticket to the Ride United Kingdom is a stand-alone version that takes players on railroad adventures throughout Great Britain. It’s a most noticeable difference from its parent game is that each player starts with two trains instead of one; in addition, they can also acquire more by collecting sets of cards or pay for them using their turn’s allotment of track tiles.In terms of gameplay, there isn’t much else out of the ordinary in the United Kingdom but that’s not to say it isn’t without its own unique perks. One of these is the new longest route bonus which awards players for having more stations touching their completed tickets than any other player; this makes gameplay feel even more competitive while also adding yet another way to get ahead at all times!
Components
Ticket to Ride United Kingdom contains:
- One double-sided gameboard
- 74 wooden train cars
- 40 plastic passengers (in four colors)
- 54 Destination Tickets which give access to 56 cities across two continents.
Gameplay And Features
Ticket to Ride United Kingdom follows the same basic rules as its parent game with some key changes. One of these is that each player starts out with two trains instead of one; in addition, they can also acquire more by collecting sets of cards or pay for them using their turn’s allotment of track tiles. During play, these additional train cars are used as wildcards when attempting to complete tickets which makes it easier than ever before to maximize your score potential while simultaneously making every round even more exciting at all times!
In terms of components, the only thing you’ll need is six dice (two each of red, white & blue) which are included within. Everything else is already built into the game itself so it’s ready for play right out of the box with minimal set-up or prep required.
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
Ticket To Ride United Kingdom is definitely a worthwhile addition to the Ticket To Ride family of games. The new longest route bonus makes gameplay feel even more competitive while also adding yet another way to get ahead at all times! In terms of components, I really like that this version takes advantage of extra trains instead of just handing them out freely which gives players an additional challenge when it comes time for each round in comparison with other versions.
5. Ticket to Ride First Journey Board Game – Best for Kids
Ticket to Ride First Journey is the easiest way to introduce young children and those new to modern board games alike to this wonderful hobby. Designed with a very basic rule set it’s easy enough for anyone in your family or group of friends to pick up quickly but has just enough strategy involved so even experienced gamers will find themselves challenged as well!This makes an excellent choice if you’re looking for something that everyone can enjoy without having different playgroups end up fighting over rules which can sometimes take place when trying other titles out there on the market. In addition, since gameplay only takes around 30 minutes max per round this version also requires far less time investment than full-fledged versions do allow players more freedom about how they spend their free time on any given day!
Components
Ticket To Ride First Journey includes:
- One gameboard
- 40 train car tokens (12 each in red, green, yellow, and black) 20 Gold Mine tokens – 20 Tunnel tokens
- 240 plastic passengers in four colors (60 per color; no blue!)
- 12 Destination Tickets with matching illustrated Train cards
- Rules of Play booklet
Gameplay And Features
Ticket To Ride First Journey is a standalone game based on the original Ticket to Ride board game. The goal of this version has been adjusted in order to make it more suitable and appealing for children aged three and up. It’s very easy and intuitive, thus allowing even small kids to get familiar with its rules within just a few turns!
A child can play alone or together with other players (maximum four). During each round, one player draws an event card that shows two different locations on the map where there are tunnels present. However, only half of these will be covered by dirt so you have some chance at getting lucky here if your path leads through such places!
On the other hand, since there are no blocking actions as well as a limited number of tunnels each turn is rather simple and quite short allowing younger children to play at their own pace without being overwhelmed by too many rules!
Pros and Cons
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Ticket To Ride First Journey is an excellent choice for any parent seeking a fun way to introduce kids to modern-day board games or just looking for something that will allow them to spend some quality time together while also sparking their interest in one another’s company. Since gameplay takes around 30 minutes per round it doesn’t require too much investment on either player’s part so this version can be enjoyed multiple times during any given session making its purchase worth every penny!
Conclusion
Ticket to Ride is an exciting game that can get players hooked on playing it for hours at a time. The original Ticket to Ride board game has the base map, which comes with rules and directions about how to play the game, but there are five other expansions available too! Each expansion pack adds new gameplay elements, so you won’t run out of things to do anytime soon. Every single one of these expansions deserves your attention if you’re looking for more ways to spice up your favorite train adventure.