How to play Ticket to Ride Europe rules for rulebook haters (2024)

I hate rulebooks! This condensed How to Play Ticket to Ride Europe rules help players get the essential instructions without having to trawl rulebooks.

The Ticket to Ride Europe overview page introduces you to the game through a summary of the gameplay and videos shared by other gamer.

Setting up the Game

• Place the board in the center of the table.
• Each player receives:
  • 45 Colored Train Cars
  • 3 Colored Train Stations
  • Corresponding Scoring Marker
• Place each player’s Scoring Marker on Start ➊ on the Scoring Track.
• Shuffle the Train cards and deal 4 cards to each player ➋.
• Place the remaining Train card deck near the board.
• Turn the top 5 cards of the Train card deck face up and lay them next to each other ➌.
• Place the European Express Bonus and Summary card face up next to the board ➍.
• Separate the long route Destination Tickets (blue background) from the regular routes.
  • Shuffle the long routes and deal 1 to each player ➎.
  • Put any remaining long routes back in the game box without revealing them.
• Shuffle the regular Destination Tickets (plain background) and deal 3 to each player ➏.
• Place the remaining regular Destination Tickets in a draw pile face down next to the board.
• Ready to begin.

Beginning of the Game

• Before the first turn, players choose which Destination Tickets to keep.
• Players must keep at least 2 tickets but may keep more.
• Discard unwanted Destination Tickets back into the game box without revealing them.
• Discarded tickets can be either long or regular routes.
• Kept tickets are held until the end of the game.

Object of the Game

• Score the highest number of total points.
• Points can be scored by:
  • Claiming a Route between two adjacent cities.
  • Completing a Continuous Path of routes on Destination Tickets.
  • Having the Longest Continuous Path of routes for the European Express Bonus.
  • Keeping Train Stations in reserve at the end of the game.
• Points are deducted for each incomplete Destination Ticket at the end of the game.

The Game Turn

• The player who has visited the most European countries starts.
• Play proceeds clockwise.
• On a turn, a player performs one of these actions:
  • Draw Train Car Cards: Draw two Train cards (or one if a Locomotive is chosen).
  • Claim a Route: Play Train cards matching the route’s color and length, place trains on the board, and score points.
  • Draw Destination Tickets: Draw three Destination Tickets and keep at least one.
  • Build a Train Station: Build a Station in a city without one:
    • First Station: Play one Train card of any color.
    • Second Station: Play two cards of the same color.
    • Third Station: Play three cards of the same color.

Drawing Train Cards

• There are eight types of regular Train cards (12 each) and 14 Locomotive cards.
• Colors: Purple, Blue, Orange, White, Green, Yellow, Black, and Red.
• Draw two cards per turn from:
  • The five face-up cards or
  • The top of the deck (blind draw).
• Replace any face-up card taken with a new card from the deck.
• If a face-up Locomotive is chosen, it is the only card drawn that turn.
• If three of the five face-up cards are Locomotives, discard all five and replace with new cards.
• Players can have any number of cards in hand.
• When the draw pile is exhausted, reshuffle the discards into a new draw pile.
• If no cards are left and no discards are available, the player must Claim a Route, Draw Destination Tickets, or Build a Station.

Locomotives

• Locomotives are wild cards and can be used with any set of cards when claiming a route.
• Essential for claiming Ferry routes.
• If drawn face-up, only one card can be drawn that turn.
• If drawn blind from the top of the deck, it still counts as a single card, allowing two cards to be drawn that turn.

Claiming Routes

• Route Definition: A set of continuous colored or gray spaces between two adjacent cities.
• To Claim a Route:
  • Play Train cards matching the route’s color and number of spaces.
  • Locomotives can substitute any color.
  • Gray routes can be claimed with cards of any single color.
  • Place trains on the route’s spaces.
  • Discard the cards used.
  • Record the score by moving the Scoring Marker according to the Route Scoring Table.
• Rules:
  • Any open route can be claimed.
  • Routes do not need to connect to previously played routes.
  • A route must be claimed in a single turn.
  • Only one route can be claimed per turn.

Double-Routes

• Some cities have parallel routes.
• One player cannot claim both routes between the same cities.
• Routes linked to different cities are not double-routes.

Ferries

• Definition: Gray routes with Locomotive icons linking cities across water.
• To Claim a Ferry Route:
  • Play a Locomotive for each Locomotive symbol on the route.
  • Play the usual set of cards for the remaining spaces.

Tunnels

• Definition: Routes with tunnel marks and outlines.
• Claiming a Tunnel Route:
  • Play the required cards for the route’s length.
  • Reveal the top three cards from the Train draw pile.
  • For each revealed card matching the route’s color, play an additional card of the same color or a Locomotive.
  • If unable or unwilling to play the additional cards, take back all cards and end the turn.
  • Discard the revealed cards at the end of the turn.
• Special Rules:
  • Locomotives are wild cards and force an additional card if drawn.
  • If only Locomotives are used, additional cards must be Locomotives if drawn.
  • If not enough cards are available to reveal three, reveal as many as possible. If none, the tunnel is claimed without additional cards.

Drawing Destination Tickets

• On a turn, a player may draw three new Destination Tickets from the top of the deck.
• If fewer than three tickets are available, draw the remaining tickets.
• A player must keep at least one ticket but can keep two or all three.
• Any ticket not kept is placed at the bottom of the deck.
• Tickets kept must remain until the end of the game; they cannot be discarded later.
• Destination Tickets represent travel goals and affect scoring:
  • Bonus: Complete a continuous path between the two cities listed.
  • Penalty: Fail to complete a continuous path between the cities.
• Tickets are kept secret until final scoring.
• Players can hold any number of Destination Tickets.

Building a Train Station

• Function: Allows a player to use one route of another player into or out of a city to connect cities on Destination Tickets.
• Rules:
  • Build a Station on any unoccupied city.
  • Only one Station per player per city.
  • Maximum of three Stations per player during the game.
  • First Station: Play and discard one Train card.
  • Second Station: Play and discard two cards of the same color.
  • Third Station: Play and discard three cards of the same color.
  • Locomotives can replace any number of cards.
  • Use the same route for multiple tickets if using the same Station.
  • Players are not required to build Stations.
  • Each unused Station adds four points to the player’s score at the end of the game.

Game End

• The game ends when any player has two or fewer trains at the end of their turn.
• Each player gets one final turn, including the player who triggered the end.

Calculating Scores

• Ensure all route points are counted correctly.
• Reveal all Destination Tickets:
  • Add points for completed tickets.
  • Subtract points for incomplete tickets.
• Each played Station allows using one route of another player for ticket completion.
• Add four points for each unused Station.
• Award the 10-point European Express bonus for the Longest Continuous Path:
  • Count only continuous lines of plastic trains of the same color.
  • Include loops and repeated cities but not repeated trains.
  • Stations and opponent routes do not count for the longest path.
  • If tied, all tied players receive the bonus.

Determining the Winner

• The player with the most points wins.
• Tiebreakers:
  • Most completed Destination Tickets.
  • Fewest used Stations.
  • European Express bonus holder.