There’s a new world of board game awesomeness and we’ve just unlocked it! Get ready for an epic train adventure around Europe as you work towards connecting cities and building train tracks, tunnels and ferries to complete your mission.
And what a fun ride it is!
We recently entered the realm of Ticket to Ride Europe and brought five Mum Central reviewing families along for the ride for our epic Ticket to Ride Europe review. And what an adventure! Our reviewers LOVED this game. Kids. Parents. Tweens. Teens. Every single family who played Ticket to Ride Europe rated it well, ending up with 4.6 stars overall – that’s a 92% approval rating! 5 stars for fun for adults and kids and 5 stars for SCREEN-FREE FAMILY FUN!
Designed for both adults and kids aged 8+, guaranteed to keep them engaged and off their screens, and sure to be a staple for any game night, Ticket to Ride Europe is the modern-day version of Monopoly or the Game of Life we’ve been searching for.
Trust us, this game is truly the golden ticket of games and we are glad we discovered it!
But first, take a look at what our reviewers had to say about Ticket to Ride Europe.
Introducing Ticket to Ride Europe
From the craggy hillsides of Edinburgh to the sunlit docks of Constantinople, 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.
It’s the second instalment of the Ticket to Ride series and has become a cult favourite, especially if you are a fan of board games.
The game is elegantly simple and easy to learn. Ideal for adults and kids, but it’s also easy enough for kids to play on their own at play dates or with one another. You can play with 2 to 5 players and choose how competitive or strategic you want to play. For younger kids, you may want to play more as a team, but with the older ones, it’s GAME ON!
One of the things we were surprised about was that it doesn’t end in sibling fights which is one of the most frustrating things about Monopoly. Plus, Ticket to Ride isn’t nearly as long. It takes around 60-90 minutes to play (depending on your pace and ages) but every game delivers a different experience so it’s great to play over and over again.
This game has won a few awards and comes with rave reviews online but we wanted to test it out for ourselves.
Ticket to Ride Europe Review: Here’s what our reviewers had to say:Â
The Cooper Family
We loved this version of one of our favourite games so much! From the 5yo who lines up the trains and does the counting and colour matching to the 11yo who competes strategically with his dad to the mum who just tries to keep up with the rest of them. We can’t wait to share this game with some of our friends!”Â
The Galley Family
Ticket to Ride Europe was easy to set up and play once we learned the rules. It was strategic but also unpredictable as there are so many ways to score points and lose them at the end. I love how every time you play is a different gaming experience completely. Definitely recommend to every family who enjoys board games. It’s a great family game with lots of twists and different ways to play and win. We will we playing this one over and over again.”
The Bride Family
Our family loved this game! Our whole family enjoyed the gameplay and we were able to pick up the rules on the first play. It’s an enjoyable game for all players aged 8 and up (although our 7 year old has also joined in and loves the game too!). It’s a great way to get multiple generations bonding together”.Â
The Jennings FamilyÂ
Ticket to Ride really helped my kids to learn about strategising which is something very few games can offer at this age. It really brought out the competitive side of my teens … great banter followed too! Overall a nice change to what we’re used to playing!
The Cyprys FamilyÂ
Ticket to Ride Europe is a fun interactive family game that adults and kids can enjoy together. It’s simple enough for kids, but challenging enough to keep the adults from getting bored. It even kept the older teenagers engaged!”Â
Take a look at how games night went with Ticket to Ride at the forefront and see how our reviewers rated it!Â
Ticket to Ride Europe
Pros
- Fun for kids AND grownups!
- Great value gift under $50
- Easy to learn and play
- Educational benefits
- Screen free family fun
How to Play Ticket to Ride Europe
When playing any board game for the first time, it’s important to read the rules and how to set up the game. Ticket to Ride is fairly straightforward with a gorgeous board, five different colours of trains and train stations (one per player), five coloured markers and two types of playing cards (destination cards which are brown and train cards which are blue). You’ll also find a scoring card.
The object of the game is simple. Try to connect two cities (aka routes) with trains in order to score points. Longer routes equals more points. When you score points, you move your coloured marker around the board (on the outside of the map).
Every player will need 4 route cards (1 long one, 3 smaller ones), as well as 3 train cards, plus their trains and train stations.
Players will choose at least one of the two route cards and return any unwanted ones, keeping all routes a secret.
To set up the game you’ll also need to put five train cards face up. Choose a player to go first (youngest, most travelled, oldest, whatever you like). Each player can do ONE of FOUR plays per turn.
- Pick up train cards
- Play your card to claim a route
- Pick up a destination card
- Play a train station
You can score points in two different ways too.
- By claiming a section between cities and by completing your destination cards. The amount is indicated on the card but be careful when picking route cards, as incomplete ones are worth their value in negative points.
- Coloured routes need to be claimed by the same colour while grey routes can be claimed by any colour. Multicoloured train cards act as Wilds but they are also needed for ferry routes.
So, for example, if you have three orange train cards, you can connect a route of THREE. Look at the scorecard and you’ll see this equates to FOUR points. So move FOUR spots on the board.
The game ends when someone runs out of trains and then the final score needs to be counted based on how many destination cards you’ve completed or failed at.
The rules above are pretty simplified but the game comes with detailed instructions and you can also find WikiHow’s online to assist.
Like any new game, sometimes it’s easier to learn the rules by watching a video, and here are a few we found extra helpful including Games Made Easy and Days of Wonder.
All aboard Ticket to Ride EuropeÂ
If you’re after a game that brings the family together, then Ticket to Ride Europe is your next game destination. It delivers hours of family fun away from the screens… and we know how much we all want that!
The next time you are in Kmart, head to the games section and grab your own Ticket to Ride Europe. It retails for $79.95 but Kmart generally sells it for under $50.
It’s a great gift idea, Christmas present, or special surprise to bring out while camping or during downtime with the kids at home. Ticket to Ride Europe ticks all the gaming boxes and delivers hours of enjoyment. It’s also great as a school holiday or home-schooling activity, focusing on geography and strategy.
Be sure to enter our Ticket to Ride Europe Review competition below to WIN 1 of 3 Ticket to Ride Europe prize packs.
Win 1 of 3 Ticket to Ride Game Bundles, featuring 4 of Ticket to Ride’s most famous editions and maps
Sit back and take your family on a journey from the comfort of your living room.
- Ticket to Ride
- Ticket to Ride Europe
- Ticket to Ride San Francisco
- Ticket to Ride Train Switcher
Enter now
This is a sponsored review for Ticket to Ride Europe. All images and opinions are those of our reviewers. To find out how it works and apply, join our ‘Mum’s the Word’ Review Panel.
