Ticket to Ride
Classic Track with Paper ScoreClaim routes, complete tickets, go longest.
Who goes first?
Settle it before the Ticket to Ride argument starts. Pick how many players, add names if you like, and spin.
Keeping score too? Doodle Score remembers your players and tallies every round.
Game Identity
- Name: Ticket to Ride
- Player Count: 2–5 players. Standard: 3–5.
- Teams: No teams. All players compete individually.
- Theme: Commercial train-route building game by Days of Wonder. Players score points by claiming train routes and completing destination ticket cards.
Scoring Mechanics
- Scoring Variant: Accumulative (during play) + end-game adjustments (destination bonuses/penalties + longest route bonus).
- Target Score: No fixed target. Highest total score at game end wins.
- Unit of Scoring: Points from routes claimed + destination tickets ± longest route bonus.
- Lower vs. Higher: Higher score wins.
Rules & Validation
Scoring Components
Route Scoring (during play — scored when a route is claimed):
| Route Length (Trains) | Points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 15 |
End-Game Adjustments (scored after game ends):
- Destination Tickets Completed: +VP equal to the ticket's point value (printed on the card, typically 4–22 points).
- Destination Tickets NOT Completed: −VP equal to the ticket's point value (deducted from score).
- Longest Continuous Route Bonus: +10 VP to the player(s) with the longest single connected train route.
- Ties: all tied players receive the full +10 bonus.
Game End Trigger
- Game ends when any player's train supply drops to 2 or fewer trains remaining. All players (including that player) complete the current round, then final scoring occurs.
Validation Rules
- Route points: non-negative, from the route-length table above.
- Destination ticket adjustments: enter each ticket as a positive (completed) or negative (failed) value.
- Longest route bonus: exactly one addition of +10 per game (or +10 each if tied).
Special Actions / Bonuses
- Globetrotter Bonus (some versions): +15 VP to the player who completes the most destination tickets.
- Asia/Europe variants: Different route lengths and bonus scoring (tunnels, ferries, etc.).
Win Conditions
- Condition: After the final round triggered by a player reaching 2 or fewer trains, add destination ticket scores and longest route bonus. Highest total wins.
- Tie-Breaker: Most destination tickets completed. If still tied, most routes claimed.
Set Up in Doodle Score
Ticket to Ride doesn't have a dedicated scorecard yet — track it for free using a general scorecard:
- Tap New Scorecard and choose Quick Score (tracks one player's turn at a time)
- Add 4 players (adjust as needed)
Score type: Ascending — highest score wins.
Common Ticket to Ride rules questions
The arguments that come up at the table, answered from the official rules. Where house rules differ, we say so.
Can you take a face-up locomotive and another card?
No. A face-up locomotive counts as your whole draw. A locomotive drawn blind from the deck can still be followed by a second card.
Can both tracks of a double route be used with 2 or 3 players?
No. With 2 or 3 players, only one track of a double route can be claimed.
Can one player take both tracks of a double route?
No. A player can never claim both tracks of the same double route.
How many points is the longest route?
10 points. Tied players all get it. A path can loop through cities but can't use the same train piece twice.
When does Ticket to Ride end?
When a player has 2 or fewer trains left at the end of their turn, everyone, including that player, gets one final turn.