Image: Ravensburger · source
Ravensburger Railway Station 60-Piece Children's Puzzle
Ravensburger · Budget
A 60-piece children's jigsaw puzzle from Ravensburger on a railway station theme, recommended by the publisher for age 4 and up.
Ticket to Ride: First Journey (Europe map)
Days of Wonder · Mid-range
The Europe-map edition of Days of Wonder's children's version of Ticket to Ride is a route-building board game for two to four players aged six and up, with playing times of 15 to 30 minutes.
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
Why Railfans Carry It
Days of Wonder presents First Journey as the introduction to the Ticket to Ride series: players collect train cards, claim routes on the map and try to connect the cities shown on their tickets. In this edition the map is of Europe, and the Asmodee store page says the first player to complete six tickets wins. For a railfan family, the box holds 80 trains to place on a map of European routes. The maker's page credits the design to Alan R. Moon and tells a short story about a grandfather's engineer's cap and his first journey as a railroader, which gives the game a railway setting.
In the Field
This is a tabletop game, so the useful details are the box and the rules. The back of the Europe box, shown on the Asmodee store page, lists its contents as 1 board map of European train routes, 80 colored trains, 72 train cards, 32 tickets, 4 East to West bonus tickets and 1 rulesheet. Days of Wonder's own page presents the USA and Europe versions together under the heading 2 versions, so confirm that the box in your hands says Europe. The author's note on that page says adults can play in as little as 10 minutes, that children may take 20 to 30 minutes, and that even 4 and 5 year olds can enjoy the game with some supervision, although the age printed on the box is 6+. Days of Wonder offers the Europe-map rulebook as a download in 18 languages, among them English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Europe map with 80 trains and 72 train cards
- Playing time of 15 to 30 minutes
- Europe rulebook downloadable in 18 languages
- Introduction to the Ticket to Ride series, per the maker
Weaknesses
- Box warning: not suitable for children under 36 months, small parts, choking hazard
- Maker's minimum age is 6+
- Two to four players only
- Sold as separate USA and Europe versions, and sellers title the Europe one differently
Key Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | SKU DOW7227 on the Asmodee store |
| Edition | Europe map; Days of Wonder also publishes a USA-map version |
| Players | 2 to 4 |
| Designer | Alan R. Moon |
| Publisher | Days of Wonder (Asmodee Group) |
| In the box | 1 board map of European train routes, 80 colored trains, 72 train cards, 32 tickets, 4 East to West bonus tickets, 1 rulesheet |
| Playing time | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Recommended age | 6+ |
Who It’s For
Parents and grandparents buying for a child aged 6 or older, in a family that wants a first step toward the full Ticket to Ride game and prefers a European map. Readers who want a different Ticket to Ride game can look at the Ticket to Ride entry in this catalogue; the maker describes First Journey as easy to learn and quick to play.
Alternatives
Ticket to Ride, listed in this catalogue, is a game under the same name; Days of Wonder presents First Journey as an introduction to the Ticket to Ride series. Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails, also in this catalogue, is another edition in the series; the maker's page lists it under Other Edition. For a map of America instead of Europe, the Asmodee store sells a separate Ticket to Ride First Journey product whose description speaks of venturing across America by train.
Image: Days of Wonder · source
Ticket to Ride
Days of Wonder · Mid-range
A cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities across North America.
Image: Days of Wonder · source
Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails
Days of Wonder · Premium
A world-map installment of the Ticket to Ride series in which players collect train and ship cards to claim railway and sea routes.
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