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In Ticket to Ride: United Kingdom you have to complete your train tickets just like in the original, but now you also have to invest in different technologies to help you achieve your destinations. You start in England and, as you have to travel between Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales, you will have to buy the relevant technology card to enter the other countries.
Ticket To Ride: United Kingdom was designed by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder. It's for 2-4 players and takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play.
There is also a second game on the reverse of the game board called Ticket to Ride: Pennsylvania. Again the principle is much the same as the original, you have to complete train routes. This time, however, when you claim a route, you will gain a share of a company that is on the route you just claimed.
At the end of the game, you will collect points for your trains and then your shares in the companies. Ticket to Ride: Pennsylvania is for 2-5 players and also takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
Components
I would love to say that there are shiny new trains with this game but no. In order to play Ticket to Ride: United Kingdom, you need the original Ticket to Ride as you get NO trains! It’s a bit disappointing but I do like the new train cards. They are bigger (not small and fiddly anymore), and the artwork is more intricate and appealing.
The technology cards are interesting. They allow you to move to different countries, claim larger space routes, to ferry across bodies of water, and one of the advanced technologies allows you to gain three blind train cards instead of the normal two. The cards are of good quality. They're nice and thick with good quality artwork, making them last.
Pennsylvania
In this version, you get a new deck of destination cards and stock share cards. There are six different stock card piles, each with a different amount of cards. Some shares are worth more than others, and some are easier to come by.
Again, the artwork on the cards is of a good standard. But when playing this game you will have to use the train cards from the original game and not the ones in the box.
Gameplay
It starts off much the same as the original Ticket to Ride. You collect your trains, choose your destinations, and receive four train cards and one locomotive card. You start in England and can only claim routes that use one or two trains - In order to claim the bigger routes you will have to have the relevant technology card.
Like the original, you can do one thing on your turn; pick up cards, claim routes, or acquire new destination tickets. But now, before you take your turn, you can buy a technology card. You will need locomotive cards equal to the number on the card you wish to buy.
The game ends when one player is down to zero, one, or two trains at the end of their turn. In this version it's best to score your points as you go, as there is a technology card that modifies your points per route once you purchase it.
Pennsylvania
Again you collect your trains, destinations, and train cards. It plays most like the original, where you can either pick up cards, acquire new destination cards, or claim a route. But now when you claim your route, you will receive a share card in one of the stocks on the route. (In a two-player game, a dummy player will receive a stock card as you do.)
If there are multiple stockholders you choose the one you want. If there are no more available stocks to take from a stockpile, you won't receive another share in that stock. At the end of the game, you will add up the score for your trains then your stocks. The person with the most shares in a specific stock will gain the most points.
Final Thoughts on Ticket to Ride: United Kingdom
The original Ticket to Ride is a great game, but Ticket to Ride: United Kingdom makes it even better. More interesting, strategic, and challenging. As you gain more technologies it may be harder to conceal your routes, which in turn make it very interesting to play.
I like that you have to buy the technologies to advance and it’s not all about how lucky your draw is. I do wish it came with its own trains, as in order to play this game as you do need one of the original versions.
I do really like that it has another game on the back and again it is different, introducing a new mechanic to the game. You can get this game for a small price which is fairly good for two different games in one box.
If you want to see more Ticket to Ride, we have a whole collection available here. Be sure to read our review of the original Ticket to Ride, as well as our how to play blog.
Editors note: This blog was originally published on September 6th, 2017. Updated on February 1st, 2022 to improve the information available.
