The highest-scoring routes are Seattle to New York (22 points), Los Angeles to New York (21 points), Los Angeles to Miami (20 points), and Vancouver to Montreal (20 points). The next-highest routes after that are Portland to Nashville (17 points), San Francisco to Atlanta (17 points), and Los Angeles to Chicago (16 points). Pay special attention to the routes leading into New York and Los Angeles since there are multiple tickets that begin and end there.
For example, if your long route is New York to Los Angeles, you could try to snag Pittsburgh to Denver, too—it’s a smaller route that works with the big one because it’s on the way! It’s important to complete one high-value ticket destination because they allow you to control more territory, connect smaller routes, and earn the “Longest Route” bonus card. The most overlapping routes are on the east coast and in the middle of the map.
You’ll be dealt 3 ticket cards before the game, and that’s when you can decide which ones work and discard the one you don’t want. Once you accept a ticket, you can’t discard it later, so think carefully! Keep the destination tickets you can reasonably finish. Don’t try to overextend yourself by finishing a whole pack of high-value tickets; a bunch of smaller routes can be just as helpful!
Even if you pick up longer high-value tickets, check to see if you have any smaller routes to help you connect the dots. This is especially helpful if you’re lagging behind in terms of points by the end of the game. Start grabbing tickets and find routes to complete at the last minute!
Remember: as you play, there’s no limit to the cards you can carry in your hand—so go to town! By building up train cards over several turns, you’ll also be in the perfect position to start laying down whole sections of the train tracks at once.
This is more effective in a 2 or 3-player game because the face-up card pile is replenished less often, so it’s harder for other players to catch onto what you’re doing. Track the number of each color card you see in the face-up cards as well. That way, you’ll know how likely it is to draw each color.
Wild cards can be played as any train color, so they come in handy when you’re a card short of what you need to complete a set of train cards. Remember that wild cards have to be played in a group of cards that are all the same color; you can’t use them when playing multiple different-colored trains.
For example, a small grey section of track (Houston to New Orleans) is especially important if you’re trying to complete the Los Angeles to Miami route. It’s easy to get, but there’s no easy detour if someone else steals it. Grey routes are prime targets because any color can be played there. If you see one that you need, grab it!
For example, there are only 2 single tracks going in and out of Las Vegas, which means the first person to that city pretty much controls it. Swoop in and grab it before someone else does!
The hidden advantage of this strategy is the element of surprise. Placing trains on opposite ends of the board makes your opponents less likely to determine which route you want.
This is also why playing trains in different spaces (rather than in a line) is helpful; when other players figure out what you’re doing, it’ll be too late, and you’ll have an entire route blocked off.
This is also helpful because a zig-zagging path is longer than a straight one—which puts you in the running for the longest route in the game. You’ll also have more opportunities to pick up smaller ticket routes and complete them when your trains are spread out this way.
You’re actually boxing yourself in when you plan too far ahead. Having a few routes in mind is okay, but you don’t need to chart out the whole game in the first round. Wait for a few rounds before putting your plan into motion. Even if you have a foolproof plot to win the game, you don’t want anyone else to figure it out! You might also get a better idea if you see what others are doing.
By studying other players, you can also get an idea of what you shouldn’t do. After all, you don’t want an accidental tell that clues everyone into your plan!
Just remember not to overdo your acting! An exaggerated reaction might tip them off that you’re faking it. Be subtle and act like you don’t even realize what you’re doing.
You can also use your knowledge to surprise players. If you know you’re far ahead in terms of points, you could start capturing longer 6-train routes (even without a ticket) and win the game in just a few turns.
