Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries

1 Overview

Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries is a standalone game designed specifically for 2–3 players. It covers Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark with a dense, competitive map. It plays faster than the USA map and is considered one of the most strategically intense Ticket to Ride games due to the limited routes and high player density.

2 Key Mechanics

Nordic uses tunnels and ferries from the Europe rules:

Tunnels

Same as Europe: draw 3 cards when attempting a tunnel. Each matching card or locomotive drawn requires 1 extra card payment. Failed attempts return cards to your hand.

Ferries

Same as Europe: pay the required number of Locomotives plus remaining route length in matching cards.

No Stations

Nordic does not use Station pieces, routes are fully competitive with no safety net.

No Grey Double Routes

Unlike the USA map which has grey double routes (where the second route has no color requirement), all Nordic routes are colored.

3 The Map

Nordic is the smallest Ticket to Ride map (designed for 2–3 players only). Key geographic features:

• Dense Scandinavian cities, routes are short and highly contested
• Many tunnel routes through mountain terrain
• Ferry routes across the Baltic and North Sea
• Longer north-south routes through Norway and Finland worth more points

With 3 players, the map becomes very crowded quickly. With 2 players, there's more room but route denial is still critical.

4 Scoring

• Routes: standard length-based points
• Completed tickets: + face value
• Failed tickets: − face value
• Longest route bonus: +10 points

Nordic tickets tend to be longer (higher face values) than the USA map due to the geography.

5 Strategy

Claim Routes Early and Aggressively

Routes fill up fast with 3 players. If you wait to accumulate cards for an optimal play, critical routes will disappear. In Nordic, "good enough" is often better than "perfect."

Tunnel Route Backup Plans

Tunnels can fail. On a map this dense, a failed tunnel with no backup route is devastating. Identify alternate paths before committing to tunnel-heavy strategies.

Long North-South Routes Are Worth the Investment

The long routes running through Norway (particularly Narvik-Bergen type routes) are worth significant points and rarely covered by opponents quickly. If your tickets take you through Scandinavia lengthwise, claim those routes early.

Locomotives Are Precious

Ferries and tunnels both need Locomotives. With no stations safety net, a missed tunnel attempt is pure loss. Manage Locomotive cards carefully.