<p>No, you cannot claim a route longer than the number of plastic trains you have left.</p>

<p><a href="https://ncdn0.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/img/tt_rules_2015_en.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Ticket to Ride Rules</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Claim a Route<br>
  The player may claim a route on the board by playing a set of Train Car cards 
  that match the color and length of the route and 
  <strong>then placing one of his colored trains on each space of this route</strong>...  </p>
  
  <p>Claiming Routes<br>
  ... When a route is claimed, the player <strong>places one of his plastic trains in each of the spaces of the route</strong>... </p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T12:37:23.870Z
And explicitly from the publisher: "No you absolutely can't play more cards/lay more tracks than you have trains left!" --Eric Hautemont, DoW, 2004. https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/19644/train-car-pieces-end-game
L. Scott Johnson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T15:33:25.503Z
It would ruin the resource management part of the game, since you could calm a 4 or 5 route with 2 trains.
Styxsksu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T20:24:27.260Z
@Styxsksu not ruin.... it would become part of people's strategies... I'd leave a 6 route empty, and then make sure my second to last move leaves me only with one train, to maximise the "free trains" I get from this. It's.... a different meta I guess. (not an enjoyable one imho)
Patrice
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T20:35:37.123Z
I can agree with that but it I have also been in the situation where I couldn't complete all of my tickets because the easy route between 2 cities was taken by someone else, so didn't have enough trains to do the other route
Styxsksu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-06T08:00:31.090Z
2020-03-06T08:06:44.573Z
2020-03-06T08:06:44.573Z
Ola Ström
<p>On the last move, after only 2 train pieces remains, is it possible to claim a 3-carriage route, if you have the 3 required color cards but only 2 plastic trains left to place on the board?</p>

<ticket-to-ride>
Can I claim a route longer than the number of trains I have left?
Matthew Roadnight
# Can I claim a route longer than the number of trains I have left?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-06)

On the last move, after only 2 train pieces remains, is it possible to claim a 3-carriage route, if you have the 3 required color cards but only 2 plastic trains left to place on the board?

**Tags:** ticket-to-ride


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-03-06. Score: 21

No, you cannot claim a route longer than the number of plastic trains you have left.

[Ticket to Ride Rules](https://ncdn0.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/img/tt_rules_2015_en.pdf)

> Claim a Route  
> The player may claim a route on the board by playing a set of Train Car cards
> that match the color and length of the route and
> **then placing one of his colored trains on each space of this route**...
>
> Claiming Routes  
> ... When a route is claimed, the player **places one of his plastic trains in each of the spaces of the route**...

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: And explicitly from the publisher: "No you absolutely can't play more cards/lay more tracks than you have trains left!" --Eric Hautemont, DoW, 2004. https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/19644/train-car-pieces-end-game  
> **username_3**: It would ruin the resource management part of the game, since you could calm a 4 or 5 route with 2 trains.  
> **username_4**: @username_3 not ruin.... it would become part of people's strategies... I'd leave a 6 route empty, and then make sure my second to last move leaves me only with one train, to maximise the "free trains" I get from this. It's.... a different meta I guess. (not an enjoyable one imho)  
> **username_3**: I can agree with that but it I have also been in the situation where I couldn't complete all of my tickets because the easy route between 2 cities was taken by someone else, so didn't have enough trains to do the other route  

---

