Starting rules about travel and places

126 sourced board game rules that mention travel and places when choosing who goes first.

• 890 Anno DominiThe person who most recently visited a castle is the first player.
• Adventure Games: The Volcanic IslandWhoever most recently saw an island goes first.
• AmalfiThe person who was most recently aboard a ship starts.
• Amalfi: RenaissanceWhoever most recently visited the ocean receives the wind-rose marker and starts the game.
• Anno 1800: The Board GameWhoever was abroad most recently takes the starting-player token and starts the game.
• Archeos SocietyFor the first season, the player who most recently visited an archaeological site goes first.
• Around the World in 80 DaysThe player who most recently visited London starts; alternatively, choose one player randomly using everyone’s Hat pawn.
• Art RobberyWhoever visited a museum most recently starts the first raid.
• AsteroydsThe player who most recently flew is player one and takes the dice and stopwatch.
• BärenparkThe player who most recently visited an animal park starts. The rules also allow choosing the starting player at random.
• BasilicaThe player who most recently visited a cathedral, basilica, or medieval church takes the first turn. If neither player has, consider any other temple or sacred place. If both visited such a place at the same time, the younger player starts.
• BettaThe player who most recently visited a pet shop starts.
• BlueprintsIn the first round, the player who most recently visited a building under construction goes first.
• BoonlakeIn multiplayer, whoever most recently traveled to a place with fewer than 100 inhabitants goes first.
• BuranoWhoever visited Italy most recently starts. If nobody has ever been there, choose the starting player randomly.
• Carcassonne: AmazonasStart with whoever most recently took a boat ride. The rulebook also permits the youngest player to start instead. Play proceeds clockwise.
• Cargo NoirWhoever last visited a port in real life starts and takes the first-player marker. Turns proceed clockwise.
• CastellThe player who most recently visited Catalonia receives the first-player marker and takes the first turn.
• Castello MethoniThe player who most recently visited an island goes first.
• Century: Eastern WondersThe player who was most recently on a boat starts.
• ChinatownThe player who most recently visited a Chinatown takes the First Player card.
• Clever KeysThe last player to have visited a real castle starts.
• Container: 10th Anniversary Jumbo Edition!The player who last captained a container ship starts. Alternatively, choose a random starting player by any method everyone agrees on.
• Costa RicaChoose the first expedition leader: use the player who most recently visited a rainforest, with Costa Rica taking precedence, or randomly select someone using the explorers in one group.
• Dice HospitalWhoever most recently visited a hospital starts. The rules also allow choosing randomly.
• Dinosaur IslandWhoever most recently extracted DNA from an amber-trapped mosquito goes first. If nobody has done that, whoever most recently visited a theme park starts.
• DistilledRandomly choose the first player, or give the first-player token to whoever last visited a distillery.
• DragonrealmThe player who has traveled farthest from home starts.
• Dreadful CircusThe player who most recently visited a circus starts as the first Seller.
• Dust in the WingsThe player who most recently visited a butterfly conservatory starts; alternatively, choose a starting player using a method of your own.
• El GrandeThe player who visited Spain most recently takes the First Player marker and plays the first Power card.
• EmergeThe person who most recently visited an island is the first player and takes the First Player Anchor.
• Escape PlanThe rulebook names whoever most recently robbed a bank as the initial starter. That player leads the opening City-tile placement; the order reverses before the first Player Action phase.
• EternitiumThe most recent player to travel back in time, or to see someone do so, starts. The journey or sighting may be fictional. If nobody qualifies, choose a starting player at random.
• Expeditions: Around the WorldThe player who most recently traveled abroad goes first.
• FarmageddonThe player who most recently visited a farm goes first.
• FavelasWhoever most recently visited Rio de Janeiro goes first.
• Fields of GreenThe player who most recently visited a farm or a rural area takes the First Player tile.
• Forbidden CityThe player who has, at some point, traveled closest to the Forbidden City in China starts.
• Forbidden IslandStart with whoever most recently visited an island.
• Forbidden SkyThe person who most recently traveled by air starts.
• Forest Shuffle: DartmoorThe player who last visited a moor starts the game.
• Forum TrajanumWhoever most recently visited a city center is the starting player.
• Four GardensThe player who last visited a pagoda is the starting player.
• Fresh FishThe player who most recently visited a weekly market starts.
• Galactic CruiseThe player who most recently went on a cruise or vacation goes first and takes the First Player token.
• Galaxy TruckerThere is no first player for building: when everyone is ready, the boldest player says "Go!" and everyone builds at the same time. The first player to finish building takes number tile 1 and becomes the leader for the flight.
• GenoaThe player who most recently visited a market starts.
• Gingerbread HouseChoose a starting witch; the rulebook suggests the player who last visited a forest as an example.
• Gloomy GravesThe player who most recently visited a graveyard starts and takes the Start Player card.
• HamburgumThe person who most recently visited a church starts.
• Happy CityGive the First Player card to whoever most recently visited another city. That player starts throughout the game.
• HarbourThe player who was most recently on a boat starts.
• HeliosThe player who has traveled to the most continents is the first player.
• Hera and ZeusThe player who most recently visited a Greek restaurant starts. If neither player has ever visited one, the player taking Hera's role starts.
• Humboldt's Great VoyageWhoever most recently went on a journey starts and takes the travel journal and knowledge-disk bag.
• IKIWith three or four players, whoever visited Japan most recently is the first month's starting player; choose randomly if nobody has visited Japan. With two players, randomly assign the Sun and Moon tokens; the Sun player starts the first month.
• In the Footsteps of DarwinWhoever traveled by ship most recently takes the Darwin token and starts. If nobody has traveled by ship, the rulebook lets the group use its preferred way of choosing a first player.
• IwariWhoever traveled most recently takes the first turn.
• Junk ArtFor the first city, the last person who visited an art exhibition is the start player.
• KahunaThe player who needs a vacation more urgently starts.
• Key to the City: LondonChoose a starting player; the rules suggest the player who most recently visited London. That player places their sailing barge on the first space of the era 1 river tile.
• KuZOOkAWhoever most recently visited a zoo goes first.
• LisboaThe player who most recently visited Lisboa starts and takes the Starting Player marker.
• Loose CabooseThe person who most recently traveled by train starts.
• Lords of WaterdeepThe player who most recently visited another city goes first and receives the First Player marker.
• Lost Ruins of ArnakWhoever most recently traveled somewhere they had never visited before takes the starting-player marker and starts.
• MaracaiboThe player who was most recently aboard a ship starts.
• Mercado de LisboaWhoever last visited a market takes the first turn.
• Minute RealmsWhoever most recently visited a castle is the first player.
• MonasteriumThe player who most recently visited a monastery starts; if no one has or no one remembers, the youngest player starts.
• MoroccoThe player who most recently traveled to Morocco starts and takes the start-player marker.
• My Farm ShopThe player who most recently visited a farm starts and takes the three dice.
• Mystery ExpressThe most recent person to board a real train starts and takes the miniature whistle. Play goes clockwise.
• Ninja CampThe player who most recently visited a summer camp places a ninja first during setup; the last player to place a ninja takes the first game turn.
• PandemicLook at the City cards in your opening hands. Whoever holds the card showing the largest city population takes the first turn.
• Pandemic: Rapid ResponseThe player who most recently traveled by plane starts. Continue clockwise.
• Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles – Episode 1For a standalone multiplayer game of Episode 1, whoever was most recently on a boat goes first.
• Pirate LegendsThe last person to travel by water starts.
• PiratissimoThe player who was most recently on a boat starts.
• PiratoonsThe player who was most recently on a boat starts as captain for the first round.
• PlanesThe player who most recently traveled by plane starts. The reference sheet also permits a random choice.
• Port RoyalWhoever most recently visited a harbor goes first.
• QEWhoever visited a bank most recently is the first auctioneer and takes the First Auctioneer Token.
• QuetzalWhoever explored an island most recently receives the first-player marker and places meeples first.
• Rat-a-Tat RollThe person who most recently visited a famous monument starts.
• RebirthMighty Boards English rules — Ireland mapThe person who last visited Ireland starts.
• RebirthMighty Boards English rules — Scotland mapThe person who last visited Scotland starts.
• Roll to the Top: JourneysThe player who most recently took a trip is the first active player and rolls the exploration dice. Everyone fills in their boards simultaneously using the rolled numbers.
• Rolling AmericaWhoever most recently visited another state draws and rolls the first two dice. Everyone then uses those dice simultaneously.
• Rumble NationThe person who most recently visited a castle starts, or choose a player at random.
• SagradaWhoever most recently visited Barcelona goes first.
• Santa MonicaThe player who most recently visited a beach goes first.
• Schotten TottenWhoever most recently traveled to Scotland, or somewhere near it, goes first.
• Skulls of SedlecThe player who most recently visited a cemetery or graveyard goes first.
• Small IslandsThe last player to have been on an island starts.
• Smash Up: World Tour – International IncidentThe player who most recently visited another country starts.
• Space ExplorersThe person who most recently visited outer space starts. If nobody has, the person who most recently watched or read something about space starts.
• Spirit IslandSpirit Island has no first player. It is cooperative, and all players act simultaneously within each phase of every turn.
• Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures GamePlayers plan maneuvers simultaneously. In the Activation phase, the ship with the lowest pilot skill activates first; in Combat, the ship with the highest pilot skill attacks first.
• SteamRollersThe last player to have missed a train becomes the Start Player.
• Super ToothWhoever most recently visited a museum starts.
• Survive the IslandThe last person to return safe and sound from an island is the first player.
• Switch & SignalThe person who most recently had to wait for a train is the first active player. If nobody has had to wait for one, the group decides who starts.
• Tang GardenThe most recent visitor to China goes first. If nobody has visited, choose randomly.
• The Great Fire of London 1666The player who most recently visited London starts. Alternatively, choose a player randomly.
• The Isle of CatsRandomly choose the starting player. Beginning with that player, go around the table choosing cat figures and placing them on the island in turn order.
• The Palaces of CarraraThe last player to have visited Italy or seen a picture of Italy starts.
• Three of a CrimeWhoever most recently visited a police station is the first eyewitness. The detective on their left makes the first questioning play.
• Ticket to Ride: EuropeStart with the player who has visited the greatest number of European countries during their lifetime, then continue clockwise.
• Time Bomb EvolutionWhoever most recently visited London is the starting player.
• Tiny Epic DinosaursThe person who most recently visited a natural history museum starts. The rules also allow your group to choose another method.
• Tiny Epic VikingsThe player who most recently set foot on an island takes the first action turn.
• Tiny Epic ZombiesThe person who most recently visited a mall goes first. The rules also allow your group to choose its own method.
• TobagoThe person who most recently visited an island starts.
• TrainsThe player who most recently traveled by train starts.
• Trans-Siberian RailroadThe person who most recently visited Russia opens the initial auction, unless the group agrees on another method.
• Trekking the National Parks: Second EditionWhoever most recently visited a national park goes first.
• Valley of the KingsWhoever most recently visited a museum goes first.
• ViennaQueen Games English rules, Stefan Feld City Collection 5Whoever was most recently in Vienna takes the city crest and is first player; the rulebook also allows whoever was closest to Vienna.
• ViennaSchmidt Spiele English rules, Johannes Schmidauer-König editionThe last person to have visited Vienna takes the start card (clock) and begins the game.
• VolcanoWhoever has traveled closest to molten lava goes first. The rules also suggest choosing randomly as an alternative.
• Walking in BuranoThe player who most recently traveled abroad starts. The rules also permit choosing a random starter.
• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich KingStart with the player who has traveled furthest north. Turns continue clockwise.
• YokohamaThe player who most recently visited Yokohama starts; if that does not determine a player, choose one by any preferred method.
• Zoo VadisThe person who most recently visited a zoo starts, or choose a player at random.

Each answer is our reviewed summary of that edition’s publisher rulebook. Open a game for its source, tie-break and edition details. Or pick a starting player at random.