Mille Bournes (or Mille Bornes) is a French card game. In the United States, Mille Bournes is published by Parker Brothers and is commonly available in game stores, as well as toy stores and department stores. It is also distributed under the name mille as one of the BSD Games.

Some Mille Bournes decks are printed in both English and French. In the Netherlands, this game is know as rijwielspel, and deals with cycling instead of driving. The hazards and distances are different, but the mechanics of the game are exactly the same.

The premise of Mille Bournes is that you are in a road race with the other players. Each "race", or hand, is usually 700 miles or kilometers long (1000 for the standard 4-player game), but the first player to complete that distance exactly has the option to declare an extension in which case the race becomes 1000 miles, hence the name of the game which means "one thousand milestones". The object of the game is to reach 5000 points, which normally takes several hands.

Types of Cards

There are several types of cards in a Mille Bournes deck.

• Distance cards represent mileage accumulated in the race. There are cards for distances of 25, 50, 75, 100 or 200 miles or kilometers. At most two 200s may be played per player or team per hand.

• Hazard cards represent the hazards faced during the race. These cards are played by you on your opponents or by your opponents on you. They prevent you from playing distance cards until you have played the corresponding Remedy card and then a Roll (or Go) card. Also, hazards cannot be played on a player or team who has not fully recovered from the last hazard.
  • Out of Gas — remedied by Gasoline.
  • Flat Tire — remedied by Spare Tire.
  • Accident — remedied by Repairs.
  • Stop — needs no remedy except a Roll. Implicitly present at the start of the game; a Roll is necessary before playing any distance cards.

• Speed Limit cards--cannot play distance cards except 25 or 50 until you have played an End of Speed Limit card. These are independent of Hazards, though similar.

• Safety cards are four special cards that can be played to avoid a certain type of hazard for the remainder of the hand. These cards are also worth 100 points, and a free turn.
  • Extra Tank — You'll never be out of gas!
  • Puncture-Proof tires — No more flat tires!
  • Driving Ace — No more accidents.
  • Right of Way — You are immune to speed limits or stops. Substitutes for Roll in all cases.

If, after a hazard card has been played against one player or team, that player immediately plays the appropriate safety card to prevent the hazard, the player has achieved a coup fourré for a 300 point bonus. Coup fourré is a French fencing term that means "counter-thrust". Playing coup fourré will also make it your turn; you draw two cards (one to make up for the safety you just played) and then play or discard another card. Anyone between you and the person who played the hazard will therefore lose their turn.

Scoring

The hand ends when a player reaches 1000 exactly; going over is not allowed. If the entire stock has been drawn, each player must still play or discard one card per turn. It is possible to win after the stock is exhausted.

• Each player or team scores the mileage they played.
• There is a 100 point bonus per safety played, with a 300 point bonus for playing all four. Each coup fourré scores another 300 points, as indicated above. Thus, it is possible to get up to a 1,900 point bonus from safeties.
• There is a 400 point bonus for completing the 1000-mile trip, or the 700-mile trip if playing to 700 miles and extension is not called for.
• There is a 300 point bonus for completing the trip "safely", playing no 200s.
• There is a 300 point bonus for completing the trip after the stock was exhausted, called "delayed action".
• There is a 500 point bonus for shutting out your opponent, completing the trip before he can play any distance cards.
• There is a 200 point bonus for completing the 1000-mile trip after calling for an extension, besides the usual 400 points.
• There is a 200 point bonus if your opponent calls for an extension and does not finish the 1000-mile trip.

The entire game is normally played to 5000 points.

4 player version

Four players normally play as two teams of two. In a "coup fourré" situation, either teammate may make the coup, even if it isn't their turn.

This version is usually played to the full 1000 miles with no extension rule. But an extension rule may also be used.

4,400 is the maximum score that can be attained for one hand.

3 player version

Three players play cutthroat, each for themselves. In some versions, a player may only play hazards on the person to their left.

Some rulebooks say that one of each hazard should be removed, since not having a partner makes it harder to hold a full set of remedies. In the 3-player version, a player will only have the opportunity to draw 1/3 of the deck, compared with 1/2 in the 4-player version.

This version is usually played to 700 miles with the extension rule, but the 1000-mile version is also playable.

2 player version

As in the 3-player version, some hazards should be removed.

This version is usually played to 700 miles with the extension rule, but the 1000-mile version is also playable.

6 player version

This is theoretically possible as two teams of three or three teams of two, but isn't really practical. It is played to 700 miles with the extension rule.

Strategy

The most important skill is remembering what has been played. There is no point in holding two spare tires when there is only one flat tire unplayed.

In the 4-player team version, it is important to be aware of what your partner is holding. It is useful to have an understanding with your partner about what discarding a remedy means. Most logical, discarding a remedy tells partner that it is safe to discard the remedy (either because you have the unplayed safety or a surplus of that remedy).

Don't get within 25 miles of the winning number (1000 or 700) unless you have a 25 in your hand. You should try to stay 100 or 200 miles away, so that more combinations of miles allow a win. It may pay to hold back a 25 or 50 so you have more winning combinations as you near the goal.

Don't try for delayed action or safe trip unless you see that your opponent has trouble dealing with a hazard. For example, if you have two flat tires and the puncture proof tire, and three spare tires have been discarded, it may pay to go for a safe trip or delayed win.

Game Roots

The game Touring predates Mille Bournes by half a century. Originally patented by the Wallie Dorr Company and produced in 1906, it was picked up by Parker Brothers in 1925.

Game play is nearly identical to Mille Bournes, and it is widely believed the French game derives from Touring. After several revisions, Touring was discontinued shortly after Parker Brothers picked up the American license of Mille Bournes.