Having seen that Ticket to Ride was recommended by several people who like Settlers of Catan, I decided to purchase it for my son for Christmas since he love Settlers of Catan. Ticket to Ride was a perfect game for us. It's much simpler to set up and learn than Settlers and the play moves much more quickly. You don't know who's going to win until the end (unlike Settlers). Other than that, it's nothing like Settlers of Catan except that it does involve building things on the board by playing cards that you have accumulated.

Great family game. Not too difficult, not too simple. Perfect for people 10 and up. Game takes about 75 minutes. Unlike games such as Monopoly where once you're losing you can't catch up, Ticket to Ride keeps you interested until the very end. And, it's not until the end that you're sure whose won. (via Board Game Geek - Ticket to Ride)

Stupendous game. There is just so much fun to be had in crafting these different rail lines. I love the game and haven't played a session yet that wasn't bliss.