I love mail. Beautiful stationary, fun stamps, and postcards all bring me joy. I probably sent over 100 postcards during our 8 month trip through Europe, mostly to my nieces and nephews.
Obviously, I had to go to the Postal Museum in London. Not only do you learn about the extensive history of the mail system that shaped the way we send mail today, but you can ride the Mail Rail! They have a tiny train that runs on the tracks that were used to move mail underground in London for decades. No longer in use, it’s now a very cute experience.
We started in the museum. They have a lot of exhibits, many interactive and geared toward children, which I love. You could listen to Morse Code messages and try and decipher them, write notes and send them across the museum in a pneumatic tube system, and even create your own stamp.
It was also very informative. There were displays throughout that took you through the history of the British mail system, from the first stamp to how they label the icon red boxed today.
After walking through the museum, we headed across the street to the Mail Rail for our timed ride. When we bought tickets at the museum they assigned us the next ride time, which runs every 15 minutes. There weren’t many people there so there wasn’t a wait but I imagine it’s busy during high tourist season. I would recommend booking ahead of time.
The Mail Rail ride begins down one level, where the underground tunnels are. The Mail Rail train is small, designed for the small tunnels that carried mail, at the largest 7 feet x 7 feet. The Mail Rail cars are big enough for one adult and a kid squeezed together. Since there weren’t that many people, everyone got their own seat and it was pretty comfortable.
I was worried about my claustrophobia but the clear plastic roof made it feel more open and the commentary kept me distracted. The train takes you down the track, past loading areas that now show interesting videos about the mail system. The whole thing lasts about 15 minutes.
The Museum and Mail Rail are really well done. It was interesting and fun. Even The Husband enjoyed it. At £17 for adults and £10-12 for children (both are a £1 cheaper if you book ahead of time) it’s definitely worth going to. It was educational and interesting, and something you can’t do anywhere else.
Love this post? Say thanks with a coffee!
(Don’t want to create a WordPress account or want to use Apple Pay? Click here for my virtual tip jar!)