Mail Rail at The Postal Museum — Attraction in London

Please note this review is just for the Mail Rail as The Postal Museum has a different review from me. We bought the access to Rail Mail from The Postal Museum.

Few points of my review: Booking and availability Experience on the train Experience after the train Health and safety (including storage of bags) Train accessibility and comfort

To ride the Mail Rail we needed to book a time (was 15 minutes apart for us) which we did on the day as we arrived which we didn't need to wait long as it was Wednesday during school time however times may differ during weekends and school breaks. By the time we had a look at some of the stuff in the gift shop it was basically time to ride the Mail Rail. Although the actual building was not busy there was a constant flow of people going on the ride.

As for the experience on the train it takes about 15 minutes. There are a few old sights to see although you need to be quick for some as the train does not stop too often along the route. In an old station you will get a little video about the history of Mail Rail and how it helped London especially during the times of horse drawn carts.

As for the experience after the train there is a little museum which has some of the old carts used to show how they worked. There are also 3 interactive games to play, 1 of which can be used to challenge anyone as there are 2 sides for the same game. Depending on how fast you read, how much you want you read and how much time you want to inspect the displays for and/or play games, you can expect to take 5 minutes to 45 minutes.

As for health and safety wise the train has a door which closes to stop your legs from getting caught (although you cant lean against it) and a see through door which closes to keep arms in the train. Due to health and safety you cannot take bags, even handbags on the ride. You can leave your stuff in an unsecured but supervised cabinet next to the ride or you can choose to use the secured lockers for things that are really valuable. These lockers take a £1 coin and refund you the £1 coin once opened. They provide a key that can be temporarily added to a keychain if you wish. Be aware though that there are not that many available and that they are really small. My 20L rucksack just about fit in width wise and had to be compressed in by the door a little. A large locker held the rucksack, a handbag about 20cm x 15cm and 2 hoodies folded up.

As for the train accessibility, they are pretty low down as you can expect being designed to only take mail. Me and my girlfriend shared a dual seater section which does have a rear facing seat. I'm 6 foot tall and quite fluffy around my stomach and I got in alright with my girlfriend. We did need to sit on opposite sides of seats width wise as my legs almost touched the other seat. The head height for me was just about ok. There is a speaker mounted in the middle of the train which my head was touching but the see through door hinge is slightly higher allowing my head to comfortably stay in the small gap there. Any taller and you will struggle. The seat is quite small so you might need to use your legs to prop yourself against the seat properly if your...

£16 for an adult; £11 for 16-24 and £9 for under 16, gets you a booked slot on the Mail Rail, a 15-20 minute experience, as well an annual pass to The Postal Museum that is valid for a year from your booked date.

The Mail Rail was surprisingly fun and came with a few surprises - it’s not just a confined (and I mean, if you’re claustrophobic, just don’t even think about doing this) little ride on a train that once delivered over 4 million letters a day in its heyday; it’s a full on audio-visual experience journey through the history of post delivery in London, that I really wasn’t expecting and was very glad I didn’t know anything about. So I’ll say no more.

The Mail Rail is accompanied by a short, but interesting exhibition and small gift shop, with The Postal Museum located a few minutes up the road that has a much more established exhibition on the history of the UK postal service.

Whilst all very interesting, and lovingly pulled together, it is all a bit too ‘child-friendly’, with some parts of the main museum quite shallow and at parts confusingly laid out. Be prepared at a weekend, even booking an earlier time slot, to be surrounded by kids of all ages who perhaps don’t quite enjoy museums in the way adults do (or have parents that tell them to not shout at one another as if communicating across a valley) which can be a bit distracting - unless of course you’re a parent, in which you can judge other people’s interesting parenting choices. Expect to take around 1.5-2.5hrs for the full experience, depending on how into post you are.

I’d advise turning up 10-15 mins before your Mail Rail slot, as it is only an advised boarding time (as your ticket does say) but this caught a lot of people out on our visit, which lead to some awkward aggy parents and kids who weren’t best pleased at having to wait. The trains are VERY small with limited capacity - two adults only in our compartment with no room to move - so it’s a puzzle for staff with no idea of the pieces until it comes to boarding the groups waiting, as well as things like disabled passengers, dropping bags off etc.

We got on 15 minutes after our booking time, which was apparently too long a...

A Pleasant Day at the Mail Rail: A Fun Yet Brief Adventure

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum in London with my family, and we had an overall enjoyable experience. The museum itself is a fascinating dive into the history of postal services in the United Kingdom, and the Mail Rail adds an extra layer of excitement to the visit.

The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the Mail Rail, which takes visitors on a captivating journey through the hidden underground tunnels that were once used to transport mail across London. The train ride was quick and informative, offering a unique perspective on the city's postal history.

However, we were slightly disappointed by the 15-minute waiting time, despite booking tickets for a specific time. This dampened our excitement a bit, but once we boarded the train, the experience was well worth the wait.

The museum itself is filled with interesting exhibits and interactive displays that kept us engaged for a couple of hours. While it may not have been an all-day affair, the Postal Museum still provided a solid few hours of entertainment and education.

In conclusion, the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum is a worthwhile experience for those interested in London's postal history or seeking a unique family outing. Although the waiting time can be frustrating, the overall experience makes it worth visiting. Just make sure to plan accordingly, as the museum may not occupy...