The National Railway Museum in York holds the national collection of rail transport, including record-breaking locomotives such as Mallard, a Shinkansen bullet train, and a line-up of Royal Train carriages.

The museum’s own site states that “Entry to the museum is free”, with donations welcome. That covers the main halls and the permanent collection for all visitors.

The museum asks you to “book your free museum admission tickets” in advance, which costs nothing and simply reserves your slot – worth doing in school holidays when the site is busy. A small number of special experiences are ticketed separately.