Railway Museum Road Train

The Road Train at Railway Museum Road is essentially a vintage bus that trundles round the museum's grounds - not a railway at all, which catches most people out. It's a straightforward bit of fun rather than a revelation, doing a gentle circuit past the actual trains and sheds while you sit back and watch the volunteers potter about restoring engines.

You'll see proper restored locomotives, some dating back over a century, and the workshops where enthusiasts are actively working on them. Kids under seven tend to get the most from this; they like the Road Train ride itself, the novelty of being on something old, and spotting the enormous engines up close. Older children and actual train enthusiasts might find standing around reading information boards more rewarding than the ride.

Allow about two hours maximum unless you're genuinely into railway preservation - an hour does it for most families. It's free admission, which is brilliant value, though donations help the place survive. Go on a weekday if you can; weekends fill up with other school holidays visitors and the queues for the Road Train get silly.

It works as a half-day stop if you're based at Nurseries Caravan Park or Wagtail Park, both just up the road from York. Pair it with a walk round York's city walls or a visit to the National Railway Museum itself if the kids are keen. On its own, it's not worth a special trip, but as part of a York-based break it fills an afternoon without fuss.