The Paris Catacombs, Paris

The Catacombs was a cool experience for me since I have always heard of them and seen them in Hollywood movies. I had a skip the line pass so I was able to get in super quick! You have to walk down a long flight of stairs to get to the bottom. My overall experience was decent. I was really hoping it would be really freaky and scary but I found no such thing. Everything down there was very well lit and organized. My whole tour from start to finish took about 45 minutes. It’s a one time thing which is cool to see but I wouldn’t visit again in the future.

I went at 6:50 PM on October 19, 2018. I arrived at 6:45 PM and was able to get in by 7:15 PM so I barely made the cutoff time which is at 7:30 PM. Price is 13 euros for people over 27 and 11 euros for people under. Babies are free I think? So to start off, most of the tunnel that tourists gets to see is pretty much a.. stone tunnel. You'll eventually get to the skeletons and skulls, but it wasn't really much. To be honest, it did feel artificial especially with a heart shaped out using skulls and the pretty skeletons laid out for us to see. I know these are probably real and there are endless tunnels that goes roughly 200 mile's worth; something you wont see here. There is also an unused train track that has an entrance in the wall that can lead you to the more deep parts of the area. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's where it would feel more creepy/fun. It was a nice short experience, though. There is also a restroom at the way end of the catacombs once you make your wake up the stairs and into the gift shop, in case some are worried about that.

We were torn whether to visit because of the difference in reviews but are so glad we did. We purchased our tickets ahead of time and recommend you do so as there is a different line. Our family of 4 went in January and had to wait in line for only about 15 minutes. During that time we spoke to people in Paris who had never visited before due to the extensive lines in the nicer weather. If you go during a high season expect to wait hours, even with an advanced purchase. Note there is no shade while waiting either as the line wraps down the street.  We did not do a tour but opted for the audio. It was very informative however the numbers are hard to find once inside. It does give you a lot of information though and we were happy to have it.  I can see how this may be disturbing to younger children however it was my 13 year old daughters favorite part of the trip. She loved the history behind it and could find the art in the way the bones were displayed.  We spent a total of a couple hours inside and since it wasn’t that busy we were able to take our time and really listen to the audio and explore. Couple this Catacombs with a walk around St. Germain, grabbing lunch or dinner and it is a perfect day out!

Definitely worth the visit. Get a ticket online is advance to skip the long line. Only 200 people at a time are permitted inside and with audio your bound to spend 1.5 hours down in the ossuary. Of all the places I visited this is the one I am glad I had an advance ticket. It definitely reduces your wait time significantly. The audio tour was great. Without it I think you would miss out on a lot of information that made the tour phenomenal. It’s a bit cold so wear a jacket.

Solid 4 star attraction. The audio guide was great! Totally worth it. Buy the tickets ahead of time!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t stress this enough! It gets super packed! The catacombs are humid from the water flow underground and it can be a bit slippery from the algae build up. Overall, a must see attraction in Paris in my opinion.