Paris Catacombs Tickets and Tours

Under the ground of Paris hide hundreds of kilometers of tunnels full of mysteries and history. The catacombs are a place that, either out of respect or ignorance, many people overlook during their visit to Paris. It is a mistake not to visit them, as it is one of the most interesting and special places that houses the French city.

Of the more than 300 kilometers of tunnels in the underground only 1.5 can be visited legally. It is not a normal visit as it can be to a museum or a cathedral because the visit to the catacombs is full of peculiarities. All these peculiarities and all the information you need to know about this peculiar place are summarized in the points you will read below.

To visit the catacombs of Paris you can either buy tickets directly at the ticket office at the entrance, next to the Montparnasse cemetery, or do it online. This second option is more advisable because buying them in advance will save long queues. The rates for the normal ticket with audio guide are:

• Normal ticket for 1 person: 29€
• Reduced ticket: 27€
• Ticket for children between 4 and 17 years: 5€

There is another more risky option but with which we can save something. If we go at the last minute we can get a special ticket called "last minute" valid for the same day and can only be purchased at the box office.

These tickets cost 15€ for the full price, 13€ for the reduced price and children go free, but they are limited tickets and only if the capacity allows it. So there is a risk that if we go at the last minute we can not get these tickets and we will not be able to visit them. With these tickets the audio guides are separate with a surcharge of 5 €.

The visit to the catacombs is always guided as the entrance is not allowed without an accredited guide. However, once the guide gives us the relevant indications we can choose whether to do the tour with him or move more freely along the preset route and relying on the audio guides that are included with the ticket. For security reasons, all visits are like this.

The tourist entrance is located next to the Montparnasse cemetery on Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. This is located in the southern part of Paris about an hour walk from the center. For reference, from the Place de la Concorde it takes about 55 minutes on foot. But it is very accessible by other means of transport that are among the best options to move around Paris and surroundings:

• In the Paris Metro: The nearest station is Denfert-Rochereau through which pass the lines 4 and 6.
• By Bus: Lines 38 and 68 stop near the Montparnasse Cemetery.
• By car or cab: Put the following address in the Gps or ask the cab driver to take you to Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014.

Technically the entrance is allowed for children over 5 years old. But it is not the best place to visit with little ones. Apart from the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the catacombs and the skulls and human remains that can be seen during the visit, the access and the conditions of the place are not ideal for children.

The catacombs are 20 meters underground and there are numerous steps up and down to get in and out of them. Underground there is little light and many corridors are very narrow, which can cause a feeling of being cramped, especially for children.

Although they can be visited with children, take into account these conditions to decide whether to visit them with children under your responsibility. Here are some alternative plans to visit the French capital with children.

Of the more than 300 kilometers that are estimated to have the tunnels of the catacombs there are only 1.5 kilometers conditioned so that they can be visited. In this tour there is first an area of tunnels and a small explanatory exhibition on the history of the catacombs. Further on is the main attraction of the catacombs, the ossuary.

The ossuary area houses the remains of more than 6 million people whose skulls and hollows are arranged in very peculiar places and shapes. There are more than 800 meters of ossuaries in which stand out an area dedicated to the memory of those who died in the French Revolution, the area of the well that was used for the works of the tunnels, and the barrel of skulls. The latter is a pile of bones arranged in the shape of a barrel and is one of the most characteristic elements of the catacombs.

The tour is designed to last 1 hour. It is important not to exceed this time because the capacity is limited to about 200 people and they have an exhaustive control of it and of the people entering and leaving the catacombs. However, in three quarters of an hour there is more than enough time to see the whole complex in detail.

The Paris Catacombs are open every day of the week except Mondays. From Tuesday to Sunday the opening hours are from 10:00 am to 8:30 pm. The last admissions are at 19:30 p.m. so you must be there before to avoid being left without entrance.

The origin of the catacombs dates back to the early 13th century when the first tunnels were dug to extract stone and materials for the construction of buildings such as the cathedral of Notre Dame. After many years of collapses and collapses, King Louis VXI ordered to refurbish them and thus solve one of the problems that Paris suffered at that time. The lack of space in its cemeteries.

From 1786 to 1859 the remains of many Parisians were continuously transferred to the catacombs. In 1814 they were conditioned for their visit and many of the stored remains were placed in peculiar forms and places for the visitors.

In 1955 it was forbidden to enter the tunnels because they were often used for satanic rites and not entirely legal activities. Since then and until today only a small part of the catacombs can be visited.

The visit to the catacombs of Paris is very different from other tourist sites so you must take a number of points into account:

• The first recommendation I make is to buy your tickets in advance and online. If you don't, you will probably have to queue for more than an hour to get in because the capacity is small and the demand is usually high. In high season the queues can be more than 2 hours.
• Even if you go in summer you should be prepared with something warm because at 20 meters underground the average temperature does not exceed 15 degrees and there is a lot of humidity.
• If you are claustrophobic, suffer from a respiratory disease or are several weeks pregnant are not recommended to visit the catacombs.
• Do not carry backpacks, bags or large packages as they will not let you access with them to keep the ossuary as in some points is very narrow and have no locker service to leave them.
• Inside you can not take pictures with flash
• It is not accessible for strollers or wheelchairs.
• There are two flights of more than 100 stairs each up and down. Keep in mind to wear good footwear and for your physical condition.