Catacombs tour in Paris.

[Dontgiveamonkeys1350]

Has anyone done this? If you have. What was it like. I don’t mind enclosed spaces. It’s just a lot of my holiday money. And really want to go. Just need to know if it is worth it.

I found it fascinating. You walk a long way (or at least I did!) and pop up in a different area.
I also did a sewer tour which was interesting too, I’d recently read Les Miserables and it brought it to life!

I did it years ago, I don't think it was a tour then, so wasn't expensive. It was very memorable and we found it interesting.

I've done it. I'm very keen on history, not easily spooked, not claustrophobic. It sounded a fascinating thing to do and I was keen. We didn't go on a tour, which perhaps made a difference.

I really didn't like it. One bit. Yes, you have to walk a long, long, long way. It's cold, damp and quite dark. Obviously there are just thousands of bones and skulls, arranged in patterns, which rather soon lose their appeal.

I found that I wanted quite badly to get out, and I couldn't until I'd walked to the end and could get into the lift. I've never been so glad to get out into the light and air.

Did it last week with DH and a 13 year old and 10'uear old, we all enjoyed it, fascinating about the history and why they were there. All done very respectfully, wasn't damp at all or cold, and it didn't feel like a long walk

I did it and it was interesting and memorable however it was also a bit of a downer - how could it not be seeing so many thousands of human skulls all piled up? I would suggest watching a television documentary about it and then decide if it's something you really need to see in person.

It is a very sobering thought that there are as many skeletons in the Catacombs as were murdered in the Holocaust

I've done it, it wasn't a tour though, you just wander through.

There were a few skulls/bones obviously missing. It's the only place I've been where they search your bags on the way out...

I did it, it was v interesting and worth doing but as pp mentioned also a bit samey after a while. If you can go and just wander through it I would do that, not sure I would spend the time/money on an actual tour.
It wasn’t that cold or claustrophobic, apart from the initial lift down and I do recall there was a lot of steps at one point.
From what I remember it wasn’t near many other sights, so it was a little bit out of the way but there was a metro stop nearby.

I also don’t think the ‘wander through it’ option was that expensive, so it would be worth investigating if that’s still an option.

It was very interesting but as you would expect not a jolly outing. I don’t remember it being very expensive but we didn’t do a tour and just walked through at our own pace. I do remember the queue started very early and was very long and slow, so worth bearing in mind if you are planning other to do other sightseeing

We did it about 18 months ago. Got there early and still had to wait about 2 hours in the queue.

Was good but in hindsight not worth the queue/money.

I'm claustrophobic and it was totally fine in that sense.

Also, kids were almost 12 and 7 - they loved it.

Thanks everyone. One of the tours I was looking at has a taped talk through while ur there which I liked the sound off.

Well, it was a long time ago that we went (easily 15 years or more) so it may well be better-maintained now - but then it was very definitely cold, damp and distinctly sobering.

It couldn't really be anything else given that the remains of more than 6 million people are stored there.

An audio guide would be helpful, I think, if you're going to go, OP .

I found it really interesting.

Note - It can get quite muddy so no flip flops/sandals.

Odd to mention Holocaust in the same sentence as the Catacombes. It was a storage solution, started after the wall of a cemetery collapsed, I think.

I was intending to do it about 3 years ago. Got there, about 11 in the morning, and the queue was unbelievable so gave up and went somewhere else. I would pre book tickets in advance if this is a possibility.

Basic admission price is 13 Euros. 29 Euros for a fast track ticket plus audio guide. I wouldn't pay that. I went a few years ago after 6pm and there wasn't a queue and there were very few people inside. Check where the exit is, as it's in a side street and you have to work out which way to go to get back to public transport.

I love anything history/sociology related but I found it really dull. After the first couple of sections I was ready to leave as I wasn't learning anything further. I don't think it was massively informative either

Just as a side-note for geeks like me, I do think it's quite interesting that the entrance to the catacombs is in what was known as the Barrière d'enfer (barrier of hell), the pavilion in the old wall that served as the entrance and exit to the city....and when the authorities later renamed most of Paris's streets, they chose Place Denfert-Rochereau, thereby deliberately keeping the 'hell' association with the much older old name.

End of pedantic interruption

I'd love to do this OP, went a couple of years ago to find the queue mental - get there early! Unless they've changed the entry system?