Tickets to Font du Gaume cave

why don't you call the number I posted on the thread on this last week and see what happens. If they don't have tickets then, since they only give out about 60 tickets each morning for the day, you need to get there before they are gone -- several hours before it opens. It will vary from day to day depending on how many others are doing this. Maybe try one day 90 minutes before the office opens and if that doesn't work, come earlier the next.

We visited Font du Gaume in June. I made reservations in January by going to the French language web site and sending an email in French requesting tickets. A few days later I received an email in French telling me how to pay for the tickets. If they are allowing advance ticket purchase I imagine that they are sold our for October but I'd give the email a try since that may be a down time for tourists. When we were there a man in the gift/ticket shop spoke very good English so I would suggest that you go by there during the day and ask what you should do.

You might want to read a thread I started when planning to visit Cromagnon caves last year. Diane provided great instructions for making reservations. Good luck.

According to my friends, advance tickets for all2015 dates went on sale Jan. 2nd and were completely sold out by mid-March. Since you are going in early October, you may have a chance to getting tickets the day of your visit. I would get to the ticket office way before it opens--if it opens at 9:30 I'd get there at 8:30.

We went on line to get tickets for September 24, and were advised they are sold out. first available is October 31

Reminder: As mentioned on the thread linked above, the advance reservations are only offered for a two tour times, which are probably guided in French, totaling 26 visitors. For the remaining 54 visitors slots per day, showing up early could still work and might even get you on a tour in English (but take any language you can get).

Rick's France book defines "early" like this:

Tickets are doled out each morning starting at 9:30. In summer, plan to be in line by 7:00, in spring and fall no later than 8:30, and in the winter you should be OK if you arrive by 9:00. You can drop by the sight at any time during opening hours [e.g. the day ahead] and get the latest on how early you need to show up to get a ticket. You must check in 15 minutes before your tour, or you’ll lose your place to the sightseeing vultures waiting to snatch up the spots of late arrivals.

If things have changed since we went, someone please correct me.

Please be aware that you can carry NOTHING into the cave. There is a gated and locked area next to the actual cave entrance where you will be required to put your stuff.

Nothing means nothing -- no bags of any kind, no purses, no cameras, no mobile phones. The cave is very narrow and they are trying to keep people from bumping into the walls and destroying them. This is also not a place that a person with a walker or in a wheelchair or with any ambulatory issues can go. You must be able to maneuver, and I do mean maneuver, through the cave single file in many places.

Also be aware that the paved path up to the cave is narrow. It is not particularly steep, but it is somewhat challenging. The cave entrance is pretty high up on the side of the mountain.

Although when we went in 2009, our driver for the day was able to reserve tickets for an English tour for us and the limit was 80 people per day, it sounds like it is more restrictive now. I expect that there will come a time when it will be closed to the general public to preserve it.

If you get in, relish every moment.

May be an odd question but...my wife has some claustrophobia issues. Is the cave so tight or restrictive that it might be a problem for her?