Paris Update-Catacombs

Posted by rhett on 06/12/15 09:46 PM

Greetings everyone from Paris. My wife and I are on our 3rd day in Paris and Rick's travel book is like having a tour guide with us. We have met so many people with the same book making it easy to strike up a conversation. It has been invaluable.

With that being said, had to wait two hours to get in the Catacombs because EVERYONE gets there at 0930 AM. The line was really long and the Paris Museum Pass, an awesome purchase, does not cover the Catacombs. As a result, I would strongly recommend buying something through a tour group if it is in your budget. The Catacombs is one of those things you really need to see and it is fun but not when you have to wait in line for so long.

Posted by Terri Lynn

Nashville, TN, USA

06/13/15 10:33 AM

795 posts

There are many good tours available that include the Catacombs. I agree, they are a must see.

Posted by Diana

Michigan, United States

06/13/15 08:58 PM

703 posts

We were just in Paris and waited 2 hrs 15 minutes to get in. We got there at 10:15 on a Saturday morning. They only let 200 in at a time, I believe, so that does make for a wait. We skipped it last year so decided to stick it out this year & see it. We were glad we did.

Posted by geochuck

06/15/15 02:53 AM

49 posts

I went there after lunch and went right in w/no wait!

Posted by Becky

Seattle, WA, USA

06/23/15 06:10 PM

360 posts

We were there in May and even with a tour, you don't get to bypass the line -- the tour groups now just have one or two options a month that a lot for that. We lined up at 8:50 a.m. and were one of the first 10 people in. So I guess we technically waited about an hour and 10 min. to ensure we got in close to 10 a.m.

Posted by amerilis

California

11/04/15 07:07 PM

16 posts

Hello all….I know I'm late in adding my 5 cents for the OP, but I hope this info helps future Catacombs visitors.

On my recent visit visit to Paris (mid-Oct 2015) , I booked a Loire Valley tour. The meeting place was at 7:30am in front of the Catacombs entrance. Mind you, at this time it was still dark as night as sunrise was after 8am, and time change did not occur until a weekend or 2 after I left.

With that said, at that time on a Tuesday morning, it was pretty desolate but cars WERE swooshing by on the street. There is also a Metro entrance directly across the street from the Catacombs, as well as several cafes that were open nearby. There are also 2 benches in front of the entrance, I believe, which seem to serve folks waiting for the bus (?).

I mention all of this because it may be a good idea to plan on arriving a LOT earlier than 9:30am (opening time is 10am). True, it means getting up quite early but it also may prevent you from not having to stand in a line for 1 to 2 hours, especially in high-season.

I hope this helps! :-D