Before 1983 must have been so cool, man... because, to be honest (ain't I always?), the Catacombs of Paris are nowadays not very spooky. At least, they're not as spooky as I'd like them to be... Here's the deal: you walk down 130 steps, walk for a mile with millions of skulls and tibias piled up on both sides (for the second half of the trip), then walk 83 steps back up and that's it. But, then again, how often do you get to walk 65 feet underground among millions of skeletons?
Did you know that, until the very end of the 19th century, guided tours of the Catacombs were given exclusively by candlelight? And people had to bring their own candle! Check out the drawings above to see what a big tourist attraction it was! After that, they added the use of flashlights (until 1983 when electricity was put in).
To be honest with you again, you don't absolutely need a guide to visit the Catacombs... but, if you use one:
1) there will be no line.
2) you'll know better why and how they did it.
3) you will get to see rooms that are not accessible to individuals on their own.
and, if you want (no obligation), you'll get to hear the gory stories...
and the overall darkness inside allows me to show you great stuff on my tablet...
But you'll have to be careful... because some stories are kind of... slippery...
But there's nothing wrong IF YOU WANT GO ON YOUR OWN : that works too! And in that case, I highly recommend that you don't show up without pre-paid tickets; otherwise you're bound to line-up for at least two to three hours because they only let in around 15 people every 10-15 mn...
Tickets on the spot cost 13€ (if you're 18 and over) but, if you don't mind paying 29€ per person (Ouch! They sure know how to make you pay for your lack of patience...), you can book your time-slot and pay for your ticket 6 months in advance here. And then, when you show up, you just show your ticket on your smartphone and you walk right in. And you can go after the museums are closed as it's open until 8.30 pm (last entrance at 7.30 pm). Not many people know all that, but now you know!
If you want me to give you a guided tour, we'll need to make an appointment and pay for an authorization to speak which will cost you an extra 30€ (they do know how to make money!). It's nevertheless justified by the fact that there can't be too many groups inside at the same time because:
1) it spoils the mood
2) there's not that much space down there to regroup, especially in the exclusive areas an accredited guide can bring you to...
Whichever solution you choose, if you have teenagers with you, it will be one of the highlights of their trip!
And suppose you do enjoy this kind of stuff (some people have such strange tastes you know), combining that visit with the Père Lachaise Cemetery would be very "a propos"! And if you really wanted to make it a "hell of a day", you could sign up for the "Day of the dead" tour!
What do you wimps say?
Aren't you thrilled yet?
