What to wear and pack for the Paris Catacombs at 14 °C

Leave the big bag at the hotel

Neither the entrance nor the galleries have a cloakroom or lockers. The tour listings say plainly that large bags and luggage are not allowed.

A small backpack or a crossbody bag is usually fine, though staff may check it at the door. Anything the size of a carry-on suitcase will be turned away, so plan your day around it.

If you arrive in Paris that morning or leave straight afterward, store your luggage elsewhere first. Railway stations and private luggage services in the city can hold bags for a few hours.

A light jacket for 14 °C

The temperature underground stays at about 14 °C (57 °F) all year. In summer that feels lovely for ten minutes and chilly after an hour, especially if you stand still listening to a guide.

Damp air makes 14 °C feel cooler than the same figure on a dry day. People who wear only a T-shirt in August are often the ones rubbing their arms by the halfway point.

A thin fleece or a light jacket does the job. In winter the galleries feel almost mild compared with the street, so you can open your coat rather than carry an extra layer.

Guided visits last about 1.5–2 hours, longer than most people expect to stand in a cool cellar. Our route guide shows where the group tends to stop.

Shoes with grip

The floor is packed earth and old stone, and it is wet in places where water drips from the ceiling. Smooth soles slip on the spiral stairs, which are worn down by centuries of feet.

Mud is rare, but a pale suede shoe can come out with a grey crust of limestone dust and drips. Old trainers you do not mind marking are the safe choice.

Wear closed shoes with a proper tread. Trainers or light walking shoes do the job. Sandals and heels are a poor idea for the puddles and for 130 steps down and 112 back up.

Your ticket and some ID

Entry is timed, and there is no ticket office selling slots on the day. Have your booking on your phone or printed, and arrive a little before your time so you are not rushed at the door.

If anyone in your party uses a reduced rate at the official counter, bring proof of age. The guided tours include the entry ticket, so the guide handles it at the door. Our ticket versus guide comparison explains more.

For a pared-down visit, the self-guided ticket at ~$42 is the simplest thing to carry. It is a timed entry with an audio guide, about 1 hour at your own pace.

The catch with the ticket is that the audio guide is your only commentary, and no gate opens beyond the standard route. If the rooms behind the locked gates appeal, a guided tour is the only way in.

Phone and camera, without flash

Photos for your own use are generally allowed, but flash usually is not, since it damages the old bones and annoys everyone else. Switch it off before the stairs so you do not fire it by accident.

Phones cope well with the dim light in night mode. A tripod or selfie stick only gets in the way in the narrow galleries, so leave both behind.

A charged phone matters for a second reason. If you use the audio guide on your own device or need your ticket at the exit, a dead battery is a nuisance.

Food and water, and the toilet question

Eating is not allowed underground. Have a meal or a snack beforehand. A small bottle of water in your bag is usually tolerated, but drink outside rather than among the bones.

No toilets exist on the route, from the entrance stairs to the exit. Use a café near Place Denfert-Rochereau just before your slot, which matters doubly with children (see our family guide).

The exit is in a different street from the entrance, a short walk away. Anything you hoped to collect at the start is not on your way out, which is one more reason to travel light.

Hands off the bones

Touching the bones is forbidden, and staff watch for it. It is tempting where the skulls sit at arm's length, but the oils from many hands would wear the remains away.

The same respect covers voices and behavior. These are the remains of roughly six million Parisians. Loud jokes or posing with skulls draw stern looks from staff and other visitors.

Keep bags close to your body in the narrow stretches, so a strap does not brush the walls. Children need a reminder before going down, and nervous visitors may want our guide to the tight spaces as well.

A short checklist

• Timed ticket or tour booking on your phone or on paper
• A small bag, nothing larger than a daypack
• A light jacket or fleece for about 14 °C (57 °F)
• Closed shoes with a grippy sole
• A charged phone with the flash turned off
• Proof of age for any reduced rate
• A metro ticket to Denfert-Rochereau (lines 4 and 6, or the RER B)

Plan the time of day as well as the bag. Our guide to the quietest slots covers when the galleries are least crowded.