How to Get to the Moulin Rouge

If you're already thinking about buying tickets to the Moulin Rouge with dinner, you'll want to know a few things to plan your experience. Paris' most famous cabaret is located on the Boulevard de Clichy in the north of the city, just south of the hill in the Montmartre district and in the neighbourhood of the same name. It is not a central tourist attraction, but it is very well connected and easy to get to. By metro, by bus, on foot... there are many ways to visit it, and here are the best ones.

In the vast majority of cases, the metro is the fastest way to get around Paris, and in this case it is no exception. Right next to the Moulin Rouge is the Blanche metro station on line 2.

If you get off at this stop, you will find your destination just outside the metro station on the left-hand side. Another option is to take line 13, which takes you to Place Clichy, also very close to the Moulin Rouge, a 5-minute walk away.

How to get to the Moulin Rouge using the Paris Metro

Using the Paris metro is the most common way to get to the Moulin Rouge from anywhere in the city. There are two ways to get a ticket for public transport. One is to buy a normal ticket and the other is to get a weekly pass. The single ticket in Paris is known as Ticket t+ and is valid for all public transport for 90 minutes. It costs 1.90 euros or 14.90 euros if you buy a pack of 10 tickets.

The weekly pass, or Passe Navigo as it is called in Paris, is the best option for stays of a week or more in the French capital. It works by zones: from 1 to 5, from the most central to the suburbs. The ones we are interested in to get to the Moulin Rouge are zones 1-3 and the pass that allows us to move around this area costs between 19.80 and 22.00 euros depending on the one we choose.

This pass can also be used to take the Montmartre funicular. The Paris metro runs from 5:30 in the morning until 1:00. On Fridays and Saturdays the closing time is extended to 2:00.

Useful information

• Price: 1.90 single ticket. 14,90 pack of 10 tickets.
• Journeytime: Depends on the departure point. From Plaza de la Concordia it takes 17 minutes.
• Timetable: From 5:30 am to 1:00 am.
• Recommended if: You are looking for the fastest transport.

The bus is not the fastest way to get around, but it is a comfortable and recommended option if you like to enjoy the city by looking out of the window. The Moulin Rouge is also well connected by bus. Lines 30, 54, 68 and 80 stop nearby. My recommendation is to use the 30 and 54, as the stop is next to the Blanche metro station and just a few metres from our destination.

And if what you value most is getting to some of the most important monuments, you can always take the Paris tourist bus. In Paris, the "official" buses are known as Open Tour buses and there are several lines with different routes. In this case, the red line stops at the Moulin Rouge and costs around 30 euros per day.

Price and information

Tickets and fares are exactly the same as for the metro and all public transport: the basic ticket, Ticket t+ (1.90 euros), or the Passe Navigo, valid for a week (around 20 euros depending on the area). Tickets can be purchased at metro stations or at kiosks around the city and also on the bus itself, for a surcharge of 20 cents.

Buses operate Monday to Saturday from 07:00 to 20:30, with some main lines running until 00:30. There are also night buses which can be identified by an N and run from 00:30 to 07:00.

Useful information

• Price: 1,90 single ticket. 14,90 pack of 10 tickets.
• Journeytime: Depends on the departure point. From the centre it takes about half an hour depending on traffic.
• Timetable: Monday to Saturday from 07:00 to 20:30. Night-time from 00:30 to 07:00.
• Recommended if: You are looking for fast transport and with which you can enjoy the route.

I'm not telling you anything new when I say that Paris is a tremendously beautiful and pleasant city to explore on foot. If you are staying in the city centre, you can always consider walking to the Moulin Rouge. To give you an idea of how far you'll have to walk, here's how long it takes to get there from some of the city's tourist attractions.

• If you visit the Louvre and then go to the Moulin Rouge: It is about 2 and a half kilometres and takes about 36 minutes.
• If you visit the Eiffel Tower and then head to the Moulin Rouge: Almost 5 kilometres and a 1 hour walk.
• From the Arc de Triomphe to the Moulin Rouge: It takes about 45 minutes to walk the 3.3 kilometres.
• If you visit Notre Dame and then head to the Moulin Rouge: It takes less than an hour for a few minutes and 4.2 kilometres.
• If you visit the Paris Opera and then head to the Moulin Rouge: It's less than two kilometres and can be covered in just over 20 minutes.

Useful information

• Price: Free.
• Journeytime: Depends on the starting point.
• Timetable: Whatever time you choose.
• Recommended if: You want to enjoy the streets of Paris.

There is nothing more comfortable than being picked up wherever you want and taken to the door of the Moulin Rouge. That's what taxis are for. It's not the fastest way to get around the dense Parisian traffic, nor is it the cheapest, but it does save you waiting time and transfers, as well as being more comfortable.

In Paris there are more than 20,000 taxis available 24 hours a day. They are somewhat difficult to distinguish as they are normal cars whose only distinguishing feature is a small illuminated sign on the roof. When you get into one, make sure it has a taximeter and a licence number. If they don't, get out and look for another one that does.

Prices and information

There is a single telephone number to call for taxi service: 01 45 30 30 30. As far as prices are concerned, the minimum service costs 7.10 euros and the flag-down charge is around 2.60 euros.

The final price depends on the time and distance, which is usually quite a lot due to the traffic and the size of Paris, and on the supplements, which vary depending on the hours and days you take the taxi. Between 10:00 and 17:00 they are slightly cheaper than after that time. Sundays, public holidays and night timetables have more supplements.

Useful information

• Price: From 7,10€.
• Journeytime: Depends on the departure point. From Plaza de la Concordia it takes 15 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Timetable: 24 hours a day.
• Recommended if: You are looking for total availability and comfort.

If you are a regular user of services like Uber, you can also use them in Paris. The big advantage is that you can hire it from the app and, unlike taxis, you already know the route and the price you're going to pay for it. If you know how it works and have the app on your phone, it's certainly one of the most convenient ways to get around Paris.

Useful information

• Price: Depending on the route.
• Journeytime: Depends on the starting point. From Plaza de la Concordia it takes 15 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Timetable: 24 hours a day.
• Recommended if: You are already a user and are looking for total availability and comfort.

It's unusual, but you can either travel to Paris in your own car or hire one on arrival. Although it gives you more freedom of movement, the traffic and streets of Paris are not very car-friendly.

To get to the Moulin Rouge you will need to enter this address into your GPS: 90 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris, France. When you arrive you can forget about parking in a public place, it's almost mission impossible. You will most likely have to leave it in a car park. The closest one is the Clichy Montmartre car park, about 300 metres from the Moulin Rouge.

Useful information

• Journey time: Depends on the starting point. From the centre it takes about 15 minutes, but it always depends on traffic.
• Timetable: Whatever time you set yourself.
• Recommended if: You want total independence and don't mind paying extra for parking.

The RER, or regional trains, are used to get from places close to Paris but also as a complement to the metro as they run through the city centre. Their main advantage is that they allow you to get to the Moulin Rouge from points outside the city such as Disney, Versailles or the airports.

If you are travelling by train, the most efficient way to get to the Moulin Rouge is to go to Saint Lazare train station. Fortunately, it is very close to our destination. It's only a 15-minute walk northbound and from the station you can take the metro, a bus or a taxi. The fare depends on where you arrive from, but Ticket t + and Passe Navigo are also valid on these trains.

Useful information

• Journeytime: Depends on the point of departure. From the station to the Moulin Rouge is a 15 minute walk.
• Timetable: Depending on the train.
• Recommended if: You are coming from out of town from points such as Disney or Versailles.