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How to Get to the Moulin Rouge

Seeing the most famous cabaret show in the world at the Moulin Rouge is a unique experience to live in Paris. But where is the famous red mill? How do I get there?

Carlos Bleda

Carlos Bleda

8 min read

How to Get to the Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge, France | ©Deniz Demirci

If you are already thinking about buying tickets for the Moulin Rouge before you probably want to have some information to plan your experience. The most famous cabaret in Paris is located on the Boulevard de Clichy in the north of the city. Just south of the hill in the Montmartre neighborhood and in the eponymous district. It is not a central tourist attraction but it is very well connected and getting to it is very easy. By metro, by bus, on foot... there are many ways to visit it and here are the best ones.

By metro if you are looking for the fastest way.

Waiting for the Bagon on the Paris Metro| ©Eran Menashri
Waiting for the Bagon on the Paris Metro| ©Eran Menashri

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

Getting off at this stop we find our destination just outside the metro station on the left hand side. Another option is to take the line 13 that leaves us in Clichy square, also very close to the Moulin Rouge 5 minutes walk.

How to get to the Moulin Rouge using the metro in Paris

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 by purchasing a regular ticket and the other is by getting 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 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 1 to 5 from the most central to the suburbs. The one we are interested in to get to the Moulin Rouge are zones 1-3 and the voucher that allows us to move around this area has a cost of between 19.80 and 22.00 euros depending on the one we choose.

We can also take advantage of this pass to get on the Montmartre funicular. The Paris metro runs from 5:30 in the morning until 1:00. On Fridays and Saturdays they extend the closing time until 2:00.

Information of interest

  • Price: 1.90 single ticket. 14,90 pack of 10 tickets.
  • Duration of the trip: It depends on the starting 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.

Book tickets for the Moulin Rouge with dinner

If you are looking for a walk with a view you can go by bus

Bus Line 30 of Paris, France| ©Bus Box
Bus Line 30 of Paris, France| ©Bus Box

The bus is not the fastest transportation but it is a comfortable and recommended option if you are one of those who like to enjoy the city looking out 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 a few meters from our destination.

And if what you value most is to arrive touring some of the most important monuments you can always take the tourist bus of Paris. In Paris the "official" ones are known as Open Tour bus and there are several lines for 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 those applied to 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 throughout the city and also the bus itself paying a surcharge of 20 cents.

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

Information of interest

  • Price: 1.90 single ticket. 14,90 pack of 10 tickets.
  • Travel time: Depends on the starting point. From downtown about half an hour depending on traffic.
  • Timetable: Monday to Saturday from 07:00 to 20:30. Night from 00:30 to 07:00.
  • Recommended if: You are looking for a fast transport and with which to enjoy the tour.

Book a seat on the Paris sightseeing bus

The best way to enjoy Paris is to take it easy and walk

Walking in Paris| ©Earth
Walking in Paris| ©Earth

I'm not discovering anything new if I tell you that Paris is a tremendously beautiful and grateful city to walk around it. If you are staying in the city center you can always consider walking to the Moulin Rouge. To give you an idea of the distance you have to walk I leave you the time it takes from some of the tourist spots in the city.

  • If you visit the Louvre museum and then go to the Moulin Rouge: It is about 2 and a half kilometers and takes about 36 minutes.
  • If you visit the Eiffel Tower and then head to the Moulin Rouge: Almost 5 kilometers and 1 hour walk.
  • From the Arc de Triomphe to the Moulin Rouge: It takes about 45 minutes to walk the 3.3 kilometers that separate them.
  • 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 kilometers.
  • If you visit the Paris Opera and then head to the Moulin Rouge: It's less than two kilometers that you can walk in just over 20 minutes.

Useful information

  • Price: Free.
  • Duration of the trip: Depends on the starting point.
  • Timetable: The one you choose.
  • Recommended if: You want to enjoy the streets of Paris.

Book a guided tour of Paris

Get to the Moulin Rouge by cab if you are looking for the most comfortable way

Cab in Paris| ©joiseyshowaa
Cab in Paris| ©joiseyshowaa

There is nothing more comfortable than being picked up wherever you want and taken to the door of the Moulin Rouge. For this there are cabs. It is not the fastest transport for the dense Parisian traffic, nor the cheapest, but if you save waiting and transfers in addition to gaining in comfort.

In Paris there are more than 20,000 cabs available 24 hours a day. It is somewhat difficult to distinguish them as they are normal cars whose only distinguishing feature is a small illuminated sign on the roof. When you get into a taxi, make sure that it has a taximeter and a license number. If not, it is better to get out and look for another one that does meet these requirements.

Prices and information

There is a single phone number to request cab service and it is 01 45 30 30 30 30. As for prices, the minimum service has a cost of 7.10 euros and the flag down is around 2.60 euros.

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

Useful information

  • Price: From 7,10€.
  • Duration of the trip: It depends on the starting point. From Plaza de la Concordia it takes 15 minutes. Always depending on traffic.
  • Schedule: 24 hours a day.
  • Recommended if: You are looking for total availability and comfort.

You can always resort to services like Uber

Ordering an Uber| ©freestocks.org
Ordering an Uber| ©freestocks.org

If you are a regular user of services such as Uber
in Paris you can also take advantage of them. The great advantage is that you can hire it from the app and, unlike cabs, you will already know the route and the price you will pay for it. If you know how it works and you have the App on your cell phone, it is certainly one of the most comfortable ways to get around Paris.

Information of interest

  • Price: Depending on the route.
  • Duration of the trip: It depends on the starting point. From Plaza de la Concordia it takes 15 minutes. Always depending on traffic.
  • Schedule: 24 hours a day.
  • Recommended if: You are already a user and you are looking for total availability and comfort.

If you bring your own car or a rental car

Car ride| ©Alexandr Podvalny
Car ride| ©Alexandr Podvalny

It is not usual but it is possible to travel to Paris in your own car or rent one upon 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 is almost mission impossible. You will most likely have to leave it in a parking lot. The closest one is Clichy Montmartre, about 300 meters from the Moulin Rouge.

Information of interest

  • Travel time: It depends on the starting point. From downtown about 15 minutes but always depends on traffic.
  • Timetable: The timetable you set for yourself.
  • Recommended if: You want total independence and you don't mind paying extra for parking.

If you are arriving from the suburbs, the train serves as a complement to the metro in Paris

Paris RER| ©Rob Dammers
Paris RER| ©Rob Dammers

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

If you travel by train the most efficient way to get to the Moulin Rouge is to go to the San Lazaro train station. Luckily it is very close to our destination. Walking it takes only 15 minutes going north and from the same station we can take the subway, a bus or ask for a cab. The fare depends on the point from which you arrive but in these trains is also worth the Ticket t + and Passe Navigo.

Information of interest

  • Travel time: Depends on the point of departure. From the station to the Moulin Rouge it is a 15 minutes walk.
  • Timetable: Depending on the train.
  • Recommended if: You are coming from out of town from places like Disney or Versailles.

Buy tickets for the Moulin Rouge