A friend & I are going to be in Paris for a few days in late October. We are staying close to Wagram Metro. Previously when I was in Paris, I have only been on an organised tour. This time however, we are pretty much organising everything ourselves. We are wanting to go to the Moulin Rouge Dinner & Show. (It was closed down last time I was in Paris so we went to Le Paradis instead). But I am worried that we will not be able to get a taxi easily after the show. And I have no idea how safe it is in the area, how safe Metro or late night buses are. And how long you have to wait for a taxi. If the taxis in Paris are anything like Sydney or Brisbane on a Saturday night, there is a long, long wait. We are planning to go to the Moulin Rouge on a Saturday night and I want to book and pay for it but I am debating whether to do a tour where a mini bus picks up from the hotel and drops you off after the show (but very expensive), or whether to risk it and catch a taxi. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Also if anyone has any idea of how far it is from Wagram to Moulin Rouge or approximate cost of taxi fare for this distance, would also really help Thanks.

The Moulin Rouge is in Pigalle which is a seedy but safe area. It is full of strip clubs, knocking shops and sex shops. However it isn't a dangerous area.

Paris is notorious for not having taxis late at night, but having said that the drivers will know when the Moulin Rouge kicks out, whcih is an obvious honeypot for them.

Pigallle/Wagram is an easy metro journey (one change)

The most difficult time to find taxis -- especially on Saturday -- is between 1 a.m. (closing of the metro stations) and about 3 a.m.

No idea what the stats are, but the Paris metro on Saturday nights has always struck me as exceptionally safe.

And since it's full of homegoing revellers, and being French those revellers are generally close to sober, it's got a jollyish (in a rather JP Sartrish kind of way) atmosphere unmarred by overindulgers.

I always just use the Metro. You shouldn't have a problem w/the areas you'll be traveling.

Oh well, as for the stats, you are 6 times safer in the metro than out on the street. But even Parisians don't always feel safe late at night in the metro, due to the "confinement" factor. What they don't realize is that criminals don't feel safe either due to the same factor -- out on the street, they can run in any direction, but in the metro they have to follow a tunnel just like everybody else, not knowing what's around the corner (police, often as not).

Hi A,

>Also if anyone has any idea of how far it is from Wagram to Moulin Rouge...<

Go to www.ratp.fr. You will get directions for metro and bus.

I think taking the metro would be okay. Moulin Rouge isn't right near the Pigalle metro stop. The good thing is the Blanche metro stop is virtually right in front of it, and that is the one you'd use. So you wouldn't have to walk around at all there.

There are some areas I'm not comfortable walking around at night late, mainly deserted, and some metro cars are not so great real late, either, or stops -- but I think that would be okay to do. I don't know what Villiers and Wagram are like at night, but probably fine (you have to transfer at Villiers). If your hotel is right near the metro stop, that's what I would do.

Some of those tours aren't really that expensive on their own, as the tickets themselves are expensive (to Moulin Rouge). I just would worry about it taking a lot of time if they have to drop others off, but it depends. I remember someone asking about one of those on here once, not the usual names (not Parivision or Cityrama), and it sounded like a good deal to me. Unfortunately, I can't recall the company, but it was one of the few that drop you at your hotel. I think she had to go someone not that near a metro stop, though, and the idea of fighting for a taxi after that wasn't something I would advise.

What's a "knocking shop"?