How do you find a restroom while in Paris?

My husband cut back on fluids in France just for the reason of not knowing for sure where a restroom would be. He ended up in the hospital with dehydration!

There are over 400 public toilets on the sidewalks of Paris, those dome-like structures with the word "toilette" emblazoned on them. (Hint! Hint!)

It used to cost €.50 to use one but now they are FREE. After each use they are washed down and sanitized, and no attendant to tip, jean-paul, since that seems to give you grief. Considering how much a vacation in France costs I am stunned by your reluctance to give a few eurocents to someone who has the misfortune in life to have a job as a public toilet attendant.

And James, not just in subways...I've seen more men peeing in public in Paris than anywhere else in my life. Maybe they just didn't want to tip the attendant.

Yes, really - if there is an attendant, you tip.

At many intersections there's a self-cleaning permanent job-jonny looking gizmo (gray and oval). They're free.

if there's an attendant, you tip. why? because it will probably be the nicest and cleanest one around. that's because the people working there for tips make sure it stays nice. i'm no a fan of tipping for useless stuff (like the bathroom attendants in clubs here in the states), but these folks keep the restrooms nice.

also, i've had no problems with using the restroom in McD's in multiple european countries. if they are kind of slow when you walk in, you might need to buy a bottle of water or something so they don't give you the side-eye. if they are busy, they can't really watch every person that walks in to see if they head straight to the back.

I don't know if the restroom in the Jardins Luxembourg is typical, but you have to pay the attendant to access the facilities. I entered, not knowing this, and had nothing smaller than a 20 euro note. I had to beg him to accept two American dollar bills. Moral of this story: ALWAYS carry coins! The cleanliness level was acceptable, but nothing special. On the other hand, the facilities in the non-touristy Parc Monceau were free, unattended, and grubby.

I have not really found this to be a problem as long as you use the bathroom when the opportunity presents. Go before you leave your hotel, at breakfast, at museums, churches, lunchbreaks, coffee breaks, etc. If in dire need, as was suggested above, I have stopped in at a starbucks and bought a coffee just to use the bathroom - but that was only once.

And as for paying for the service, honestly I wish that America would adopt this. It is so nice to have a freshly cleaned and well stocked bathroom. Particularly at festivals! If American festivals operated their bathrooms like Oktoberfest does - I would gladly pay $.50 for each use! The hardest part is just getting in the habit of having some coins in your pocket. I hate to admit the amount of times I just forgot and didn't have any change what-so-ever.

Cafes are everywhere and all have bathrooms - look for one that's busy and don't be obvious about it.

In Paris I look for a big department store like BonMarche and use their restrooms. For cafes just buy something like bottle of water or a glass in wine. Whenever their is a Madame PeePee at a public restroom you will find a clean bathroom for 30-50 cents. Some of the restrooms unattended are the worst I have seen. In europe I have a tendency to drink the least amount of fluids knowing restrooms are hard to fine.

When desperate use McDs and if necessary treat yourself to an ice cream cone for $1E or use James' method above. Don't drink excess water and you won't need to go as often!

I am one of those women that has to pee all the time and I have no problems in Paris. Between the public pay toilets near sights, dept stores and cafes, there's always one around.

I had a much harder time in Spain recently[INVALID]I actually hoofed it back to my hotel at one point. But it could have been I just didn't know where to go the way I do in Paris.

Good point Norma,, so many here express reluctance to under tip( by their standards) a server is paid a living wage and only has to bring you a coffee and sandwich,, but seem to resent giving the person who has to wipe pee off seats all day .50 euros.

I've been to Paris 8 times and have never had a problem finding a rest room. They are in Cafes, Museums, Department Stores, the self-cleaning ones on the sidewalks, and most at major sites (even up on the Eiffel Tower), and on the bateau mouches.... If you are doing all these things you will hit one. Take the advice Rick gives and never pass up using a nice restroom when you're near one. I have only experienced paying for one once in Paris and once in Italy, but if that is what's happening go with it. Not a big deal.

The late Duke of Windsor, uncle of UK's Queen Elizabeth, when he was a young man and had many public duties to perform in his role as the Prince of Wales, is famously supposed to have said that he "never stood when he could sit, never sat when he could lie down and never missed an opportunity to take a leak". Words to live (and travel) by.

I thought that was a Winston Churchill quote or more likely misquote?

You could download the sit or squat app for the iphone. ; ) Of course, you'll need to look for wifi as you will NOT want to have data roaming. ; )

Pam

A former poster here - Tracy - has a map of the Toilets of Paris on her blog at elbodans.wordpress.com.

The link to the map is at the lower left corner of the rainbow picture. For those of us who know Tracy - do you think there is symbolism there?....that Tracy thought finding a toilet in Paris was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Her blog about Paris(also London and Amsterdam) presents her unique perspective. It's good reading.

In all my years in Paris, I've never seen anyone pee in public - just lucky I guess. Sure saw a lot of that in Germany though.

Fast food restaurants and always schedule a trip to rr when in a museum or cafe. Sometimes you must pay but that is how attendants make their living in some foreign countries. if you prefer to never pay then planning is critical and limiting intake of fluids while away from your hotel.

Starbucks. And their air conditioning is awesome! (Heaven during the 90+ degree heatwave in July.) (And I never imagined I'd be promoting Starbucks in Paris...)

Definitely Starbucks. Normally, I'd feel compelled to buy a coffee or something at a small cafe or bar. Not at Starbucks, and no one seems to be paying attention.