Lack of public water fountains for refilling water bottle in European cities?

I have an app called Refill that is supposed to locate places to fill up your reusable water bottle. I haven't tried it out yet but it seemed like a good idea.

Free water is a US idea. In Europe, water is bottled and sold. You can get tap water, but travel means adapting local customs.

Why would you specify that you don't want bottled water? In a restaurant, you can get a 1L bottle for 2-3E. We enjoy our water with gas, and it is so refreshing. It's the least expensive part of the meal.

I like ordering tap water because i really dislike the bottled water industry. It is also cheaper. A small bottle of water in a restaurant in Frankfurt usually costs 3.50€. A glass of tap water 1.50€. Yes, you pay for it and I am fine with that.
Many cities do have fountains you can use, but do check that they are ok. They should have a sign. It is becoming a bit more popular to have these installed.
I liked getting a carafe of chilled tap water in France and Spain. Why give the big water bottling companies money when tap water is just as good and tastes as nice.

Money aside, Europe is 1000 times more successful with recycling than America is. They don't savagely debate whether a greasy pizza box is recyclable, for example.

So it's not true that bottled water kills whales in Europe. In the 1950s, Coca- Cola came only in greenish glass bottles (mostly 9-1/2 ounces ??) that were washed and ... gasp ... refilled. In daycamp, I visited a Pepsi bottling plant, and saw the sudsy bottle washer machine in action.

Tap water customs in restaurants will vary by country. In some countries, there is a charge for tap water in restaurants. In some countries, tap water is not customarily served. If you list the countries you plan to visit, people can advise.

For example,
If want tap water in France just order “un carafe d’eau”.
In Italy, tap water is not really customary in restaurants so I just go with the flow and order bottled water.

I never see to have much of a problem refilling water bottles in Europe. It's especially easy in Rome as there are Nasoni around the city that supply good drinking water. Of course it's a good idea to check to see if there's a sign that say "Aqua Non Potabile".

I'm assuming that restaurants in most European cities are required to put used water bottles in the recycling. I typically order a larger bottle of water with meals (ie: 1L or larger) and simply fill my water bottle from that when I've finished dinner. One thing I enjoy about bottled water is that it's often well chilled, so very refreshing after a hot day of touring.

I always start the day with a full 584 ml bottle of water but if I need water during the day, it's easy to pop into a local grocer or whatever and pick up another bottle. You might ask the staff at your hotels in each city, as I'm sure they will have good, practical suggestions.

Two quick points:

You can easily get as much tap water as you can drink in restaurants in northern or central Europe, the exception being tourist traps where they are pumping you for every pfennig. You just need to know the local word or words to order it.

And two, compared to even five years ago, there is way more tap water on locals' tables. In the restaurants I've been to lately, if a table is drinking water, tap water dominates 3-1. It's not unusual.

Bonus point, I get zero blowback from servers about asking for tap water. We do order drinks with meals almost all the time, so maybe this tilts servers away from any sort of eye rolling vibe. But I think in general they really don't care, and will happily bring you tap water. No problem if you know how to order it.

Regarding public water, the OP is completely correct. Europe is much more progressive than the US in a lot of ways, but not in supplying a lot of easily accessible public drinking water.

In Vienna/Austria, there's a public health push toward public drinking water. You can see that there is a campaign to supply more public drinking water.

I started a thread in the Netherlands section about the difficulty of finding public drinking water there, and someone replied with a good app for finding it. I'll find that later in link, at the moment racing a rainstorm for a bicycle day trip to Giethoorn - got to get out the door :)

I drink only water, and there are some places (including Italy) where that sort of means buying bottled water. I often see carafes of what I assume is tap water on tables where Italian families are eating, but they are also drinking wine, so I assume the restaurant is providing the tap water at no charge.

I've occasionally refilled my water bottle at a tap in a museum restroom, but I usually make it through the day with a bit of water left in the bottle I carry around with me. I think Rome is the easiest place to get refills on the street.

It’s definitely true that it’s not that easy to refill a water bottle in Europe. I would hope to be able to refill my bottle while out and about in the U.K, but I’d never expect to be able to. The airport near me only introduced free water stations about 3 years ago. Yesterday I was out at a theme park and I found one refill station all day. There were probably more but they are definitely trying to get you to buy drinks rather than use a free resource.

It’s actually a relatively recent concept to carry drinking water around with you, and it’s not as prevalent in Europe as it would seem to be in America. A lot of people wouldn’t carry a bottle of water around the city. They’d stop for a drink in a cafe.

Paul, I didn't know that the water caused gas in Europe.

First, I may be the odd one out, but I do not travel with, or carry around a water bottle. Mainly because that requires something to carry it in, which prompts me to carry other things, and I have worked hard to change my habits and wander a city with only my phone, a money clip with a few euro and a credit card...and that's it, maybe my passport tucked away.

My solution is simple, stop and take a break, slow down and enjoy the trip you paid so much for. A respite at a cafe is part of the trip, a soft drink, beer, wine, and usually water as well. Many places are now going to refillable bottles, water taken from a filtered water system, either still or sparkling, so you get your water in a bottle with a flip top bail, or a carafe. The other typical option is a glass bottle, rather than plastic.

Regarding the plastic issue, the EU is ramping up efforts to limit, and outright ban, single use plastics. Even fast food places are experimenting with reusable glasses, plates and utensils, or wood/paper options.

Hi tph
you made the comment

European cities tend to have less public water fountain access than cities in the US

It's been a while since I've looked for a water fountain in the US, so I can't comment on that but for example, in my city, Logroño there are at least 120* public drinkable water fountains. Thinking of where I walk my dogs, there are 7 fountains that come to mind. I can also think of fountains in most of the main squares in the cities and towns I have visited around La Rioja and Navarra.

Also if you have a car, and traveling on the local roads, it is no uncommon to see a natural fountain with drinking water, and people filling up 10l bottles.

*About 25 years ago, a friend got an internship with the utilities department and she had to go around an analyze the water in all the 120 public fountains. I am sure that the number has changed since then.

A lot of people wouldn’t carry a bottle of water around the city. They’d stop for a drink in a cafe.

That would be me. I've never gotten in the habit of carrying a water bottle around with me. If I get thirsty, I stop and have something to drink or find a water fountain. My daughter complains about how often her kids have to pee when they are on road trips, and I've pointed out to her that it's because they all have large, filled water bottles. :)

@dlindstrom I've actually been to Logroño!

I don't think I had any issues with waterfountains there.

@ Paul-of-the-Frozen-North

"Why would you specify that you don't want bottled water?"

I don't like single-use plastics.

@Hank

Thank you for the tip!

My solution is simple, stop and take a break, slow down and enjoy the
trip you paid so much for

Well said Paul.

But dont drink the tap water

@Paul

"My solution is simple, stop and take a break, slow down and enjoy the trip you paid so much for."

Not sure how having easy access to drinking fountains inhibits me from enjoying my trip. Sometimes it's nice to stop and slow down at a restaurant, but sometimes it's nice to be on the move when you've got places to see and things to do.

Free water is a US idea. In Europe, water is bottled and sold.

Not true at all in Paris. There are Wallace Fountains all over the city where you can refill your bottle and get a view of Mr Wallace's charming legacy as well.

Paris also has two or three sparkling water fountains. I only know of one in the Jardin de Ranelagh which is the far 16th.

And at any restaurant in France, you simply ask for a carafe d'eau and they will give you free tap water to drink. If you are at a fast food place that has sit-down seating you should almost always be able to get a gobelet or verre d'eau instead of buying a bottle.

Here's a little info on the 120 Wallace Fountains dotted all over Paris.

https://wallacefountains.org/

I don’t carry water with me at home or during a trip unless I’m biking, but one hint not mentioned, yet, may help. I always select lodging that is located in the center of the historical city. One added benefit is that it’s very convenient if I want to stop in and go to the bathroom, or in your case you could refill your water.

Jean, good idea. And that 100 year old plumbing in the old historic districts imparts a flavor to the water that becomes a fond life long memory of the trip. But seriously, it was part of the business I was in all my life so when i travel and I see an open utility excavation I have a tendency to look. I've seen some pretty disturbing (by U.S. standards) things. But I figure they drink it and dont die, so I do too. 😬 Anything is better than bottled water. You dont need a PhD to understand what the production of plastic and transportation of bottles full of water contributes to the carbon polution. Not to mention the waste. Never made sense to me. Now beer is a different issue.....

I'm wondering, is there a reason why you can't refill the water bottle from the sink in a bathroom? Is that water not considered drinkable? Because of health issues, I drink large quantities of water on a daily basis, thus needing to use the bathroom multiple times, and I've filled my water bottle up while at museums etc. while using the bathroom. I kinda figure if the water quality is considered decent, and you can drink tap water, why not?

I do that any time I need to. I figure if there's some reason the water out of a faucet isn't drinkable, there will a sign so indicating. I've seen that a few times but don't remember where, aside from planes and probably trains.

@Kim - Very, cool, thank you for the tip! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_fountain

@Gail - In a pinch I will drink sink water, I just assumed fountain water has a different treatment process, but maybe I'm wrong.

No it's the same water. There's not a duplicate treatment or piping system, and the pipes going to those quaint fountains are just as old or older than any building's pipes. It's just the psychological thing about water from a restroom sink.

This website lists all of the drinking water fountains in Venice: https://www.venicetapwater.org/

For Rome, there is an app called "I Nasoni di Roma" that lists the water drinking fountains.

For Florence, check this website: https://localwiki.org/fi/tap_water_fountains

The Wallace fountains have already been mentioned. Another case is Switzerland where fountains with drinkable water are literally everywhere. I you see water coming out of a spout somewhere then you can assume you can drink it, except if there is a sign that says you can't.

The tap water in a few places in Europe is undrinkable, not necessarily because it's unsafe but rather it has a horrible taste. One such place that comes to mind is the island of Hydra in Greece. The water is fine for showers but not for drinking. Several times each week, a vessel like a WW2 landing craft stops in the main part of town and bottled water is unloaded by the crate, and then distributed around the island by donkey.

I fill up my re-usable metal water bottle in bathrooms all the time. You can also ask at cafes where you just had a coffee and pastry to fill up your bottle from the tap. It is free.
Saw tons of fountains with drinkable water in Spain. Yes, they test the water there. I would drink the tap water in Europe before I would drink it in the US.
The water bottle industry is disgusting. Unless it is for emergencies and people need it of course. The idea that all those millions of bottles are recycled, so it is all ok, is a huge misconception. Let alone the production and transport costs to deliver all those bottles and then pick them all up. The only people that are profiting from this are the homeless who spend their days picking out bottles from trash cans for the deposit. If they are diligent, they can actually make some decent money with this. They show up at stores with huge bags of bottles. So much for people recycling and bringing those bottles back to the stores. The trash cans in the city are full of plastic bottles.
Go sit down, have a drink, or bring a bottle with you to refill.

I'll fill out of a restroom sink in a pinch, but do worry that a person with messy wiping habits touched the faucet outlet while washing hands.

This sort of contamination seems less likely filling at a drinking fountain or bottle filler. More separation between church and state :)

There have been a couple of times in a European restaurant that a waiter has dubiously insisted that the water is completely unfit for human consumption. Gee, a shame. I guess that the kitchen must be using bottled water for food preparation?!? And no one in town must be brushing their teeth at all … or at least not rinsing. We almost always ask at a restaurant for tap water, and relent if they say it’s not possible, but usually are able to get glasses or a pitcher of good ol’ municipal tap water.

The nasoni (noses) in Rome are brilliant. A continuously running hydrant on the corner, with a faucet and a little hole along the top of the spout, where if you place a finger to plug the main faucet outlet, water spurts out of the little hole, and you can get a drink from the flowing water, having turned the faucet into a drinking fountain. It can take a careful, skilled touch, though, or you’re spraying the street and passersby (or yourself) with water if you don’t do it quite right.

Then there’s the whole designer water thing. Legitimate though bottled spring water may be (check the label for the contents of essential minerals), Perrier became a status beverage in the USA in the 1980’s, followed by Evian, Voss, etc. If you want natural effervescence, or added carbonation (order con gas, or frizzante, or whatever it is in the local language), fine, but for water to carry around, or to help wash down your restaurant meal, a carafe or jug or refillable bottle of tap water is appreciated when a place is able and willing to provide it.

News footage from the past couple of weeks showed people drinking water out of the fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps in Rome. These same people waded into the fountain to get to the flowing water. Bad idea on both counts. Wonder whether anybody got ill, or arrested?

Filling a reusable container is far preferable than a 1-time plastic bottle.

There’s a thoughtful water bottle filling station in London’s Heathrow Terminal 5, immediately after Security. You have to empty your bottle for the Security screening, but can fill it right back up once you’re through being scrutinized.

One place I noticed a public fountain for refilling a water bottle this time was in Paris at the Hotel de Ville. I might have seen one or 2 also in Munich, can't attest to it but to be sure in the area of the Hotel de Ville

In restaurants, eateries, train station food courts , etc., I order bottled water only, usually without gas. ...stilles, platt. sans gazeuse.

In Paris I bought bottled water to bring back to the hotel. In Vienna, Munich, Hildesheim, Berlin, and elsewhere in Germany, I drank the room's tap water.

When I’m out and about I fill up my water bottle without any hesitation in the restrooms of cafes, restaurants, museums etc etc. I also use public drinking fountains. The water all comes from the exact same source and is transported via the exact same pipes.
For those who feel uneasy about filling up their bottle in a restroom, because someone might have touched the faucet with unwashed hands; have you thought about what could happen to a drinking fountain that’s outside and exposed to all the elements day and night? A pigeon using it as a perch is just one example and I can think of much worse things …..

The only people that are profiting from this are the homeless who spend their days picking out bottles from trash cans for the deposit. If they are diligent, they can actually make some decent money with this.

In many urban areas in the US I see the elderly collecting bottles and cans. I presume that they are on fixed incomes and the extra money helps them make ends meet.

When traveling I just go with what works. If I can refill my reusable bottle then I do. Otherwise I stop at a shop or a cafe.

Thanks Kim! I didn’t know about the sparking water fountains in Paris. I’ll have to check one out the next time I’m there.

I'm confused, I thought it was the opposite - no water fountains in the US and everywhere in Europe? Ive only been to a few places in Europe but we filled our bottles everywhere from fountains while we were travelling this summer and last -- Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro.........I live in US and never, ever see working fountains while out and about.
I have my bottle with me at all times.

Switched from water to electrolytes about a year ago. I buy one bottle of cold water in the morning or fill my reusable water bottle, add my powder electrolytes and I am good to go for the day and is what I carry around while I am out and about during the day. Much better hydration than water and I don't need to worry about refilling my water bottle or having to go potty all the time. Plus I feel so much better.

I always bring a reusable water bottle - I'm not going to get dehydrated while on an expensive vacation and have to deal with that! Drinking water is cheap reassurance. So what if i have to find a bathroom? smh
Ftr, the Wallace Fountains in Paris are awesome - they're absolutely beautiful, too!

Many Northern Rail stations in the UK provide free bottled water when it's hot, and they are starting to install water fountains.
I came across a very smart one today at Bolton, Greater Manchester. Victoria Station, London also has one.
So they are slowly appearing.

I'm surprised at those who say there is a lack of water fountains here in the US. They're often right next to the restrooms in basically every business open to the public. I'm also seeing an increasing amount of water refill stations in public parks, bike trails, malls, offices, ect.

Outside of the US, I have never carried a bottle with me when I travel. It's just one more thing to be keeping track of. If I am planning to trek/hike a significant distance, I pack the bladder from my Camelback. Otherwise, I pick up a bottle from my hotel, or stop at a shop or cafe. Rome is the best...
US fountains, most of them dribble miserly drops of water.

Vancouver has some of the best tasting water in the world, imo. But many people here, both locals and tourists, still pay for and drink bottled water. If you drive a Tesla here, chances you drink water out of a plastic bottle. I usually carry a refillable water bottle. A lot of time, my dog is with me.

When I travel, I make a point of researching drinking water and local customs. As noted above, you can ask for free water in a restaurant in France by requesting "une carafe d'eau". Lots of public water fountains in Italy, and the water is very tasty. However, you are expected to buy bottled water in an Italian restaurant. Spain was the same. So I usually order carbonated to get some extra bang for my Euros. We are going to Portugal in September. I have been told the water is safe but tastes terrible. So, I expect to buy bottled water.

During my month-long bikepacking tour in Europe in July (2023) I found the public water fountains to be fairly ubiquitous in the areas where I rode: the Alps in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany; and the Jura range in Switzerland and France. Most towns had at least one public drinking font, usually near the town square.

Note that the current drought in part of the Alps has some of these town fonts turned off this year. This is especially the case in the northern French Alps just south of Lake Geneva where the departement has ordered the faucets to be closed to preserve the water supply. C'est la vie - you can still fill up at a café, in a restroom, etc.

Places in Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Germany didn't have this problem: the town fonts were on, marked as potable, and the water was ice cold - a big bonus!

But I never did run dry along my route - there was always someplace to get a free refill of my bidons.