Public toilets in Europe--where do you find them?

Using the WC on the train (while in motion, not at the station) is the best fool-proof plan. There are also almost always facilities in restaurants and if you walk with purpose you can usually pull it off even if you are not a customer. My six-year old and I have many memories of finding a place to go in Europe from this last summer. It does add to the adventure!

We recently spent 5 1/2 months in Europe, visiting 10 countries. In each, public facilities were much more common than in US cities. We agree that some could be better, but on the whole we would say the US is far behind . Perhaps Oregon has great public access but if so, it is rare

Where the heck are the toilets in Italy? My husband and I were in Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre, Venice, Siena.
We had a hard time finding any. On the train, make sure you take the Kleenex with you. Well as a matter of fact, any time!! Wear waterproof shoes too for those squat ones when you find one. I did find a portable one at Orvieto train station but it's the free standing stainless steel ones that lock you in - No thank you. I'd rather wait. I do not like the ones that wash out after you use them - if you have claustrophobia - be prepared. A real experience. Be prepared with ones with no toilet seats too!! Okay we did find a couple but it was not easy. Walking the trail from Riomaggorie to Manarola or to Corneglia we found one by looking up the hillside and saw a little sign. We had to walk up about 50 steps to get to it.
And, where were the cyber cafes that people say are all over? We had a hard time finding those as well.
Merry Christmas and have fun planning your trip for 2008.

I remember a trip to France just a few years ago with family including my parents. My mother really needed to see a restroom and we found one of those oval automated ones that are so typical for France. We had to throw in 50 cents or so and then half of the entire thing would open so you can step in. Then you need to wait until it closes again - completely. My mother, who is not claustrophibic at all, started screaming "get me out of here, I'm not dead yet!"... and we had to figure out the French instructions on the outside that said that you can only open from the inside. So we had to stand in front of that big grey thing and yell the instructions of how to reopen to her. For the remainder of that trip we stuck to restrooms in bistros, coffee places or restaurants - or hypermarchés ;-)

Kent: Not really. We used to have them pretty much underneath every public square but in the 80s vandalism and graffities started and most cities shut down their public lavatories. In Germany gas stations usually are your best bet - or restaurants.

Andreas, I've always been impressed with the availability of clean, modern, functional toilets in Germany. Of course, one does need to carry some change for the pay toilets, but personally I'd rather pay 50 Eurocents and have a clean "Klo" with paper, soap, etc. than use a sleazoid one (like all too many in America) for free.

There are lots of "public toilets" as they're called, in England and Scotland as well, all in fairly good nick.

McDonald's Resturants!!

Try the lobby of any large chain hotel. There is always a restroom somewhere on the lobby floor, perhaps near banquet rooms or pay telephones.

Well PaulnSara, it is a shame about the States if it has gone that way, we found it fine, , but here in Canada , west coast anyways, we have seem to have way more clean free toilets then I ever saw in Europe, and I say this in love, as I love europe. In so many respects they are ahead, but NOT in public toilets in my opinion.

I used one of those automated toilets in Paris,I was desperate, hated it.

Many McDonalds have 1/2 decent washrooms you can just go and use, BUT, in some you need the code printed on your food reciept to get in.

Years ago in Italy had the worst w/c experience, the light was on a two minute timer, and there was a huge spider on its web in the corner, so, when the light went out I was freaked the spider was going to " get me" and you could not reach the switch from the toilet,, LOL

I second Nancy's post about going to large hotels and finding WC's in the lobby. I use that method in Europe as well as in the US (including Hawaii) and have never found a problem (except when there were no WC's). I just act like I am a paying guest who is staying there.

Eating establishments almost always have a toilet in the back of the building. Sometimes it is not labeled as such. If you eat there, ask for the toilet. It may be upstairs (McDonald's) or downstairs (some cafes or restaurants). Another place I have taken advantage of is hotels where I have once stayed. I know where the loo closest to the reception area is and just walk in and use it. It's probably polite to ask permission first if anyone is observing. I like the pay toilets. They are always clean, in my experience. It's a good idea to carry a small pack of tissues just in case there is no toilet paper.

Paul n Sara must live a remote area of MA -- public restrooms are plentiful here in IL. :)

On the whole, my worst public toilet experiences were in China, but I'm not going to discuss that here. I did have a similar experience to Pat's while I was in Spain this year, though. Many of the toilets had light timers there, too. In one place the toilet "stall" was a separate little room with no window. I hadn't thought about the timer issue, so I hadn't really noticed where the switch was (it had come on automatically when I opened the door). When the light went out unexpectedly I was left in total darkness (and an awkward position), feeling around on the walls for the switch. To make matters worse, I couldn't reach the door either, so I couldn't open it to get the light on.

Look for Charmin-To-Go in the sample/travel section of Target or Walmart. It's a small roll of tissue this fits easily into purse or daypack -- and lasts a lot longer than you might think.

I found that most (if not all) of the WC's at McDonalds in Europe are only accessible by paying customers (I suspect they're aware this is a tactic used by travellers). Using larger Hotels is also a good suggestion, but I usually try to do my best to appear like a guest of the Hotel.

The pay WC's seem to vary in quality and cleanliness. Some I found in Italy were not really that clean or well run (the Milan train station comes to mind).

I didn't have any luck with the automated street toilets in France - they always seemed to be "occupied" whenever I needed one.

Fortunately, I've been able to avoid the "porcelain footprint" type of WC's so far.

We were always on the look out for toilets on our trip and at times had trouble finding them. We never seemed to be near McDs or flash hotels with lobbies. Did manage to find one in a department store in either Rome or Paris, but in another whilst I searched high and low I couldn't find it although I'm sure there was one.

Something we came across which isn't usual in Australia - unsure if it is in the USA was parents taking their children to the appropriate toilets. In Paris a man had his female daughters in the ladies at the railway station. Earlier in the day at Disneyland Paris my husband couldn't cope with mothers taking their sons to the urinals in the mens! and decided he could hold on. Having said that it was very packed the day we were there and there was a huge queue at the ladies, but then my experience that evening suggested that was normal.

IMHO they were lacking, and so a keen eye was needed to follow any likely sign. Sometimes I asked locals for directions.

A French friend of mine told me that restaurants are legally obliged to allow ladies to use rest rooms after they ask for tap water. I've never tested it, though...too intimidating! Instead, I stick to A) waiting it out until I get back to the room or B) using a restaurant's facilities while I am dining there.

Ah, but Martine, are restaurants legally required to give a non customer a glass of tap water. ?

In Italy, McDonald's--never had to purchase anything to use the toilets. It's the only reason I go there in the US or in Italy.

Europe is a great place to travel but to say they have better public toilets then the USA is not even close.Most european tourists ive talked to say the best thing about traveling in the USA is the toilet facilities.

I buy a museum pass everytime I visit Paris. it's easy to duck into one of the museums just to use the toilet facilities & of course, there's the added benefit of visiting the museums. Department stores are also a good choice if I happen to be close to one. I seldom pass up a chance to use the toilet whenever I stop for a drink or a meal.