restrooms/water closets

thanks everyone for the tips. looking forward to a fabulous trip! s.

Usually coins, depending on the currency - but be sure to carry tissues or a small, squashed (to minimize size) roll of toilet paper. Also, in some countries, you'll clog the plumbing if you dispose of your paper in the toilet. If there's a container to throw it in and everybody else did, do it, too. Some toilets will only open with coins, some have an attendant, who has a dish for your money sitting on a table.

To be fully prepared you need to familiarize yourself with the use of "squat" toilets. You are almost sure to find them in the places you are going.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_toilet

thank you anna - that's a great help. s.

We follow a couple of rules -- No 1 -- Never, never pass by a water closet. 2. Carry you own TP and perhaps, a sanitary wipe, and, unfortunately for women, no toilet seat. 3. Min the amount of fluid in take in the morning. 4. Carry a few coins -- 1E is common charge and sometimes less.

I disagree with Frank's #3 suggestion particularly if it is hot. Dehydration can be a much more serious problem than finding a bathroom. Also even if the place has an attendant you want coins or very small bills. A public toilet costing .50Eur is not the place to break a one hundred euro bill.

Have seen this little trick often: attendant has the tray for coins and he/she makes certain that a few euros are sitting in it so that you are led to believe a euro is what you should give. The equivalent of .25 is sufficient.

Definitely have change at all times. In my experience, restrooms that charge usually charge 50 eurocents. As others have said, keep tissues in your daybag because there's no guarantee of toilet paper, especially in outdoor public bathrooms. I also bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer in case there's no soap (usually the case in outdoor public bathrooms).

susan, Some of the pay W.C.'s have coin operated entry, so you with those you WILL require a €1 coin. At least with the ones in Italy, they have sliding glass panels that open for a few seconds to allow passage through the turnstile. Don't "dawdle" when you go through, as I've seen the panels close on people which isn't a pleasant experience! In public washrooms at highway rest stops and Cafés, especially in Greece and Italy, if there's a "conventional" toilet there will probably be no seat so the experience will be a bit "uncomfortable" for those that have to sit. As the others have mentioned, especially in Greece (or where signs are posted) the paper does NOT go into the W.C. as it will clog the plumbing! There will be a waste bin nearby for disposing of that (surprisingly, it's not really that difficult to get used to). It's almost certain you'll encounter the "squat toilet" in some locations, so consider how you'll approach those. I always pack along some disinfectant Handi-Wipes, and find they get used on a regular basis when travelling. Happy travels!

As soon as your flight lands, start collecting those precious coins - break paper bills by buying a newpaper at the airport, buy a drink ASAP (each person gets their own if that maximizes the change received!), etc. I even keep them in a separate place in my wallet. IF you're so inclined, you might look at something like this. They come in very handy sometimes ;-) Assume NO toilet paper. I agree with the €0,25 - €1,00 range; look at the coins in the tray and do accordingly. When you get really lucky, there will be an actual sign with a price listed. And don't be surprised if you have to pay beforehand for toilet paper, and for (ahem) a little or a lot of toilet paper LOL! (And since I bought THAT up, many toilets will have TWO buttons to choose from: a smaller one for a 'smaller' amount of water, and a larger one for a 'larger' amount of water) Keep, and bring home, several toilet trips-worth of coins so you'll be prepared for your next trip!

eileen - i've seen the go girl before. love that idea! thanks for reminding me of the product. i'll purchase several :-). s.

In addition to change I always have a small package of tissues (good for TP if you need it, hand sanitizer and antibacterial hand wipes. You never know when those things will come in handy.

Just want to add a note that the public wc's in Turkey were without exception the cleanest I've seen anywhere! Well worth the 1 ytl left in the dish.

That wasn't my experience when I visited Istanbul last month. In fact, they were quite disgusting; especially the ones near the Galata Bridge, and the Grand Bazaar. Also the toilets were of the "squat" variety. Toilets at the Archeological museum, and the Topkap? Palace were much cleaner.

The only pay wc (porta potty) I seen on our trip to Rome & Venice in March was in the Venice train station, I didn't use it b/c I left my fiance with all the money and bags, didn't think and got there with no euros bills or change and didn't feel like walking back again, held it to we got to our B&B. The only pay wc (complete bathroom) we seen on the whole trip was in Venice again, by the Louis Vuitton Store, literally right down the alley, Mike went in and had to pay, it was 1 euro and it only took change. I would just make sure to always have mini tissue packs, hand sanitizer and change... Hope I helped!

you'll need coins. In the Netherlands, though, if it is not clearly stated that you must pay ánd how much you will need to pay for using the restroom (before entering the restroom), then you are not required to pay anything at all. Any amount given will be considered a tip (note that if you do not tip, you may get a very dirty look, but if that corresponds with the restroom: so be it...). I don't know the exact rules in other parts of Europe, but it is the same in many other countries: it has something to do with the protection of consumers and the right to know up front what something is going to cost. If it is clear that something must be paid, then you will not get away with paying nothing (the correct way is to go to court and let a judge decide what is reasonable, but I assume that is not an option). ;)

To add a bit to what Roland said. I always try to have coins and do the right thing. But if my first stop after the ATM was the toilet and the only thing I had was 50Eur bills. I would not feel guilty or bad about stiffing the toilet tip if my only other option is continuing to do the pee-pee dance. I doubt the police in any country is going to waste their time tracking down people who violate the pay to pee laws even if there is a formal law requirement payment and it was not just tip based. I have only had to do this this twice. One of the times I was near the same restroom two days later so when I went back I have the attendant double.

I agree 100% with Frank about minimizing the amount of fluids in the morning. You can do that without becoming dehydrated.

"I doubt the police in any country is going to waste their time tracking down people who violate the pay to pee laws even if there is a formal law requirement payment and it was not just tip based. " (Ed) True enough that no militia will be called in to enforce the "pee laws" (LOL) but I did have a female attendant 10 years ago give me much grief for not understanding the pay scale. I think at the time it was one franc to pee, and two francs otherwise. I needed to pee so I paid my franc and proceed to the nearest toilet...a stall, and yes, it was in the men's side. The woman came screaming at me and redirected me to a urinal instead and refused to leave until I had finished. She was concerned that she had caught me purposefully trying to use a sit-down toilet on the cheap and wanted to ensure I didn't sneak back in there. All this conspiracy on my part, apparently, for one franc (about 14 cents)!

"The woman came screaming at me and redirected me to a urinal instead and refused to leave until I had finished." Ah, yes, Gentlemen - BEWARE! Heed Matt's warning... And get used to mopping between your feet (male and female) while you're, ummm, 'busy'...

I guess one of the benefits of having been in a couple of relationships with completely nutty women is that I have developed the ability to completely block out a women screaming frantically at me and not even be the least bit phased that they are there or care what they are saying.

Needless to say, this is a much bigger issue with women then men. My wife makes a point of finding public toilets (an art, actually) and has been known to cause a bit of a scene if she felt the quality of the facility did not meet the quantity of the requested coin. She hates the squatters so much, she refuses to use them. My advice for women who have to? Where clothes that can be removed completely. And learn how to balance while squatting with your legs apart. The things no one ever puts in a travel book. If no amount is posted above the coin dish, I assume they want a tip of whatever amount I feel like. Attendants who hand you a sheet of something usually get a set amount. Bringing a roll of TP, sans tube, is essential to travel these days no matter where you are. Anyone can run out anywhere. But in some countries, you tend to use it more often.

I am beginning to see more and more pay toilets where you need a coin to get through the turnstile to get into the facility (withan attendant watching for the vaulters), so difficult to "stiff" them. Although there are still the old fashioned ones with the old woman attendant staring at you as you go about your business

Three words: Charmin-to-Go.
Look in the travel/sample section of Target or Walmart. It's a very dense roll (no tube) in a plastic sleeve that doubles as a dispenser. I never travel without it. As for squatters, don't trust a man to tell you the technique. There is no need to remove your clothes completely.

After multiple trips to China, I've learned the ways of bathroom survival for a female. I second the Charmin on the Go (easily fits into a small purse), and I never leave the country without a couple of rolls. Next, when you do find/see a clean, western toilet, taken advantage as the next option may be much worse. Always use airport restrooms as they tend to be modern and clean. I always carry a water bottle with me traveling, but if you are concerned with availability or potentially disgusting bathroom options, instead of drinking a half bottle of water at once, control your water intake by taking small sips from your water bottle through out the day.

"As for squatters, don't trust a man to tell you the technique. There is no need to remove your clothes completely." Yeeessss.....not 'completely'.

I am intrigued to see toilets described as 'rest rooms'. Folk must have exceedingly busy lives if they consider sitting on the toilet a rest.

hi everyone! this is sue, the original question poser
:-). we leave for our cruise in 4 weeks, and i must say i'm getting a chuckle a day reading about the "water closet" issue. i will be taking "wipes" in a zip lock bag, and hand sanitizer sheets - also in a zip lock. just hope hubby and i don't have to use the facilities at the same time - as one of us will be s.o.l. :-). thanks for all the comments/advice. we are really looking forward to the adventure! sue

Whether you call it a restroom in the U.S., a washroom in Canada, or WC/toilet in Europe, there's nothing intriguing about it. What is quite intriguing, on the other hand, are those shelves in Austrian toilets. What's up with that? I really don't need my business sitting that close to my person on an upper display shelf until I flush. I would prefer that it just exits as far away from me as possible. I've never really been able to understand the reason/advantages of having a display shelf in the toilet itself, but these seem to be the norm in Austria.

susan - added suggestion based on last comment. ***Each member of the group should have his/her own bottle of hand sanitizer and roll of toilet paper. (Didn't mention this before cause I thought it was obvious)

Ah, Michael, I wondered the same thing when I was a student in Salzburg many, many years ago! I never figured it out, either.

My son, stationed in Germany, has one of those toilets in his apartment. He says its called an "inspection" toilet. I will leave it to your imagination just what you'd have to inspect....

You don't have to remove clothes for a squat toilet any more than a woman normally would. You just have to know how to position yourself.

oh yeah, the toilets with the shelf are really common in Germany, though not as popular as they used to be. Hate them! The word rest-room is used often to avoid saying that word "toilet", which for some older people sounds polite. Many of them will have a chair, or even a couch to sit on if it is in a nice restaurant, or dept. store. So many women feel pressured to nurse their babies out of the public eye and get told to go do it in a bath room, that putting something in there for them to sit on, rather than nurse their baby while sitting on an open toilet, is doing them a favor.