Public toilet availability

You are likely to come across every variety of toilet you ever heard of and then some, from squats to the most ultra-modern. If I’m remembering correctly, bars must allow use of their facilities. You can avoid any embarrassment, however, by just buying a bottle of water.

I saw very few squatty potties in my 5 years living in Italy and only once while traveling there, so worry not about that. Some will not have seats (Rome, I am calling you out!) but one can manage on the rim. Bars always have the, so have a coffee or buy water as suggested above and use the WC. In an emergency, hotels usually have loos you can use.

Never pass up an opportunity when you are in a museum or restaurant and you’ll be fine.

I've only seen one squatty potty in Italy- this past trip- in a modern building/gelateria in Santa Margherita- very surprising.

Bars/cafes/museums/sights/hotels/dept stores all have toilets.
We get a drink or snack to use bar/cafe facilities- maybe you don't have to but seems polite.
Usually stocked well with soap, TP, seats. Mostly very clean in my experience.

Keep a few euro coins handy- sometimes there is a charge/turnstile.

I never pass up an opportunity and always carry some Kleenex and hand sanitizer..

I've been to Italy half a dozen times since my first visit in 2008, the only time I needed to use a public toilet and one was a squatter in Verona. I usually drink at least 4 liters a day (not all water, not all wine).

As others have said, use the facilities when they are available rather than wait. In a pinch, go into the fanciest hotel around. The attitude is that they never know if you are a future guest. Sometimes it's just fun to see the lobbies and the toilets are almost always as luxurious as the rest of the hotel.

1) All bars must have a toilet, but usually is for customers. Some bars don't allow you to use a toilet, others are more "tolerant". In general purchase a bottle of water or a coffee is enough to be allowed to use the toilet without complains. The toilet level could be very different. The cleaning of them depends greatly if very used or not. Remember that toilets are present even in museums and monuments.
2) In Italy there are public toilets in several cities, but being Italians used to go in bar if you need a toilet the public ones are not so common. Very often you have to pay to enter, like 0.50 / 1 euro. This means that a public toilet is not so cheaper than a bar toilet. Is possible there are some free toilets.
3) I'm not so expert about Germany, but we believe that toilets in Italy are better.

1) There are public toilets. Some are free, some require a fee. Usually, the ones requiring a fee are nicer/cleaner. But they aren't every few feet.

2) Don't always expect to see a toilet seat. (I'm talking to you Autogrill.....).

3) Go into a bar, pay for a coffee, use the toilet, get your coffee (you pay first, get later), use toilet again because you just had coffee, leave.

4) As stated by many, never pass up an opportunity to use the loo. Visiting a museum, use it before leaving. Having a meal, use it before leaving. Even stopping for a gelato, ask to use the facilities assuming they have them.

1. A 40 cents glass of water would be enough, a third the price of a bottle. Even a pack of gum, or a single candy, would be enough and these things do not involve the same consequences described by Frank. The cheaper, the better: the moment they take your money, you have the right to use their toilette.
2. All bars and restaurants where customers can sit down and where there is service must have a toilette for paying customers. Pizza-by-the slice and ice-cream shops can have a toilette.
3. Even if there is a plastic seat, you'd better seat on the porcelain. There is a reason if nobody uses plastic seats in public toilets to the point that owners quit replacing the broken ones.
4. Tipping the "cleaning ladies" a few cents is voluntary, it's neither mandatory or customary. If you decide to do it, leave your 20 cents after having used the toilette and verified it's actually clean.

For any women reading this, it's also not uncommon in Italy for the attendant in the ladies room to be male, particularly in the train stations. Perhaps I can save someone from being startled.
Cynthia

It's also not uncommon for the attendant to hand over some toilet paper when you pay thr tip/fee; I believe it's more of a southern Italian phenomenon, but toilet stalls without t.p. are something that should be planned for.

And I've been to public toilets in Italy where you pay to get in.

It's nice to ask for the bathroom politely in Italian --- I can't tell you how because, due to my xenoglossophobia, my Italian-speaking husband has to coach me on what to say every single time!

I've had many toilet adventures in Italy, including the lights going out leaving me in complete darkness --- I froze in mild panic and tried to think of what to do, not realizing that the light was on a motion detector.

Nancy, that is a great reminder about motion sensor lights! It is startling the first time and always annoying.

1. Sit down variety. There might be some squats potties left in some places, but I haven’t seen one in decades.
2. Not in the middle of the street. But there are some public restrooms. Here is a list for Florence: https://www.osservatorelibero.it/2016/08/06/pipi-firenze-la-nuova-mappa-bagni-pubblici/
3. It’s a mixed bag. It depends.

I have seen a couple of squat toilets.
In the cemetery on the Lido and
In the cemetery at Altivole, where the Brion family mausoleum is to be found.

“I wouldn’t be seen dead using a squat toilet!”

I only experienced one squatting toilet and it was in a restaurant in Vernazza. I wished I would have taken a picture, but it was pretty disgusting. I did enjoy watching the expressions of the people coming out of room. I was sure glad the lights didn’t go out while I was in there. I remember one time using a restroom in Salzburg where men and women entered thru the same door. Men went to the left and women went to the right. There was no divider. The lady attendant had a chair at the door to give to some toilet paper and to collect a tip. The guy before me walked in while the attendant was cleaning a toilet. He took some toilet paper off the table and didn’t leave a tip. When the attendant saw that, she opened the stall door and started an argument while he was sitting down. I was sure glad I waited for her before going to the stall.

So long as you are asked to pay to use the toilet (which I agree with), that is how long cash money will be around. I can't imagine how you would use a "tap-n-pay" app to pay for your use of the toilet. Perhaps, a surcharge on your bar bill?

I will be sure to get €.5 and €1 coins to be ready.

Motion sensor lights: Been there, doing the doo in the dark. I now routinely wave my arms around.

I have been pregnant three times here so I've scoped out many of Italy's public toilets! :)

1. Yes, they have toilets. They're almost always regular toilets (but without the seat) now. It's best to buy something small. I recommend asking to use the toilet first and then buying something because sometimes the toilet is broken (guasto) and then you've purchased something and don't get to use the toilet.

2. There are public toilets in most of the main cities (and usually smaller towns too). They're usually marked as WC, Toilet, Toilette, or Bagno. We are getting more and more of the automatic toilets that get sanitized after each use. You often pay a small fee for a public toilet - but that's a good thing! Paid toilets are almost always cleaner and more well-maintained.

Even though we have them, there aren't many of them. So, as other posters have said - use them anywhere you get a chance... museums, restaurants, fancy hotels you walk by, cafes, tourist info centers, public parks, trains.

1. It's been a while since I've been in Germany, so I'm not sure.
   

you can just go into a bar (a cafe) and buy a pastry or coffee for a Euro and use the toilet.

I saw people being rejected from using the toilet at Paris restaurants unless they were customers. This was in 2018.

By squat toilets I'm guessing you mean a hole in the floor? I remember that being common back in the 80's. What happens if you miss?

Go to a bar and buy something so you can use the toilet. Its a wonderful excuse to get a lot of small pastries (usually about a Euro) all throughout the day!

By squat toilets I'm guessing you mean a hole in the floor? I remember
that being common back in the 80's. What happens if you miss?

Squat toilets = two "footpads" (typically porcelain) with a hole between them. Don't miss.

I still have vivid memories of the first one I ever encountered, in a cheap hotel in Paris in the 1980s. Left a strong impression on me.

When in such lands, it's a good idea to start and end each day with a few minutes doing some stretching exercises, just in case you may have to rely on some muscles you haven't used in a while. It's not a great time to experience a muscle cramp, that's for sure.

Ah, the romance of travel!

It used to be custom to tip the attendants in facilities.

We just spent a month in Treviso, and I was honestly surprised and the number of "squatty potties"/hole-in-the-floor toilets we encountered. Several in very busy bars and actual restaurants. Unfortunately, you don't know until you visit. Not ideal, but thankfully I'm young and able to deal with it and my toddler is male, and thought it was a fun adventure! I have not encountered any in major "tourist" cities (Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, etc.).

One other tip that I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you search on Google maps for "bagno pubblico", you can see the locations of public toilets. I always "save" these (click on the location, look for the "save" button - the icon kind of looks like a bookmark) so I can easily find them for future reference. Once a location is "saved" in Google maps, if you download the map on your phone, you can access it even while offline.

I'll echo the recommendation to always have tissues, hand sanitizer, and coins readily available.