2 questions about toilets

For sure there is a 24 hour one at the Amsterdam Centraal Train Station

In Dam Square, just pop into de Bijenkorf department store. 1st floor (that is the European floor above street level), or the 5th floor where there is also a cafe.

Thanks. Very helpful
Kat

In your hotel, in your restaurant, in a department store, in the library, in a shopping centre, and never leave a museum without going.

Expect to pay a little.

Don't be surprised when you get a toilet that allows you to examine what you produced, although there are fewer now.

And if you have a male in your group tell him to aim at the fly.

All service areas have toilets. Expect to pay.

Most service areas are excellent, as is the accompanying food.

Thank you
Kat

In the German service areas the toilet areas, often operated by SaniFair, will require a payment in the machine attached to the turnstile. Put money in, as you go through a small credit card ticket will be produced. Take that because it is worth money, often half the admission cost, in the attached store or in other SaniFair outlets along the road anywhere in Germany.

If you need change there is an automated change maker machine nearby.

Other places you will just see a basket to drop your payment into. If the attendant is there it is OK to make change from the basket.

Each country is different. Belgium for example has similar tickets but they are only valid in Belgium, usually for around 3 months.

The German ones are only valid in Germany.

Nigel is right: Save your small coins so you don't get caught short at a rest stop or other public convenience. It helps if you are not too shy as privacy is not always 100 per cent.

You can look up autobahn service areas: https://motorwayareas.com/en/service-areas

Service Areas on Motorways

Rest areas and service areas keep you up and help you to make a break
and enjoy and relax. Use the service areas on the motorways in the
different countries.

The WCs are often pay facilities but will issue you a reciept/coupon that rebates some of the charge towards purchases at the convenience center.

Amsterdam Centraal station toilets (and that of many other Dutch stations) are paid, reasonably clean and they also accept contactless cards for payment.

Germany is generally a very clean country, but the most disgusting rest area I've ever seen (and I'm no spring chicken) was along the autobahn going from Hannover to Frankfurt. I took one look and decided I could wait. Hopefully you won't encounter anything like that. And definitely heed the advice to never pass up an available bathroom and carry small coins with you.

Before there were pay stiles before going we had only doors on every toilet that required a quarter to open them. When I was a kid I crawled under the door and go . For free . Not an option anymore ;)

Off of Dam Square there is a brand new Hudson's Bay Department Store spread across three buildings. On the top floor of each building there are free bathrooms.

Good advice to save some coins just in case. I always have a few leftover € coins for my next journey!

Most ( but not all ) pay toilets require a 50 cent coin .