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Public restrooms in Switzerland

Hello,

I am a novice when it comes to international travel. Last year my family traveled to Belgium and Norway and we were surprised that we had to pay a Euro to use a public restroom. Do we need local currency to do the same in Switzerland?

Posted by
5493 posts

Most likely you can now just use your credit card/ Apple Wallet tap pay. Have a good trip!

Posted by
861 posts

I just returned from 9 days in Switzerland. I had to pay at just one restroom, in the Lucerne train station. I was able to tap to pay.

Posted by
1030 posts

We have a mix here in Switzerland - some free (mainly small towns and villages), pay with coins (most large cities) and more recently via card - although I have only seen this option so far in large train stations.

Posted by
1623 posts

At some train stations, they are called McClean toilets, that aren't free but cleaner than average. Strange name.

Posted by
253 posts

We just left Wengen.. and every train station/cable car/ furnicular station has WC sign.. (which is a swiss sign for bathroom).. they are all free, and exceptionally clean..
I was impressed.. We Americans have lot to learn...

Posted by
31 posts

Hi Steve,

In Switzerland you need Swiss Francs or a credit card. In Geneva and Lausanne, for example, the restrooms at the train station cost 1,5 swiss francs and can be paid only by card.

The smaller train station in towns like Montreux or Vevey have a different system - eco-self-clean toillet outside the train station building / on the 1st platform usually. For those you'd need local coins.

Not to mention that one can find public free of charge restrooms quite often in the Swiss cities/towns and even small villages. Quite clean and convenient to use, I'd say.