Train and Bus stop Bathrooms

It's not true in Ireland, but it is in Germany (sometimes, sometimes not).

We always have small change in our pockets just for this situation. You never know, and so preparation for the eventuality is what is now called "preplanning". If you get out in the boonies you may not have to pay, but then you may have to use the MENs while someone stands guard. As I have. Some toilets have a coin slot on the cubicle door, some have a coin operated turnstile of some type, some have a person. It is not unusual in Britain or Europe, in my experience, to pay to pee.

In many places in many countries, there's a charge at public restrooms (including at train stations, shopping malls, etc). It's usually between 50 cents and a euro. You should always be prepared to pay, and be pleasantly surprised when it's free. Otherwise, you will spend your whole trip resenting the use of every bathroom. In Europe, it's just not thought of as a big deal to pay to use a public bathroom. If it's a big deal for you, you'll be miserable, so try to adjust your expectations. Rick mentions that in Poland, there's sometimes a charge to use a bathroom at a restaurant; I've never seen this elsewhere in Europe, so be sure to use the bathrooms in restaurants and museums, where they are free (well, included in the meal/admission price).

Kimberly Here in England it is the norm to pay in railway and bus stations. Normally 20p. It's also true that the big food chains - Starbucks, MacDonalds etc - often have code locks on the toilets to stop non customers using them. You need to get the code from the checkout. I imagine the same will be true in Scotland as the same companies run the rail and coffee shops as down here. I guess the fact that Americans aren't used to this accounts for why you are known as the land of the free! Cheers Alan

I've shared this story before, but how can I resist here? In France, many years ago, pre-Euro, I think I had to pay one franc to "go number 1" and two francs to "go number 2." The difference was about, what?, 18 American cents. Not realizing this system, I paid my 1F, intending to go number one, but selected a seated toilet in a stall rather than a urinal since the facility was nearly wide open to public viewing. The female attendant raced in, berated me in French for trying to "cheat" the system, redirected me to a urinal, and insisted on staying to make sure I didn't try to sneak back to the other toilet. True story!

I would just like to add that it is indeed true in at least one place in Ireland, the Dublin train station. There they have a turnstile at the entry to the restroom which you drop your coins in before entering. I can't remember how much it was, not a lot though (this was in August of 2010).

Generally I've found that pay toilets = clean toilets. Don't worry about paying.

Most railway station in the UK charge to pee...recently in Liverpool and York fee was 30p..many people stood with their legs crossed as they tried to find the required sum..keep your change handy....

Have been to Amsterdam twice, don't think we had to pay there. Italy, oh, yeah, and sometimes what we paid for was...interesting...like the little old woman outside a shack, a basket on a wobbly table beside her to hold the $$, a roll of paper towels (for tp!), and a bar of slimy soap in a basin of questionable water for washing up afterwards. I have blocked from my memory where that was. Thank heavens for purse-size containers of hand sanitizer! :)

We arrived in London early on a Sunday morning, and by the time we got to the train station, my need for a toilet was -- urgent. Whoops. I had a wallet full on ten and twenty pound notes. And no change. And the change machines didn't work. A quick rummage through the racks of postcards allowed me to get change, and relief. ; ) In the future, I'll plan ahead.

Scotland - plan on 20 pence coins. However, there are many places that have free toilets. Just for train and bus stations - keep 20 pence coins handy. One time, I didn't have the correct coins - an employee gave me permission to use the disability toilet room and it was free.

Pay toilets can sometimes give you great stories to tell. One of my earlier trips to Paris when planes arrived at Orly and they still used the franc. By the time I got through the terminal and immigration I had to use the facilities. But no change. I decided to buy some mints just to get some change. But there was a long line. I looked closely and realized many of those on line were on my flight and they were doing the same thing as me. Getting change. At Pompeii, in the days of the lira, they were charging 300 lira to use the toilet. In Rome I had paid only 200. I was incensed and argued with the attendant. That is until I realized that 100 lira was equal to a nickel. The old "singing" toilets in Paris where you put money in the slot, the door opens, it closes, music starts and you do your business. When done, the door opens, you leave and it closes. The toilet then sanitizes itself before allowing the next person to enter. Amsterdam and the open "pissoires" on the street. Men only. And that's just the beginning.

or go on the train, if they are working - they're free.

Just count on having change with you as it varies, think we did not have to pay in Amsterdam train station but did in Haarlem. Did so in Naples train station but not in Pompeii. Yes in London outside train station as I will never forget we were down to last coin, put coin in and it did not work. Lovely gent behind my son paid for him. Only place in Ireland I remember was at Dublin train station. Be prepared.

At the Cambridge railway ( note not train in the UK) station the toilets were free, except that the ladies was vandalized and so closed and you had to get the disabled facility opened by the stationmaster. And he cautioned about closing the door so it wouldn't get vandalized. At King's Cross it was 30 P, but the machine wasn't working so all were going in for free. ; ). We never seemed to have trouble finding free public toilets in Scotland.