Good morning, My wife and I are going to Paris in 10 days, it is our first time (40th anniversary) I wonder if it is ok to drink the water at a restaurant if it is served in a carafe.
My wife drinks a lot of water, and with the exchange rate she could consume $25.00 of water a day.
Also- public toilets, how available are they.
Rick
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
Yes, it's okay. The tap water is at least as safe as tap water anywhere in the U.S. Navigate to this site for everything one could possibly wish to know about the water supply & system in Paris: http://www.eaudeparis.fr/
Forgot to answer the second part: Generally, toilets are not nearly as ubiquitous as in the U.S. You’ll find pay-type toilets on the street, cafes have toilets in the back or downstairs, fast food places will let you use their toilets with a code found on your receipt, department stores typically have them for their shoppers, and you’ll find them in train stations and museums.
Posted by
OP
islip Terrace, ny, usa
8 posts
Merci' Michael!
Posted by
San Francisco, California, USA
446 posts
The drinking water in Paris is perfectly safe. The only problem you may run into is that some restaurants may be reluctant to serve tap water -- they would rather that you order mineral water, such as Evian. Naturally, they prefer this because it means a little extra revenue for the restaurant, but it's also a French cultural thing to drink mineral water with your meal.
I haven't been to Paris for many years, so I don't know what the current situation is about public toilets. As I'm also going to Paris later this year, I would appreciate an update from those who have visited Paris recently.
Posted by
Nice, France
108 posts
Yes, tap water is perfectly safe in Paris or anywhere in France actually. Some restaurants may try to sell you mineral water though, if you just want tap water just say you want "une carafe d'eau" or "de l'eau du robinet". If you happen to want to drink from a public toilet where the water is not drinkable (rare), then there will be a sign "eau non potable".
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
There are couple of hundred public toilets on the streets of Paris, and as of February this year, they are free, gratis, no charge. They are very clean and are completely and automatically washed down after every use. If they do not please, have a coffee at a cafe and use their WC. The department stores have washrooms, too, but you need to inquire as to their location, which is usually NOT on the ground floor, all the better to keep the street people from using them.
The water in Paris is perfectly fine so don't spend a fortune on bottled water. However, just for fun, buy a bottle of Badoit in a grocery store for your hotel room. It is so delicious !
Posted by
Pantego, NC, USA
1014 posts
I agree, tap water is fine. In fact, it has been stated on this and other chat lines that restaurants are required to serve tap water if requested in France. In Italy, not so. You have to buy water there.
I found the public toilets that worked were fine. However, probably 7 or 8 that I tried to use were out of order or the buttons that activate/open the door were broken. Also, when you use the toilet and open the door to exit, exit. Let the door close and cycle clean before anyone else enters. Have story about that but that would be for later discussion. I have to use a toilet often, so wife and I take turns ordering a cafe' or a glass of wine and sitting while the other goes to toilet. I have learned in Paris to go slow, enjoy the ambience and look at the architecture, shop the small shops, buy a sandwich and sit in a park and eat and people watch some.
Posted by
Lawrenceville, Georgia
693 posts
There are clean public toilets in the backyard of Notre Dame cathedral (it is an enclosed garden with benches where you can rest). There's an attendant, so you leave a few coins in the saucer or you pay her, I forget which....At the Louvre, there are toilets that are not so mobbed on the very bottom (no pun intended) floor where the very small cafe is.
Posted by
Boston, MA, USA
29 posts
tap water - totally fine (to agree with others)
there are public toilets around, but I always make it a point to use a toilet before leaving a museum/attraction/restaurant/cafe. These are free and usually pretty clean.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32310 posts
rick,
As the others have said, the tap water is fine in Paris (and other places in Europe). I usually buy a water bottle at the start of a trip, and then just keep refilling it from the tap throughout the trip).
If your wife needs lots of water, it's a good idea to pack one or two bottles around with you while day touring.
Cheers!
Posted by
Auburn, Alabama
1064 posts
My wife always makes a point of making a restroom stop at McDonald's, even in Paris. They are scattered about the city, they usually have clean restrooms and there is no pressure to order food at the counter. But, when you need a break from wine, it is a good place to get a reasonably priced Coke or Diet Coke. There is something a little disconcerting about stopping at a McDonald's in Paris, but I have to admit that the ones near Rue Cler and the Arc de Triumph seemed to have more Parisians and fewer Americans in them than many of the more traditional restaurants in the city. As for tap water, that seems to be the norm these days.
Posted by
Washington DC
19 posts
Tap water is fine. I bought an large inexpensive bottle of water in a grocery store and refilled it in a smaller bottle to carry with me throughout the day.
On toilets, the only thing not already mentioned - most larger hotels have a toilet in the lobby. I made a point to stop by restrooms as I left museums or restaurants, but if I was desparate, this usually worked.