New here - Do all tour buses have bathrooms on board?

Toilets but not bathrooms.

So a private potty?

Do all of your bus-mates a favor and refrain from using the bus potty for obvious reasons.

Thank you Norma from Montreal! Good to know.

There was a bathroom on our bus. A few people used it. Our bus stopped every two hours for potty breaks. Very convenient.

I've been on several bus tours all over Europe with several different companies and for the most part....we were told the toilet on the buses were really for emergencies only (because the driver had to clean the whole bus each day.......) We did stop every couple of hours for "breaks and coffee" etc.
So it was never a problem.

I remember once a young lady insisted on using the toilet on the bus and everyone on the bus gave her the "stink eye" to let her know this was really a "no-no".
Of course each bus /driver/operator is different - so this is just what I have experienced.
Happy Travels

The EU requires all busses to stop once every two hours. On our bus, we had a toilet. The door was always locked and the bus driver could push a button on the dash to unlock the door. On the first occasion when someone need to use it, the driver had the room filled with personal items. Our tour guide requested that the room remain unlocked and the items stored in the storage compartments. In fareness to our great driver, the bus was brand new. I think we may have been one of the first tours to use it. During the 17 days, I think the toilet was only used 2 or 3 times.

If not absolutely necessary I would not use it. Very little space and the movement of the bus does not make it any easier. Train and plane OK. Bus rather not.

If the tour you are taking does not normally have a toilet on board, it will be mentioned on the tour page.

However, speaking as someone who has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours on tour buses........the toilet is really only for emergency purposes. It's not to be used because we are coming to a rest stop and you don't want to waste time at the stop going to the necessary.

Unfortunately, not everywhere the bus stops allows the driver to empty the toilet holding tank. Sometimes, it might be a day or two before a facility is found. So, it can sometimes get ripe. (One trick the drivers use to cut down the "odor" is to pour motor oil into the toilet. It floats to the top of the tank and causes a odor barrier.)

However, if it is an emergency, then by all means use it. That's why it is there.

In some countries, such as Germany, the toilets have an automatic admission gate that requires small Euro coins. The rest stops are private enterprise so it is an accepted cost of doing business. But to avoid being caught short while fumbling for admission, keep some small change on hand.

I had taken half a dozen ALSA buses in Spain, two to four hour routes. Between cities without stops, and through smaller towns/villages with stops. None of the buses had toilets. At every stop on one route, a young woman (tourist) pleaded for a bathroom break inside the station, but the driver said he won't wait for her. The exchange got more heated along the way, and the woman never got her break.

Several years ago, the tour bus that I was on did not even have a toilet(Great Britain/Ireland tour). I feel that most people would at least like one onboard to use in an emergency situation. If someone gets sick, 2 hours can be a long time. And on another tour, there was a toilet for emergency use, and only one person used it. This was surprising, as we got caught in a traffic jam, and it was 4 hours to the next stop.

deco welcome. Are you asking specifically about the buses on Rick Steves Tours? You should probably call the tour office directly and get the response from them for your specific tour, for peace of mind. Its probably a Frequently Asked Question. As the replies above indicate, on our three tours, there was a WC aboard (smaller and less comfortable than an airplane toilet). But it was recommended only for emergencies, although there was no stigma if it was needed. Note, that you are on the bus normally only between hotels or sights on the way. While in cities, you are walking or using local transportation.

If you are asking about the Rick Steves tour buses, yes every one has a toilet available. It is designed for emergency use only (the smallest airplane toilet you have ever been in is palatial compared to the largest one I have seen on the buses) and you should plan on not using it.