What to expect, hygiene advice, your funny tales. If you can add to this page please contact us.


Type: Mainly Western toilets. Some squat loos (Asian-style) in cafes.

Hygiene: All the paying toilets are generally squeaky clean. However the free toilets can be hit or miss. The cafes sometimes have squat toilets as opposed to the western sit-down versions. And in fast food areas dogs have been reported inside the bathrooms waiting for their owners which naturally makes it a little smelly and unhygienic.

Costs: In Europe this is a common concept. There are three types of paying toilets. Some cafè toilets have a coin mechanism on the door and cost about €0.20 though most cafès have free toilets. At some public toilets you have to pay the attendants (i.e at train and bus stations and autoroutes). These cost about €0.60. For automated street toilets you need to put your money in the coin slot for the door to open automatically. You get 15 minutes to complete your task.

Things to Watch For: Huge queues in summer. Dogs in the bathroom!

Tricks of the Trade: Go in restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King where it's free and there may be less queues. Cafès also provide free bathrooms as do trains (but on the train not the station toilets). Some shopping centres and museums have free toilets as does the American Express office and Eurolines bus terminal. Many cafes also provide free bathrooms for their customers.

Your tales: I was eating in KFC (I think it was the one on the Champs Elysèes) and went to the bathroom. A huge german shepherd was calmly sitting by the wash basin waiting for its owner to finish and collect it. The whole room stank like dog. It was a bit off putting. (Mini, USA).