Europe’s pay-to-pee culture, explained (2024)

As temperatures rise in Europe, travelers will need to stay hydrated to avoid heat-related illnesses. The more liquids they consume, the more bathroom breaks they will need. To avoid the wiggly dance, they should familiarize themselves with Europe’s restroom practices. While the mechanics are similar, the experience might cause culture shock.

“It is a surprise to have to pay,” Frommer said.

Public toilets are often affiliated with the local government or municipality. Visitors can find the facilities in train and bus stations, parks and gardens, and touristy areas. The restrooms can be traditional, with a row of stalls and bank of sinks, or a stand-alone cabin with a basin activated by a foot pedal. Look for the universal symbols: a pair of male and female figures. “WC,” the abbreviation for “water closet,” or some variation of “toilette” are also common.

During a recent trip to Europe, I found a slew of public toilets requiring a small fee — in the Berlin and Zurich train stations, by a cruise ticket booth on Lake Zurich, near the beach in Positano, Italy, and off the main square in Ravello, also on the Amalfi Coast.

“Europe has more public restrooms than we do,” said Kate Storm, a New York-based travel blogger who covers bathroom culture on her site, Our Escape Clause, “but you generally have to pay for them if they’re not owned by a private business.”

Pay-to-go facilities are typically cared for by an attendant or are self-cleaning. The fee, which helps cover maintenance, supplies and labor, is typically small change: 50 cents or a euro in a European Union country, one or two Swiss francs or 20 pence to a pound in the United Kingdom. Restrooms with additional amenities, such as changing rooms or showers, might charge a bit more.

Many destinations are moving toward a cash-free economy, and a growing number of lavatories accept credit cards. For the ones that don’t, you will need coins. Otherwise, you will get stuck on the wrong side of the turnstile or bathroom attendant.

Access fees for public toilets varies. Several cities have free facilities, such as London, which offers restrooms at National Rail stations; Copenhagen, which eliminated the charge in 2013; and Paris, which has 400 “sanisettes,” or automatic public toilets. As of last year, Berlin has relaunched 100 renovated and complimentary toilets, according to the city’s official website.

Raymond Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association, advocates for free and inclusive toilets. However, without government oversight, he said the toilets come with risks, such as a lack of safety, sanitation and functional equipment.

“Unfortunately in this country, like many countries, we have some miscreants … people who just can’t see anything bright and shiny,” he said. “So things start to get broken.”

Using a bathroom in a private establishment, such as a restaurant, cafe or shop, is trickier. Some businesses, especially in busy tourist areas, deter non-customers with “no public restroom” signs. However, cities facing a crush of visitors and a shortage of public lavatories are nudging businesses to open their restrooms to the general public.

A German initiative called Nette Toilette, or Nice Toilet, pays restaurants and stores a monthly subsidy of $64 to $107 in exchange for allowing people to use their toilets. The program, which launched in 2000 in the German town of Aalen, has expanded to more than 200 cities and 2,500-plus businesses in Germany and Switzerland. Participants place a red sticker with a smiley face in their storefront window. Visitors can also find the locations on the Nette Toilette app.

In London, the Community Toilet Scheme is a collection of businesses that grants people access to their bathrooms with no purse strings attached. The map includes such establishments as the Old Doctor Butler’s Head pub, Shaws Booksellers and a Nando’s, plus several UriLifts, a pop-up urinal.

Travel experts recommend shopping malls, restaurants and cafes that are so busy or big, they won’t notice you slipping inside to use the toilet. In his book “Europe Through the Back Door,” travel guru Rick Steves suggests dining spots with outdoor seating or fast-food joints. He said buying a token soda or fries is not necessary, though sometimes the bathroom door code is printed on the receipt.

Frommer has no qualms about sauntering into an establishment and asking to use their toilette, baño, banheiro or loo.

“If I needed to go, I would walk into a cafe or restaurant and just ask,” she said. “I’ve never been turned away in Europe, especially if you learn the phrase in the language of the place you’re in.”

When you gotta go, you don’t really have time to waste time on a toilet scavenger hunt.

Thankfully, many tourist offices and information booths print or post maps with the bathroom locations. Some municipalities also provide this information online or in an app, such as Oslo and Rome, which has compiled a list of P. Stops that welcome tourists. Many of the maps also highlight accessible toilets for travelers with disabilities.

Companies that specialize in restroom development as well as tech entrepreneurs have created navigation tools for restroom seekers. JCDecaux, which designs free public toilets in more than a dozen cities in Sweden, unveiled an app called ToaSverige in 2021. It lists 100 toilets in Stockholm alone. HogeNood claims more than 9,500 sites in the Netherlands.

A few apps, such as Bathroom Scout and Flush, offer a broader sweep of the lavatory landscape. However, the crowdsourced data might be outdated, so don’t use these on a full bladder.

If you are traveling on a budget, strategize your bathroom visits. Use the restroom (twice if necessary) at every museum and cultural attraction you visit — the entry ticket includes the bathroom. At the train station, wait and use the latrine on board, though it might not be as pleasant as the one in the depot. Listen to your inner parent and use the bathroom after every meal.

Martin said some U.K. service stations on motorways and in train depots include a perk with their toilet admission: a discount on a candy bar, cup of coffee, doughnut or other small snack item. So, hang onto your receipt and cash in your coupon.

“I think only 20 percent of those tickets are redeemed,” he said. “So, it’s actually a very clever scheme.”

At some facilities, attendants resupply the rolls of toilet paper or hand out sheets. Spots with a less rigorous maintenance schedule might run out of the paper product. As insurance, Strong always carries a small packet of tissues.

“Bring some change, bring some toilet paper,” she said, “but don’t overthink it.”

Also, don’t go overboard with the toilet paper. Europe plumbing can be old, and you don’t want to be the traveler who clogs the public toilet.

“Americans are notorious for using half a roll of toilet paper at a time,” said Bob Cromwell, who runs Toilets of the World, an online resource.

You may see signs inside the bathrooms urging visitors to be thrifty with the toilet paper. The PSAs are typically written in English.