How to use the European toilet
Jun 28 '00 (Updated Jul 16 '01)
The Bottom Line European toilet facilities can be quite different from American; read this to avoid culture shock at the most inopportune time.
This may seem like a trifling subject, bordering on the crude, but it isn't at all when you find yourself desperately in need to use the bathroom in Europe, but are trapped for the want of correct change.
As you may have read in another epinion of mine, I have a bowel disease. This causes me to be quite an expert in all things restroom related, especially since I was flared up during my entire five month stay in Europe. The countries I visited are: Switzerland (two months), Germany (three months and home base), Sweden, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Lichtenstein, and Italy.
In short, my advice is don't wait, carry change, and use the train whenever possible.
Pay toilets
In Europe there are many places where you have to pay to use the toilets, especially around train stations and high tourist areas. Understandably high tourist traffic is a major drain (pun intended) on sewer systems, maintenance, and bathroom supply when thousands of people are using a particular facility. However, what is a tourist to do without the right currency to use these facilities?
If there are locks on the doors, don't expect to get around the lock unless it is broken. The stalls are not like the stalls in America, with a nice gap to wriggle under. These go right to the floor. However, people understand, and if you beg for a dime (or the equivalent) they will be glad to help you out.
Often people will leave a stall and hold the door open for the next poor, dancing soul. However, sometimes there are bathroom monitors who will watch you. Usually if there is monitor, you have to pay first, and then you walk through a turnstile. I have a friend who snuck past the turnstile when the monitor wasn't watching, used the bathroom, and leaped over the turnstile while being chased out of the bathroom. She didn't have the correct change. Good thing she did have running shoes.
If you are using a high traffic facility, like at the Vatican, make sure you check to see if there is TP before you start. At the Vatican, where I had the pleasure of using the bathroom three times, there will be a very long line. There is a monitor there to keep the place clean and well supplied. A few times I went and saw little (or none, but I brought my own) TP. It was only courtesy that I warned the next person in line and asked the monitor to give her TP. If you go in and there is no TP, tell the next person to wait, get the TP, and go back. That way you don't lose you place after waiting all that time. These toilets, by the way, are free. However, you can tip the monitor. She won't deny you paper if you don't give her money, but you might as well give her something. After all, would you want her job?
Rest Areas
The only rest areas I recall using were in Italy. In all other countries I used the train for transportation, but in Italy I used a car. Rest area facilities required payment as well. At one particular stop, I broke the first rule and really needed to go. What was worse was that the bathroom ate my money and would not let me in! My friend and I (the above mentioned turnstile jumper) had to use the trees. We noticed several other travelers hunting for shrubbery as well.
Trains
It is a very good idea to use the train instead of the train station for two reasons. First, the station may not even have a bathroom. Second, if there is a bathroom, you might not have the right currency. If you are going from Germany to France and pass through Switzerland, you may have a Mark and a Frank, but you may not have a single Swiss coin. There is good news though. The majority of stations have free toilets.
If you use the train, make sure you never use it while at a stop. When you go, it just dumps on the track. As you can imagine, no one wants TP and other ick to sit on the tracks in a station, or worse, blow around on a windy day.
If you do find yourself in a station and it is a full train, stand right outside the bathroom. If you are really concerned someone will cut in front, go inside and wait until the train moves out of the station. Check for TP first.
And speaking of TP, you may want to consider bringing a roll or two. The capitalist, consumer driven good ol' United States of America has the BEST TP in the world. And that, folks, is no exaggeration.
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