Public Restrooms/WCs

Hello,

Has anyone used the coin operated public restrooms that I%26#39;ve read about in travel books? Supposedly, after every use, it%26#39;s automatically cleaned and disinfected. Are there a lot of locations that have this?

Are toilet seat covers readily available? I know it%26#39;s popular in the U.S. but don%26#39;t know about France.

According to Rick Steve%26#39;s guide book, it seems like the best bet for clean rest rooms are at museums. Do you find this to be true? We have the museum pass and figured we%26#39;d just pop in and use the facilities if we are in a jam. Does it sound like a bad idea?

Thank you so much, I just haven%26#39;t read about any restroom issues yet.

|||

The automated public restrooms found around Paris (they began using these in Europe long before they made their way across the Atlantic) work pretty much as described and are clean--though a bit claustrophobic. If there is a %26#39;trick%26#39; to using these it is to make sure that you have everything that you entered with in your possession before you push the button to exit---otherwise the doors closed and the re-sanitization process begins. Public restroom in museuems will be clean and well maintained...but may require that you pass through the general admission security (even with a Carte Musee et Monuments pass) to get in. We%26#39;ve found that the public restrooms at Paris train stations are clean, relatively convenient and have attendants (%26#39;dragon ladies%26#39;) who look after their domain with ferocious attention to detail. The most %26#39;hit or miss%26#39; toilets will usually be those found in local cafes (very often down a narrow flight of stairs in a basement)

|||

The coin operated toiletts do not have seat covers but they are really clean. Some Metro Stations have restrooms you will see signs. They have attendants you pay when you go in and are co-ed. The men on one side and the women on the other. My husband hates these but I%26#39;ve gotten used to it. When you enter the Louvre from Rue De Rivoli there are nice clean restrooms at the bottom of the stairs. Again, you have to pay an attendant. Since we don%26#39;t usually visit more than one museum per week I tend to look for restrooms in department stores. Galleries Lafayette, Printemps and Samartine. When you are strolling down the Champs Elysee frome the Arche there is a mini mall (look for the Occitane shop). Enter the mall take the escalator to the basement and there are good restrooms. In the 7th (Eiffel Tower) go to the office of Mikes Fat Bike tours and they will let you use their restrooms for free. AS you can see I%26#39;ve researched my toilettes. Some of the cafes have Turkish toilettes. Forget it .

|||

Thank you both so much! I%26quot;m going to have to print this and carry it around with me. I drink a lot of water and especially when I%26#39;m travelling outdoors, I%26#39;m always afraid of being dehydrated but one of the cons is that I seem to being looking for a restroom every couple of hours.

Turkish toilettes, are those the one you have to squat?

|||

I have raised two young girls in this city and we have always just asked at the nearest cafe. Most of them are clean and very few are of the turkish variety.

|||

I%26#39;ve been told to use the bathrooms in McDonalds, clean and free.

|||

I do not know if it applies for every McDonalds, but two weeks ago a friend trying to used the WC was told he needed a code written on a bill of purchase. Maybe someone using them regularly could confirmed.

|||

The best public toilet in Paris is at Place de la Madeline. It is underground and was built at the turn of the century. It%26#39;s tile and wood work are magnificent. I like to go there just to see it. It is very very clean and the cost for use is negligable.

|||

what does WC stand for

|||

water closet

|||

Or Wiston Churchill (lol)