The trials and treasures of toilets

Public toilets found at a rest stop on the Toad (Toll) Road in France.

Most parents, I guess, when venturing beyond home, generally keep an keen eye on where the nearest ablutions are for their small people (who usually, when need to go, need to go NOW). This is a wee post of tips and info about what we've encountered on our travels (inspired by a very long queue at Guell Park today).

Must haves
These are pretty much essential no matter where you go - rationale to follow...

• a face cloth, microfiber cloth or handkerchief (easily accessible in handbag or pocket)
• hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes
• a packet of pocket tissues (with enough tissues for all bottoms under all circumstances)

Toilets in Japan

• In most cases toilets are readily available at tourist attractions, parks and temples. Department stores and shopping malls have plenty available. All train stations have toilets, but their level of hygiene and rating on Miss K's 'good smell factor' is very low.



This website where the photo comes from includes how to use this toilet and other amusing information.

• Generally speaking, there are western style toilets in most toilet areas; there will also be the traditional 'squat' style toilet that requires some practise (see photo above).
• Western style toilets, particularly in department stores and airports can come loaded with a variety of buttons - bidet, bottom washing, some have bottom drying options and real fancy ones include air freshener and 'music' or 'sound' so that others can't hear you while you are busy - it is best to experiment with these buttons while one is seated on the toilet... little people need to make sure their bottoms cover the entire hole when experimenting or it can get rather wet (particularly when the bottom washer comes on).
• Toilets tend to be clean; the worst we encountered was at Ueno Koen in the children's area (a bit pongy and a bit dirty).
• Most toilets have hand dryers. It is rare to find paper or cloth towels to dry your hands, and some toilet facilities do not have anything to dry your hands with. On these instances, it is essential to have a wash cloth/handkerchief to dry hands, preferably located where you can get to it when you've been caught out and have wet hands, or small people have wet hands and are dripping at you.
• Convenience stores, such as 7-11 or Family Mart have toilets available if your child needs to go and can't make the 20 or so meters back home. These are clean and free.
• Nappy change and baby feed stations are generally plentiful in shopping malls and department stores. Baby feed stations are usually apart from the toilet (fair enough too) and may include play areas for the 'waiting children', drink vending machines and microwaves to warm formula. Nappy change zones don't always include a toilet, but they are generally nearby. Most toilets will include a nappy change table in the disability toilet.

Toilets in London and Australia

• Overall, we didn't find too much difference between loos in the UK and Oz with New Zealand. In Primrose Hill there were queues, but the toilets included the expected amenities of toilet paper, soap and hand towels, and were, overall easy to find.

'Relieving' history in the knights' toilet in Dover Castle

Toilets in France

• The biggest issue we faced in France was finding free public toilets. When we explained to our French host family that we had to pay to use a loo on the Champs Elyse, they advised either going to a bar/café or simply finding a bush (not easy on the Champs Elyse).
• Public toilets (such as those found at rest stops along the Toad Road) were without toilet seats (good for strong thigh development) and may have been equipped with soap or hand towels. Not always both.
• What is strange is that although there may not be toilet seats (by design), every single toilet I went into had a toilet brush!
• One public toilet at a rest stop was a squat one. Miss K gave it a very high pong factor.
• We encountered a tardis type toilet box on the street near Montmarte. While free, it required  waiting outside for about one minute after the person who had just exited, to automatically wash the entire cubicle. Only one person at a time was supposed to enter, but we crowded in (small people couldn't wait for full cubicle washes) to discover a wet space, but adequate for our needs.
• Sometimes there are long lines for toilets at tourist attractions. While the architecture in France is phenomenal, there seems to have been a serious design flaw in the number of toilets available (particularly for women) - this also has been our experience thus far in Spain.
• Commercial Centres have free, clean toilets.
• Some places have nappy change facilities for baby - Master T has become an expert at being changed standing up or in his stroller.

Toilets in Spain

• As mentioned, there seems to be a serious absence in plentiful toilets in public places, although if you ask, staff at businesses are often okay with allowing you to take your small people to staff loos (we found this today at the car park building in Barcelona). Both Dali's museum and the Guell Park had a shortage of loos for the number of people visiting. Miss K and I queued for ages for what turned out to be only three toilets for women in a park that can have up to 25,000 people a day visit!
• Toilet paper may not be topped up regularly - always take pocket tissues!
• Soap sometimes isn't available - need for hand sanitizer!
• Often there is nothing to dry your hands on - washcloth comes in handy.
• Big supermarkets have free toilets and restaurants/cafes have loos that are pretty clean.
• Bars/cafes are happy for you take small people to the toilet, but generally you would buy a drink/coffee/snack for the privilege.
• Some toilets have bidets. Never, ever, under any circumstances pee in the bidet.
• There are hardly any places for nappy changes, but no one seems particularly bothered if you change baby in public, with discretion.

 Public loos have become an area of somewhat trepid exploration: "what's it like?" before one of the children venture in... but they are also a great lesson in cultural differences in something that all humans have to do... we do it the same, but different :-)

We'd love to hear any of your interesting/funny potty-stop stories too!