Pay for bathrooms?

[3red7s]

Good morning everyone......getting ready for our 1st trip to Europe via Viking River Cruise. I noted some mention of paying for toilets?? Is this every where in Europe. We will be visiting Budapest, Vienna, Germany. Should I be prepared for all countries? how much coin? I guess I should start limiting my water intake. LOL thx

[biker1972]

This mornings included tour had us passing pay toilets, but the guide pointed out several cafes where we could use the toilets for free. She also said that hotels such as the Hilton had free toilets in the lobby. She said the pay toilets in Budapest would take a US $, half euro coin as well as the local currency.

[Floridiana]

Department stores and airports have free toilets as well.

But if you need one, you need one without waiting for the next free facility. Keep coins handy, 50 cents if I remember correctly.

[Valley Girl of VA]

I believe in some locations in Budapest they have change machines at the entrance to the toilets.

[papa B me]

Like others have said you can usually find a free toilet in department stores and I've also found in numerous places McDonalds and Starbucks. But as a matter of habit I go to the front desk in the morning or the night before and have them exchange a few dollars into coins. I don't restrict my intake of water plus I'm usually pretty caffeinated by the time of the excursion so I want to be prepared.

[azcruiser64]

From what I observed the pay toilets tend to be a lot cleaner then the free ones.:D

[JVilleGal]

From what I observed the pay toilets tend to be a lot cleaner then the free ones.:D

 

 

This is also my observation. I would expect to pay for toilets. I agree about the cleanliness issue. Pay toilets are the norm in Europe!

[G.M.T.]

Like others have said you can usually find a free toilet in department stores and I've also found in numerous places McDonalds and Starbucks. But as a matter of habit I go to the front desk in the morning or the night before and have them exchange a few dollars into coins. I don't restrict my intake of water plus I'm usually pretty caffeinated by the time of the excursion so I want to be prepared.

 

In many McDonalds in Germany, you just cannot walkin to the toilet. There is a numeric keypad on the door where you have to enter a 4 digit code, which changes daily. When you buy something, keep the bill as the 4 digit code is on the bottom.

[nancyevans]

Yes have coins handy. Some McDonalds are not free either. Also toilets may be inconveniently located in the basement or or up two flights of stairs. Finally, do make a small purchase if you use the toilet in a cafe. Many of these are small family owned businesses and are not there to provide free toilets for tourists.

[Peregrina651]

For those busing between Prague and Budapest with Viking, you will need euros or forints for the bathrooms at the rest stop. You will get a receipt for 200 forints that you then use to help pay for your lunch or whatever you buy at the rest stop. There is a change machine outside the bathroom to change small euro bills into euro coins and the turnstile makes change for a 1 euro coin.

 

If you don't have euros or forints, there is a currency exchange booth behind the rest stop where you can buy forints (but the exchange rate is terrible).

 

 

...

[NavyVeteran]

For those busing between Prague and Budapest with Viking, you will need euros or forints for the bathrooms at the rest stop. You will get a receipt for 200 forints that you then use to help pay for your lunch or whatever you buy at the rest stop. There is a change machine outside the bathroom to change small euro bills into euro coins and the turnstile makes change for a 1 euro coin.

 

If you don't have euros or forints, there is a currency exchange booth behind the rest stop where you can buy forints (but the exchange rate is terrible).

 

 

...

 

How much did the toilet cost in euros? If you pay with a 1 euro coin, does it give the change in euros or in forints?

 

I definitely plan to have euros for my trip - Amsterdam to Budapest with extra nights in Budapest. Will I need forints, or will euros be accepted everywhere in Budapest?

[beesKate]

If you are on included walking tours, the guides will normally point out where you can find WC's and if you'll need to pay. A 0.50 E coin is normally enough. Actually downtown Vienna has famous public toilets -- the Graben Toilets where an attendant takes your coin to let you in. We would also venture to department stores, but they normally would have an attendant expecting a coin.

When in Budapest, we never got forints, and just gave attendants a euro coin. If you're spending extra nights in Budapest it may be worth getting some forints as the exchange rate will be better. Stores will accept euros, but the exchange rate will be rounded up to their benefit.

Edited August 4, 2015 by beesKate

[rjscott]

At the Central Market in Buadapest, there were attendants at the toilets on the 2nd floor. At the toilets near the back (nearest the food market), they collected what was equal to $1 or 1euro or 1 forint. No change if it was more or less their money. :rolleyes: At the toilets nearer the front, it was half that, and they were still nice and clean. Just an FYI.

Also, there is a very nice Burger King outside the Central Market, with a clean bathroom, but it is down a lengthy flight of stairs, which you may not want to tackle if you've already been walking. But, they don't mind you using their bathroom (although we did buy a beverage).

 

Becki

[Peregrina651]

How much did the toilet cost in euros? If you pay with a 1 euro coin, does it give the change in euros or in forints?

 

I definitely plan to have euros for my trip - Amsterdam to Budapest with extra nights in Budapest. Will I need forints, or will euros be accepted everywhere in Budapest?

 

Navy, my mind is a fog. Hubby handles the money when we travel (he does the numbers in his head faster than I can with a calculator). He put a euro bill in the change machine and then put a coin in the turnstile that was twice what we needed. It spit out change which we then feed back into the machine for the second one of us--and I don't think either of us ever looked at the coin.

 

In Budapest, we used HUF (forints) and the only reason that I know this is because I have the receipt from the ATM. Except for the airports, we were not in the euro-zone for this trip and so either we used local currency or credit cards. We had euros from a previous trip and brought them along just in case but as some already mentioned you always lose on the exchange.

[Valley Girl of VA]

Like others have said you can usually find a free toilet in department stores and I've also found in numerous places McDonalds and Starbucks..

 

In our experience in June, you needed a code on your receipt at McDonald's to enter to get into the bathrooms

[budisal]

My son and I were at SuperBowl in New Orleans and the McDonalds actually had security guards at the doors of the washrooms. You had to show them your McDonalds receipt before they would let you enter. Well, we were hungry anyway I guess.

[Ritabob]

Also be aware many of the WCs are unisex.....market hall in Budapest comes to mind.:)

[squarevanman]

A few year ago a friend and myself were in a coffee shop/bar in Amsterdam. After a couple of beers she needed the loo. The attendant was sitting at the bar and chased her upstairs to ensure she paid. It was a very surreal experience seeing this especially as she had to come back to get some change off me:)

[4774Papa]

If you find a McDonalds they usually have free toilets, although some require you to enter a code from your receipt (purchase).

 

We have found that many European cities do lack public toilets, but if you are on a guided tour, the guide will take care of you. If you have to pay, it is usually a small amount, so have coins.

[Got2Cruise]

A few year ago a friend and myself were in a coffee shop/bar in Amsterdam. After a couple of beers she needed the loo. The attendant was sitting at the bar and chased her upstairs to ensure she paid. It was a very surreal experience seeing this especially as she had to come back to get some change off me:)

 

 

Usually if you buy a drink at the bar you don't have to pay. Amsterdam has these pay toilets in squares. They're clean, they wash themselves after each use. Its similar to a phone booth. I had an emergency and had to try it, the only problem was that it locks automatically and I was getting anxious I would be locked in.

 

Germany restrooms all clean and modern

 

Italy? You pay but not all are clean and modern

 

We were in Greece in July. We found public w/c on Paros. NO toilet just hole. But it was all tiled . Restrooms in restaurants nice and modern

[pully8]

clean toilets are so important especially for travellers and sometimes its difficult to find them. as others have said look in the usual places and be prepared to pay. usually 1 euro but think at the railway station in Lucerne it was 2 but clean. under the Louvre was a similar set up.

 

even in dept stores some charge. cafes and hotel lobbies do not, we often found it was either up or down stairs. we do not mind paying and keep change handy and finding clean toilets is always a relief in more ways than 1.

[rjscott]

Also be aware many of the WCs are unisex.....market hall in Budapest comes to mind.:)

 

I did not find that there were unisex WC's in the market hall in Budapest. Maybe in a different area than I used? :)

 

Becki

[Cyber Kat]

 

Italy? You pay but not all are clean and modern

 

We were in Greece in July. We found public w/c on Paros. NO toilet just hole. But it was all tiled . Restrooms in restaurants nice and modern

 

We were in the lake region of Italy a number of years ago, traveling with a large group (company trip). The bus stopped for a break. I didn't have to go, so I stayed on the bus. I'm looking out the window and all the women are laughing. I asked what was so funny, and they said that the "toilet" was a hole in the ground in the middle of the room. Those women who were wearing pants had problems :)

[Cyber Kat]

We will be doing the Rhine Getaway from Amsterdam to Basel on Viking. What's the best way to get the change? We'll be bringing some Euros with us - probably the packets from AAA. I don't think they give you change, only bills.

[Hoyaheel]

1) Some front desks (hotels or on board the boat) have change - ask.

2) Buy something in a store (we bought lots of beer & wine, bratwurst on our trip - of course we did a holiday market cruise)

3) Ask in a bank

Edited August 17, 2015 by Hoyaheel