Bathrooms around Paris.

Is it difficult to find public bathrooms around Paris?

Where should we run for when an emergency of this sort ...appears???

Any advice on this V.I.P. topic???

Thank you.

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There are some of the free public restrooms in Paris. They are kind of few and far between. If you have to go I would suggest going in museums when you are there and you can always pop into a cafe and get a drink and use theirs. Also, if you see a McDonalds or the like you can use theirs. But, they are more sparse than at home.

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Take a look at www.parisinfo.com/guide_paris/rub8025.html

and you will find all the information you need!

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I have always found the best place to pee in Paris

in emergencies is Macdonalds restaurants. In fact,

the only reason to go into a Macdonalds in Paris

is for this purpose, as they usually have a fairly

up to date water closet, with a seat! and even

sometimes proper toilet paper.

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ANY purchase at a bar or brasserie gives you toilet privileges. As my wife says when nature calls, %26quot;you need a beer%26quot;.

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The street cabins are very useful and clean, and free these days.

the McDo%26#39;s in the tourist sectors will most likely require a purchase before you get the %26#39;jeton%26#39; or coded receipt to open the door.

Any cafe or tabac will have a toilet although you should buy something there, too, or it%26#39;s quite rude.

there are some %26#39;hosted%26#39; W.C.s here and there where you give Madame some small coins for the privilege:

- under Henri, to the right of Notre Dame

- behind Notre Dame

- down the steps going off the right side of Sacre Coeur

- in the garden area along the Champs Elysee

- in Jardin de Luxembourg, on the west side of the gardens

- at one corner of the Eiffel (pilier Sud?)

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LimeyLady...you are so right. I know a lot of people wouldn%26#39;t be without their McDonald stop...but in Paris!!?? Only a pit stop for me too. btw, you live in my second favorite city in the world (Paris is #1, sorry). And travelnutty, you inadvertantly answered something I%26#39;ve been wondering about. I hit Paris in 1996 or 97 just as the street cabins were new. They were wonderful then. But I%26#39;ve been wondering what they%26#39;re like since they%26#39;ve been %26quot;liberated%26quot;. I was sort of afraid to pop my head into one when I was there recently. My teen ami thought they were hilarious!

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We used the sreet toilets a few times this past November and they were fine. I saw them being cleaned as we were out and about. The Dragon Ladies no longer demand money. I prefer not to use those though because they are co-ed and I%26#39;m still not used to that concept. I will in a pinch though. My favorites are department stores, museums, and starbucks. last time we tried to use Mc Donalds people seemed to be camped out in thebathrooms. We gave up and went elsewhere and we had purchsed some of their awful coffee just to use the bathrooms There are nice restooms in the basement at the Louvre. you don%26#39;t have to enter the museum to use them. Just go in off rue Di Rivoli and go down the stairs they are at the bottom to you left.

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Also if, you are in the vicinity of the major department stores, Printemps or Galleries Lafayette or Bon Marche(I stopped in there last trip just for that reason!) and BHV (ditto, was going to hit the ones behind Notre Dame..closed!!0

I also make a note of where the %26quot;public%26quot; W/Cs are in the bigger hotels.

and the Gares...on the way to Bercy Village had to make a stop at Austerlitz!

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also don%26#39;t forget the train stations. you may need to pay, but in an emergency....

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Like Mrs. Metromole, I am a big fan of local cafes. If it is for kids and they ask nicely, you don%26#39;t even have to buy a drink (handy to know, as kids tend to go so often that one would be mighty drunk if each visit required a beer).

While On the Topic, the public bathrooms at teh Madeleine (to the right as you are facing hte church) are some of the nicest public bathrooms ever.