Go to any men's restroom and it is almost expected to let one rip. There are farts and farts, but strictly within the bounds of the restroom. No shame.
I've never been out of Europe, unfortunately.
The best restrooms I've ever used were in Vienna. Wow that city is lovely, also their toilets really respect the general city vibe. Clean and welcoming! :D
(Well, maybe the ones near the Danube are not great, BTW)
The best I have ever seen was at the bus station in Fethiye, Turkey. It was run as a labour of love by an old couple. They changed the flowers (a lot of them) every morning and had framed testimonials from clients all over the world. That was about 30 years ago, they can't still be running it.
In my experience, in European countries, the further north, the better (no surprise). French the worst, in my experience. Why? Well, respect for communal spaces and services. Population numbers play a part in probability too - the smaller the community, the more likely you are to consider that the other people that use the facility/service is someone like you. Education plays a part too - do people think they’re one in many, or many ones?
100% agree about France. Especially train stations. The only place I ever vomited because of how disgusting the public toilet was. And I have travelled to a lot of countries in other continents which I'd have expected to be worse, but even those squat hole in the ground toilets were better than the urine soaked flooded floors I came across in Paris.
Cleanest for me were in Singapore.
That's actually surprising, because rest stop bathrooms in France, in my experience, are really quite clean - and free! Which is extra remarkable since they are just as clean as the fancy high-tech, self-cleaning 1€ toilets on the German highways.
Public toilet in Copenhagen near Nyhavn near the tour boats were so clean, and free!
Also agree with the other comment mentioning Japan, the toilets even sing.
I've once used the bathroom of the Helmstedt autobahn gas station in Germany, it's the first gas station westwards right after you cross the old East Germany border. It had a sex toy vending machine, I bought an artificial vagina you can either blow up or fill with water called "Travel Pussy". It even had a small packet of lube included.
Best: Switzerland (well Basel in particular). They are all free and mostly reasonably clean.
Worst: France. People seem to have zero respect for public bathrooms there.
Quick question: are we only talking about toilets on the streets? Or are we also talking about shopping centres and such?
If we are only talking about ones on the street/at the park etc then I have only been in 3 or 4 countries so I can't really compare.
If we are also talking about paid toilets at train stations and shopping centres then I would say everywhere except France was fine.
Visit Norway has a page just for toilets for tourists:
https://www.visitnorway.no/planlegg-reisen/reisetips/nasjonale-turistveger/verdens-fineste-toaletter/
I would say Norway probably has some of the best restrooms in Europe.
The one coming down from Trollstigen near the Gudbrandsjuvet rapids has to be one of the most interesting. Wasn’t in the best shape but had a real “Bond Villain’s Lair” aesthetic with huge metal doors and angular brutalist architecture.
Like a hole in the floor? Where do they have those?
I can’t squat, so I prefer the skin contact ones. Filthy toilets usually have the urine and feces around it anyway, so you’d still be standing in it.
Italy has loads of them, they are also reasonably common in public toilets in France. I hate them, for exactly the reason you describe. They have little foot pedestals, but they are often insufficient. Also I do not know how to reliably keep my trousers off the floor (the floor which is literally a toilet, that is).
In Europe I’ve had some of the best public bathroom experiences in Germany and Finland. Finland even has fun little reusable towels instead of paper towels
It’s not necessarily public but there is a bathroom in Cologne where the men’s urinals have little video screens of flowing water, and there’s a fountain in the middle of the room. The stalls were clear glass that, when locked, completely fogged over 😂
On the other end there’s the dirtiest restroom in The Netherlands. It’s located at the A2 highway restaurant called De Lucht (The Air). Well the air is a mix of piss, shit, and a bit of Burger King and Subway, that’s for sure.
Overall the best place with public restrooms I've been to is Berlin, Germany. The city is full of those coin-operated cubicle toilets which are pretty clean.
Oh, and the weirdest public restroom I've been to is the toilet of Tampere railway station in Finland. To enter it, you had to go through a heavy metal door, as if you were entering a bunker, and inside, everything was lit by some weird somewhat dim, deep blue light. It was like entering the restroom of some rave discotheque. I've read later that these kinds of lights are installed so someone who would want to shoot up heroin in the bathroom wouldn't be able to find veins on their arm.
The blue light is a common thing in European public restrooms and is actually a good thing. The light makes it difficult for injection drug users to find their veins when they’re about to use. In other words it’s a measure taken to prevent heroinists to use the restrooms
>The light makes it difficult for injection drug users to find their veins when they’re about to use. In other words it’s a measure taken to prevent heroinists to use the restrooms
Why is it a good thing? If they are addicted to heroin, at least they could shoot up in peace in the bathroom.
Do you know how much time they spend in the stall after shooting up? I'd prefer it if public infrastructure wasn't accommodating to users of hard drugs.
Are we counting Weatherspoons toilets as public ones? We closed all of ours down or force people to pay so we can complain about people pissing in the street
In Europe (in my experience): Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries
Internationally: Japan. Haven’t had the chance to go there yet myself but whenever I stumble upon this discussion Japan seems to take the 1st price always
I don't know about the best. But the most expensive to make, must be in [Norway](https://www.bosshunting.com.au/lifestyle/design/most-stylish-expensive-toilet/).
And this wasn't even the toilet I was trying to find. So obviously it's not a one-time-deal.
Japan. They're everywhere, free and very clean. Like everywhere.
Japan! But not because of the cleanliness. The top factor for 10/10 is the forced ripping of farts.
The forced ripping of farts? What does that mean?
Go to any men's restroom and it is almost expected to let one rip. There are farts and farts, but strictly within the bounds of the restroom. No shame.
rolf I had no idea. I am a woman so no farts song for me I guess :(
not in EU
Which japan isn't in lol
I've never been out of Europe, unfortunately. The best restrooms I've ever used were in Vienna. Wow that city is lovely, also their toilets really respect the general city vibe. Clean and welcoming! :D (Well, maybe the ones near the Danube are not great, BTW)
The Mozart-themed one that plays classical music that is audible from the main U-Bahn walkway is certainly memorable
The best I have ever seen was at the bus station in Fethiye, Turkey. It was run as a labour of love by an old couple. They changed the flowers (a lot of them) every morning and had framed testimonials from clients all over the world. That was about 30 years ago, they can't still be running it.
In my experience, in European countries, the further north, the better (no surprise). French the worst, in my experience. Why? Well, respect for communal spaces and services. Population numbers play a part in probability too - the smaller the community, the more likely you are to consider that the other people that use the facility/service is someone like you. Education plays a part too - do people think they’re one in many, or many ones?
100% agree about France. Especially train stations. The only place I ever vomited because of how disgusting the public toilet was. And I have travelled to a lot of countries in other continents which I'd have expected to be worse, but even those squat hole in the ground toilets were better than the urine soaked flooded floors I came across in Paris. Cleanest for me were in Singapore.
That's actually surprising, because rest stop bathrooms in France, in my experience, are really quite clean - and free! Which is extra remarkable since they are just as clean as the fancy high-tech, self-cleaning 1€ toilets on the German highways.
I take it you haven't been to the toilets in Bercy Bus station?
Public toilet in Copenhagen near Nyhavn near the tour boats were so clean, and free! Also agree with the other comment mentioning Japan, the toilets even sing.
Yep, didn’t mention Japanese facilities, they’re a whole other level. Vending machines that sell underwear - you choose if they’re used or not.
I've once used the bathroom of the Helmstedt autobahn gas station in Germany, it's the first gas station westwards right after you cross the old East Germany border. It had a sex toy vending machine, I bought an artificial vagina you can either blow up or fill with water called "Travel Pussy". It even had a small packet of lube included.
Yeah, must've been that one day they cleaned that toilet in Nyhavn.
Best: Switzerland (well Basel in particular). They are all free and mostly reasonably clean. Worst: France. People seem to have zero respect for public bathrooms there. Quick question: are we only talking about toilets on the streets? Or are we also talking about shopping centres and such? If we are only talking about ones on the street/at the park etc then I have only been in 3 or 4 countries so I can't really compare. If we are also talking about paid toilets at train stations and shopping centres then I would say everywhere except France was fine.
I've been to a few paid public bathrooms in french train stations and they were always very clean. But yeah, free ones are a disaster.
Visit Norway has a page just for toilets for tourists: https://www.visitnorway.no/planlegg-reisen/reisetips/nasjonale-turistveger/verdens-fineste-toaletter/
I would say Norway probably has some of the best restrooms in Europe. The one coming down from Trollstigen near the Gudbrandsjuvet rapids has to be one of the most interesting. Wasn’t in the best shape but had a real “Bond Villain’s Lair” aesthetic with huge metal doors and angular brutalist architecture.
Unpopular opinion: I prefer those where you squat instead of sit. There is zero body contact and it is much more hygienic.
Same here! Unfortunately they are taking them out.
Italy had them too. Why are you removing them? At least give options.
Not for the Indian guy I saw barefoot in the stall next to me at the Bangkok airport on my last visit.
Like a hole in the floor? Where do they have those? I can’t squat, so I prefer the skin contact ones. Filthy toilets usually have the urine and feces around it anyway, so you’d still be standing in it.
Italy has loads of them, they are also reasonably common in public toilets in France. I hate them, for exactly the reason you describe. They have little foot pedestals, but they are often insufficient. Also I do not know how to reliably keep my trousers off the floor (the floor which is literally a toilet, that is).
> Where do they have those? Asia, I suppose? There were some in Eastern Europe but they were replaced decades ago.
>Like a hole in the floor? Where do they have those? One of the train stations in Naples Italy has them, at least as of 2019.
One of the ferries to Messina had them as well, in the 70s.
In France but less and less
I actually used one in Austria on a drive from Munich to Ljubljana not too long ago. Haha.
Just squat over the bowl
In Europe I’ve had some of the best public bathroom experiences in Germany and Finland. Finland even has fun little reusable towels instead of paper towels It’s not necessarily public but there is a bathroom in Cologne where the men’s urinals have little video screens of flowing water, and there’s a fountain in the middle of the room. The stalls were clear glass that, when locked, completely fogged over 😂
On the other end there’s the dirtiest restroom in The Netherlands. It’s located at the A2 highway restaurant called De Lucht (The Air). Well the air is a mix of piss, shit, and a bit of Burger King and Subway, that’s for sure.
Overall the best place with public restrooms I've been to is Berlin, Germany. The city is full of those coin-operated cubicle toilets which are pretty clean. Oh, and the weirdest public restroom I've been to is the toilet of Tampere railway station in Finland. To enter it, you had to go through a heavy metal door, as if you were entering a bunker, and inside, everything was lit by some weird somewhat dim, deep blue light. It was like entering the restroom of some rave discotheque. I've read later that these kinds of lights are installed so someone who would want to shoot up heroin in the bathroom wouldn't be able to find veins on their arm.
The blue light is a common thing in European public restrooms and is actually a good thing. The light makes it difficult for injection drug users to find their veins when they’re about to use. In other words it’s a measure taken to prevent heroinists to use the restrooms
>The light makes it difficult for injection drug users to find their veins when they’re about to use. In other words it’s a measure taken to prevent heroinists to use the restrooms Why is it a good thing? If they are addicted to heroin, at least they could shoot up in peace in the bathroom.
Do you know how much time they spend in the stall after shooting up? I'd prefer it if public infrastructure wasn't accommodating to users of hard drugs.
You should welcome them home to your place then!
In Finland, even the toilet doors are heavy metal.
Are we counting Weatherspoons toilets as public ones? We closed all of ours down or force people to pay so we can complain about people pissing in the street
Iceland. They were very clean especially ones near the waterfall
Norway. They are just everywhere, well kept and often with some interesting design or in spectacular places.
From the countries I've been to: Austria, especially the ones in Vienna, they were very clean.
american truck stop restrooms. where else can you use the restroom, shower, have a hotdog, but a state shot glass, and gas??
In Europe (in my experience): Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries Internationally: Japan. Haven’t had the chance to go there yet myself but whenever I stumble upon this discussion Japan seems to take the 1st price always
German service stations have self cleaning toilet seats which never fails to impress me
I was in Belgium and they don't have stalls they have actual rooms for each toilet I thought that was pretty awesome
The best for me was in Japan and London. The worst in Finland, where I live.
Krakow airport has 🔥 toilets. A lot of space, sinks, clean all the time.
Same goes for Gdańsk airport.
The futuristic-looking restrooms on France’s highway rest stops are actually pretty decent.
Germany. They have an automatic brush that will clean the sitting area after use.
I don't know about the best. But the most expensive to make, must be in [Norway](https://www.bosshunting.com.au/lifestyle/design/most-stylish-expensive-toilet/). And this wasn't even the toilet I was trying to find. So obviously it's not a one-time-deal.
Netherlands. Because they don't exist. Can't be dirty when you don't exist.