An Incomplete and Biased Guide to European Toilets
Because nobody tells you this stuff, and by the time you need to know, it's already an emergency.
There are certain things people don’t put in travel guides. Things like: Where is the button to flush this? Why does this bathroom have a window but no sink? And is it normal to pay someone €0.70 to use a toilet without a seat?
At Tripologiste, we believe in preparing travelers for the whole journey—including the awkward, baffling, and highly pressurized moments that happen in bathrooms across Europe. This is not an exhaustive guide. It is not even that helpful. But it is honest.
Let’s begin.
1. You Will Pay to Pee—and You Will Do It Without Question
Welcome to Europe. The bathroom isn’t free. Train stations, museums, gas stations, cafés with suspiciously clean interiors—all of them may charge. Sometimes it's €0.50, sometimes €1, sometimes a weird token system that feels needlessly theatrical.
What you’re paying for: cleanliness, paper, occasionally a full-time bathroom attendant who somehow knows you don’t belong here.
What you’re not guaranteed: soap, a seat, or emotional closure.
2. Toilet Seats: Optional, Apparently
In certain places—especially public toilets in older buildings—the seat is missing. No explanation. No apology. Just porcelain, confidence, and the hope that your quads are up to the task.
Is it unsanitary? Possibly. Is it cultural? Also possibly. Is it something you’ll stop questioning after day three? Absolutely.
3. The Flush Button Is a Puzzle
Some flush buttons are normal. Some are hidden on the wall, camouflaged in tile like part of a Bond villain’s escape hatch. Others involve two buttons (a big one and a small one) that seem to have no consistent function.
And once in a while, it’s a chain. Hanging from the ceiling. In a fancy restaurant.
Don’t be proud. Try everything.
4. The Bidet Situation: Know Before You Sit
Ah yes, the bidet. A mystery to many. Common in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and parts of France. It’s not a sink. It’s not a toilet. It’s... both? Neither?
Will you use it? Maybe not. But you’ll definitely stand there looking at it, wondering how wet your socks would get if you tried.
At Tripologiste, we won’t judge how you use the bidet. But we will judge you if you use it to wash your laundry.
5. Toilet Paper: Sometimes There, Sometimes Not
Public restrooms may or may not have toilet paper. Sometimes it’s outside the stall. Sometimes it’s in a dispenser that gives one square at a time, like it’s rationed by an especially bitter librarian.
Bring tissues. Always.
6. Gendered Symbols Are Not Universal
You may see a triangle. A moon. A picture of a goat. A word you don't recognize.
This is a gamble.
Sometimes you guess right. Sometimes you commit and walk in with confidence. Either way, you’re learning.
Worst case: someone gives you a weird look. You apologize in a language they don’t speak. And life goes on.
7. Bathroom Graffiti Is a Whole Literary Genre
In some countries, the graffiti is angry and political. In others, it’s philosophical. In many—it’s just a lot of phone numbers and declarations of love for people named Luca.
Take a moment. Read the walls. You’ll learn something about the culture. Maybe also about Luca.
8. Toilets in Cafés and Bars Are... Creative
You might walk through the kitchen. Or up a staircase that feels like it leads to an attic murder scene. Or into a hallway with no lights and five unmarked doors.
This is normal. You are not in danger. Just keep going.
You’ll Survive. You Might Even Bond.
The European toilet experience is humbling, unifying, and wildly inconsistent. But it’s also weirdly endearing. You’ll come home with stories you didn’t expect—and a new appreciation for basic plumbing.
At Tripologiste, we plan for all the big things—and quietly warn you about the small ones, too. Because a good trip isn’t just where you go. It’s how you handle the surprises. Even the porcelain ones.
Have a bizarre bathroom memory or unexpected flush technique you still think about at night? Tell us in the comments. We promise we’ve seen worse.