Public Restrooms

A Few Tips on Using Public Toilets in France

Ask for the WC (pronouced ‘dooble vey cey’) or say “ou sont les toilettes?” (‘leh twalette’), and it’s always plural.

‘Women’ could be F for Femmes or D for Dames; ‘Men’ could be H for Hommes or M for Monsieur.

Unlike in the US, in France it is not considered a public right to use the john.  In practical terms this means you can’t just waltz into a café or bar and use the facilities; they expect you to buy something for the privilege, which makes it awkward.  Here’s my approach (which admittedly works best for women):  Head straight up to the barman, do the usual ‘Bonjour Monsieur’ with a hopeful smile, and say that you realize that the toilettes are generally reserved for clients, but does he think he could make a petite exception?  These are the magic words.

If grovelling just to take a pee is not your style, here is a partial list of pay toilets (usually 50 centimes; best to have exact change as the dames pipi, as the washroom attendants are called, can be surly.)

  • Cours Saleya Market, in the middle archway
  • Just below the Opera tram stop
  • In the Jardin Albert 1ere (the park across from the beach) in the back corner near the fountain
  • At various points on the Promenade des Anglais
  • The Asian fast food restaurant Le Pai Lin in the Old Town facing the beach: they let the public use their facilties for 50 centimes
  • Galeries Lafayette has public bathrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor
  • The Nice Etoile Shopping Center has them on the top floor (70 centimes)
  • Most museums have good free bathrooms, so don’t miss your chance before leaving!

Or better yet, if you have a smartphone, you can download the app Ou Sont Les Toilettes, which will point you to the nearest public toilet no matter where you are!

A few more notes…

  • Keep a travel pack of Kleenex with you and a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
  • Most public toilets, even in bars, are (inexplicably) missing the seats.  Ask, and they will tell you they don’t put them on because they get stolen.  Really?  Do they smuggle them out under their shirts?
  • If you’re up in the backcountry or in Italy,  public toilets are often Turkish-style, also known as a hole in the floor.  Just so you know.
  • One final note   Americans are often perplexed by the two flushing buttons, which are actually a water saving measure.  You choose your flush according to the job:  the little button gives you a small flush, and the big button… well, you get the idea.

Photo credit: WC door plaque from Paris France Products

See Related Pages on getting by in France:

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