Paris Public Toilets

We have all experienced the dilemma of trying to find a clean public rest room when we have to go.

Paris surprisingly has many public toilets that are clean and reliable. My impetus for this post came from a tip I received a few months ago about some new state of the art toilets in the Carrousel de Louvre, a shopping mall underneath the Louvre. What I discovered was actually a bathroom boutique with designer public toilets called Point WC. I walked in and found a clever wall display of multi-colored toilet papers laid out like paint chips along with a selection of extravagant and humorous toilet seat covers, and well designed bathroom accessories. There is a front desk with the price list of the bathroom cabins you can use and there was either the standard cabin for 1.50 euros or the Japanese high tech one for 2 euros. I chose the Japanese one to see what was so special. I was shown to the cabin by a young attendant in a spiffy uniform. The cabin was quite smartly designed with a warm wood cabinet with incense sticks in a clear vase on top, a bonsai tree, a fabulous round black sink, and last but not least, an immaculate white toilet. There was also a remote with many buttons and a sign with a list of over 20 functions the toilet performed. I was too impatient to decipher all of this so I took the remote and started pressing all the buttons. After pressing them numerous times without anything happening I took it to the front desk. They said the remote was broken and gave me a one euro refund. I went back to the cabin and did my business perfectly well sans the remote. I have to say it was an enjoyable experience and well worth the price for peace of mind and clean facilities. I found out they also have a location on the Champs Elysees.

The Mighty Throne

The next best public bathroom in Paris is by the Madeleine. This well kept secret is worth knowing about. If you are facing the Madeleine church from the front, on the right hand side there is a iron railing with a small blue toilettes sign and a stairway with a pretty mosaic. Down those steps is a white tile Art Nouveau room with rich mahogany cabins and a stained glass panel in a floral pattern. Again, the bathroom was squeaky clean and comfortable. Most of all I loved the Art Nouveau, Viennese style door. There is an attendant who keeps up the toilets, so it is customary to leave a 50 centimes or 1 euro tip in the collection bowl.

Believe it or not the restrooms in the metro stations are very well kept and safe. There is an attendant, so again it's customary to leave a tip. The drawback is that most metro stations don't have restrooms and the few that do are not always open. I know for sure the one in the Hotel de Ville station is open during the day. 

The last public alternative, although not always necessarily clean, are the newly revamped free toilet kiosks on the streets. They've installed 400 of them all over the city and are designed by the big deal,chic chi french designer Patrick Jouin. The stations are big enough now to fit wheelchairs, more environmentally correct (rain water is used and saves consumption about 30%), easier to use with instructions in several languages, and have a water fountain on the outside.

You can always try your luck at a cafe or a restaurant. Hotel lobbies and department stores are also a good bet.

Happy tinkling!

Point WC
Carrousel de Louvre,
99 rue de Rivoli, 1st. arr.
Metro: Palais Royal/Musee de Louvre

26 Ave. Champs Elysees, 8th arr.
Metro: Franklin Roosevelt
http://www.pointwc.com/

Madeleine restrooms
Place de la Madeleine, 8th arr.
Metro: Madeleine

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I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook. First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

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Comments

[kate]

Daft as this may sound, today's blog was Wonderful, with a capital W. When I was in Paris in March, I was on the prowl constantly for a restroom. God, I hated the public ones on the street. As they are sanitized constantly, you are always walking into a dripping wet facility. No place to put your bags down or hang your coat without getting everything wet.

So knowing about these precious 'jewels' in Paris is a gift. Maybe you should do a 'Toilet of the Month'..........with photos and address.

[bill]

Richard, - You are a weath of "important" information for the traveler and city visitor. Knowledge about public toilets is an "essential" requirement for visiting any city and Paris has done wonders! Public toilets in Paris are much, much improved since the "old" days back in the '60's,'70's,'80's and even the '90's! And the public facilities at the Madeleine must be new, because 4 years ago it was there, but I would never have called it chic. :)

[Evelyn]

I'm going to print out this blog entry and tuck it away for my next trip to Paris. You are so right..finding les toilettes is not easy in Paris!

[Style Spy]

Beautiful. I also vote for regular feature status. And I am laughing and laughing and laughing at the fact of them giving you a refund because the remote was not working.

[June]

What an informative message. What happened to the old "pissoirs", a round enclosure where you could see the guys' feet?

[Arlene]

Thank you so much!! This is a major worry--we really have to plan our day to be sure that we have easy access, in the past a definite problem!