Les Toilettes de Paris (And Where to Find Them)

Sightseeing in Paris is why you are there, but once you have left the comfort of your hotel room with its en-suite bathroom, it is almost inevitable that you are thinking of where the nearest toilettes will be found. Are they easily accessible? Are the stories — pissoirs on the pavements, with men’s heads and legs on show; public toilets with footstep-shaped holes in the ground— all true? Will you always have to find a café and buy a drink before you can use their toilets? 

Let’s take the pissoirs first. These open-air urinals were first introduced in the 19th century – hardly discreet but better than men using doorways. During World War II, the Resistance used them for passing on messages, and their metal exteriors were often used for billboard advertising. However they were never attractive, always smelly, and by the 1960s happily on the decline. Only one now remains in Paris outside La Santé penitentiary, a relic of the past. 

But something was needed to replace the outdated pissoir, and in 1981 the sanisette was born. Self-cleaning and coin-operated, they were fully enclosed – if not exactly inviting. In 2009, top designer Patrick Jouin, with JCDecaux, upgraded these public restrooms with a new, contemporary look. And in the runup to the Paris Olympics of 2024, they were modernized. (Note that one end of the structure accommodates a urinoir.)  

These 435 sanisettes are located in key points all across Paris, such as outside the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, metro stations, and parks including the Luxembourg Gardens and Parc Monceau. There is even a map pinpointing each one. These free-to-use sanisettes are not only eco-friendly, minimizing water use and electricity, but are manufactured with recyclable materials, and the cleaning cycle is an astonishing 30 seconds. They are big enough to take a wheelchair, spacious enough for parents to accompany their small children. The door will not stay locked after 15 minutes, so taking up residence is not an option. 

But what are the alternatives, if you really can’t face using a public toilet, or you aren’t near one? The centuries-old, tried and tested trick of buying a drink in a café and using their ablutions, is as popular as ever. This works really well if your bladder behaves itself and you can last all day with a couple of coffees at the bar, but studies have shown that on average we use the loo up to seven times per day, add a couple of children into that equation, and the café bill could grow substantially. (If you are determined to find a luxurious restroom and are prepared to pay 12 euros for a coffee, Le Café de la Paix at the corner of Boulevard des Capucines and Place de la Opera is the place for you. Ladies can indulge in L’Occitane soap and body cream in quiet splendor.) 

However if the Café de la Paix is too rich for your blood and your wallet, where else can we relieve ourselves and our pockets? 

Train stations always have toilets. Most have a bathroom attendant – or a “Madame Pipi” (I kid you not), who ensures that the toilets remain clean. A small fee might be required. It is always advisable to have a few euro coins on your person for just these occasions. 

Department stores: an absolute favorite 

Not only are stores like Galeries Lafayette worth visiting for themselves, but their toilet facilities are usually a cut above. Galeries Lafayette has its own Madame Pipi, and although the toilets are nominally free, latest news says a Loyalty card (free) is required or a charge of one euro is payable. Printemps, BHV and Samaritaine department stores come highly recommended for their warm and clean toilettes. On the Left Bank, Le Bon Marché restroom and are prepared to pay 12 euros for a coffee, Le Café’s toilets are beautiful. 

Museums 

As the likelihood of visiting Paris and not going to a museum is fairly remote, it would be remiss of you not to indulge in their facilities while you are there. All museums provide restrooms, not always in the most convenient places, but all will be well looked after. However, it is worth remembering the vast number of visitors to the most popular museums so be prepared sometimes to queue. 

Better still, head to the museums with free entry (often they are well worth visiting). I include my own favorite, Le Petit Palais at the bottom of the Champs-Elysées. Others include the fascinating Musée Carnavalet in Le Marais, the Musée Bourdelle, Musée de la Vie Romantique, the Musée de la Parfum Fragonard, and the Musée Cognac-Jay.

Parks 

All the major parks in Paris have toilet facilities but the wonderful Luxembourg Gardens not only has its own sanisette, but also discreet toilets in little wooden cabins, strategically positioned near the children’s play area, next to La Terrace de Madeleine restaurant, and near the Medici Fountain. These toilettes are free but sometimes have their own Madame Pipi who should be worth a coin or two. 

In the Place des Vosges, a public toilet has been installed in a former kiosk which was used as a storage area for the gardeners. The result is a pleasing, elegant structure, which preserves the history of the Place des Vosges and looks nothing like a utilitarian public toilet. 

Hotels 

Using the facilities of a hotel you aren’t actually staying in takes a modicum of bare-faced cheek. (Excuse the pun.) Those who recommend walking boldly through the lobby and availing themselves of the often luxurious restrooms have no qualms about being stopped and interrogated. I cannot comment, not having the nerve as I’m sure I would be the first to feel a heavy hand on my shoulder and a swift ejection through the revolving doors.  

On reflection though, I would not recommend you attempt this with two squalling children in tow, both with their legs crossed and demanding pee pee. 

But then again, who knows? You might just get away with it. Let me know! 

Cemeteries (And you don’t have to be dead to use them.) 

A trip to Paris without walking around Père-Lachaise Cemetery is a missed opportunity. It has two public toilets, one by Main Reunion entrance and the other at Gambetta. Likewise in Montparnasse cemetery, public toilets are to be found near the main entrance on Avenue Rachel/Rue Caulaincourt. 

But is there any chance of finding luxury, history and culture in a public toilet and all for the princely sum of two euros? Surprisingly there is. And not just one, but two public toilets that are definitely worth seeing, even if you don’t actually need to go! 

The much-vaunted restoration of the Lavatory Madeleine starting in 2015 was four years after they were granted historical monument status and then promptly closed by the city. The toilets were in a state of disrepair, rubbish had been dumped, and water allowed to infiltrate the structure. Nevertheless, under pressure, the city council agreed to restore and open six exceptional and historic toilets. 

The toilets were built in 1905 and are the first Belle Epoque public toilets to be restored to their original splendor. Highly polished mahogany panels, floral stained-glass windows, decorated ceramic ceiling tiles, brass taps, mirrored hexagon pilasters and a display of Art Nouveau posters transport you back to the beginning of the last century. The toilets, sinks, and taps have been replaced with appropriately similar, newer models. These are for women only and unfortunately due to the steep stairs, unsuitable for wheelchair users. The two euros entrance fee covers the cost of the attendant and maintenance attendants who clean the toilets after every single visit. 

Not to be outdone, just inside Trocadéro metro station and a few steps from the Eiffel Tower, another restoration has taken place. Once more, gorgeous Art Nouveau toilets have been brought back to their former glory. Originally built in 1910 beneath the Palais de Chaillot, these toilets brought elegance, comfort, and more than a touch of class to Paris metro users. This exceptional renovation by RATP with 2theloo winning the tender, highlights the use of the original stained-glass windows and carved mahogany doors and panelling. The plumbing, thankfully, is modern! These wonderful loos can be found by Exit 1, Av. Du President Wilson. 

Paris, once much maligned for its lack of public facilities, is now streets and toilets ahead of other major cities.  

Just remember to always carry tissues. That can never be guaranteed…