Traveling in Nov.to Rome and Sorrento/Amalfi areas. Are there ample public restrooms available thru-out Italy? Are they equipted with similar conveniences we have in the U.S? I know this is a somewhat delicate/personal question but I want to be prepared ahead of time in case I need to bring some of those clever items we women might need in a pinch.

Hi,

As Rookie just reported, "not all restrooms are created equal".

Bring travel packs of Kleenex. Don't pass by a restroom at a museum or other tourist place.

Look for McDonald's and Burger Kings.

Carry about 1 1/2 Euro in small change.

All restaurants and cafe's have restrooms, but you will be expected to buy something.

If the intent of your question is whether to bring those things that women need uniquely, then you should plan definitely to bring them. You won't find handy dispensing machines of the sort you find in a lot of restrooms in the U.S. And follow the advice already given by Ira. You will find an adequate number of toilet facilities available, but just not equipped as you might expect. Good luck.

Most of the small Italian villages we visited had clean, well run restrooms. However paper is not always available, and many of the toilets have no seats on them! A few of the older restaurants still have Turkish toilets (just a hole in floor).

Pack what you might need; better safe than sorry.

Definitely bring anything that you might need! Just having to buy certain items in Pharmacies if you don't speak Italian can be difficult and embarrassing. Not everyone has a husband like mine who will do it for me

Ah, I'm sure glad I asked. I've noticed several of the travel gear magazines/websites sell some of the little necessities that will come in very handy. Thanks to all of you for the valuable advice.

Women should also consider wearing either very stretchy pants or a skirt while touring. You can (as in San Gim and other places) not only find potties without seats, but also they can be a porceline hole in the floor. It isn't any different than not sitting, but be prepared. Usually local drug stores sell travel toilette paper. They're small tight rolls in plastic. I never leave home without them. Everywhere we have toilettes here, they have them there. Not a problem.

I second the message on never skipping a clean toilet when one is available. I have run into some pretty awful toilets in Italy and other places. Libraries, museums, large department stores, restaurants - use them when you can and always have change as some charge. Jsut returned from Europe and most that charged were around .30-.40 euros so always be prepared.

Second the above, but carry small amounts of toilet paper, not Kleenex, which is not designed to flush and could block the plumbing, leading to an embarrassing episode. I've generally found toilet paper to be supplied, but occasionally there is no soap. Ergo, a small bottle of liquid soap and a small handtowel (or even a dry washcloth) have come in handy.

Hi, Bryarsmom
It is not necessary to pay premium prices charged by some of the travel gear stores and web sites. Most necessities can be found in your local Target, Walmart, K-Mart, etc. I found the travel toilet paper mentioned by Ann1 in Walmart. It is very compact because there is no core. There may also be times you will prefer to use your own if you have it. Another option for tp is to roll off what you might need during the day from your hotel bathroom. It is probably a better quality than what you would find in a public WC.

Even in large cities you will find toilets with no seats (McDonalds in Rome and Florence) but when nature calls . . .

Also, some toilets have flush controls on the floor. There is a pedal that you step on next to the toilet.

Enjoy Italy!

Rookie, I learned that trick from a woman I used to travel to Asia with on business trips. The last thing she did before leaving her hotel room in the morning was to use the toilet and roll off a handful of tp to put in her pocket. At least you know you've got enough for the next pit stop.

One of my unbreakable travel rules is "Never pass up a chance to pee."

I'll add individually packaged handywipes to the list. ($2 for 25 at Target) Have fun!

By the way Charming make cute little rolls of toilette papers, they are designed to fit in a small purse..I saw them in a pkg of 3....

What a great question! I have to say I have travelled to many places without any digestive problems, but in Rome, I had a really bad time of it, if you know what I mean.

This time, when we go to Tuscany, I will carry plenty of Immodium. THere is nothing worse than being in a foreign country and not being able to enjoy yourself.

Purell (or the like)
While we're on the subject of toilets, I carried a small bottle of Purell with us everywhere. My least favorite toilets were on the trains, and if I had to go into one, I took my tp and hand cleanser with me. I figure if the water is non-potable, I'm not washing my hands in it either. At first my husband thought I was a little over the top on this one but it didn't take long for him to come around.

Rookie, nonpotable water means you can't drink it. It does a pretty good job for handwashing. I'm not a doctor, but I think the sort of organisms that would make you ill if you ingested them don't live long enough on your skin to harm you. (I carry that hand sanitizer stuff too, for times when there is NO way to wash my hands. Good for outdoors post-picnic cleanup as well.)

Marilyn -
I "know" you are right. I just couldn't get past the thought of it (considering the look and smell of the WCs on the trains).

I really don't enjoy "dry-cleaning" my hands - just doesn't feel right.

My solution? Wash your hands with whatever water you can and THEN use the Purell. That way you get the gunk off your hands AND you are germ-free.

Just my $0.02.

Just wondering how Wayne is quite obviously an authority on Womens things...lol

Muck