Someone mentioned that there are bathrooms in France that are basically just holes in the floor. Is this true?

Yes it is true of some public bathrooms although it tends to be more of an issue for the ladies...unless you are concerned about number 2's that is (or is that 1's - I always get them the wrong way round!) You'll find them in many parts of the world (Asia, Europe, Africa etc).

These are commonly called (in the U.S., anyway) Turkish-style toilets. They used to be fairly common but are very rare in Europe these days. If you find one notify the local historical association and they will probably list the bathroom as an historical landmark.<BR><BR>They can be gross if not carefully cleaned, but the last time I used one (in a colegio in Buenos Aires) it was a pretty fancy hole in the floor-- white marble with huge marble footpads to squat on.

They are not that rare in France. We came across about one a week outside of Paris. In fact one had been remodeled within the last 10 years and they still had the hole in the floor beside the new.

I spent a couple of weeks in the Tarn Valley (countryside near Toulouse) last summer and visted several small towns where the public toilet was of the hole in the floor variety - I drank very little liquids on day trip days!

Note to women traveling in France, these toilets are a very good reason to wear skirts or dresses rather than slacks or shorts. Made keeping clothes out of the way alot easier,IMO. I was surprised how often this was all that was offered with public facilities.Deborah

They are still being installed. I came across a fairly new one in 2002 in Brant&ocirc;me. I once asked (40 years ago) why they had them, in this instance in a children's summer camp. Answer: they are much easier to clean, and in fact are more hygienic--no touching.

Are these new &quot;holes&quot; accompanied by a bidet?

They're a great workout for the thigh muscles!

<BR>They really are NOT that rare. Stand back when the toilet flushes---you may get wet.<BR>Good thing is no one hogs these turkish toilets by sitting there reading the paper!!!!!!!

I know that they do exist, but I've been to France 10 times, beginning in 1961, and I've never seen a hole-in-the-floor toilet yet. I suppose I try to avoid &quot;having to go&quot; in places that might have them, but it can be done.<BR><BR>At any rate, I heartily agree with poster who suggested wearing skirts; even some rest rooms that have toilets aren't exactly where you want to have your trousers mopping up the floor.

They are all over rural France, and can still be found in some otherwise swank old buildings in major cities. There's a caf&eacute; on the Place Ecole Militaire in Paris that has one, and one in a well-known caf&eacute; in Bordeaux. You can also find them at rest stops on some highways. They are actually coming back into style, as one poster noted, because they are more hygienic than the regular kind. I've never had a problem with them - I'd rather use a clean Turkish toilet than a dirty regular kind.

Without getting into too much detail, what would you do if you were a woman wearing jeans and faced with this type of facility? This is why I don't go camping! Men have it easy!

Hi<BR><BR>Just a few words of advice :<BR><BR>Switch the light on before locking the door<BR>Unlock the door before pulling the chain<BR>Don't wear thongs (flipflops)<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR>

If you are wearing pants, the best way to use a hole type of toilet is to pull the pants down to your knees, and pull the bottoms of your pants up to your knees...so they are all bunched together. Keeps things much cleaner<BR><BR>There is a great little book called &quot;Going Abroad&quot; that details all sorts of toilets around the world and how to use them...with illustrations. I have had several friends borrow it and even though we all laugh about it, the book truly was helpful.