<i>It wouldn't be hygienique! </i>

How less so than a toilet seat with questionable spots?

Michael, you miss my point. Toilet seats are indeed much less hygienic than any no-physical-contact process; North Americans are just used to them.

While on a tour of the Canadian Rockies with friends, the wife came out of a women's washroom between Banff and Jasper, bent over with suppressed laughter? A tour bus had arrived, and the stalls were all filled with Japanese woman standing/squatting on the toilet seats, their heads all sticking out above the stalls.

It is what you are used to.

<i>A tour bus had arrived, and the stalls were all filled with Japanese woman standing/squatting on the toilet seats</i>

About 30 years ago, the Singapore airport bathroom stalls had stick figure images to demonstrate the use a western toilet.

And if one squats on a toilet seat, it will not last a long time; better to just have the ceramic bowl.

correction: the use <b>of</b> a western toilet.

Thanks to all for your informative replies.

We have just returned from out trip and I want to report that there are public toilets in every small town that we visited in Provence. They are western style and usually located near the parking areas. So everything worked out well.

The overall trip was great; Provence is a wonderful place to visit.

Check out Magellan's for assistance with helpful supplies such as disposable seat covers and especially lol, Go Girl!