Otium

I have a couple of health issues to deal with on all of our travels. First I take a strong diuretic for and need to find a bath room quite frequently. While waiting in line for the Vatican Museum or anywhere else are there public bathrooms available? Second, I have two artificial hips, so I carry a small folding chair to museums and the like to relieve the pressure and the pain from the advancing arthritis.

So, are there places to pee?
Are there places to sit in any of the major sites, in the event I do not want to carry my chair around?

I found that the museums in Florence, Venice, Paris, London and Vienna all have places to sit, more so than do those in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Nikki

As far as places to sit, old ruins are great for that. There are broken columns and walls and old stones all through the Forum. Churches have plenty of places to sit, including the Pantheon and St. Peter's. There are some scattered benches in the Vatican Museums. There are benches in the Villa Borghese park. I remember sitting somewhere in the Piazza Navona, but I don't remember whether it was a bench or a fountain. There are of course plenty of cafes and gelato joints as well.

Otium

Thank you Nikki, now are the places for me to pee?

kybourbon

There are restrooms in the museums and there is always McD's.

ctd02

there aren't that many public bathrooms in Rome, but lots of the bars (ie: cafes) have them. If you feel guilty about using them buy a coffee (or something else if coffee makes the problem worse) for less than 1 euro (its probably good manners to do this anyway). But check out the bar before buying, not all of them have toilets.

As far as I recall there was nothing you could use in the line to the Vatican museum, although I did notice some cafes across the road that might do the trick. Of course, you would need someone else to stay in the line for you. Also, from memory the Vatican musuem had toilets only in one place (which was the start/finish line). The Sistine Chapel (which is effectively the 'turning point' at the end of the museums) is a good 10+ min walk from the toilets if you are on the way back (that is, its a one way path and after the Chapel you pretty much walk straight back to the entrance/exit). If you needed to go while on the way to the Chapel, you would have to walk back against the crowds and its probably 20 minutes walk - much more windy.

You may also need (given your hips) to keep in mind that many places do not have lifts (elevators) but only stairs. I was travelling with a toddler in a pram and lots of lifting! However the 'very major' sites and museums do have lifts, albeit often extremely small. Can't recall about the Vatican, the Colosseum had a lift.

KayF

Public toilets in Italy in general, and Rome especially, are few and far between. McDonalds do have toilets but the queue was long when we were there. There are a few different toilets at the Vatican but a bit of a walk to find them. Most bars seem to have toilets which you can use, but some of them look like they've never been cleaned and often don't have toilet seats or paper. Still, if you're desperate... Some bars don't like you using the toilet unless you buy something, others you can sneak in and be out before anyone notices. I was actually refused when I asked to use the toilet in a bar in Venice, I was quite shocked and a little upset as I was desperate. There is a public toilet at the Colosseum - outside the actual building, around from where you buy tickets. You could check out www.bathroomdiaries.com (or some name like that).
Kay

Nikki

I believe there actually are restrooms near the Sistine Chapel, before you enter the chapel.

kybourbon

The Vatican museum has a very large cafeteria where you can sit and rest and there are restrooms nearby. We still laugh about the wine in boxes(like juice boxes) we bought there.

To the left (if you are facing St. Peter's) just outside the square will be a store with Vatican merchandise (Savelli on Via Paolo) that has restrooms. Also a cafeteria(Il Colonnato) right next door to Savelli but I think theirs were downstairs.

eliztrav

I was pleasantly surprised to find a well maintained public restroom (single person only) inside Castel Sant'Angelo on the left shortly after you begin the circular winding walk upward to the top & that glorious view of Rome and the Vatican. Always nice to know where they are, isn't it?!

sandi_travelnut

"As far as places to sit, old ruins are great for that. There are broken columns and walls and old stones all through the Forum."

I hope you were joking about that.

ellenem

Some of the larger department stores (Rinascente, Coin) have public restrooms. Usually its for only one person and it's hidden somewhere on a higher floor.

Cafe/bars are your best option--they are everywhere and open all the time.

Nikki

Uh, no, sanditravelnut, I wasn't joking. I'm not talking about places that are roped off or off limits in any other way. I am talking about very large and very numerous places to perch all around the paths through the Forum. Steps, walls, debris. Also true at Pompeii.

Dori

I did read in one of the guide books that by law, all bars are required to let anyone use their facilities without purchase. Those bars are all over Rome.

Melissa1

If they are required by law it doesn't seem like it. I've seen many a bar owner rolling his eyes as tourists try to use their bathroom without buying anything.
It's good manners to buy something (also a pack of gum), and then ask to use their restroom.
Good luck, cause they really are few and far between! McDonalds is always a good choice too.

jay

we always use mcdonalds or museums.

Grinisa

Cafes/bars are the best option in Rome and are required to let you use the facilities even without a purchase. However, I still think it is polite to buy something. Also, many of the restrooms are located in the basement which may or may not be a problem if you have walking difficulties. As the the Vatican Museum, there are very few benches in what seems like miles of galleries. I doubt Museum security will allow you to bring a foldable chair into the museums because of the potential of damage and they don't want people blocking the flow of traffic. Backpacks and other large items must be checked before entering the Museum.

Grasshopper

Funny about the sitting on ruins comment. On my recent walk through I stopped many times to sit on a broken bit of something and just take it all in and imagine that I was there 2000 years before. I thought how impossible that would be if those ruins were in the US.

kybourbon

Grasshopper - I thought the same thing the first time I was in the Vatican museums. I was amazed that everything in the museum wasn't roped off or under glass like it would be in the states. In the tapestry room the windows were open but they did have some thin gauzy fabric over them to keep out sunlight but nothing for humidity control.

Otium

Wonderful comments, all of you. I have no difficulty with stairs, and I can walk for miles at a time, but I do have problems standing and milling about, as one might do in a line or while viewing museum pieces.

I was denied use of my chair at the Rodin museum in Paris, but that is the only place--Louvre, d? Orsey, Uffizi, Acadamia, The National and others in London, and all over the US. I must say, however that the Rodin did have places for me to sit and recover.

As to bathrooms, It looks like there are options and must go into a bar or restaurant before entering the Vatican Musei. Otherwise I'll tie a string around it

Iregeo

sandi travelnut, when my family was in Rome in April 2003, we took a Scala Reale Ancient Rome Tour. In the Forum, our tour director directed our group to sit on the ruins while she lectured on the history of the area.