I will be going to Amsterdam in a few weeks and I was wondering with the liberal Dutch are the restrooms coed or will I have privacy. How clean are they? And will stores let you use theirs without making a purchase.

Throughout the world, my solution to the restroom problem is to go into the neares McDonald's. I have never had this bs of other places trying not to allow me to use the facilities since they claim the facilities are for customers only.<BR><BR>In London, I can walk into the fanciest hotel and use the facilities without any questions. Or I use McDonald's.<BR><BR>Years ago there was a law in Toronto, a most civilized city, that prohibited merchants from restricting use of their facilities to customers only. It's too bad such laws are not universal.

<BR>AC, you paid too much. The saucers in front of toilets normally expect 25 Dutch cents, now equal to about 10 euro cent. <BR>Karen, just go in any cafe, pub, restaurant, or department store and ask for the dames (pr. dahmz) toilet, not the "restroom" or "bathroom." Sometimes there is a saucer, sometimes a card with a price on it adjacent, and sometimes the cleaning woman is sitting there in front of the saucer giving you a good looking over until you put in a coin. Men's rooms are cleaner than you normally find in the USA so I would expect the same for yours.<BR>There is one pub I know of which does not have a ladies room. That one is the Hoppe at the Spui. Ladies go through a door behind the bar into the cafe next door.<BR>You say you are going to be there "in a few weeks." If that includes Queen's Day on April 30 in Amsterdam you will have a long wait for the potty in many parts of the city. The last time I was there for this unbelievable day of beer the lines at the ladies rooms were very long. The girls used the stalls in the men's rooms, walking past the gents at the urinals. Of course, most of the men used the outdoor temp facilities set up by the city administration, or wherever, as in Paris. <BR>John Bermont<BR>www.enjoy-europe.com

At least McDs is good for something!BTW, I have seen MCDs that charge in Canada and in Europe. <BR><BR>Karen, why are you so paranoid? What are you worried about? Grow up!!

john:<BR>you are right, WhenI re-read my answer I realized my mistake. It was the smaller amount! Thanks for the "heads" up!

I have seen women standing up at the urinals when the stalls were all full...God's honest truth this happened to me at the Royal Ascot Races in UK on Ladies Day. Long trough type urinals in men's room, loooooooong lines at ladies rooms, I was standing at urinal taking a leak, when this gal walks up beside me, pulls up her dress, down her knickers, and proceeded to pee standing up right there between me and another bloke to her left. Indeed a sight to see and I have never seen it since.

john and AC--you losers are quibbling over a few cents? keep it to yourselves!

pennies to pee...what a bargain

Although I, too, am always on the lookout for public restrooms, we should not be put off if we must pay a little for the use thereof. And I would be very much against the idea that a non-customer (by operation of law) can use a business' facilities. That said, to answer Karen's other question: I did not see any coed restrooms per se, though they probably exist. I remember separate restrooms at the museums. I think at the Rijksmuseum (sp?) both restrooms were pretty well open to passers by (with privacy provided by the actual stalls).

Tom:<BR>What's with the name calling?? Did we hit a nerve?