For women out there, you know what I mean We all know we need to stay hydrated in hot weather, especially walking around in the heat, but it means having to go to the bathroom alot, so it's inconvenient . Multiply that by the number in your party + kids and it becomes a pain.

What do other women do when you have to use the bathroom and you are outside. We've gone into cafes but sometimes wind up buying things. Once, we tried to use a nearby hotel and the receptionist was mad

If there's a restroom, use it. Never let your kids leave a hotel or restaurant without using the restroom.

In the larger cities, department stores usually have a restroom hiding somewhere.

A cafe is a perfect place to use the restroom -- it shouldn't be a problem.

Hotels in Italy don't always have the same attitude about their lobbies being a public place as in the U.S. and other countries. You can usually use a restroom there if it a larger hotel.

ellenem is right cafes, large hotels, museums and dept stores if you come across. Never leave a cafe/restaurant/place that has a bathroom without going, even if you don't have to go. More controversial advice to stir up the water toting patrol, I'll say it - I know everyone has a water fetish, but don't drink so much water throughout the day! Meaning, skip the walking around with a water bottle!

I drink a lot of water normally (3 liters/day), but if I don't know whether I will have access to a bathroom when I need it, I stick with dehydrating beverages--coffee or wine and drink my water before bed. That isn't so helpful with kids, but really, not constantly drinking water will help avoid the need to go when it is untimely.

**mind you I have a bladder the size of a pea, this works for me.

If you pass a place to have a coffee or a drink have it. Walk into large hotel lobbies, there are always signs to restrooms. Museums too have restrooms available.

I am very sorry but at 70 years old I do not understand this constant sucking on water bottles. Have your juice and coffee, a drink with lunch, maybe a shot of water during the day. But someone please tell me the reason to suck it up all day. I am never sick, my skin looks great for 70, I have minimal wrinkles..just what is all this water supposed to do for me. My bladder works just fine too!

Amen, Avalon! I don't understand that either.

I have definitely stopped for coffee so I can use the bathroom! I also prefer to go to museums in the morning, as I tend to drink water and coffee in the morning. Then I don't drink much throughout the day. I don't carry a water bottle with me anymore. And I never, ever leave a place with a bathroom without going. Ever. It's a firm rule.

Agree! Women have smaller bladders and this constant water drinking is very inconvenient when traveling. When I drink a bottle of water, I have to go to bathroom every 1 - 2 hours.

Then stop drinking from the water bottle all day!!!! seriously, it will save you a ton of unnecessary hassle for no reason other than it is de riguer to carry a water bottle and drink from it all day.

avalon said it best!

I can't imagine toting a plastic water bottle around with me. Except maybe on a hike in a hot place. For one thing,I would not want to carry it!

The rest of my own response is: If I need to use the toilet in an Italian city I would either look for a McDonald's or, more likely, buy a small coffee in a bar and use the wc there.

In cities it's usually no problem. Just stride into a nice large hotel like you own the place, walk purposefully until you see the restroom signs and -- voila. Village hotels can be tricky although you can go into any bar and go straight to the restroom without much, if any, notice. It's nice to buy a little something although a drink will only prompt yet another bathroom search. LOL

I'm one of those people who can't leave home without a water bottle, and I do that here at home too. The main reason is I find majority of restaurant (or outside) food too salty, and I feel like I'm going to die of thirst after eating!

In any case, I haven't had trouble with finding bathrooms. I tend to do a lot of cultural activities - visiting museums for example - and they always have bathrooms available.

Hmmm, I think men have to pee too and not all of them are willing to go on the side of a building.

I go into the nicest hotel I can find or into a cafe and order something small. I have been told by Italian locals it is proper to buy something if you are using the WC and it makes common sense too.

I put a water bottle in my purse because I don't always want to purchase water if I get thirsty. It's right there and I take a swig to get the dust out of my mouth. No harm and I don't mind carrying it.

There are plenty of places to use the bathroom - but yes, if you use a cafe you need to buy something - they're not a public facility. Nor is a small hotel. You should use the bathroom when you leave the hotel in the morning, in every museum and public facility you're in - and every time you stop for a meal or a drink - whether you need to or not. If you have to use one in between - then go into a cafe (or fast food place) but do at least buy a water or soda. Or go into a large hotel with a lot of business in restaurants, bars and meeting - which will have public facilities.

YES, Avalon!

What is it about Americans that they have to have a huge honking bottle of H2O with them when they're traveling? Whatever did they do before plastic water bottles came around?

A small bottle I can see, but you see loads of folks with liter bottles...I just don't get it. Water can be found free or very cheap almost everywhere.

Public toilets in Rome:
http://www.060608.it/en/content/list...a/id/60/page/1

Map for public toilets in Florence:
http://www.comune.fi.it/opencms/expo...ni_interno.pdf

And stop calling it the bathroom!

Lots of Europeans have water bottles too. There are public bathrooms, there are bathrooms in malls and there are bathrooms in cafes.

Europeans still enjoy sitting down and having a "refreshment pit stop" at least once a day during their holidays or even during their daily life. The mentality is different here and not everything is rush, rush, rush.

Or as Simon and Garfunkle sang,

"Slow down, you're going to fast.
Got to let the morning last.
Just sipping your drink in the local cafe,
reading a paper
and feeling groovy."

Or something like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoWF2YalYvI

Before I got smart enough to carry water around with me, I was thirsty all the time. I remember many experiences over the years, going back as far as childhood, of needing to get a drink of water and being unable to for what seemed like an eternity. When I need it, I need it then, not at some point when I pass a convenience store (not always so convenient every place). It was during a trip to Europe in 1990 that I discovered the wonders of fizzy water, and I've been carrying some around with me ever since. This has improved my quality of life.

Don't assume that everyone is carrying around water bottles to be stylish or because of some health craze or fad. I don't get why this bothers anyone.

Another 70 year old here.
I think that it all stems from an "expert" who said that we should all drink a certain amount of water a day.
There were actually cases of people forcing the stuff down and dying of an overdose.
The latest "expert" opinion is that we get get water from our food and should drink when we feel thirsty. Real rocket science.
I only carry a water bottle in my rucksack if I am going for a long walk.
Otherwise, I pop into a cafe and have a nice civilised coffee.
Yes. and to Europeans, a bathroom is a room with a bath in it.