A word about restrooms in Italy

       
        A restroom is a necessity that applies to everyone, so knowing the basic differences between the ones in Italy and the ones in America could be valuable information. For starters, there really are no FREE public restrooms. I know that in my hometown and other cities there were public restrooms available, or at least ones at parks and other locations for use at any time. If not, you could always wander into a store for a pit stop. Many a time have I gone into a JCPenny or other such store for their restroom and then left without feeling the obligation of buying an outfit. Here in Italy, if you want to use the restroom, you must pay, in some fashion or another (IF they even happen to have one available for public use). Below is a picture I took of the public restrooms at the train station in Venice. 











               Looking to the right of the picture, underneath the handicapped sign, you can see a smaller sign indicating the fees and hours for the restroom. In the center you can see the machines that accept your Euro before unlocking the doors to let you in. A man standing on the other side seemed to be monitoring the passage of people coming and going and making sure fees were paid. 
         I had always taken bathroom use for granted when I was in the states. It seemed like a right to be able to relieve oneself in the bathroom without having to pay. 
        Neither can one simply walk into a store or cafe and simply use their restroom. You MUST purchase something first. On several occasions military wives and instructors on base have stressed the importance of carrying spare Euro on your person in case you need to use the restroom anywhere. They advised simply going into a cafe, asking the bar for a cup of coffee, and THEN using the restroom. It also helps if you have a family or small group to have one person at the bar with their drink and the rest of the group using the restroom. In my experience the restrooms have been locked, so even if you tried to sneak by, it would be no use. The waiter or bar attendant or whomever you order from generally has the power to hand over the key to you. 
       As I mentioned in a previous post about eating in Italy, DO NOT SIT DOWN with your cup of coffee, or they will charge you extra! The cost of your drink does not only depend on size, but where and how in the restaurant you choose to take it. If you simply stand at the counter/bar it will be much cheaper. Do not worry, drinks run far smaller in Italy and it will not be a huge hardship to stand while finishing your drink. 
     Below you can get an estimate for the average size cup of coffee. It's hardly bigger than the sugar packet! 

           So just keep that in mind when traveling in Italy. Keep extra Euro on hand. Know that you WILL have to pay to relieve yourself. And also, don't wait till the last minute to go! There's a good chance there'll be a line at the bar or wherever else you choose to go and you won't be able to get in right away. Oh and one more thing! The correct word for restroom is "toilette". If you're using a common translator and plug in "bathroom", you'll likely get "bagno", which is really referring to the sort of bathroom you'd find in one's house, complete with a bathtub and shower. In public when you only need a toilet, you ask for a "toilette" and that's how you'll find the location labeled. Hope this helps :) Join me next month for further discussion on bathrooms, in home edition!