Pay toilets needing Euro coins

Reviewing HAL shore excursions for European cruise next year. Some say to bring Euro coins for pay toilets, particularly France. Anyone know if the bus guides usually have an ample supply to purchase?

Reviewing HAL shore excursions for European cruise next year. Some say to bring Euro coins for pay toilets, particularly France. Anyone know if the bus guides usually have an ample supply to purchase?

Have not been on a tour yet where the guides sell Euro coins. You just need to get them where you can. Sometimes, such as rest stops, they have change machines. Otherwise you just need to make some small purchases to get change.

Reviewing HAL shore excursions for European cruise next year. Some say to bring Euro coins for pay toilets, particularly France. Anyone know if the bus guides usually have an ample supply to purchase?

On the few HAL tours I have been on, I have never seen the HAL guides have coins.

Coins do not take long to accumulate at all. I keep the ones I have left over deliberately for my next trip and have change readily available ;)

Most of the ship tours tend to stop at places where there is no charge for the toilets whenever possible.

If there is a stop in a town with free time to walk around, many times I've heard the recommendation to go into a little cafe, buy a coffee or something small, and then you can use the facilities as a customer -- no additional charge.

Except in Scandinavian countries (where they tend to be kept very clean), I have a healthy aversion to pay toilets -- the ones in France I've seen have only confirmed that feeling...

On the few HAL tours I have been on, I have never seen the HAL guides have coins.

 

Coins do not take long to accumulate at all. I keep the ones I have left over deliberately for my next trip and have change readily available ;)

I have a couple of old Crown Royal bags in which I too store foreign coins. I put the coins into small Ziplock baggies first to keep them sorted.

We were O.K. in France, but in Bruges (Zeebrugge) we had to pay the lady one euro each to use their toilet in old Bruges. They had a huge bank of stalls, and they were clean. I think they provided change.

Be careful in Bruges, and make sure you're healthy enough to keep up. Our tour guide hurried off so fast, we almost lost her. It's quite a distance from the bus parking lot to the square. And we finally got to the bus, and we were not all there!

Also at our lunch, I had bought a waffle and eaten it at one of the tables in the square. Went back to the waffle place to use their toilet, and I thought for a moment they wouldn't let me use it, because I hadn't eaten inside.

They had a stack of cold waffles, and heated one up in the microwave for us.

I’ve never had a guide who carried a supply. They did always try to stop at venues that would allow us to use their toilettes, either for free or with purchase or for a tip. It’s so easy to just buy a bottle of water or a cone of gelato and use the bathroom.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Most of the ship tours tend to stop at places where there is no charge for the toilets whenever possible.

 

If there is a stop in a town with free time to walk around, many times I've heard the recommendation to go into a little cafe, buy a coffee or something small, and then you can use the facilities as a customer -- no additional charge.

 

Except in Scandinavian countries (where they tend to be kept very clean), I have a healthy aversion to pay toilets -- the ones in France I've seen have only confirmed that feeling...

Oh, I so agree with this. I avoid pay toilets whenever possible. We just go for a cafe, a glass of wine, whatever and use the facilities. Much more civilized.

I usually send DH to report on his first ;). LOL.

Just like any environment where tipping occurs, don't ever expect the guide, waiter, attendant, etc to say "Sure, I have change". You try to tip a tour guide 2 Euros with a 5, 10, or 20 Euro note, and you will quickly see them start fumbling in their pockets and say "Sorry, no change" !! You just tipped someone 10 Euros for a tour. Carry small change !

The bus driver on my tour bus actually gave 2-3 ladies the required change. I think it was 50 cents, 1/2 euro. Some of the bus passengers had extra change. Everyone was happy however one toilet took the coin but would not open. Driver said that was common.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

A few years ago I was on a ship excursion to a small town in Italy where we were directed to a public toilet during a very short "free time". For some reason I didn't check my coin purse, and after standing in line for "my turn" I suddenly discovered I didn't have the required Euro coin. A kindly fellow passenger loaned me the money. Fortunately my husband had a coin to pay her back once we got back on the bus. Then this summer I had a chance to "pay it forward" in Norway when a mom with a little child discovered she didn't have money for the toilet.