BATHROOMS AROUND THE WORLD

Bathrooms and toilets are different as you go from country to country. The policies are different when you want to use the bathroom—even the names are different. 

In Europe, bathrooms are often called WC which stands for water closet. But in Spain, they're baños,

pronounced bahn-yohs; in France, they're toilettes or the ones for men on the streets are pissoirs. But the good news is they often have the universal silhouette of a man or woman. But the trick is finding them when you're exploring a city. For that, you can you the apps, flush or freepee.org to guide you. 

Know that most hotels and government buildings will let you use their facilities. But other places charge you a small fee to cover the cost of water and supplies. And restaurants, coffee shops and bars will often require that you buy something from them before they give you the code or key to get access. Even then, you may find someone selling the toilet paper or hand towels and managing the area. You usually just have to put a quarter or more onto the plate to get what you need.   

The toilets are different too. In some areas of Asia, a toilet is simply a hole in the floor. In other areas, you have to pull a chain hanging from a tank high on the wall; or you may have to choose between a full or partial flush. 

Remember, it's all part of the fun and experience of traveling whether or not you have IBD.