So the title is a little unfair to those readers who aren’t British, if you aren’t already aware the phrase ‘spend a penny’ refers to using the toilet. Harking back to the Victorian era when health, hygiene and sanitation were hot topics, the introduction of public conveniences (toilets) were championed as the next big thing. The earliest public toilets were locked and cost one penny to use. Hence ‘spending a penny’. It is still common to hear the phrase, particularly amongst the older generations. There was a public pay toilet in my village growing up, though it cost considerably more than a penny to use.

You might be surprised to know that in Germany you will generally be expected to pay for your toilet visit (some other surprises are covered here). Anything from 30cents up to a Euro. Personally I don’t mind paying to use a clean toilet, most shopping malls and department stores will have a onsite attendant and a sign indicating how much you should pay. This payment however is not mandatory, it is more of a tip, and if you are dissatisfied with the cleanliness of the toilets feel free to mention this to the attendant and withhold your tip.

As in most countries, patrons of the establishment are entitled to use the toilet facilities. I personally find it hard to justify using a toilet in a cafe/restaurant without buying anything, but there are free toilets available, you just have to know where to find them. Others however are more expensive and/or come with additional rules –

Hauptbahnhof – Expect to pay more at large train stations, there tend to be more facilities and more staff due to the amount of people who pass through the station. Also the public are very much a captive audience, no one wants to miss their train because they wanted to go and find a cheaper toilet, hence the higher prices.

Service stations on the Autobahn – Most larger stops will have toilets run by Sanifair. They usually have automated gates and you must purchase a ticket to use the facilities, the ticket costs 70cents, 50cents of which you can redeem back in the onsite cafe. It literally pays to visit the toilet first. Generally, they have facilities which are accessible for the disabled and have baby changing available. You’ll be happy to know that kids can pee for free.

Wildpinkeln (wild peeing) – Seeing men peeing at the side of the Autobahn, against a tree or on a street corner is a fairly common sight in Germany depending on where you live. As tempting as it may be to save those pennies you could end up with a fine from the local police, anything form 30€ upwards. A pee against Cologne Cathedral will cost you a 150€ fine, sadly it seems like it may have happened a lot previous to the introduction of the bigger fine.

Free toilets

Yes I told you, these exist. From personal experience the Stadtbibliothek (town library) and the Rathaus (Town hall) or other official buildings tend to have toilets available for free, I’ve never paid to use the facilities at these places in my almost eight years in Germany. If you are pregnant or have a small child most restaurants/cafes and Doctors offices are happy to make an exception, just to save them from having to mop up a puddle on the floor.

Look out for this sign for free toilets – Photo – Die Nette Toilette website

There is also a scheme that started in Aalen in 2012 called Nette Toilette (nice toilet). Look out for the sticker in cafe/restaurant windows. Councils pay subsidies to businesses which have toilets that they are happy to open to the public, not just patrons. The thinking behind Nette Toilette is that maintaining the current facilities is a better investment than building and then consequently maintaining expensive new public toilets.

The scheme is not countrywide but places like Nürnberg, Regensburg, Düsseldorf, Heidelberg, Tübingen and Flensburg are signed up. A complete list is available here, it details the individual business taking part, their facilities (disabled access and baby changing etc), addresses and opening times. Stuttgart also started a pilot scheme in Möhringen, Vaihingen, Stammheim and in one location in Untertürkheim late last year, which I wan’t aware of until I started my research for this article. There is even an app which makes finding a toilet on the go just a little bit easier.

Also in green! Notice the facilities advertised, toilets, baby changing and disabled access – Photo – Die Nette Toilette website

Baby changing facilities – Not strictly toilet related but I’ve been really impressed with the retailers DM and Rossman due to the facilities they have available in store for baby changing. A fully stocked changing table is available in their bigger stores, for free, with no purchase necessary.

The cleanest toilet I have ever used was in the middle of a forest at a beer festival. I tend to get a little annoyed at beer festivals when I’m stood in the massive queue for the ladies toilet whilst the men frequent the pissoir for free. For 50cents though, I’ve been happy with the cleanliness of the facilities and it’s always good to be able to wash your hands and check your braids before heading back to the festival.

-Alie