Étranger Things: Work on your balancing act - a very practical (and very French) public-toilet survival guide

on

So… you’ve perfected the art of ordering a café allongé, but the true immersion test is the cabine. And yes, sometimes the seat is… not invited. Let’s de-dramatize the moment—with solutions for creaky knees, useful vocab, and a few do’s & don’ts your future self will thank you for.

Do French public loos really skip the seat?

Short answer: sometimes, especially in high-traffic or older facilities. Reasons you’ll hear include vandalism/maintenance concerns and “easier to clean” designs. But many modern self-cleaning “sanisettes” (the rounded pods you see in cities) do have an integrated seat and run a wash/disinfect cycle between users. Paris’s new generation even prioritizes accessibility. (Sdbpro)

You’ll also still encounter the occasional toilette à la turque (squat toilet), particularly on older routes/rest stops—sturdy, quick to clean, but not knee-friendly. (faneco.com)

FYI in Paris: public sanisettes are free and mapped by the city (helpful when you’re timing your hydration). (mairiepariscentre.paris.fr)

What do I call the “stall” in French?

Say la cabine (de toilettes). You may also see cabinet d’aisance in official guidance; in signage and product catalogs it’s “cabine WC.” (You’ll spot all three in the wild.) (linguee.com)

Kinder options for older knees (and anyone who’s done enough squats for one lifetime)

  • Ask for the accessible stall: Look for WC PMR/cabine PMR (accessible toilet). New urban units are designed for wheelchair turn radius and have grab bars and a seat. Phrase to use: « Il y a une cabine PMR, s’il vous plaît ? » (jcdecaux.com)

  • Prefer self-cleaning pods when you can: They wash and disinfect the seat automatically between users. Lights outside often show libre/occupée/nettoyage. (Sdbpro)

  • Plan A for rest stops: Bigger service areas, museums, malls, train stations, and airports are likelier to have seated options; smaller roadside stops may not. (faneco.com)

  • Bring a tiny “kit”: tissues (many loos do but it runs out), a few coins, and hand gel/wipes. Airports and cities widely added gel dispensers during/after COVID, but don’t rely on them being in every stall. (Remember the 100 ml carry-on rule for liquids.) (Déplacements Pros)

Quick etiquette (men, women, everyone)

  • Greet attendants (bonjour) and say merci on the way out; if there’s a posted fee, pay it (tip only if you wish, when not included). Attendants are colloquially “dames pipi.” (Wikipedia)

  • Queue like a Parisian saint. If there’s one line for multiple cabines, it’s la file unique.

  • Leave it nicer than you found it. Flush (button, pedal, or sensor), and if there is a seat/lid, lower it.

  • Urinal norms: take a gap if possible, minimal eye contact, minimal conversation (save your poetry for the terrace).

  • Accessible stall courtesy: if you don’t need it, don’t block it—especially in busy spots. City units are broadly accessible, but priority still matters. (Paris je t'aime - Tourist office)

Tiny language toolkit (A1→Advanced)

  • A1: « Où sont les toilettes, s’il vous plaît ? » / « C’est occupé ? » / « C’est libre ? »

  • A2: « Y a-t-il du papier/du savon ? » / « Je peux utiliser la cabine PMR ? »

  • B1: « Désolé(e), je ne trouve pas les toilettes. C’est au fond, à droite ? » / « La sanisette est en nettoyage, il y en a une autre ? »

  • B2: « La lunette a été retirée. Y a-t-il une cabine avec siège ? »

  • Advanced: « Pour des raisons de mobilité, j’aurais besoin d’une cabine avec barre d’appui. Vous m’indiqueriez la plus proche ? »

Pro move: spotting the right door, fast

Signs usually read WC or Toilettes, sometimes with a wheelchair pictogram for PMR access. Those mushroom-shaped street pods? Sanisettes—and yes, you can trust the cleaning cycle. (mairiepariscentre.paris.fr)

Your turn 👋

What’s your best tip—or funniest “I survived the cabine” story?

  • A1: Write one sentence: Where did you find clean toilets today?

  • A2: Share a polite question you used (or will use).

  • B1: Compare two places (rest stop vs. museum): which had better facilities and why?

  • B2: Give a short etiquette tip for visitors—in French.

  • Advanced: Tell a 5–6 sentence mini-anecdote about a sanisette adventure, with one idiom.

(And if you’ve mapped good PMR or seated options in your neighborhood, drop a pin and a note for the next reader. Merci !)

Sources & further reading: New/accessible self-cleaning city toilets & standards; Paris sanisettes and cleaning; what to call the stall; squat-toilet context; airport gel & 100 ml rule. (jcdecaux.com)

P.S. If your quads are still trembling: same. We’re all learning to hover with dignity.

Location: France