toilets in Baltic ports?

[poss]

My husband and I will be on RSSC Voyager's July 16 sailing. (I've wished we could connect with others on that sailing so that we could schedule our St Petersburg excursions with RO.) Being (or let's say becoming) "oldsters," we need to get to toilets with some frequency. I'm wondering how difficult that will be on shore in the various ports and on the shop's excursions. E.g. when we're walking around on our own in Tallinn or Visby, say, will we be able to find somewhere to pee? Will cafes allow use of their facilities without our purchasing anything? Are there facilities in churches or other buildings? Similarly on those long excursion days in St Pete: enough places/opportunities for a toilet stop? I don't know why this potential problem only now occurred to me, just a few weeks before our first cruise experience. But it seems to me that it really may be a potentially "serious" problem. In-put gratefully welcomed. Thanks!!

[cberge]

My husband and I will be on RSSC Voyager's July 16 sailing. (I've wished we could connect with others on that sailing so that we could schedule our St Petersburg excursions with RO.) Being (or let's say becoming) "oldsters," we need to get to toilets with some frequency. I'm wondering how difficult that will be on shore in the various ports and on the shop's excursions. E.g. when we're walking around on our own in Tallinn or Visby, say, will we be able to find somewhere to pee? Will cafes allow use of their facilities without our purchasing anything? Are there facilities in churches or other buildings? Similarly on those long excursion days in St Pete: enough places/opportunities for a toilet stop? I don't know why this potential problem only now occurred to me, just a few weeks before our first cruise experience. But it seems to me that it really may be a potentially "serious" problem. In-put gratefully welcomed. Thanks!!

 

You really should not have a problem finding a bathroom..on the ship's excursions they will know and help you out. On your own if you do use a cafe it is custom no matter where you are to buy a something as a cup of coffee or a cold drink.Look for a McDonald's or a Starbucks if you can find one as you can use them w/o a purchase.Train station etc.If you want so read some humor as well on this subject..read the Bathroom thread on the CC Europe board.Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about the bathrooms..they will be there.:p

[cruisemom42]

Based on our recent experiences; hope this helps!

 

Copenhagen: There are public toilets in most tourist areas (I recall one about midway down Stroget and another at Nyhavn), you do need to pay a small amount to use these, but they are in general VERY clean.

 

Stockholm: We used the facilities at Vasa Museum and also noted that there is a toilet at the Cathedral next to the Palace (the one where the kings are crowned, not the one where they are buried). Both were free.

 

Helsinki -- I ducked in to use the toilet at Stockmann's (dept store) near where the shuttle dropped us off and picked us up. Again -- free of charge.

 

St. Petersburg -- Toilet opportunities did seem a bit limited. If you are with a private tour, perhaps mentioning at the outset that you would like them to indicate when/where toilets are available on your stops would help. Also, bring your own toilet paper; even at fairly nice places there may be none available. Seems to me we had bathroom opportunities when we had a brief shopping stop each day, at lunchtime, and at Yusopov's palace. There is NO toilet on the hydrofoil.

 

Talinn -- Used the toilet at the McDonald's that stands just outside the entrance to the historic area of town. I bought a soda for my son, which he wanted anyway, but I think you could've just used the toilet with no problem.

 

Gdansk -- There are public toilets (right off the street that runs along the river, very central to most tourist sites) with a small charge. No problem with cleanliness.

[Call me Ishmael]

In Europe the concept of a public toilet pretty much equates to pay toilet.

When you think about this, it makes sense. Someone has to be paid to clean, supply and pay for the utilities.

 

It will either be coin operated or guarded by a retired female Olympic weightlifter who will extract the price of admission from you. This was true even in some department stores, toilets on-site at some major sites such as Catherine's Palace and the Royal Palace in Stockholm and on-street facilities. Some larger hotels have them, but not all are willing to provide this service. We stayed at the Sheraton in Stockholm; the ground floor bathrooms had combination locks!

 

Churches are usually too old to have the space or plumbing, so forget them.

 

The Voyager will have locally produced maps which often mark the locations with a symbol. We found one in Visby using such a map. In Talinn, we stopped for a bit of lunch and used the cafe's facility.

 

As noted by others, the custom is to buy something. You can also hold your stomach, groan, offer a dollar and rely on the kindness of strangers.

 

As for touring in St. Pete, the Voyager is able to arrange private car touring. You've probably already gotten this information with your tickets. As I recall, you have quite a few specialized interests. You will be much happier if you just bite the bullet and recognize that you aren't part of the pack and need to pay up to get a tour structured to you personally. I would bet money (lots) that if you don't do this, you will come home unhappy. Spend a little of your heirs money and treat yourself to being treated the way you probably deserve.

[gopackgo]

Thanks, everyone, for the detailed info on the bathrooms!! I just printed this out to take with us!!

 

We were in the South of France in April and there were several of the pay toilets in public places. They were very clean and usually cost about 40 to 50 cents. Well worth it!!

 

Ginny

[M&T]

When we were in this area a few years ago, we had no problem finding toilets as all the posts above mentioned. I did have a problem with the outhouse type of toilet at Peterhof. The seat was so filthy I just walked back out and didn't ask for my money back. There are toilets inside the Palace that cost a little more but well worth the wait. Marlyne

[poss]

Thank you everyone--all very helpful. And Ishmael-- you are one amazing guy. I have a feeling that by the time you're finished posting all your wonderfully lively and thorough notes, your saga will almost match the heft of Moby him/itself. Thank you!!

[Host CMLA]

I think someone else touched on this but it's worth repeating...I would also carry TP with you. In stores in the US that carry travel size things you can usually buy a travel size roll of TP with a carry case. On several European trips and trips to Asia we not only had to pay for the toilet but it was extra for TP so I always carry travel TP with us. Here's a link to one brand. Travel Toilet Paper An internet search will bring up other brands and where to buy it.

[keep on cruising]

Another thing I bought for my upcoming Baltic cruise (can it really be this Satuday) is toilet seat covers. Target sells them in packs of 4 or 5 and the pack is small enough to fit in a small purse. Based on the information I've read on this board, I figured they would come in handy.

[Phoenix cruiser]

The baltics must be very different from Italy- generally no such thing as toilet seat covers- often no such thing as toilets. Nothing like a hole in the ground and the outline of 2 feet to get you to work on your aim....... :( :eek:

[tartangal]

As noted by others here those pay toilets in the Baltics require small change in the local currency. This alone makes it important to get at least a small amount of money changed when you first arrive in these ports. We were lucky several times and people held open the door to the rest room as they were leaving. Even where there was toilet paper (everywhere on our trip) it was of the coarsest industrial quality. I highly recommend those individual travel rolls of Charmin!

[Gardendog]

Scandinavian bathrooms NEVER consist of a hole in the floor. They also come equipped with TP. Sometimes they run out of paper, the same happens here. The bathrooms (toilets) in Scandinavia are very similar to toilets here in the US. Nothing I would EVER concern myself about traveling there. In fact, usually you get the toilet and the sink behind locked doors, and doors and walls that go ALL the way to the floor (not like in the US and Canada where the walls are only part way down and you can see the shoes of the person in the stall next to you.)

 

Let me repeat, the only difference is that you have to pay to use them. It is never a woman sitting there like in the south of Europe, always a coin operated door, so have some Kronor available.

 

I would only bring seat covers if you would do that while traveling in the US. I don't bring those to Scandinavia. I did to Italy, but never used them.

[Host CMLA]

Let me repeat, the only difference is that you have to pay to use them. It is never a woman sitting there like in the south of Europe, always a coin operated door, so have some Kronor available.

I guess my Baltics cruise went to different Baltic countries than everyone elses because I NEVER had a coin operated door in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden or Russia. It's ALWAYS been a woman or man sitting there taking the money.

[Gardendog]

I might be mistaken. I was only reffering to Denmark, Norway, Sweden (in particular) and Finland. Don't know about Germany and Russia. I have not been to Russia since glasnost, I was there during the Soviet days.

 

We must have been to different restrooms.:) I have never heard of a job in Sweden as a coin collector for a public bathroom. I have never seen one, and I am there a lot. However, I might be wrong. It's just strange to me to have those questions asked, because for me it is unusual to have those women in southern Europe collecting 50euro cents to use the bathroom. I have never seen them at home, but I might be mistaken. It seems foreign to me.

[sultan_sfo]

The question is very important because of the need for coins or small denom notes. The restaurants and Cafes do not want to deal with a stream of tourists who want to use the toilets (even in San Francisco). I can only speak of Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Krakow. In each of these cities, there were attendants at Toilets in small shopping malls and Metro Stations and a sign showing the cost was posted. Even some MacDonalds had attendants. On our Coach Tour to those towns, the Tour Director actually gave us coins! I think it has to do with unemployment and cheap labor. Scandinavia's standard of living is one of the highest and I am glad that using Toilets will not be a major problem. /Sultan

 

Partial Quote:

... It's just strange to me to have those questions asked, because for me it is unusual to have those women in southern Europe collecting 50euro cents to use the bathroom.

[Deloresgardella]

I was on an tour to Russia a few year ago and our tour director showed us to places with fairly clean toilets. Most of the places were unisex. It was hard to find a good one. We didn't have to pay in Moscow or St Petersburg, but they weren't as clean as in Europe either. The TP was orange and very coarse almost like sand paper.

[cruisemom42]

I might be mistaken. I was only reffering to Denmark, Norway, Sweden (in particular) and Finland. Don't know about Germany and Russia. I have not been to Russia since glasnost, I was there during the Soviet days.

 

The public toilets I used in Copenhagen and Gdansk definitely had an attendant.

[Dorbil]

Thanks, Poss, for bringing this topic up. It is something I had overlooked in planning our Baltic cruise in September.

 

Have had the experience in Europe from the "hole-in-the-ground with the 2-feet outline" (public toilet in Sienna, Italy) to intimidating toilet attendants and the available paper varying from sand to waxy to no T.P. Suggestion: At least carry Kleenex with you.

 

For those more concerned, there are "products" available in drug stores to provide you with added security.

 

Be prepared!!

[poss]

Once again-- thanks very much to all responders: really helpful!

[ElleninNY]

Just returned from two weeks in Russia and the Baltics (on the Voyager). I was very pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness and availability of toilets. We used RO in St. Pete's and our guide was very good about pointing out good toilets. Most of the small towns had them marked clearly. By the way, there is a clean toilet, with sink and all kinds of paper in the church in Visby.

[2martini]

Same experience here--no problems in St. Petes, Riga, Stockholm, Berlin. Get a couple dollar's change from your taxi driver or guide, or even at a shop if you're buying something, and you are covered for unexpected pay toilets or incidentals. Everyone knows the rates and they don't have to be precise in small amounts.

BTW the toilets at the major sites in St Petes were better than equivalent in the USA.

[SCDH]

Depending on the cost, we used a dollar or euro to pay for two to four people at the toilets. They were all fine and had toilet paper that was ok. The only strange one was at the ballet in St. Petersburg. There was one toilet-paper holder outside of the stalls, so we needed to get our paper before we went in the stalls.

[daiseee]

Based on our recent experiences; hope this helps!

 

.

 

St. Petersburg -- Toilet opportunities did seem a bit limited. If you are with a private tour, perhaps mentioning at the outset that you would like them to indicate when/where toilets are available on your stops would help. Also, bring your own toilet paper; even at fairly nice places there may be none available. Seems to me we had bathroom opportunities when we had a brief shopping stop each day, at lunchtime, and at Yusopov's palace. There is NO toilet on the hydrofoil.

 

.

 

just back from the westerdam / baltic. Wow what an amazing time. Re this subject, I found in general that if you duck into a hotel in any city at all, they will have a public toilet somewhere close to the lobby. I used several. The only place that was a bit difficult was St Petersburg. I did a private tour on day one ( no problems finding facilities, most of the museums have them) and went in on my own the second day. For that I simply found either a hotel or souvenier shop and asked if I could use the bathroom. Also, the hydrofoil I was on DID have a bathroom.

[txd2]

Hi Daiseee,

Did you go to Petersgof on your own; is it a long line for the hydrofoil and the entrance to the park? We just received our visas and planning to do two days on our own. Did you have any problem getting a taxi in the port and how much was it?

Thanks and welcome back home.

TD

[daiseee]

Hi Daiseee,

Did you go to Petersgof on your own; is it a long line for the hydrofoil and the entrance to the park? We just received our visas and planning to do two days on our own. Did you have any problem getting a taxi in the port and how much was it?

Thanks and welcome back home.

TD

 

Hi there...

 

I'm so jealous that you are going! It really was a fabulous trip! I went to Peterhof with our Denrus guide the first day. We didnt have to wait in any lines, and they took care of all the arrangements on the hydrofoil - so no lines there as well. We did go first thing so probably missed most of the crowds.

 

As far as doing it on your own. You can TOTALLY do it! I think I would have missed a very big part of the experience if I hadnt braved out the mafia taxis and went in to the city on my own. It really was a great experience. Its the ONLY way to get a true feel for the people and the city. Re the mafia taxis: I got off the ship, went through customs, walked out to a little area to the side where a couple of cars were congregated. I then asked the guys in front of the car who spoke the best english. I told them what I wanted (transport to the Winter palace and then someone to come pick me up at a set time) and it was no problem! They will initially quote you something like $30 each way. I simply told them that the ship had informed me that it would only be $20 each way. "No Problem!" So in and out for $40 total. I felt totally safe, and for the pickup my driver was on time.