Going to the loo in Crete

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I just discussing our upcoming holiday with the DCs and remembered that last time I was in Crete about 25 years we had to put loo roll in a bin not down the toilet. The kids find this hilarious and slightly revolting. Is this still the case? If so absolutely dreading it with DS. Might have to take a bottle of Flash with me.

Still the case in most of Greece I'm afraid due to the ancient plumbing system. We went last year with ds who was 3 and it was fine.

Yes - we've stayed in a smart hotel in Crete and this was definitely the case!

I've been to the Greek Islands many a time. The Greek plumbing system will not take toilet paper at all. There is always a bin provided next to the toilet. We take nappy sacks to keep next to the toilet in our apartment and put the used paper in each sack, especially after a poo! Normally the bins are emptied pretty regularly. You get used to it, and as us girls have to remember every time it's becomes so natural that it feels weird when you return. It'll be fine, part of travelling. Enjoy Crete, we've been 3 times. We're off to another Greek island ourselves in a few weeks time.

Still the case. We went a couple of months ago. It took a bit of getting used to and the kids forgot a couple of times. On the whole it was fine.

True - it's why my pils will never go to Greece on holiday!
They were mortified when they visited us in China and told them they couldn't put toilet paper down my loos either. There are lots of great things about China - but the plumbing is not one of them!

It's a nice hotel so hopefully it'll be changed every day.

They empty the bins very frequently so it's not like it's hanging around stinking up the place. Could you use scented nappy bags to wrap paper if you're bothered by the idea?

Yep, I have some of those left over. I will take them as an option.

yes. in our hotel bathroom were 2 bins, one for loo roll and one for the regular stuff.
didn't smell as was changed daily.
the toilets at tourist attractions/resaurants, however were a bit more, ahem, adventurous.

Fortunately this year in Crete our villa had uk equivalent plumbing/septic tank and we could flush loo roll. Yay!

You get used to it within a day. We were in Greece recently after a gap of 20 years since last visit.
The plumbing hasn't changed. Hotels empty bins daily and they usually have a lid you have to get the knack of opening the bin before pulling pants up and flushing.
I did notice though that bar and restaurant facilities were much cleaner and nicer than I remember from years ago.

Just take a pack of nappy bags, it'll be fine. Bins are emptied often so it's no big deal usually.

This is common practice in parts of Mexico too because of the rubbish plumbing.

Couple of places ask you to put paper in the bin not the toilet in Lanzarote too.

We've found that you can only use crap toilet paper in some places in mainland Spain too, and these were modern apartment blocks built in the last five/ten years.

We used to take our own toilet rolls because the ones available in the local supermarkets weren't great and we always have loads because we buy the giant Costco packs, but found out the hard way that decent toilet rolls block the toilets

I always think of Mumsnet when I see toilet roll bins. The average hygiene enthusiast on here must hate bins fully of pissy shitty toilet roll hanging around .

We had to do this in Corfu, but when we went to Crete 2 years ago we didn't. We stayed in Sissi BTW.

Nickname I will keep my fingers crossed.

Still loo roll in the bin. You get used to it. I lived in Turkey and it's the same there, I used to forget and do it when I came home for a holiday

Still the case, across most of Crete

Greece is not going to be replumbed in the foreseeable future so you'll have to continue to cope. This system keeps the bog roll and other non biological waste out of the sea.

it's really not a big deal!!