Nightmare in France mixed toilets

[Whattosay81]

Ive been in France for two weeks now and appalled at toilet rules here.

i have two young DD who I cannot let go to the toilets on their own anymore.

Bistro number 1, urinals, a male toilet and a female toilet. Past the urinals!!! So having to take my 8 year of and 11 year old past pissing men to access the toilet.

Restaurant number 2 - mixed sink area, 4 toilets one in male/female and baby changing, one male and one female and one blank. Took them both to the loo - had to put one in blank and one in female as baby changing was full. Then had to stop men in my rudimentary French from trying to use the blank one as my DD was in there, then having to listen to men pee etc and get my daughters out of there ASAP.

just shocked at how toilets are now mixed in France and feel I should warn you all.

@Whattosay81 are now mixed.

No, this has always been the case, in some cafes/restaurants, for the 40+ years I have been visiting France since childhood

That's not a new thing, that's just how they are.

Has it? The toilets were mixed in the McDonalds we stopped at. New building so can’t be “historical”.

We’ve been coming since the 00s and my ILs since the 50s (as children) this is the first time they said they’ve seen it like this?

Unfortunately they have always been like that - particularly in bars/restaurants. It does make it unpleasant though.

it was like that when I was a child and I'm now in my 50s.

It’s always been like that in the 40 odd years I’ve been going to France

I lived in France and never came across this other than the shared sinks but they were outside single cubicles. Where are you? We were near Toulouse.

I used to live in France and don’t think I’ve ever had to walk past a urinal to get to a loo. Sure some rural small places have mixed loos but they’re all cubicles.

2 bad loos during a 2 week holiday isn’t representative of a national issue.

Walking pass male urinals? Hossegor and now nr La Rochelle.

cubicles and shared sink area was just about tolerable but walking past peeing men to use the single women’s loo then having to use shared sinks! With then peeing behind us.

No I have never had to walk past male urinals honestly in the five years I lived in France traveling up and down back to the UK numerous times in and out of numerous restaurants I’ve never come across this scenario. Must have been lucky. I am a bit fussy on where we eat though I don’t tend to frequent the small bistro type places always stuck to big restaurants.

With air conditioning!

I have come across this on a regular basis in different areas of France.

Even in new build supermarkets and modern restaurants.

I've been holidaying in France for over 30 years and it's been pretty normal. As places refurbish they often change to hide the urinal, but I know one place that just refurbished and a new urinal appeared in the open, next to the only cubicle.

Loos in France have always been a bit hit and miss, especially in the south and in more remote areas. (Fifty years ago many smaller cafes and bars, including those in big cities, had just one toilet, and that a rather noisome squat one, but things have improved a lot since then.)

Maybe it’s the new way now because of gender identity being more fluid? A woman now can have a penis and may use a urinal? I’ll watch out for it when I go later in the year and report back if I come across any.

This was in a large bistro (walking past urinals). Not sure why I’ve not picked up on the mixed toilets in the 18 years I’ve been coming! My DH been coming since the 80s and said it’s not been like this…I can’t even send my kids to mixed sink areas. Passing the urinals is something else.

A slight wall to cover the urinal as you walk in but you have to walk past it to access the ladies cubicle.

Maybe we should publish a toilet guide to France with kids 🤪

I have 2 (now adult) daughters, and when they were young we holidayed in France often. We eventually bought a holiday home there which we owned for 6 years, and I don't recall ever experiencing what you describe. That's just appalling. Looks like we now have to check facilities before sitting down in a restaurant.

Been to France loads and never seen this.

Where are you? We were near Toulouse.

<sniggers in a childish way!>

why would you be taking up a baby changing toilet in the first place. just as bad as those skipping queues and using disabled toilets. you're no different to anyone else

This is what it was like in France when I was a child. It's not new. But I agree, sort of grim.