Using a public toilet isn’t usually a glamorous experience. But there are several countries around the world that are bucking the trend.
Public toilets have been around since the Roman era when privacy wasn’t really a thing. A trip to the loo tended to be a social experience with no stalls or dividers.
Thankfully, things have changed now and toilet innovation is all the rage with one New Zealand town even designing public loos in the shape of lobsters.
But where are the world’s best public toilets? Which country has the most?
If you’ve visited a particularly special public toilet in the past, please let us know in the comment section.
Japan
Cleanliness is perhaps the most important factor when it comes to a public toilet and Japan tops the rankings. Tokyo’s toilets were named as the world’s cleanest in a study by the team at crewcare.
You won’t need to spend a penny to use them either as the majority of Japan’s sparkling clean public toilets are free to use.
They’re also incredibly technologically advanced and you can even press a button to play birdsong or music to mask any toilet sounds. The bidets have adjustable water pressure and angles.
If you’re feeling brave, try one of Japan’s transparent public toilets where the glass changes to opaque when the cubicle is in use.
Norway
Norway was once named as the country with the world’s best public toilets and if you’re looking for a loo with a view, the Scandinavian country is hard to beat.
Design Curio named the loos at the Stegastein viewpoint as one of the world’s best toilets and queues tend to form as tourists admire the incredible views of Aurlandsfjord below.
The majority of the toilets on Norwegian Scenic Routes are designed by Norwegian architecture firms so a loo break is always a pleasure.
France
Finding a public toilet can be a challenge but tourists shouldn’t have any issues in Paris. According to a study by digg, the French capital has more toilets per square metre than any other city.
Paris’ toilets are known as sanisettes and are usually open from 6am until 10pm and they’re all free to use.
The UK
Sadly for Britons, the UK doesn’t have great public toilets. In fact, a study by Victorian Plumbing found that the number of public loos had fallen from 6,087 to 3,990 in the last decade. Manchester is expected to be the first city to lose all its public toilets.
