How to find a public toilet while travelling

Start with where you actually are

After leaving a station or arriving in a new neighbourhood, it is easy to misjudge which side of a road you are on. Open Gotta Pee! and allow it to establish your phone's location. Nearest to you lists places by distance. If the location is still approximate, give the phone time to refine it.

Open the details and look at the map before choosing the closest pin. A toilet across railway tracks, on another floor or inside a building with an entrance on the next street can take longer to reach. The displayed distance is not a promise about the length of a usable walking route.

Check access, hours, cost and recent information

• Access: is this a public toilet, or a facility inside a business with entry conditions?
• Hours: are opening hours available, and is there a warning that the place may be closed?
• Cost: is the toilet marked as free, or do you need to check a fee and payment method?
• Information: what do the description, photos, comments and community confirmations tell you?

Missing opening hours mean that the hours are unknown, not that the toilet is open all night. If a toilet is inside a restaurant, museum or other venue, ask staff about access. A listing on a map is not permission to enter a private area.

Use filters without ruling out useful options by accident

The app's filters include Free, Baby changing, Water and Wheelchair accessible. Parking and shower filters are also available. The English app guide explains the labels and controls.

Results must match all selected filters. If every result is far away, a missing facility label may be narrowing the search. Try removing a condition that is optional for you. Keep requirements that are essential to using the toilet and ask the venue for details if the listing does not answer your questions.

Follow the map and check the real route

Navigate opens the app's map and direction-arrow views. The arrow points towards the destination; it does not plan a safe passage through every obstacle. Use pedestrian crossings and permitted entrances, even if the arrow appears to point directly across a road or courtyard.

For a street-based walking route, choose Open in Maps in the place details. This can open the destination in Google Maps or, on supported devices, Apple Maps. Check the last part of the route carefully because the toilet entrance may be inside the building.

Prepare for limited data or an unavailable toilet

Before travel, check your mobile data arrangements, location permissions and battery. Do not assume the map and all place details will be available offline. Keeping a note or screenshot of an address and entrance description gives you something to refer to if your connection drops; it does not confirm the facility will be open.

If a toilet is closed, return to the list and consider another place. A tourist information desk or staff at a nearby venue may have more current local information. Ask about the feature you need, such as step-free access or a changing table, as well as the location.

When you update the app later, distinguish a closed toilet from one that no longer exists. Use hours or a comment for a temporary closure. Report a missing place only when the location really has gone.

A short checklist before sightseeing

Choose a suitable toilet near your destination, check the entrance and hours, and keep the venue's name handy. Allow enough time to reach it at your own pace. If you are travelling with a baby, check our guide to toilets with changing tables; if Poland is your destination, use our visitor's guide to public toilets in Poland.

Download Gotta Pee! before your trip and try a search in a familiar area. After using a new place, a short factual review helps the next visitor judge whether it is suitable for them.