Potty Emergency!!

Yes, the link between hygiene and politics is fascinating. But you say you're going abroad soon and want some practical advice? Realpolihygienic to the rescue!

Though no one here has used a Rick Steves travel guide, we are confident that his toilet treatise will provide you all the information you need to find a toilet that almost meets your hygiene standards (by which we mean general cleanliness, availability of toilet paper, an actual toilet bowl, and a sink with soap). If we may add one thing: bring hand sanitizer. Despite soap's widely reported (and scientifically proven) germ killing abilities, Europe doesn't seem to buy it.

Good luck!

Finding a WC
By Rick Steves
On your travels, finding a decent public toilet can be frustrating. Most countries have few public restrooms. Here's how to sniff out a biffy in a jiffy.
Any place that serves food or drinks has a restroom. No restaurateur would label his WC so those on the street can see, but you can walk into nearly any restaurant or cafeé, politely and confidently, and find a bathroom. Assume it's somewhere in the back, upstairs or downstairs. It's easiest in large places that have outdoor seating, because waiters will think you're a customer just making a quick trip inside. Some call it rude - I call it survival. American-type fast-food places are very common these days and always have a decent and fairly "public" restroom. Many of London's Starbucks have cool basement lounges with overstuffed chairs and wide-open WCs.
When nature beckons and there's no restaurant or bar handy, look in public buildings: train stations, government buildings, and upper floors of department stores. Never leave a museum without taking advantage of its restrooms — free, clean, and decorated with artistic graffiti. Large, classy, old hotel lobbies are as impressive as many palaces you'll pay to see. You can always find a royal retreat here and plenty of soft TP.
Big cities such as Paris, London, and Amsterdam are dotted with coin-operated telephone booth-type WCs on street corners. You simply insert a coin, the door opens, and you have 15 minutes of toilet accompanied by Sinatra Muzak. When you leave, it even disinfects itself.
To save time and money, use the free toilets on the train rather than in the station. Toilets on first-class cars are a cut above second-class toilets. I go first class even with a second-class ticket. Train toilets are located on the ends of cars, where it's most jiggly. A trip to the train's john always reminds me of the rodeo. Toilets empty directly on the tracks. Never use a train WC while stopped in a station (unless you didn't like that particular town).
After finding a toilet, the trauma isn't over. Most European toilets are reasonably similar to our own, but you may still find the rare old-time porcelain footprints straddling a squat-and-aim hole. Those of us who need a throne to sit on are in the minority on this planet. Toilet paper (like a spoon or a fork) is another Western "essential" that most humans do not use. What they use varies. I won't get too graphic here, but remember that a billion people in south Asia never eat with their left hand. Some countries, such as Turkey, have very frail plumbing, and toilet paper will jam up the WCs. If wastebaskets are full of dirty paper, leave yours there, too.
Finally, the last step — flushing. Automatic electric-eye toilets and urinals (and sinks) are increasingly common. But when you encounter older plumbing, you'll rarely find a familiar handle. Find some protuberance and push, pull, twist, squeeze, step on, or pray to it until the waterfall starts.
Paying to use a public WC is a European custom that irks many Americans. But isn't it really worth a quarter, considering the cost of water, maintenance, and cleanliness? Sometimes the toilet is free, but the woman in the corner sells sheets of toilet paper. Most common is the tip dish by the entry. The local equivalent of about 25 cents is plenty. Getting comfortable in foreign restrooms takes a little adjusting, but that's travel. When in Rome, do as the Romans do--and before you know it . . . Euro-peein'.
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/0600wc.htm