A Bit of Practical Info Public restrooms that don't require admission to something else first can be scarce in Paris. In an emergency, I've used those gray metal cylinders on the sidewalks—the ones that automatically clean themselves after every customer—but I find them damp and a little scary, and they aren't plentiful either. The conventional solution is to stop at a cafe, then (1) order a beverage and (2) use the facilities. Doing 2 without 1 is frowned upon, and some places even post a notice forbidding it. In the Louvre area, there's a quick pit stop in the Carrousel du Louvre, a modern shopping mall beneath the great museum. Visits used to be free, but since my last trip to Paris (September 08), the mall has subbed-out management of their restrooms to the contractor WC-Point
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