How to ask where the toilet is in Croatian (and how to find public toilets throughout Croatia)

Public toilet at Zagreb's main train station
Public toilet at Zagreb’s main train station

When you gotta go, you gotta go! Some might find this topic a little off putting, but we are all human and have to use the bathroom throughout the day. When traveling, it is the absolute worst when you get stuck and have no idea where to find a toilet or how to communicate well enough to ask.

Well, leave it to Expat in Croatia to jump in and save your bladder. 🙂

In this post, we cover:

The facts are these…

How to ask where the toilet is in Croatian (and how to find public toilets throughout Croatia)

Where you can use the toilet in Croatia

If you are outside of your home, apartment, or hotel, and you need to go to the toilet urgently, you don’t many options. You can visit a public toilet if the city even has one, go to a cafe or restaurant, or visit a gas station.

Public toilets

The largest Croatian cities such as Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Split, Zadar and Zagreb have public toilets. Some of them are free of charge year-round. Public toilets on the coast usually have a charge, so be prepared to pay about 0,50 to 1 euro. When paying, you will have to give the money to a staff member or pay it via machine at the entrance so be sure to have some change in your pocket.

It is not guaranteed that you will find a public toilet in smaller Croatian cities.

Some public toilets are well maintained and clean, some of them less so. Many public toilets are available to disabled persons as well. They usually have a separate room for disabled persons.

Cafes and restaurants

Another option is to go to a cafe or restaurant. It is not polite to just ask them if you can use their toilet without consuming something there. Order a coffee or some other drink and then use the toilet while there.

If you don’t have time, you can grab a coffee to go or leave the waiter a tip. [Read: Tipping in Croatia]

However, if you don’t want to buy anything at the cafe, you can always ask the staff if you can use their toilet. Sometimes they will tell you it’s not a problem at all. If a cafe is crowded, they are probably in chaos. In this case, it is best to find another place with fewer guests. It is not cool to use a cafe’s toilet without asking.

When looking for a cafe, follow this advice: if the interior looks clean, the toilet will probably be clean as well. If you see that the waiters are polite, tables clean, and the space tidy, the toilet is probably well maintained and clean. If the cafe looks messy and dirty, avoid it because it is unlikely that they keep their toilet clean (or their kitchen, for that matter).

In some Croatian cafes, you can even find menstrual pads and tampons in the toilet.

Gas stations

While traveling, toilets at the gas station are the best option. They are usually free of charge, but sometimes you’ll have to pay a small fee. During the summer season, they are not maintained as well since the number of visitors is huge. Gas stations are common stops for buses, so their toilets may be crowded if you come across an excursion bus.

How to ask where the toilet is in Croatian

public toilet
Public toilet in Novigrad, Istria

Below are common Croatian phrases that should help you find a spot to go.

Croatian: WC, toalet, zahod 
English: toilet, bathroom, washroom

Croatian: Gdje je WC?
English: Where is the toilet?

Croatian: Gdje je najbliži javni WC?
English: Where is the nearest public toilet?

Croatian: Ima li vaš kafić WC?
English: Does your cafe have a toilet?

Croatian: Imate li WC?
English: Do you have a toilet?

Croatian: Je li WC besplatan?
English: Is the toilet free of charge?

Croatian: Koliko košta WC?
English: How much does the toilet cost?

Croatian: Mogu li iskoristiti WC, molim vas?
English: Can I use the toilet, please?

Croatian: Trebam (ići) na WC.
English: I need to go to the toilet.

Croatian: Tamo je WC.
English: The toilet is there.

Public toilets in the largest Croatian cities

Public toilet at Zagreb's main train station
Public toilet at Zagreb’s main train station

Below is a list of public toilets in the largest Croatian cities and includes the available information on locations, working hours, and prices. Locations on the map are also shown, but keep in mind that some of them are approximate while others are accurate.

Public toilets in Dubrovnik

Porat (old city) – view map
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 8:00 – 14:00 (June 1 – September 30); 8:00-22:00 (October 1 – May 30)
Price: 1 euro

Pile – view map
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 8:00 – 23:00 (June 1 – September 30); 8:00-22:00 (October 1 – May 30)
Price: 1 euro
Note: available to disabled persons

Pile 2 (under Minčeta) – view map
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 8:00 – 2:00 (June 1 – September 30); 8:00-22:00 (October 1 – May 30)
Price: 1 euro
Note: available to disabled persons

Public toilets in Rijeka

Public toilets in Rijeka are free of charge.

Autobusno okretište Turkovo – view map
Note: self-cleaning stainless steel toilet; available to disabled persons

Bivio – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Delta – view map
Working hours: 8:00-16:00 (January 1 – March 31, November 2 – December 14)
8:00-21:00 (April 1 – May 31, September 1 – November 1)
8:00-19:00 (December 15 – December 31)
8:00-1:00 (June 1 – August 31)
8:00-1:00 (January 1 – May 31, September 1 – December 31, holidays)
Note: available to disabled persons

Grčevo – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Hotel Park – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Igralište – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Kantrida “Okretište”, near Stadion Kantrida – view map
Working hours: during football matches

Lungomare – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Park Borik – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Park Jože Vlahovića, Skate park near Kaufland – view map
Note: self-cleaning stainless steel toilet; available to disabled persons

Plaža za osobe s invaliditetom Kostanj – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Ploče – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Skalete – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Stadion Kantrida – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season
Note: available to disabled persons

Terminal Delta – view map
Note: self-cleaning stainless steel toilet; available to disabled persons

Trsat, near Atletska staza Kampus (Ulica Slavka Krautzeka) – view map
Note: self-cleaning stainless steel toilet; available to disabled persons

Trsatsko svetište – view map
Working hours: 8:00-18-00 during winter, 7:00-19-00 during spring and autumn, 7:00-21-00 during summer
Note: available to disabled persons

Ulica Riva Boduli – view map
Note: self-cleaning stainless steel toilet

Vila Olga – view map
Working hours: summer/swimming season

Žabica, Kapucinska crkva – view map
Working hours: 6:00-16:00
Note: available to disabled persons

Public toilets in Split

Matejuška, Trumbićeva obala – view map
Working hours: Monday-Friday 7:00-1:00, Saturday – Sunday 7:00-2:00
Price: 1 euro

Nepotova, Julija Nepota 2 – view map
Price: 1 euro

Pistura – view map
Price: 1 euro

Public toilets in Zadar

Pijaca – view map
Working hours: Monday-Saturday 7:00-14:00
Price: 1 euro

Riva – view map
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 10:00-24:00
Price: 1 euro

Square Pet bunara – view map
Working hours: Monday- Sunday 10:00-24:00 (until September 30)
Price: 1 euro

Public toilets in Zagreb

Public toilets in Zagreb are free of charge and they work all days of the week.

Britanski trg – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00

Cesarčeva ulica – view map
Working hours: 0:00-24:00

Dubrava – view map
Working hours: 0:00-24:00

Dubec – view map
Working hours: 0:00-24:00

Habdelićeva ulica, Gornji grad – view map
Working hours: 10:00-18:00

Kaptol, near cathedral – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00

Krematorij (crematorium) – view map
Working hours: 8:00-18:00

Kvaternikov trg – view map
Working hours: 0:00-24:00

Langov trg, entrance to the park – view map
Working hours: 8:00-20:00

Ljubljanica, Remiza – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00

Maksimir, entrance – view map
Working hours: 8:00-22:00

Mihaljevac, tram terminal – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00

Mirogoj – view map
Working hours: 8:00-18:00

Miroševac, charnel house – view map
Working hours: 8:00-18:00

Miroševec, entrance to the cemetery – view map
Working hours: 8:00-18:00

Opatovina – view map
Working hours: 10:00-20:00 (May 1- October 31)

Pothodnik, Glavni kolodvor – view map
Working hours: 0:00-24:00

Ribnjak – view map
Working hours: 8:00-21:00 (May 1- October 31)
Note: children’s toilet

Savica, park Savica – view map
Working hours: 8:00-19:00 (April 1- October 31)

Svačićev trg – view map
Working hours: 8:00-21:00 (May 1- October 31)
Note: children’s toilet

Trg kralja Petra Krešimira IV – view map
Working hours: 8:00-21:00 (May 1- October 31)
Note: children’s toilet

Trg Petrice Kerempuha – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00

Trg Republike Hrvatske, near University – view map
Working hours: 7:00-21:00

Tuškanac, Dubravkin put – view map
Working hours: 8:00-19:00 (May 1- October 31)

Tuškanac, viewpoint – view map
Working hours: 8:00-19:00 (April 1 – October 31)

Ulica kneza Branimira, near the market – view map
Working hours: 6:00-22:00


Sources:
Javni sanitarni čvorovi by Grad Rijeka

Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.

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