No traveler can avoid toilets - sooner or later after arriving in Finland, you’ll need one. But oftentimes, foreign toilets are different from the ones you have at home. Here’s what should you know about toilets in Finland.

Good Things About Toilets in Finland:

• The cleanest toilets are usually the ones in department stores and shopping centers.
• Finland’s capital Helsinki offers a few public restrooms facilities in the city center.

• The days of outhouses are numbered. Finnish restrooms in the cities are modern, clean facilities and are very handicap-friendly.
• Toilets in Finland are cleaned regularly, especially toilets in restaurants and shopping areas. Some public toilets in Finland are self-cleaning.
• There are no squat toilets as far as I’ve seen.

Bad Things About Toilets in Finland:

• On excursions into the countryside, outhouses without running water may be your only choice.
• It can be hard to find a public toilet in Finland, so use your accommodation’s bathroom before you go out.
• In Finnish cities, public toilets often cost something (usually around 50 cents). Carry some coins with you.
• Roadside toilets are far and few in between.
• Just like anywhere else, toilets at Finland's airports and train stations can sometimes look and/or smell unsanitary. If your needs aren’t urgent, just wait and use the bathroom at your hotel in Finland when you get there.

Most toilets in Finland show symbols for ladies/gents restrooms so they're easy to identify.

If you don’t see toilet symbols, the letters “WC” (water closet) will also lead you to the restroom.
Texting to go potty? Yes, indeed. To fight vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented an interactive system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to send the text message "Open" ("Auki" in Finnish) from their cell phone. This automatically unlocks the roadside toilet for your use. So, before you leave for Finland, best double-check with your carrier to make sure your phone will work there. You don’t want to be caught with your pants down. Literally.

This travel tip is part of the series Toilets in Scandinavia where you can find information about restrooms in other Scandinavian countries as well.