Originally Posted by
beachmouse
Never say never. In areas where public restrooms are rare and poorly maintained, I find that buying the cheapest soft drink on the fast food value menu in exchange for a group of 2-4 effectively getting rights to use the toilets there to often be a really good option.
Yes, I've gotten the one euro Coca Cola Light at a McDonalds on Les Champs Elysees precisely for that reason.
I'm embarrassed to say that on my first trip to Italy five years ago, my first meal in Florence was at the McDonald's just outside the Santa Maria Novella train station. After an overnight flight to Rome and a train to Florence, I stepped off the train starving. And as much as I tried to resist, the location just outside the train station was impossible to ignore.
So I've had my never say never moment--which is exactly how I view it, unlike some bloggers who took pictures of their feast on their bed at the Vendome.