Where to find a free toilet in London: Tube, stations and official maps

Finding a toilet in London becomes easier once you check two things: who operates it, and whether it is before or after the ticket gates. A TfL study records customer toilets at around 150 transport locations, and more than half have an accessible toilet. That does not mean every station has one.

Open the official maps

• TfL Tube and rail toilet map — stations, facilities inside and outside ticket gates, accessible toilets and baby changing.
• Detailed TfL toilet table — exact station location, operator, indicative hours and RADAR access.
• City of London map — public and community toilets, accessibility and baby-changing facilities in the Square Mile.
• Great British Public Toilet Map — a nationwide open-data map; confirm details with the operator.
• Changing Places finder — specialist facilities with a hoist and adult-sized changing bench.

The official TfL diagram is correct at October 2025, while the detailed table was published in 2026. Screenshots age quickly: open the source before travelling, or check the selected station’s facilities in TfL Go.

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Are Tube toilets free?

Every TfL-operated toilet is free. This covers London Underground, London Overground, Elizabeth line and bus-station facilities where the management entry identifies TfL or the relevant TfL operation.

The map also includes toilets run by Network Rail, train operators, borough councils and other organisations. TfL warns that third-party facilities may charge and keep different hours. A toilet symbol alone does not guarantee free entry.

Some facilities are on the paid side, beyond the ticket gates. If you are not travelling, do not tap in solely to use a toilet: ask staff first whether access is possible or where the nearest unpaid-side facility is. Toilet hours can also be shorter than train operating hours.

Useful free central London stations

Network Rail says toilets are free at all 20 stations it manages directly. Particularly useful London locations include:

• Waterloo: main concourse; women opposite platform 19, men opposite 18, accessible toilet opposite 20 and baby changing opposite 21.
• London Bridge: lower concourse shopping area, with standard and accessible toilets and baby changing.
• Liverpool Street: main station concourse, with standard and accessible toilets and baby changing.
• King’s Cross: by platform 9, with standard and accessible toilets, baby changing and a Changing Places facility.
• Paddington: station concourse, with standard and accessible toilets and baby changing; Changing Places is near platform 12.
• Euston: main station concourse, with standard and accessible toilets and baby changing.
• Charing Cross: main station concourse, with standard and accessible toilets.

TfL’s table says “check with operator” for these stations, so confirm opening hours on the station page or with staff, especially late in the evening.

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Useful toilets before the ticket gates

If you do not need a ticket, look for unpaid side. Examples in TfL’s current table include:

• St John’s Wood: women’s and men’s toilets in the unpaid ticket hall, open daily; staff assistance for the accessible toilet.
• Northolt: unpaid ticket hall, open to 10pm daily; baby changing in the women’s toilet.
• Harrow on the Hill: unpaid side, 6am–10pm Monday to Saturday and 7am–8pm Sunday.
• Hangar Lane: unpaid side, open to 9pm daily.
• Loughton: unpaid side, open daily.
• Tottenham Court Road: an accessible toilet only in the unpaid ticket hall, with RADAR access.

Green Park, Westminster and Piccadilly Circus have toilets in their subways, but these are managed by the City of Westminster rather than TfL: check the operator’s charge and hours.

What if the door is locked or you have no RADAR key?

TfL tells passengers to speak to station staff. If access is operationally possible, staff can open the facility. This also applies to accessible toilets fitted with a RADAR lock: not carrying your own key does not prevent you from asking staff for access.

Some toilets can be unavailable during Night Tube hours when that section of the station is closed. “Open daily” should not be read as a promise of 24-hour access.

Baby changing and Changing Places

TfL’s map uses a separate symbol for baby changing, and says most such facilities are available to carers of any gender. Changing Places facilities serve people who cannot use a standard accessible toilet and include an adult-sized bench and hoist.

Central examples include King’s Cross by platform 9, Paddington near platform 12, and the Camera Café beside Cinemas 2 and 3 at the Barbican Centre. Use the official Changing Places finder and check the venue’s opening hours.

City of London: not every public toilet is free

The Square Mile’s Community Toilet Scheme directory lists 75 businesses providing free public access during normal trading hours. Members display a window sign; the City of London map shows current addresses and accessibility using blue markers. No purchase is required.

However, the attended Tower Hill and Paternoster public toilets cost £1, except for RADAR-key holders. Paternoster opens 8am–8pm on weekdays and 9am–5pm at weekends. Tower Hill opens 8am–8pm on weekdays and 9am–5pm at weekends, extended to 7pm from June to October.

Useful phrases

• Where is the nearest public toilet?
• Is it before or after the ticket gates?
• Could you open the accessible toilet, please?
• Is there a baby-changing room?

The quickest method

1. Open TfL Go and select the nearest station; facilities include toilet information.
2. Use the official map to check whether the toilet is inside or outside the gates.
3. Use the detailed table for hours and access type.
4. Ask staff immediately if the door is locked or a RADAR key is required.
5. In the City, use the Community Toilet Scheme map; elsewhere in Britain, use Toilet Map.

Information and links were checked on 11 October 2026. Toilets can close temporarily for cleaning, repairs or staffing. ONLYWAY.NEWS links to the official maps but does not reproduce the Tube diagram: TfL states that its online maps are for personal use and commercial reproduction requires a licence.