Posted 12/19/2010 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Presumably you mean central London and not the outer parts? I wouldn't exactly say public toilets are thick on the ground, but you can always nip into a nearby department store, coffee shop, pub, etc. All museums, galleries, shopping centres, cinemas and so on will have toilets, as will the major train stations (Waterloo, Euston, Liverpool St., etc. There's a lot more than I've listed, but basically if it's a station which has overland connections [signified by the red British Rail logo on a London Underground map] and is more than a stop on the London Underground, it'll probably be big enough to have toilet facilities). But be aware of London Underground travelling: you can walk up to a quarter of a freaking mile through tunnels and up and down escalators before even reaching your platform and there won't be any toilets anywhere. Nor are there any on the tube trains. Most tube journeys are pretty short, but still, if that prospect worries you you might want to consider alternative ways of getting around.
It's not a bad idea to carry change around with you, 'cos some public toilets and train station toilets charge an entrance fee (Euston was 30p last time I remember, but it may have gone up now). It's not that common a practice, but it would certainly be annoying to have no money at a time of dire need.
Not sure if that helps any... Basically, you should be all right in busy areas, 'cos there'll always be a shop or food/coffee place that you can dive into. And central London is nothing if not busy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your trip! I'm a Londoner by origin, so if you want any more advice just ask - I probably won't remember enough about the place to be of any use, but I'll try... ¬_¬