Planning a day out with a bowel or bladder condition: a practical checklist
· 3 min read
For many people with Crohn’s disease, colitis, IBS, an overactive bladder or incontinence, the worry about finding a toilet in time is as hard as the condition itself. Some people stop going out altogether. A little planning won’t make the condition go away, but it can make days out far less stressful.
Before you go
- Look up your destination. Open the town’s page on ToiletSearch.uk and note two or three toilets near where you’ll be: one near where you’ll park or arrive, one in the centre, and one near where you’ll spend most time. Check the opening hours where they’re listed. At the moment that’s only about 10% of toilets, so it’s worth having a back-up.
- Open the page while you have signal. Pages you’ve opened on ToiletSearch.uk keep working even without signal, which helps in the countryside, in big buildings or on the Underground.
- Check the venue. If you’re going to a stadium, concert, theatre or attraction, look on its website for an accessibility page. Many let you book seats near the toilets or an exit, and some offer a quiet route in.
- Share the link with whoever you’re going with, so everyone knows the plan and nobody minds a quick detour.
- Plan your route around toilets. If you’re driving, see our road trip guide. On longer train journeys, most intercity trains have toilets on board, though they’re sometimes out of order, so know which stations along the way have toilets too.
What to carry
- A toilet card, such as the Can’t Wait card from Crohn’s & Colitis UK or the free digital Just Can’t Wait card from the Bladder & Bowel Community. Showing one explains your situation without you having to say a word. See our guide to toilet cards.
- A RADAR key, which opens thousands of locked accessible toilets across the UK. We know of 212 on our map, and there are certainly more.
- A small emergency kit: wet wipes, tissues or toilet roll, a spare pair of underwear, a disposal bag, and hand gel. Keep it in a small pouch so you can grab it and go.
- Some coins and a contactless card, in case the nearest toilet charges.
- A fully charged phone, so you can search for the nearest toilet if your plans change.
When you’re out
- Use the Hide closed filter to skip toilets that are closed right now (where opening hours are known), and the Accessible or RADAR filters if a larger, private toilet suits you better.
- Go when you get the chance, rather than waiting until you need to. A quick visit before a queue, a film or a bus journey saves a lot of worry.
- Choose seats near the aisle or exit at cinemas, theatres and on coaches.
- If you need to ask, a simple “I have a medical condition and need a toilet urgently” is enough. Most staff in shops, cafés and pubs will help. Showing a toilet card means you don’t have to explain more.
Looking after your confidence
It can help to start with shorter trips to places you know well, then build up. Some people find it useful to keep a note of which places had good toilets, so the next trip feels easier. Charities such as Crohn’s & Colitis UK and the Bladder & Bowel Community run helplines and online communities where you can talk to people who understand.
Help others
If you find a toilet that’s missing from our map, or details that are wrong (a toilet that has closed, opening hours that have changed, or a RADAR lock that isn’t shown), use Fix details or tell us. Every update helps the next person who’s anxious about their day out.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Your IBD nurse, GP or continence service can give advice that’s right for you.