[Oslo] Hi! Where can I reliably find public toilets and free drinking water refills in Oslo?

In Oslo, you have several reliable “go-to” options for toilets and free drinking water.

Free drinking water:
• Tap water in Norway is generally safe to drink. In Oslo, you can usually refill your bottle from taps in public places.
• Common refill spots: libraries, many museums/cultural venues, some public buildings, and your accommodation.
• In cafés/restaurants you can politely ask to refill a bottle (it’s often fine, especially if you’re a customer).

Public toilets:
• Oslo has public toilets in parks and around busy areas, but availability and opening hours vary.
• When you can’t find a public toilet, the most practical alternatives are shopping centres, transport hubs, and large public buildings.

Practical tips:
• Save a “public toilets” map on your phone before you go out.
• Keep a small coin/card ready just in case (some facilities may be paid).
• For “emergency” situations, libraries and malls are often the quickest solution.

Official sources (add links):
• [City of Oslo – Tap water is clean and safe to drink]
• [Oslo Kommune / Bymiljøetaten – Map/data of public toilets in Oslo]

As someone who walks a lot and plans her day around coffee stops, I’ll say this loud: PUBLIC TOILETS IN OSLO ARE BETTER THAN THEIR REPUTATION, but you have to know the system. From what I’ve seen, libraries and shopping centers saved me more times than any official standalone toilet, especially in the city center. Free drinking water was honestly a non-issue because tap water is everywhere and tastes better than most bottled stuff I’ve paid for elsewhere. but there’s a nuance… evenings and Sundays can feel like a bathroom desert if you’re wandering parks or quieter neighborhoods. I learned quickly that transportation tips matter here: major train stations and metro hubs are your safety net, even if you have to swipe a card or buy a small snack nearby. It feels like Oslo assumes adults can plan ahead, which is fair, but not always convenient when you’re sightseeing for hours. Did anyone find specific parks with reliably open toilets late in the day? And are there cafés people swear by for no-questions-asked water refills?

I learned the Oslo toilet map the hard way after a long waterfront walk and one too many coffees. Libraries were my MVPs—Deichman branches especially—clean, free, and zero drama, while malls like Oslo City felt like a guaranteed pit stop when wandering downtown. For evenings, transport hubs saved me more than once; even if you have to tap a card at **Oslo Central Station**, it beats sprinting across a park hoping something’s open. Water-wise, I stopped buying bottles entirely—tap water’s excellent, and cafés usually refill if you ask nicely. After sorting logistics, I’d reward myself with a beer nearby—grab something chill around Youngstorget and call it a win.