Do you prefer laundromats, laundry services or hand-washing clothes when travelling in Europe?

How to wash clothes while travelling is always a challenge. When it comes to European laundry ideas, there are two factors – time and cost. Planning is essential.

These choices are simple, but the cost varies widely. A visit to a laundromat sometimes costs €20 or more, and it’s difficult to wash a load for less than €4.50.

Sadly, Europe is not uniform when it comes to laundry. A country-by-country summary is below.

Laundromats of the classic type are not common everywhere in Europe. Where they exist, it’s best to allow at least 90 minutes to wash and fully dry clothes.

Knowing how to wash, what to carry, and what clothes to bring are all part of a good laundry solution for European travellers, especially those crossing multiple borders.

Which clothes to carry and wear

Whatever the laundry strategy, it’s important to start with the correct clothes to meet the challenges of staying warm (or cool) and hygienic on the road.

Following the many-light-layers principle has big advantages, whatever the weather.

For a cold-weather strategy, a Gore-Tex jacket can be pulled over the top. This fabric is warm and wind-resistant but not heavy and takes up very little luggage space.

A light jumper should then suffice in early spring or autumn, which in these days of climate change are the preferred European travel seasons. Alpaca wool is one weave that takes up little space and merino wool, while often bulkier, is great for travel.

Long-sleeved tops or blouses that will not shrink when washed or placed in a tumble dryer are good travel wear. Cotton T-shirts are useful but do not always dry quickly. Synthetics are lighter, usually less bulky and easier to wash and dry, but do not suit all travellers. Mixing fabrics for flexibility is a tactic worth trying.

It is best for some clothes not to dry them – or fully dry them – in a tumble dryer. Carry a spare plastic bag to separate these and hang them out overnight at your accommodation.

For breathability when you are on the move, the fabric choice is important. Non-iron garments are the easiest to care for and rolling up items such as shirts when packing – sometimes around another garment – can cut out the need to iron altogether.

Washing machines in Europe

Wherever you wash, you might ask about how to use a European washing machine. Washing machine symbols in Europe, however, are not hard to decode.

The wash temperature is usually given in degrees Celsius over a tub symbol. These are commonly 30 degrees (about 87 deg F), 40 degrees (104 deg F) or 60 degrees (140 deg F).

Front-loading machines are by far the most common type at laundromats.

When it comes to translating non-English washing machine instructions, the best tool is a smartphone translation app with optical character recognition, such as DeepL Translate, Photo Translator, Google Translate or Microsoft Translate.

Laundromats in Europe

The equipment at European laundromats varies a lot, from older coin-operated or token-based machines to credit or debit card-operated models, stored value cards accepted by chains and smartphone payment options.

Several chains offer apps to control processes and payment. At some laundromats you can carry and use your own detergent (cheaper), but some washing machines automatically add their own.

Availability of laundromats differs a lot between European countries. Opening times are usually between 6am and 8am, closing between 8pm and 10pm, although some laundromats close earlier.

It’s best to consult chain websites or social media pages to discover details and carry coins in case they are needed. Change machines, where offered, cannot always be relied on.

Laundromats country by country

The affordable and most accessible urban European laundry option for all purposes is using laundromats, self-service laundries.

Tumble dryers vary in cost and the duration of cycles, but the most common drying cycle is 10 minutes. In newest laundromats some machines combine washing in drying cycles.

Availability of irons varies, but the newest laundromats are most likely to offer an ironing option.

There are two Europe-wide laundromat networks with differing business models. Wash.ME group has established outdoor laundry kiosks allowing 24-hour access to a few machines at sites such as supermarket carparks and petrol stations. The network has spread into several European countries. Speed Queen Europe has hundreds of laundromats, most concentrated in southern Europe, France and central Europe.

Here’s a quick survey of European laundromats that covers much of the continent’s popular travel destinations. Some of the website links offer more specific information than others.

Germany: German cities are usually well catered for by laundromats (usually called SB-Waschsalons) and the cost is not high by European standards. Eco-Express Waschsalons is probably the largest chain, followed by Schnell & Sauber Waschcenters and (in Berlin) Schleudertraum. In Berlin, Freddie Leck sein Waschsalon in Moabit is legendary among travellers and expats for its relaxed atmosphere, staff assistance, coffee and snacks. Expect to pay at least €5 to wash a 6kg load at most outlets.

Austria: The Green & Clean laundromats are common in Vienna and there are outlets in Linz and Graz. Locally operated outlets can also be found. The Green and Clean system starts from a central control console for all machines and card payment options are available.

Czechia & Poland: In Czech cities, it’s not too hard to find a self-service laundromat (samoobslužná prádelna). Prague and Brno are each served by laundromats of varying quality but the Speed Queen outlets are most widespread in the country. The Merhautova site in Brno is tucked behind shops and a fast-food bar. The Lavor chain has the highest number in and around Prague, and there are several Quickwash outlets. A load up to 10kg usually costs 170-200Kč to wash or dry. There are also about 80 Speed Queen laundromats in Poland, where the sign often says automat pralniczy.

Denmark: In Denmark, finding a laundromat (vaskeri, møntvask or møntvaskeri) is harder than in some countries. Copenhagen, with about 20 laundromats, presents few laundry challenges and large cities each have a few outlets. The Laundromat Café north of the city centre combines cafe and breakfast services with games to pass the time (there is also a Rejkjavík outlet). Most Danhostels have washing machines – check before booking.

Norway: There are few Norwegian examples of the laundromat (vaskeri or sjelvbetjaningsvaskeri). Oslo has three Clean Cokos outlets, Bergen one (as well as one in Stockholm, see below). There is also Oslo’s sociable Café Laundromat, which has a library, beverages and meals, and music, but few machines. Some dry cleaners offer wash services. In Trondheim a tiny laundromat with restricted hours is on Fjordgata, not far from the main rail station. Travellers on coastal cruises should make use of laundry rooms available on board. Many Norske Vandrerhjem hostels offer washing facilities.

Sweden: Sweden is a special case. The reason behind the lack of Swedish laundromats is social. Even in apartment buildings, there is traditionally a system for booking access to a basement laundry to do a weekly wash. Laundromats have not been part of central-city living like in most European countries.

This is one reason why both hostel accommodation and private bookings remain popular among Swedes. Even in STF hostels, there is a good chance of access to a washing machine, though travellers should check the facilities before booking and times might have to be reserved. Hotels charge high rates for washing and the service likely takes at least 48 hours. Laundry is something that needs to be factored into the accommodation price and length of stay.

In Stockholm, a second laundromat opened late in 2025 – a Clean Cokos outlet not for from the central station, to go with the long-established Tvättomat north of the city centre (which offers relatively inexpensive service washes).

Many Swedish wash services charge about 300kr to wash and dry a 5-6kg load. The Swedish website Washaway could be an option. The Postnord Postombud collection office in Gothenburg’s Nordsstan Servicecenter has a pricelist for wash services.

Belgium: In Belgium, laundromats could be labelled laverie, lavoir, salon lavoir or wassalon. Wash.ME has more than 150 sites. Speed Queen outlets are common and several Wash Club laundromats are in Brussels.

Netherlands: In the Netherlands, wasserette is often the term for laundromat. The number of laundromats is low and small owners dominate, although Speed Queen has several outlets outside Amsterdam.

France: Finding a French laundromat (laverie libre-service or laverie automatique) is usually easy. The Smartscrapers site finds more than 2400 laundromats. Speed Queen claims more than 300 laundromats in France and Wash.ME is also in France.

Italy: It’s not difficult to find an Italian laundromat (lavanderia a gettoni for coins, or lavanderia automatica) in most tourist or university cities. Speed Queen lists about 300 Italian laundromat locations.

Spain & Portugal: La Wash franchises a network of more than 200 outlets, especially in and around Barcelona. Speed Queen has about 80 in Portugal and 400 in Spain, being better represented in Madrid. Wash.ME lists about 80 sites.

UK: English laundromats are usually called launderettes/laundrettes or coin laundries. The Findalaunderette website has a finder for about 1,500 locations. Expect to pay £5-8 a load and £5-6 to dry it. Wash.ME outdoor laundry kiosks are found at sites such as supermarket carparks and petrol stations.

Ireland: Wash.ME dominates with 600 Irish locations. Speed Queen has more than 20 laundromats in cities, but only a few are in Dublin.

Laundry services

Service washes, especially in hotels where items are usually separately charged, can be expensive and turnaround times vary. Loads will generally take at least a few days to return and weekends affect timing.

Dry-cleaners in many countries also offer service washes, but commonly travellers have to ask and check for costs.

The Laundryheap service provides pickup and drop-off service washes in the UK, Ireland, France, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Google Maps, Yelp, and Mapy.com are useful sites for searching laundromats or alternative services. Yelp listings might not be up to date and Mapy works best for specific business names or when the local name is used.

A laundry list of travel tactics

But there are ways of making a big saving on laundromat visits, starting with hand washing.

Book smart: Regularly booking an apartment, hostel or home stay that offers access to laundry facilities works well where laundromats are scarce. Many apartments have bathroom drying racks. These features are listed by many accommodation booking websites.

But there’s more parts to a good laundry strategy. It’s not too hard to hand-wash and hang up a few light layers when necessary.

Choose your laundry weapons: Environmentally friendly detergent strips or sachets of wash detergent can work well in a bathroom wash basin and today it’s not hard to find folding or inflatable clothes hangers that help when hanging up a garment or a few pairs of socks in the bathroom. A lot of these items dry out overnight. Online stores are helpful places to survey the equipment available.

The only challenge to this plan seems to be a reluctance among hotels to provide a plug for the basin. Minimalist traveller Maggi Fuchs swears by using discs cut from silicone baking mats to seal the plughole.

Laundry bags: But that is not the only solution. You can improvise with good results. Washing items by shaking or otherwise agitating a sturdy, leakproof plastic bag full of warm water with the detergent (or even shampoo) inside often works quite well.

Even better is a lightweight, watertight dry bag of the type used by hikers and campers. Some reputable brands of dry bag can be expensive but budget versions can be found online.

For best results, repeat the process to rinse.

This method works best with underwear and socks and maybe a couple of T-shirts, but is unlikely to cope with more substantial clothing such as jeans or heavy trousers.

Laundry conclusions

European laundry is a neglected topic among travellers. We should take nothing for granted. A mixture of solutions is likely to deliver best results.

There are two rules of thumb for getting your laundry washed while on the road in Europe.

First, clean clothes are not always a simple matter if you also want to get the best out of your travel. Washing takes time, and you might have to wait your turn.

Second, the lower the cost, the greater the degree of laundry planning required.