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Americans usually say "bathroom" when they mean "toilet".
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/bathroom
In a "public building" you really would not expect to take a bath, and so to use the euphemism of "bathroom" for "toilet" is perfectly transparent, in the same way that in the US you could ask for the "rest room" and not be sent to a set of easy chairs and couches…
In the UK, you can ask for the "toilet", the "bathroom" and even usually ask "where can I wash my hands", since there is always a handbasin in the place with the toilets…
But the best, most colloquial usage for the UK would be to ask for "the Gents'" or "the Ladies'".
469
It's the same as the UK in Australia = "the ladies", "the gents", "the toilet" or if you want to be more discreet "the 'loo". Thanks to American TV and movies though you should be understood if you say"bathroom".
Why do you insist on translating 'Toilette' as 'bathroom'? Bathrooms necessarily contain a bath. Toilets do not. The proper English translation for 'Toilette' is 'toilet'. The proper German translation for 'bathroom' is 'Badezimmer'. 'Bathroom' in this context is a coy, largely American, euphemism. It is a misleading translation.