Quick answer
Где туале́т?
gde tualét — the first thing anyone really needs abroad
The options
Где туале́т?Where is the toilet?
Скажи́те, пожа́луйста, где туале́т?Excuse me, where is the toilet? — polite
Здесь есть туале́т?Is there a toilet here?
Туале́т рабо́тает?Is the toilet working?
The letters on the doors
Russian toilet doors are marked Ж for же́нский (women) and М for мужско́й (men). The M is not the trap — the Ж is, because it looks like nothing in English. Remember: Ж for “zhenskiy”, women.
What you hear back
Пря́мо и напра́во.Straight on and to the right.
На второ́м этаже́.On the second floor.
Там.Over there.
Typical mistakes
Где есть туале́т?
Где туале́т?
No “is” needed in the present tense.
Going through the Ж door as a man
М = мужско́й
Worth memorising before the moment arrives.
Check yourself
The door says Ж. Who is it for?
Ж stands for же́нский — women.