Have you ever noticed that some of the hotels and many of the restaurants you see recommended in travel books often turn out to be not as great as you expected. Sometimes I think its because the ratings are simply out of date. However, sometimes I think the poor showing of these places (restaurants in particular) is directly related to their getting noticed and recommended to travelers in the first place. Suddenly, they are overwhelmed with new tourist business, so the locals leave, prices go up while the service and quality slips. For the traveler, it means ending up in a place where you are surrounded by tourists like yourself, all being ripped off at the same time. That is one of the reasons why I use the Fodors site so often before I travel. Many times, you can actually get an honest, recent opinion of a place before you go there. Of course, there will also be all those tourists who are too embarrassed to admit the truth and keep the stories going that keep these awful places in business. Before I travel anywhere now, the first thing I do is check out this site to see if any new hotels or restaurants are mentioned, particularly if they are not in any of the guidebooks. I then check them out on the web or by visiting them if it is convenient to do so. I have found some great places this way. I have also found that in Europe in particular you can generally rely on the recommendations of your concierge if you tell him you are looking for small, intimate restaurants, with really great food. Some of the best meals I've ever had in Europe came as a result of such recommendations. Anyway, keep up the good work fodorites.

Have to totally agree with Ben. So many places mentioned in travel guides end up being overpriced and overrated. It is as true in the US as it is in europe. I too thank the fodorites who tell the truth when their experience doesn't live up to their expectations. They really help the rest of us.

You guys may have a lot more experience traveling in Europe, and elsewhere, than me, but I've rarely been disappointed in a hotel or restaurant that I found in a guidebook or on a website. <BR><BR>I certainly wouldn't disagree, however, with the notion that a recommendation -- especially a very favorable one -- in a guidebook or website is going to draw a lot more tourists to a hotel or restaurant and that increased demand can affect prices.

We have also been disappointed many times with guidebook recommendations. However, if you are new to an area or not a seasoned traveler, there is not much else you can do. I would agree that once you become more familiar with an area it is fun to explore on your own. Some of the best restaurants we have found in Paris and London we discovered just by walking around the cities and looking at menus and the type of crowds they seemed to attract.

"Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded." -- Yogi Berra <BR><BR

Ben, maybe it is true that hotels and restaurants that find their way into guidebooks can get complacent - rather like politicians who find their way into office. However, many guidebooks take seriously the complaints of their readers. They will drop a hotel from their listing if one too many reader complaints are received, or if prices start deviating too much from the market at large. I do admit that it is wise to rely on several guidebooks, not just the hottest-selling one at the moment, when choosing a hotel.

I think that the more guidebooks and travel magazines and websites I read, the better I get on wading through the fluff and also on distiguishing one set of standards from another.<BR><BR>I don't want to start a Steves-bashing thread, but I have read enough to know that his idea of a great value hotel is more often than not going to be my idea of just one step above a youth hostel. My preferences are not simply not in line with his; on the other hand, I have to admit that I'm usually willing to spend a bit more than he is. I prefer to compromise on other expenses.<BR><BR>On the other hand, the Gustafson "Cheap Sleeps in..." books, recently renamed in some editions to "Great Sleeps in..."<BR>mention hotels and restaurants that tend to cost more than Rick Steves's selections, and may be too costly for some people. I find them in line with what I can pay, but most especially her very specific comments have been consistent and reliable every time I've used them, which is often. I've learned a bit of "Gustafson-speak" so that I know to rely on her when she says<BR>"on the small side" or "don't expect matching decor" or ""you will eat very well here."<BR><BR>Messages on this Fodor's board are the best travel resource I know, which is why I spend so much time here. On the other hand, I've recognized that one person's definition of "reasonably-priced" or"charming" or " good value" can be very different from another's.<BR><BR>I think the best thing to do is to gather as much info as possible, to compare and contrast the comments from all sources. Also, some magazine or guide book writers accept freebies from those in the travel industry, making their reviews a little more suspect to me.<BR><BR><BR>

The post running right now about Harry's Bar in Venice is a perfect example of how places so often recommended in guide books end up being just a rip off.

It'a nice to have a little information from somebody else then you have to choose by yourself I think in life you win and youlose so once you get ripped off (and long is only money who cares) and once you have a wonderful experience. Travelling is good to sharp your sense of "smelling" place and people at first sight. (sorry for any mistakes in this language)<BR><BR>