I've heard the left bank area has lost its appeal for visitors nowdays. Should I leave it off my short itinerary and concentrate on other areas?

Who in the world did you hear that from?! It's nuts and it's wrong.

Rick Steves website, under disappointments of paris, says the left bank and St Germain area aren't what they used to be.

I'm in the minority on this, but I think Rick Steves is out to lunch and very annoying. Would never take his advice. And on the left bank point he is simply wrong!

If all his website says it that "they're not what they used to be", then he's right....They're not.<BR>But neither is any of Europe, and its not neccessarily bad. It's just different. If you're traveling, you are someone who should appreciate the differences.<BR>IMHO, the Left Bank is still an exiciting, authentic, interesting tourist location where one can find many "surprises". Just keep an open mind, and don't just do something because Rick Steves advises. Best wishes for happy travels!

This thread is funny. Could someone please name me any place in the world that is "what it used to be"?

South Bend, Indiana!!

No offense, Dave, but I think you missed there, too. I understood that that place was a big ugly boom town in the 50's and 60's, but now isn't it more of a big, ugly bust town?

To answer specifically, no you should not leave the left bank off your short itinerary. That's just crazy.<BR><BR>If you follow Rick Steves in every detail you will end up exactly where all his other lite-packing, guidebook-carrying Americans are. I think he is helpful to 1st time travelers to Europe, and his TV shows are funny if you need a travel-fix, beyond that... do for yourself ;-)

It might be helpful (to you) to read something other than Rick STeves if you want to have any knowledge of Paris or anywhere! The Left Bank may have lost its appeal for someone, somewhere, but what the hell does that really mean? Do you only go to places that every single person in the world looooves?<BR>Guide books are just for information to find your way around an unknown city, if you go to Paris, how can you NOT go to the Left Bank? Do you even know what the Left Bank is????<BR>Buy yourself a few guide books and see what the rest of them say. Maybe you will hit the jackpot and one of them will be intelligent.

Wohoo! Another I hate Steves thread disguised as something else! You Rick haters are so sneaky!

Oh Jen, this isn't about Rick Steves! To me it is about How simple minded can a person be if the word of a guide book writer has such influence on them ?<BR>It could have been any guide book.<BR> Try to seperate your adoration for RS from this topic.

Actually, R.S. was discussing the Latin Quarter, which I think he has listed under the topic "disappointments" in Paris. To borrow: "the Latin Quarter is a frail shadow of its characteristic self. It's more Tunisian, Greek and Woolworth's than old-time Paris... the caf&eacute; life that turned on Hemingway...is trampled by modern commercialism."<BR>Now, that probably is a fair assessment in pockets of the Latin Quarter, but many jewels and notable places still remain for our enjoyment.

Jeeez, did RS expect the Latin Quarter of the days of Hemingway to be just the same in the year 2002 ??? And is that not just a touch racist???<BR>

I am glad that most of you are so anamored of the left bank.....That leaves the right bank for me.

Patrick - Tho I was attempting humor at the expense of my former home town,,,,<BR>I must admit that you won this one!! I guess it was really more of a "small, ugly boom town", and as you rightly suggest is now a "smaller, ugly bust town"!!<BR>Best wishes!

I've heard the left bank area has lost its appeal for visitors nowdays. Should I leave it off my short itinerary and concentrate on other areas?<BR><BR> How short is your itinerary? What are the other areas?

LOL!<BR>Yes, skip the Left Bank. It is small and not much to do there anyway. <BR>And then of course the Right Bank is sort of busy and full of tourists and Ye Gods, French people!!! Maybe Montmarte? No no that would not be good, I heard there is this big church there and everyone goes to look at it.<BR>Maybe, somewhere on the outskirts of Paris would appeal to you? Like Chartres..no, that will be full of people, been there, done that, Rouen?<BR> I know!!! Stay home!

There are those in favor of and opposed to everything. That's the way it is.<BR><BR>Rick Steeves aims a little on the low budget side. That's all.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Come on. Some of your resposnes are jaded by your dislike for Rick. RS' comments regarding the Latin Quarter are fair. Nothing racist about suggesting that the Latin Quarter, located in FRANCE, is not very FRENCH anymore. And it has become a very touristy area, cheapened by barkers trying to drag you into restaurants. That said, I don't remember just how big the Latin Quarter is, and his comments may not be entirely accurate if generalized over the entire Quarter. (By the way, notwithstanding the criticism (or because of it) we have enjoyed a number of relatively inexpensive lunches there.)