Is Traveling to Paris to Buy a Hermès Kelly Still Worth It?

Dear PurseBop:

I am considering planning a trip to Paris this summer with the hopes of scoring a Kelly, my dream Hermès bag. With all the price increases in the U.S. and Europe, as well as the difficulty securing a lottery or walk-in appointment, is it still worth the travel?

Dear Paris Dreamer:

Traveling to Paris is always magical. However, when the trip is focused solely on securing a Hermès quota bag, it can be disappointing, frustrating, and discouraging. If you go with the right expectations and plan to enjoy everything Paris has to offer it will likely be a fantastic trip.

With respect to Hermès, prices have undeniably increased. A Kelly 25 (Sellier or Retourne) is now 9600 euros whereas the same bag is now $13,500 in the U.S. plus tax. After taking into consideration the VAT refund and the exchange rate which is approximately $1.18 there is still a savings of approximately $3,000. But don’t forget the price of the airfare, hotel, and food and entertainment. Now this all assumes that you will be coming home with your dream quota bag.

We have repeatedly reported how difficult it has become to secure a lottery appointment as well as a walk-in appointment. Even assuming you are fortunate to get an appointment, many leave extremely disappointed.

Paris is still a great destination – but it is no longer a guaranteed shortcut to your dream bag. Consider it a strategic opportunity to try your luck at 3 different locations on multiple days if that is your commitment during this trip. If you go with flexibility and are open to colors, leather, sizes, or even a non-quota bag, your chances increase. Applying to the lottery every day and visiting multiple boutiques each day is a tactic. And realizing the trip is the reward, not the bag, then it can be worth a trip.

But if your expectations is to fly to Paris, walk into FSH, walk out with a dream Kelly – that a version of the story is, increasingly, the exception.

Paris is still one of the few places where “magic can happen” – but only for those who treat it like a possibility and not a plan.

Good luck and happy travels this summer.

Read:

The New Kelly Price Guide 2026