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If you're jetting off on your travels, you'll have thought of various ways to protect yourself – from sunscreen to suitcase locks. However, you might not have considered the protection one of the best travel VPNs can provide.
By using one of the best VPNs, you'll be able to make sure you're safe no matter what network you're connecting to.
I'll explore the top 5 best travel VPNs in more detail below, but if you're in a hurry, you can check out our top 3 below – NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark.
The 3 best travel VPNs at a glance
How we chose the best travel VPNs
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The first thing to evaluate when picking the best travel VPN is its server spread. The more countries a VPN has servers in, the easier it will be for you to find a server to connect to, no matter where in the world you are.
Another thing to consider is the level of security and privacy offered by the VPN, as this means the VPN will be able to better protect you and your data. VPN obfuscation is another important factor, especially if you are travelling somewhere where VPN use is restricted or outright banned. By using a VPN with obfuscated servers, you will cloak your VPN use and go undetected.
Speed and performance are similarly important in a travel VPN, especially if you plan on using it to protect your data while using public Wi-Fi during your travels. Using a VPN with speeds ensures that you won't be slowed down, even during heavy-bandwidth activities like streaming, and should maintain good connections even on slower networks.
Speaking of streaming, streaming support is also important. By being able to access various streaming platforms, your VPN will ensure you can catch up with movies and TV shows from home, even if you're miles away.
The best travel VPN overall
What we like:
NordVPN takes the #1 spot in our list of the best VPN services, and it retains this position as the best travel VPN, too.
With over 8,000 servers across 178 locations in 129 countries, you could travel pretty much anywhere and still find a server nearby to connect to.
NordVPN serves Europe especially well, with 53 locations across the continent. This includes four servers within the UK, so if you're looking for the best UK VPN, NordVPN has you covered.
NordVPN also offers great coverage in Africa and Middle East, with 29 locations. This is one of the best spreads provided by any VPN in this region in this – much larger than those offered by ExpressVPN and Surfshark (both 11) and only topped by Proton VPN (41).
Beyond an excellent server spread, NordVPN also has a lot to offer in other areas.
It's one of the best Netflix VPNs on the market, unblocking streaming catalogs on the site from multiple different countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, and Japan.
It also has a lot to offer in terms of privacy and security, too. This includes features like Onion over VPN which allows you to access the Tor network without downloading the Tor browser, and Double VPN, which routes your internet traffic through two servers instead of one. This keeps your data extra private and reduces the risk of it being accessed in the (very unlikely) event of a data breach.
NordVPN also offers a kill switch that will disable your internet access if your VPN connection drops, as well as trying to reconnect you to the last server you were connected to once your connection resumes. This means that even if your connection is interrupted for whatever reason, you'll be kept safe.
What could improve:
While NordVPN does serve the Americas pretty well, with 49 locations, it's not the best US VPN on the market in terms server spread.
If you want complete coverage across the US, you're better off going for a VPN with a server in every state, like PIA or ExpressVPN.
Additionally, while NordVPN is fairly good value for money at $3.39 per month for a two-year subscription, you will be subject to a hefty price hike once this initial term is over.
If you want to avoid these price hikes, you'll have to cancel your subscription before it ends, then re-sign-up.
🔒 Read our in-depth NordVPN review for all the details.
Buy NordVPN if:
✅ You want to use the best VPN overall. NordVPN is the best VPN on the market, based on our testing.
✅ You're travelling to the UK. With servers in 4 locations across the UK, NordVPN is one of the best UK VPNs.
✅ You want to use Netflix while you're traveling. NordVPN is one of the best Netflix VPNs, unblocking Netflix libraries from across the world.
Don't buy NordVPN if:
❌ You want a VPN for the US. While NordVPN does have servers in the US, it doesn't have the coverage that PIA and ExpressVPN have.
❌ You want to avoid price hikes. NordVPN is fairly good value for money at $3.39 per month for a two-year subscription. But you will be subject to a hefty price hike once this initial term is over.
The simplest travel VPN to use
What we like:
If you're new to VPNs and want a no-fuss experience, ExpressVPN is a great choice.
Its simple yet powerful apps are consistent no matter what platform you use them on, meaning there's no re-learning a UI when you switch from device to device.
Features bundled in premium subscriptions include a Threat Manager, ID Theft Insurance, a password manager. This will help keep you further protected on your travels beyond just encrypting your connection. Plus, all plans are covered by an audited no-logs policy and post-quantum encryption.
If you're heading states-wise and need one of the best US VPNs, ExpressVPN has servers in all 50 states, meaning you'll be covered no matter where you're headed. This contributes to ExpressVPN's total location count of 188 – the highest on this list.
If you're travelling for business, or someone who likes to take their laptop with them when they go traveling, ExpressVPN is one of the best Windows VPNs. It achieved speeds of over 1,400 Mbps on a 10 Gbps line during speed testing using its proprietary Lightway Turbo encryption protocol (available only on Windows).
Speaking of speeds, it also achieved speeds of 1,038 Mbps while using the OpenVPN encryption protocol. This particularly impressive considering OpenVPN is known for being slower than most other encryption protocols. So, if you want to increase your security without sacrificing speed, ExpressVPN is a good option.
What could improve:
While ExpressVPN has good coverage in many places, its coverage in the Middle East and Africa leaves much to be desired, with servers in just 11 locations across the region. If you want a VPN that serves this area better, go for NordVPN or Proton VPN.
Its regular price of $3.49 per month for a two-year subscription puts ExpressVPN on the pricier end of the spectrum – however, it's currently on offer at $2.79 per month, making it cheaper than NordVPN and Proton VPN.
Finally, while ExpressVPN's Lightway Turbo speeds are incredibly impressive, these speeds are only available on Windows. Plus, its speeds on Lightway (its encryption protocol available on all platforms) are pretty disappointing in comparison at 489 Mbps.
🔒 Read our in-depth ExpressVPN review for all the details.
Buy ExpressVPN if:
✅ You want an easy-to-use VPN for travel. ExpressVPN's simple yet powerful apps are perfect for VPN newbies and veterans alike.
✅ You want as many locations as you can get. With 188 locations worldwide, ExpressVPN boasts the highest location count out on all major VPNs.
✅ You want a Windows VPN you can use for travel. At around 1,400 Mbps, ExpressVPN's speeds on its Lightway Turbo encryption protocol (available only on Windows) are impressive.
Don't buy ExpressVPN if:
❌ You're travelling to the Middle East or Africa. With just 11 locations, ExpressVPN doesn't have the best coverage in this area.
❌ You're on a strict budget. Its regular price makes ExpressVPN one of the most expensive VPN on this list.
The best cheap travel VPN
What we like:
Surfshark is great if you're trying to cut costs after shelling out for pricey flights, or if you're travelling on a budget. As one of the best cheap VPNs, it costs less than $2 per month for a 2-year subscription.
Plus, if you're travelling with a big group, you can split one subscription between all of you, thanks to Surfshark's unlimited simultaneous connections.
If you truly want to cut costs, you can take advantage of the fact that Surfshark has one of the best VPN free trials, and even has a 7-day free trial on iPhone – something many VPNs do not offer. You don't even have to input your card details to gain access to this free trial, either, making it perfect for a short break.
With 54 locations in Europe, Surfshark has the second largest offering on the continent. Upgrades to its server infrastructure, and expansion to more than 4,500 servers globally, means you shouldn't have any trouble finding a fast connection. Its speeds of over 1,600 Mbps in our testing lead us to believe the upgrades are having their desired effect.
Surfshark is also excellent if you're travelling somewhere where you need a little extra security and privacy. In June 2025, Surfshark had its no-logs policy audited for the second time by external auditor Deloitte. This audit proved once again that your browsing and activities will not be logged or tracked by Surfshark. This means that your data will remain completely private, no matter what.
Surfshark has other excellent privacy features, too, including ad blocking, a kill switch, split tunneling and Dynamic Multi-Hop, which uses two or more separate servers to further obfuscate your traffic.
This means that your VPN use will stay private, as well as any and all of your browsing data.
What could improve:
While it has a decent server spread, at 142 locations in 100 countries, Surfshark does have a smaller coverage than many of the other VPNs on this list.
This is especially true in the Middle East and Africa, where it has servers in just 11 locations.
While Surfshark is the cheapest VPN on this list, its sub-$2-per-month prices are only available in our first two-year subscription. If your subscription auto-renews, you'll be subject to hefty price hikes.
If you want to avoid these, you'll have to cancel your subscription before it ends. Then you'll have to sign up again.
🔒 Read our in-depth Surfshark review for all the details.
Buy Surfshark if:
✅ You're traveling to Europe. With servers in 54 location in Europe, Surfshark has one of the best server networks in this area.
✅ You want a cheap travel VPN. At less than $2 per month for a two-year subscription, Surfshark is the cheapest travel VPN on this list.
✅ You want a travel VPN with a free trial. Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial for iPhone, and you don't even have to input payment details to use it.
Don't buy Surfshark if:
❌ You want the biggest server spread. Surfshark server spread sits on the lower end of the scale. Outside of Europe it lags behind its competitors.
❌ You want to avoid price hikes. Surfshark is initially good value for money, but it has hefty price hikes after your subscription ends.
The best travel VPN for privacy
What we like:
If you're only travelling for a few weeks and want some added protection at a lower cost, Proton VPN is a great choice as the best cheap monthly VPN.
Proton VPN has the largest amount of servers of any VPN on this list, with 17,000+ servers, in 127 countries and 166 locations. It boasts the highest number of locations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East – 28, 44, and 13 respectively.
Proton VPN is also one of the fastest VPN on the market, achieving speeds of 1,521 Mbps in testing. So no matter where in the world you are, you should benefit from a strong, stable connection.
These high speeds, paired with its extensive server network, means that Proton VPN is also one of the best streaming VPNs too.
In testing, it unblocked almost every streaming platform we tested it with. It unblocked Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer first time. Disney+, US YouTube, and ITVX took a few attempts but it was successful in the end. The only service it failed to unblock was New Zealand's TVNZ+. So, if streaming is a top priority for you while you're on your travels, Proton VPN is a great option.
It's not all speed and streaming, either. Proton VPN has a handy feature called Secure Core. Similar to Surfshark's Dynamic Multi-Hop, it sends your traffic through multiple layers of encryption, offering much greater privacy. Proton VPN also offers an obfuscated encryption protocol called Stealth that aims to help users bypass internet censorship and conceal their VPN use.
This is perfect when traveling to countries where you'd like to increase your security and privacy.
What could improve:
At $3.59 per month for a two-year subscription, Proton VPN is the most expensive VPNs on this list.
It does have a free option, however, but despite being one of the best free VPNs, Proton VPN Free is still limited. This includes only having servers in 5 locations, and being unable to choose where in the world you connect to. It also does not support streaming.
If you're after a free VPN to encrypt your connection and spoof your location while on holiday, then this may work just fine for you.
However, if you want a VPN for streaming content or to connect to a specific location that won't break the bank, you're better off going for Surfshark or PIA.
🔒 Read our in-depth Proton VPN review for all the details.
Buy Proton VPN if:
✅ You want a huge range of servers to choose from. With 17,000+ servers in 166 locations worldwide, Proton VPN's server spread is massive. It also has the strongest offering in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
✅ Streaming is a top priority. Proton VPN unblocked almost every streaming site we tried it with during testing.
✅ You want a super-secure travel VPN. Proton VPN's Secure Core features puts your traffic through multiple layers of encryption, offering much greater privacy.
Don't buy Proton VPN if:
❌ You want a cheap travel VPN. At around $3.50 per month for a two-year subscription, Proton VPN is one of the more expensive VPNs on this list.
❌ You want a free VPN for streaming. Proton VPN Free is a great free VPN, but it doens't support streaming.
The best travel VPN for experts
What we like:
If you don't want to break the bank with your travel VPN, but want something for the more technically-minded, Private Internet Access (PIA) is a good choice.
At around $2 per month for a two-year subscription, it's one of the cheapest VPN services on this list, but it includes a huge amount of settings and customization options to play around with.
This includes encryption protocol, network settings, and even automated actions when connecting to different Wi-Fi networks.
Wherever in the world you travel to, you should be covered by PIA's server network. PIA offers more than 10,000 servers (although it does not report exactly how many) in 91 countries and 152 locations worldwide. This includes a server in every US state, making it one of the best VPNs for the US.
If you want to keep incognito while travelling, you'll be pleased to know that PIA is one of the most private VPNs on the market, with its no-logs policy being proven in court twice. It has also been audited by Deloitte, proving that its privacy claims are legit.
It also publishes three-monthly Transparency Reports, showing the exact number of times user data has been requested, and the number of times it has refused to share this data. All this goes to show just how secure and private your data will remain when using PIA.
What could improve:
If you're brand-new to VPNs, you may find PIA's interface a little tricky to navigate. While it does have a large on/off button in the center of the screen, which should allow you to get connected pretty quickly, underneath this are a series of quick settings icons.
While this may appear to be useful, allowing you to quickly and easily change the settings of your VPN connection without having to go into settings, it's not immediately obvious what these icons do or control, and to find out what they do, you'll have to go into settings.
If you're after a cheap VPN that can cover a lot of devices, but need something that's a little simpler to use, I'd recommend going for Surfshark instead.
PIA isn't the fastest VPN, either. In our speed tests, it achieved speeds of 621 Mbps. While this isn't slow by any means, and should be fast enough to handle even heavy-bandwidth activities like streaming or gaming, it doesn't hold a candle to the speeds of Proton VPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN.
🔒 Read our in-depth Private Internet Access review for all the details.
Buy Private Internet Access if:
✅ You want a cheap travel VPN. At around $2 per month for a two-year subscription, PIA is one of the cheapest VPNs on this list.
✅ You want a customizable travel VPN. PIA has a huge range of settings to play around with.
✅ You're from the US. PIA has servers in every US state, meaning you can get content from whichever state you're from while travelling.
Don't buy Private Internet Access if:
❌ You're new to VPNs. PIA's layout may make it a little confusing to navigate for VPN newbies.
❌ You want a super-fast VPN. With speeds of 621 Mbps, PIA isn't necessarily slow, but there are faster VPNs on this list.
Should I use a VPN for travel?
Well, I would always recommend using a VPN while travelling, but (of course) I'm biased.
If you are heading anywhere where your internet use will be restricted – whether this is via age verification laws in the UK or online censorship in Russia – using a VPN is a good idea to ensure that you can browse the internet as you normally would.
Using a VPN can also ensure that your internet traffic stays private, avoiding any snooping from anyone who might be trying to pry, whether this is hackers on unsecured public Wi-Fi or the government.
You can also access sites from home while away via a VPN, by simply connecting to a server in your home country.
No matter what you'll be using a travel VPN for, you should install it before you travel. This ensures that you'll be able to use it, and won't be held up by any restrcitions.
Can I use a VPN to access Netflix while traveling?
The short answer is yes, you can. However, you should know that Netflix does try to block the use of VPNs on its platform.
If your VPN use is detected, you'll see only TV shows and movies Netflix has a global license for. In Netflix's own words:
"VPNs (virtual private networks) can make your device or network look like it's connecting to Netflix from somewhere other than your actual location. While using Netflix through a VPN, we will only show you TV shows and movies we have worldwide rights for, like Squid Game or Stranger Things.
"If you don't see TV shows and movies that are available for your country, you may need to turn your VPN off.
"Note: Watching Netflix while using a VPN isn't allowed on an ad-supported plan. Live events on Netflix can't be watched while using a VPN."
Thankfully, we've tested all the best VPNs for Netflix, so you can use one of our recommended VPNs safe in the knowledge that you can use it to access Netflix during your travels.
Is it illegal to use a VPN while travelling?
The answer to this is that it depends. While (in general) it is not illegal to use a VPN while travelling, there are many countries where VPN use is restricted or outright banned.
Examples of this include China, although it is important to note that, as of the time of writing, no visitors to China have been arrested for using a VPN.
Regardless, if you do want to use a VPN for travelling to get around censorship or internet restrictions, you should download and install your VPN before you leave the country.
Failing to do so may mean you cannot download or use a VPN at all.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN works by creating an encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic to pass through. This hides your online activities from any prying eyes, whether this is your ISP, hackers, or even the government.
As the encrypted tunnel is created via connecting to a VPN server, you will virtually appear to be where the VPN server is located, even giving you an IP address from within that country.
This means that both your true location and IP address are masked, as well as your internet traffic.
This means that when you're travelling, you'll still be able to virtually appear as though you're at home. This can be useful for more mundane things like catching up with movies or TV shows from home, as well as avoiding government censorship in countries where VPN or internet use is restricted.
Back to the best travel VPNs ^
How to choose the right travel VPN
The first thing to consider when choosing a travel VPN is where you're going, and whether the VPN of your choice will best serve this area.
For example, if you're going somewhere where internet or VPN use is restrcited, you'll need to go for a VPN with obfuscation so your use of it can go under the radar.
If you are using a VPN for this reason, we recommend installing it before you travel to avoid any issues.
Another thing to consider is what specifically you'll be using your VPN for. For example, if you want to use it to access TV shows and movies from back home, you'll want to make sure your chosen VPN can access the right streaming sites.
Price is also something to keep in mind. For example, if you're only travelling for a short amount of time, and don't want to continue using a VPN after you get back, then looking for the cheapest monthly VPN contract may be best.
On the other hand, if you know you'll want to use your VPN for a long period of time after your travels, or you're going to be on the road for a long time, then a longer, cheaper contract may suit your needs better.
Back to the best travel VPNs ^
The experts that test VPNs at Tom's Guide
Olivia joined Tom's Guide in October 2023 as part of the core Tech Software team, and is currently VPN Commissioning Editor. She regularly uses VPNs to make sure they deliver what they promise, and specializes in testing VPNs with streaming sites.
Mo has written about VPNs for Tom's Guide, day-in, day-out, for five years. He's an expert when it comes to what makes a VPN truly usable, and loves it when a VPN makes staying safe online as easy as possible. He is also a contributor to TechRadar, T3, and What Hi-Fi?.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
