Best VPNs for travel abroad in 2025: Stay connected and secure

People spend a lot of time, money, and mental energy planning the perfect trip abroad. Ideally, you’d arrive in a new country and immediately start relaxing. Unfortunately, some things can get in your way. You may find that your favorite websites, streaming services, or social platforms are blocked due to geo-restrictions or local censorship. Further, using public wifi networks while traveling could expose you to online privacy and security risks.

The good news is that Travel VPNs can solve these problems. A travel VPN encrypts your internet traffic, shielding your data from hackers, ISP snooping, and tracking by public hotspots. A high-quality VPN also hides your IP address and location, allowing you to bypass geo-blocks and access content from back home from anywhere in the world. That means you can keep streaming your favorite shows, messaging friends, or checking your bank account – even visiting countries with strict online restrictions.

The best travel VPNs come with essential features like a kill switch, fast speeds, a wide server network, and support for multiple platforms and devices. Most allow several simultaneous connections, allowing the whole family to protect their activities and bypass online blocks. The best VPNs also offer a no-logs policy and back their service with a money-back guarantee, so you can test it risk-free. Some even include extras like malware blocking, obfuscated servers, or Smart DNS – making them even more versatile.

In our hands-on tests, we prioritized speed, security, and real-world usability. We also consider the VPN’s price to get you the best value for money. Let’s dive in with a quick overview of the best VPNs for traveling abroad!

Best VPNs for international travelers:

1. NordVPN: The top VPN for travel. Fast enough to handle any everyday task, with excellent server coverage and a ton of security tools built-in. Works in countries with strict censorship and reliably unblocks most region-exclusive streaming services. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for traveling.
2. Surfshark: The best budget VPN for staying safe abroad. It excels at accessing geo-restricted platforms, has no connection limit, and is currently the fastest service on the market.
3. Total VPN: A speedy, reliable VPN with servers in over 80 countries worldwide. Powerful security features, a no-logs policy, and 24/7 customer support.
4. ProtonVPN: Freemium VPN with impressive performance. Keeps no logs and is very easy to use, even if you’re a complete beginner. Allows 10 simultaneous connections.
5. ExpressVPN: Boasts high-speeds, intuitive apps for all platforms, and servers in over 100 countries. Keeps no logs and lets you effortlessly access the wider internet in places like China.
6. IPVanish: A beginner-friendly, no-logs travel VPN capable of bypassing many forms of digital censorship. Secures every device you own. Enhanced privacy with Threat Protection tool. Lowest price for a single month on our list.
7. CyberGhost: Zero-logs provider with a larger network than any other. Task-specific servers take all guesswork out of the equation. Reliable speeds and 24/7 support but won’t work in high-censorship countries.
8. PureVPN: Affordable, no-logs service that outpaces many of its rivals. Novice-friendly settings menu and plenty of additional privacy tools for those willing to pay a little more.
9. PrivateVPN: Offers a stealth mode, self-owned servers, and true no-logs policy for maximum privacy when traveling. Works well with most region-locked platforms, though its speeds could be improved.

Our criteria for choosing the best travel VPNs

Most people aren’t interested in trying multiple VPNs; if the first one they try doesn’t meet their needs, they (understandably) become discouraged and move on. That said, every VPN is different. There’s a huge range of variability in terms of speed, security, and versatility, which means some are great for traveling while others are significantly less so.

Comparitech’s experts have decades of experience testing VPNs, which means we’re perfectly positioned to highlight strengths and weaknesses that the average user might miss. To find the best VPNs for travel, we evaluated candidates on several key criteria:

• Network size: Each VPN is assigned a score based on how many countries its network covers. Our team also considers server distribution to make sure that users in high-traffic locations are adequately provided for.
• Speed and consistency: Your VPN has to be fast enough for whatever you throw at it. Some boast great performance in some locations but drastically slower speeds elsewhere, which is why we run multiple tests, across multiple regions, before averaging the results. This way, the average user gets a clearer idea of the speeds they can expect.
• Freedom of use: Several countries (including China, Russia, and the UAE) attempt to block VPN usage entirely. Despite this, some providers have been able to find workarounds. We first check to see whether this is the case, which countries the VPN works in, and how straightforward it is to actually bypass country-wide censorship.
• Security and privacy: VPNs often advertise themselves as “the most secure” but in my professional opinion, that’s not detailed enough for customers to make an informed decision. We rate providers on 15 separate criteria, examining their supported protocols, encryption level, logging policy, audit history, and whether leak protection is included.
• Streaming capabilities: Roughly a quarter of users rely on VPNs to access region-specific content. However, it’s common for VPNs to work with one app but not another. We run dozens of tests, with higher scores for services that work with larger numbers of streaming platforms.
• Value: Our team decides whether a specific VPN represents good value by evaluating it on eight criteria. This isn’t limited to its price either; we weigh up how many simultaneous connections it allows, whether long-term discounts are available, and what it offers relative to similarly-priced competitors.
• Our expert’s professional rating: It’s important to us that our reviews reflect real-world experiences. For that reason, we have one of our experts personally try each VPN and  rate it out of 10. This score, alongside those above, gives us a comprehensive, unbiased overall score for each provider.

Want to know more? you can read more about our VPN testing process, and the results of those tests in the methodology section below. First let’s take a closer look at the VPNs that made the cut.

Top VPNs for travel compared

We’ve compared the most important features of the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for travelers.

Best VPNs for traveling: Detailed reviews

Here are our detailed reviews of the best VPNs for travelers.

1. NordVPN

Sep 2025

NordVPN is the best VPN service for international travel. Its network consists of 7,700 servers across 118 countries, which is more than other secure VPN providers. And thanks to its specially designed obfuscated servers, it’s one of the only VPNs that works reliably in high-censorship locations like China.

While there are faster services on the market, NordVPN delivers impressive speed and remarkable consistency. It delivered average speeds of over 200 Mbps on our test machine, but to get an idea of how well it performs in the real world, we decided to chart average speeds across seven locations using a home broadband connection (which averaged 49 Mbps).

We found that NordVPN delivered the highest speeds in European countries (France, Greece, and Italy) but that they declined with servers further away from the Western world. On the plus side, speeds remained high enough to watch 4K video, torrent, or play games without interruption in all countries.

On that note, NordVPN uses a suite of tools called SmartPlay to ensure seamless access to region-locked services wherever you are in the world. These run in the background, and users don’t have to do anything beyond picking the right server location for the platform they’re trying to use.

During our hands-on testing, we could reliably stream Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and many more, making this one of the most reliable options for travelers who don’t want to miss the latest episode of their favorite shows.

There are a few security tools that are extremely valuable for travelers, too. You can have the VPN connect automatically whenever you use an unsecured hotspot, hide your device from others on the network, or allow certain apps to bypass the VPN entirely. This last feature is great for anyone who’d like to access services from back home without losing access to sites that are only available in their current location. You can even route data from several devices through a single IP address using the revolutionary MeshNet tool.

Most people will be perfectly fine with the Basic plan. However, you can upgrade to a Plus subscription if you’d like additional protection. This comes with anti-malware and tracker-blocking features, plus a data breach alert system and password manager. Alternatively, there’s the Ultimate plan, which offers all of this as well as 1TB of encrypted cloud storage and cyber insurance coverage (for users in certain locations).

NordVPN makes it very easy to protect yourself from common online threats, and offers apps for all major platforms. Not only that, it works with geo-restricted platforms that trip up many of its rivals. Desktop versions can take a little longer to connect but all things considered, that’s a fairly small flaw and one that’s easily overlooked thanks to how beginner-friendly the service is.

BEST VPN FOR TRAVEL:NordVPN is our first choice, and for good reason. Its proven no-logs policy, impressive performance, and anti-censorship tools make it a fantastic option for privacy-conscious travelers. Every subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee too, so you can try it out completely risk-free.

Check out our complete NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark is one of the best options to get long-term, top-tier protection on a budget. This isn’t some cheap VPN that does the bare minimum, though. It actually beat every other service we tested in terms of speed and is one of the few that can reliably access the wider internet in places like China.

This provider’s network spans an impressive 100+ countries. We found that there was virtually no impact on performance when using European servers though those in Asian countries tended to be quite a bit slower (though still perfectly usable).

So why is this VPN a good choice for travelers? Well, for starters, it excels at accessing stubborn geo-locked platforms. You’ll be able to continue using services like Hulu, ITVX, or Stan, no matter where you are in the world, and split tunneling support means you can make exceptions in case you’d rather access the local version of certain sites. Best of all, there’s no connection limit. As such, protecting your entire group’s devices with one account is possible.

Surfshark also boasts a strong focus on security. Its standard plan includes a variety of advanced security tools, including the option to change your IP address periodically and block ads automatically. It doesn’t keep any logs either, something confirmed by independent auditors. The latest version actually lets you create custom multihop connections (routing your data through multiple servers for additional privacy); which is something no other provider offers.

If you’re willing to pay a little extra, you can effectively transform this service into a mobile security suite. Its Surfshark One plan comes with a virus scanner, ID breach alerts, a private search engine, malware protection, and a tool that generates fake personas so that you can sign up for services without providing any sensitive information.

This VPN supports iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS, plus it’s one of the only services with a graphical Linux app. It’s extremely versatile, affordable, and newcomer-friendly, and as if that wasn’t enough, it can be relied upon in places where most other VPNs are blocked outright. There is quite simply, no other service that offers this level of security and performance at such a reasonable price.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark manages to outshine many of its more expensive rivals. Offers a high level of security, effortlessly unblocks popular streaming platforms, and can keep you safe no matter how many devices you have. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Find out more in our full Surfshark review.

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3. Total VPN

Total VPN is a veteran provider that’s been around for more than a decade. It has roughly 1,800 servers in over 80 countries and can reliably access even the most stubborn geo-blocked platforms (including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+). Users can connect up to five of their devices simultaneously and there’s around the clock support thanks to this provider’s ticket system.

This provider offers high-speed servers in dozens of countries and can unblock a huge range of content, making it perfect for international travelersSpeed isn’t the only thing you should consider but there’s no denying it’s important! To see what Total VPN is capable of, we had our team perform three speed tests (one in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon) using a standard 50 Mbps connection. The table below shows results for servers in six different countries, giving us a better understanding of how much slowdown you can expect using one that’s far away from your actual location.

Total VPN managed to achieve an average speed of 41.3 Mbps. Our highest result was from the Greek server, while the lowest was from Japan (understandable given we ran our tests in the UK). Simply put, whether you’re hoping to watch TV from back home, torrent anonymously, or play games with friends in other countries, this VPN can handle it without breaking a sweat.

When it comes to security, this service doesn’t mess around. It boasts 256-bit AES encryption (which is currently considered uncrackable), a kill switch in almost every version of the app, and automatic DNS and IPv6 leak protection. Naturally, Total VPN follows a no-logging policy, so your online activities can’t be revealed under any circumstances. Its Hydra protocol can help you browse safely on networks that normally block VPNs outright but it won’t help you evade country-wide censorship.

Total VPN apps are available for Windows, Android, iOS, and MacOS.

LIGHTWEIGHT, NO-LOGS VPN:Total VPN is a clutter-free beginner-friendly service that excels at beating regional restrictions. Refuses to keep logs, offers very high speeds, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee (14 days on short-term plans).

Take a look at our full Total VPN review.

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4. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a freemium service, and if you just want to keep a single device secure while on public wifi, you may not ever need to upgrade. After all, the company has a long history of standing up for privacy, and also operates ProtonMail, the choice of activists the world over.

If you’re thinking long-term, though, it’s a good idea to consider paying for a premium plan. For starters, you can’t torrent or access streaming platforms without one, and you’re limited to just a handful of server locations. Once upgraded, however, users gain access to over 11,000 servers in 110 different countries, and can protect up to 10 devices simultaneously.

Speed is another great reason to upgrade. The free servers are decent, and fast enough for most things, but still slower than the paid ones. Our in-depth testing revealed that paid users could expect average speeds of around 41.6 Mbps on a 49 Mbps base connection, with only slight reductions when using very distant servers.

On the plus side, the majority of ProtonVPN’s toolkit is available to everyone. This includes powerful encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, and port forwarding functionality. There’s a strict no-logs policy in place too, and it’s been independently-verified for your peace of mind.

Paid plans come with ad-blocking, malware-protection, and split tunneling functionality, as well as multi-hop servers and the option to use custom DNS servers. Experienced users will appreciate the extra control that these offer but if you’re newer, they may just feel a little overwhelming. Finally, there’s a higher-tier subscription called Proton Unlimited that offers all of this, a password manager, and encrypted file storage.

The apps have a bit of an unusual design but they’re easy enough to get the hang of. For instance, there’s an icon beside each server letting you know if it’s suitable for torrenting or streaming – it’s not clear what these mean at a glance, but you can hover over them for an explanation. Additionally, the kill switch and ad-blocker are on the home screen instead of in the options menu, where most other VPNs have them.

ProtonVPN does a lot of things well, and it’s backed up by a company with a stellar reputation on privacy. Depending on your needs, you may even be able to rely entirely on the free version. Travelers interested in streaming TV shows from back home or getting fine-grained control over their connection would do well to upgrade.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY:ProtonVPN has an impressive freemium offering, with strong speeds and a great set of security features. Its streaming ability is excellent, it works in places like China, and doesn’t keep any logs. Paid subscriptions include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Learn more with our full ProtonVPN review.

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5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN manages to blend a fairly simplistic interface with a set of privacy tools that many of its competitors struggle to match. As such, it’s a natural choice for travelers hoping to protect themselves while using hotel or coffee shop wifi, as well as anyone visiting places where internet access is strictly monitored.

You don’t even have to do anything to bypass state-wide censorship; just connect using the big power button in the middle of the app and ExpressVPN takes care of the rest.

While you’re at it, we’d suggest taking the time to enable the newly-introduced tracker, malware, and ad-blocking features. You’ll be asked if you want to the first time you connect but can also find them in the options menu later under Advanced Protection.

There are a couple of other advantages to this service too. First off, it has servers in a staggering 105 countries. In short, you shouldn’t run into issues whether you’re trying to watch TV from your home country or renew your passport via region-locked government platforms. It also has its own protocol named Lightway that can keep your connection secure even while switching networks and improve performance over long distances.

Our testing revealed that ExpressVPN generally provides reliable, high-speed connections, though there is a relatively steep falloff the further away your chosen server is. As the table below shows, our staff in Europe reported barely any impact on speeds using servers in Greece, but the average speed was just 31.59 Mbps while on a Japanese server. In my professional opinion, this will be fine for most day-to-day tasks, though you may experience buffering while doing data-intensive things like streaming 4K video.

As you might expect, ExpressVPN provides apps for all major operating systems. However, it’s the only VPN we’ve seen during our many years in this industry that has its own router app. This means you’ll be able to more easily secure devices that don’t support full VPN software, like game consoles and smart TVs. The support area of its website provides detailed instructions to get you up and running as quickly as possible, but you can also ask the support team to guide you through it via live chat, or simply purchase a router that has ExpressVPN preinstalled.

This is a remarkably straightforward VPN boasting impressive capabilities. While there are more affordable options out there, ExpressVPN’s ease of use may make the slightly higher price worth it, especially if you’re the type of person who hates messing around in the settings menu.

HASSLE-FREE PROTECTION:ExpressVPN has plenty to offer, not least of which is a large network. Delivers steady speeds, handily unblocks most geo-blocked sites, and offers its own router software. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Take a look at our in-depth ExpressVPN review.

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6. IPVanish

IPVanish is a phenomenal choice for travelers looking for a versatile yet easy-to-use VPN. Say you’re in a foreign country trying to book a reservation or contact friends back home – the last thing you want is to have your personal information or communications intercepted. That won’t be an issue since IPVanish uses unbreakable encryption, automatically connects when on unrecognized networks, and prevents IPv6 and DNS leaks by default.

It’s quick, too! What really stood out to us was its consistency; there was less than 15 Mbps difference between the fastest and slowest servers we tested. And, IPVanish’s recently expanded server network now covers over 100 countries, so you have plenty of choices when it comes to locations in Europe, Asia, or North America.

As someone who’s been monitoring IPVanish for years, I’m pleased to say that this service has really stepped up its game recently. The latest update introduced a Threat Protection tool that fights back against ads, online trackers, and shady websites, and there’s been a real push to provide reliable access to stubborn geo-blocked sites. For example, we were able to stream content from Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Prime Video, three services that previously caused problems for this VPN.

New to VPNs? No problem: IPVanish tries to be as accessible and beginner-friendly as possible. It does this in a few different ways. Its interface is clutter-free, with short descriptions of what each setting does. Additionally, it offers apps for almost every device, including Amazon Firestick and Apple TV, though you will have to manually install it on Linux systems (don’t worry: the website’s support section will walk you through the process step-by-step). Best of all, users can connect as many devices as they like with a single subscription.

This provider is speedy, novice-friendly, and extremely capable, plus it provides all of the tools you’ll need to protect yourself during a trip abroad. With reasonably-priced long-term plans, a growing list of capabilities, and no connection limit, IPVanish is great for almost any task.

Finally, it is worth noting that this VPN offers impressive value. Not only can you use a single VPN subscription on an unlimited number of devices, but you can opt for the Advanced plan which comes with 1 Terabyte of cloud storage, and a secure cloud-based browser.

The sandboxed browser is particularly handy. By keeping your browsing online, it keeps harmful elements like trackers or malware away from your device. This also allows you to carry out browsing without worrying that local networks or ISPs will find out. This is ideal for users who need more privacy or are browsing in regions with heavy internet restrictions.

In our tests, the sandboxed browser performed well for private surfing, though HD and 4K streaming could be smoother. We also experienced more captchas on Google, which was a touch annoying. This makes the secure browser less useful for streaming than we would have hoped. But it is still an excellent resource for those living in restrictive countries.

All things considered, with both VPN and cloud storage included at a competitive rate, the Advanced plan is well worth considering if you are already in need of both.

IDEAL FOR USE ABROAD:IPVanish is fast and puts your security first. There’s virtually no chance of hackers keeping tabs on your activities once connected, plus this VPN has shown a strong commitment to improving its service. Annual plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the complete IPVanish review for more info.

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7. CyberGhost

CyberGhost has a larger network than any other VPN in this list, with over 11,500 servers across 100 countries and 126 locations. This all but guarantees you’ll be able to get a speedy, low-latency connection during a trip abroad. Our testing backs this up, too, with the average speed (41.56 Mbps) still well above the threshold required for day-to-day browsing.

A common issue many users have is discovering which servers are best for accessing region-locked apps. CyberGhost tells you outright which are best for accessing popular streaming platforms, and also recommends servers that are specially-optimized for gaming, torrenting, dedicated IP addresses, or getting the highest level of privacy. This removes all guesswork, allowing you to spend less time messing around and more time actually focusing on enjoying yourself.

Let’s talk about security. This provider has been repeatedly audited to prove that it doesn’t keep any logs of your online activities. Thanks to its powerful encryption, leak protection, and kill switch, there’s minimal chance of having your info stolen while using a public network. There are even special NoSpy servers that are owned outright and stored at CyberGhost’s HQ so that your data never passes through a third-party’s hardware.

Competing VPNs often include automatic wifi protection but this tends to be very simple: it’s either active or not. In contrast, CyberGhost takes a more flexible approach. Using the Smart rules tab, it’s possible to connect right away when on an unfamiliar network, connect after a preset amount of time, set exceptions, start programs, or connect to specific servers whenever you open a particular app.

This VPN offers apps for iOS, MacOS, Windows, Android, and Linux, plus extensions for a few of the most popular browsers. Unlike most other providers, CyberGhost is still able to block ads and shady sites when installed on a router. The only downside is that it can’t be relied upon in places with extreme censorship since it lacks a stealth mode.

CyberGhost is a low-cost VPN with near-unmatched utility. Excels on privacy, streaming ability, and user-friendliness. Customer support staff are friendly and can be reached 24 hours per day over live chat. However you plan to use the internet on vacation, this service can help.

FAST AND FLEXIBLE:CyberGhost knows that travelers need high speeds and a strong set of security tools. Takes the stress out of using geo-blocked platforms abroad and boasts a phenomenal privacy record. All plans feature a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Why not read our full review of CyberGhost?

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8. PureVPN

PureVPN operates more than 6,000 servers in around 65 countries. Better still, it works with most streaming platforms we’ve tested, including Netflix, Max, and Hulu, making it great for users hoping to wind down after a busy day in a foreign country.

The desktop app is pretty easy to use, but there are a couple of questionable design choices. For instance, the connect button and server selection are relegated to a small area at the top, with the bulk of the main page devoted to features that aren’t included with a basic subscription. There are several tabs down the side too, with many of these simply trying to funnel you towards upgrading your plan. The settings menu is neatly-organized, at least, and we liked the ability to contact staff directly via the app.

To its credit, this VPN does provide remarkably high speeds. It was runner-up in our fastest VPN testing, and performed admirably on home broadband connections too. Across four different server locations, it delivered speeds of around 31.6 Mbps, with one particularly poor result (South Korea) dragging its average speed down to 31.57 Mbps. Note that PureVPN doesn’t operate Mexican servers, so there is no result recorded.

If you’re concerned about staying safe online, PureVPN can help. It uses industry-approved encryption, prevents DNS and IPv6 leaks, and offers a customizable kill switch that stops sending data the moment your connection drops. Users can also hide their device from others on the network or tell the app to recommend servers that worked well for you during prior sessions. There’s a tracker-blocking feature built-in but this only works if you chose the Plus or Max plans – these are more expensive but include benefits like a password manager, encrypted storage, or personal data deletion to help justify the added cost.

Apps are available for all popular platforms, plus PureVPN is one of the only major providers with a graphical Linux app. You can protect 10 devices simultaneously or manually configure the service to run on most routers if that’s not enough.

PureVPN gives travelers the opportunity to browse the web safely, no matter where they are. It has a strong focus on speed and security, plus it can access services many competing VPNs can’t. Best of all, it’s been independently-audited so you know its privacy claims can be trusted.

USER-FRIENDLY:PureVPN puts a lot of effort into being accessible to newcomers. With steady speeds, a strong commitment to privacy, and the ability to bypass digital censorship, it’s perfect for international travel. Includes a 31-day money-back guarantee.

For more details, take a look at our complete PureVPN review.

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9. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN may not be as well known as some of its competitors, but when it comes to security and privacy, it goes the extra mile. That’s great news for international travelers, especially when you consider tourism is one of the three industries most-targeted by cybercriminals. With just a few clicks, you can activate its stealth mode, raise the encryption level, or enable the kill switch (and it’s even possible to close specific apps when your connection drops).

One key thing to note is that PrivateVPN has just 200 servers worldwide, spread across 63 countries. This means that the entire location becomes inaccessible when certain servers go down for maintenance. However, the entire network is owned and hosted in-house, allowing improvements and fixes to be rolled out more quickly than if the servers were rented. Better still, this approach ensures that user traffic never passes through any other company’s hardware unencrypted.

This VPN bucks industry trends in other ways, too. For instance, it’s also one of the only services we’ve seen that allows you to change the interface based on how involved you want to get. When you first open the app, you’ll be shown a very basic page that just allows you to connect or change server location. Hit the Advanced View button though, and you’ll gain access to key information about your connection and a slew of additional features.

This level of privacy does come at a cost. PrivateVPN is the slowest of our recommendations, averaging just 24 Mbps on a 49 Mbps connection, with significant variability in speed depending on your chosen server location – Mexico, we’re looking at you! You’ll also notice a couple of blank spaces in the chart below, where servers simply timed out. So you might want to consider where you’re traveling to before choosing this provider.

At least you’ll be able to access your usual platforms, though; this VPN rarely encounters a region-exclusive service it can’t unblock. Our team was able to use apps like BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and Prime Video without any issues.

This VPN offers apps for Android, Windows, MacOS, and iOS. It can be manually installed on Linux systems, but we’d have preferred to see a command-line-based app like those offered by other providers in this list. Alternatively, if you’d like to secure more than 10 devices, we’d suggest installing PrivateVPN directly on your router instead (just follow the setup guides on the website for step-by-step instructions).

While it’s not the fastest, PrivateVPN is still a solid recommendation for anyone who travels regularly. It can reliably access a ton of popular geo-blocked sites, refuses to keep logs, and boasts spectacular security credentials. Best of all, it only costs a couple of dollars per month if you pick the multi-year plan.

PRIVACY FIRST:PrivateVPN devotes all of its effort to keeping your online activities hidden. It’s a low-cost service with a strong security toolkit and exceptional unblocking ability, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Interested? Check out our comprehensive PrivateVPN review.

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How to stay safe while traveling using a VPN

From a user’s standpoint, VPNs can seem overly complicated and a little intimidating. The reality is that they’re fairly easy to use, and a great way to protect yourself against online threats while traveling to other countries. Just follow these steps and you’ll be browsing securely in no time.

How to browse safely with a VPN during a trip abroad 

1. Start by choosing a suitable provider. We recommend NordVPN; having tested numerous similar products, we can safely say that it’s one of the quickest, most secure services around. Plus it maintains its high standards, even in countries with extreme censorship.
2. Install the app before you leave home and save a copy of the manual configuration instructions just in case (sometimes oppressive governments update their VPN-detection methods, preventing the apps from working as intended for a short time).
3. Log in and choose a server. You’ll generally get the fastest connection from a server located nearby but in real-world scenarios, this may not always be the best option. That’s because if you’re trying to use a region-locked service, you’ll have to choose a server in the required country (using a British server to access BBC iPlayer abroad, for instance).
4. After a moment, the VPN will connect. From this moment on, your real IP address and online activities are hidden, allowing you to browse the internet without worrying about who might be watching.
5. Having problems? As someone who uses VPNs often, I’ve found that trying a different server or connection protocol fixes most issues. Failing this, it’s best to contact your VPN’s support team for free, one-on-one assistance.

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Are VPNs legal in the country I’m visiting?

How can I find out what the VPN rules are for the countries I’m visiting? This is a common question among travelers, and it is an excellent idea to check whether you can legally use a VPN while traveling abroad.

In some countries, such as the UAE, VPN use may be prohibited for specific use cases, such as bypassing government censorship. This means you can use a VPN to unblock your home Netflix catalog without getting in trouble. On the other hand, using a VPN to make VoIP calls – or to access adult content – could be against the rules.

In other countries, such as Russia and China, VPN use is prohibited unless the VPN company has registered with the government. Unfortunately, VPNs registered with those governments are unlikely to have a no-logs policy, and may be legally required to share data with government snoops. This makes using those VPNs a bad idea if you want online privacy.

Understanding VPN laws by country can be hard. This is why we recommend checking local laws before using a VPN internationally. The easiest way to check whether it is safe to use a VPN in the country you are visiting is to check our Best VPN lists.

Check our Best VPN lists

At Comparitech, we have VPN articles for nearly every country. These lists allow you to check which VPNs work best in the country you will be visiting. They also provide important information regarding the legality of VPN use in the country you will be visiting.

Want to know whether it is legal to use a VPN in China? You can visit our guide to the best VPNs for China and learn everything there is to know about VPN use in China.

In the following countries, there are legal considerations surrounding the use of VPNs. Note that this list is not exhaustive, so we still advise you to search for our specific VPN list if you need to know whether you are allowed to use a VPN in another country.

You can click on any of the country links below to visit our best VPN list:

• China: VPN providers must obtain a license from the government. Unauthorized VPNs are illegal, and their use can lead to penalties.
• Russia: VPNs are required to comply with government regulations, including blocking access to banned websites. Non-compliant VPNs are prohibited.
• Turkey: VPNs aren’t illegal in Turkey, but the government imposes restrictions. This can make it hard to subscribe because many popular VPN provider websites are blocked. It can also be hard to connect, so we advise using a VPN with effective obfuscation. Although there’s no formal licensing process, VPNs are technically required to comply with Turkish content regulations.
• United Arab Emirates (UAE): VPN use is legal in the UAE as long as you don’t use a VPN for illicit purposes such as bypassing VoIP blocks or watching adult content. Using a VPN for privacy purposes while working, to prevent hacking on public wifi, or for accessing a foreign streaming service is not against the law.
• India: The government mandates that VPN providers collect and store user data for a specified period. Non-compliant VPNs are not permitted to operate legally.
• Iran: Only government-approved VPNs are legal. Unauthorized VPN use is prohibited and can lead to legal consequences.
• Egypt: VPN use is not explicitly illegal in Egypt. However, the government has taken steps to block access to many VPNs. Using a VPN to bypass censorship could result in fines. Thus, it is what you choose to do with a vPN rather than using a VPN that could be considered illegal.
• Uganda: Although VPNs aren’t illegal, ISPs have been asked to block VPNs. This can make it challenging to subscribe to VPNs in Uganda. It is a good idea to subscribe to and install the VPN prior to visiting Uganda. Use of a VPN to bypass the social media tax could lead to fines.

VPN considerations while traveling abroad

The important thing to remember is that when visiting countries that frown upon VPNs, such as the UAE, it is a good idea to use a highly secure and reliable VPN with advanced privacy features such as a kill switch and obfuscation. This will help you in various ways.

Firstly, it will allow your VPN to connect even when local networks or ISPs are attempting to block VPNs. This ensures that you can use the VPN, even if the local network is attempting to prevent VPN use.

Secondly, the obfuscation will conceal your VPN use and make it seem like regular HTTPS traffic. This reduces the chance of you being singled out as suspicious. In addition, the kill switch will prevent your activities from leaking to the local network or ISP should the VPN connection drop out. This is vital if you intend to use the VPN for any use cases that might be considered illegal.

Secure VPNs make tracking your activities difficult!

The important thing to remember is that as long as you stick to a recommended VPN with robust privacy and security features, including trusted VPN protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard, it will be very hard for local networks, ISPs, and government agencies to deduce what you are doing online.

This is the whole point of a reliable VPN: it makes you private online. So as long as you stick to a recommended VPN for the place you are traveling, you will be able to access the internet free of censorship or surveillance. That is why we strongly advise sticking to secure VPNs with no logging policies, robust AES encryption, and reliable privacy features such as DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and obfuscation.

Please note that while we always do our best to provide accurate information for each of the countries we write about, we are not legal experts. Nothing in our guides should be taken as legal advice, and using a VPN is strictly at your own risk.

How can I find out VPN rules for the countries I’m visiting?

The best way to check a VPN’s legal status is to search for our VPN country guide for that country. You can do this by searching for the words “Best VPN for” the country you are interested in and the word “Comparitech” in Google Search. This will let you navigate to our VPN guide.

If you are still confused, you can use the following methods to double-check VPN legality for your country:

1. Use official government travel advisories: Some countries publish data about internet restrictions (including VPN use) in their official travel guidance.
2. Check with your VPN provider: Some VPNs offer country-specific guidance. Some even list which locations block their service or require obfuscation features.
3. Ask in trusted forums or expat communities: Reddit subs like r/VPN, travel forums, or country-specific expat groups often discuss real-world experiences using VPNs. You can also ask on Quora or check to see if someone has asked previously.
4. Use a VPN that offers obfuscation: If you want to be able to get online privacy while traveling, you will be safe as long as you stick to one of the most secure VPNs for traveling. If you are traveling in a highly restrictive country, we advise using a VPN with a kill switch, robust OpenVPN encryption, and obfuscation. Features like Camouflage Mode, Stealth VPN, or Obfuscated Servers can be toggled on in the VPN’s settings.

Best VPNs for travel: FAQs