What is the Best Free VPN While Traveling?

Want to use the best free VPN while traveling abroad? We have compiled a detailed analysis of the best international VPNs to let you access public networks safely while keeping your privacy secured. Plus, if you’re like me and like to relax and watch movies, we’ll also answer “which VPN for Netflix?” because not every VPN service allows you to access your account internationally.

Today, many people work remotely and run their business off-site through their mobile phones and laptops while traveling. Using WiFi makes them vulnerable to risks associated with browsing online.

Even if you don’t have an online business, you’re still exposed to cybersecurity threats. Hackers can skim your information while accessing online banking accounts, using social media platforms, sending emails, and making purchases with credit cards. What is the ultimate solution to access all of these apps safely while traveling abroad?

You use the Best VPNs for travel.

Let’s discuss what a VPN is and how it can benefit you during your journey.

What is a VPN Service?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a private network connection from a public network by masking your IP (Internet Protocol) to make your online actions untraceable. Without a VPN, you’re exposed to online security threats because of insecure connections compromising your privacy.

VPN services also allow users to access restricted websites that are censored by particular countries. You may use a VPN on your desktop or laptop and even install its available apps on mobile phones, Macs, and tablets.

Buying a laptop privacy screen filter adds another layer of protection for your data when using your computer in public. This little gadget prevents people from sitting to your side and reading your screen.

Read: What is a VPN and Why are They Important?

Why is a VPN Important for Travel?

When traveling, you use public Wi-Fi to access the internet most of the time. It might not seem insecure at first, but the internet can be a dangerous place if you don’t have the proper protection.

Accessing public Wi-Fi exposes you to privacy risks like:

• Email Hacking
• Government Spying Programs
• Credit Card Information Breach
• Social Media Hacking
• Worm Attacks
• Man In The Middle Attacks
• … and many more

When you use the best free VPN services, your browsing is protected.

Read: 5 Places to Use a VPN While Traveling

Free Wi-Fi Attract Criminals and Hackers

Free WiFi is available in almost every airport, restaurant, hostel, cafe, and hotel. Even if we aren’t making full use of these internet networks, a quick connection is enough to expose your private data to severe risks.

Since you’re not the only one using the public network, any other person accessing the same network can easily access your unencrypted data with the right tools. For example, they can see your files, passwords, temporary cookies, and other personal information.

When using WiFi outside your home or office, only a VPN can make your internet connection safe and keep your privacy locked from cyber-attacks.

Best International VPNs for Traveling Abroad

Is online privacy a concern of yours? While planning your next vacation, sign up for one of our recommended VPN networks. These VPN services are internationally recognized, and each one provides unique features. Give them a shot and secure your online privacy.

NordVPN

NordVPN is our #1 pick for the best VPN for travel.

Offering the next-gen wall of encryption, NordVPN is a nightmare for cyber attackers who try to access your data through public network connections. It’s packed with 20 features that protect you from the risks of online browsing.

It is the fastest VPN of all the services we reviewed. NordVPN is powerful and keeps your internet connection fast, even on public networks. The connection remains stable throughout the session, so you can get your work done efficiently.

One of NordVPN’s unique selling points is that they don’t save your information in their database, making your activity completely logless. It follows every online security standard, including DNS leak protection, internet kill switch, OpenVPN protocol, and 256-bit encryption. What more could you expect from a VPN service provider?

Are you ready to unleash the power of NordVPN to protect your online data? Try it today to enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

NordVPN Features:

• Uninterrupted Streaming: Say no to ‘buffering’ from now on and witness the fastest streaming on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other video platforms. Which VPN for Netflix is best? Now you know it.
• VPN Servers Everywhere: With over 5,500 servers hosted in 59 countries, NordVPN has one of the largest VPN server networks in the world.
• Use on Six Devices: Secure up to six devices at a time using a single NordVPN subscription.
• Masked IP: Nobody has the right to access your real IP, so don’t let anyone do it with this IP masking feature of NordVPN.
• P2P Servers: No more hassles in sharing large files online. NordVPN has powerful P2P servers that can handle the immense load.
• Double IP Protection: NordVPN goes one step further changes your IP twice, making your internet connection absolutely untraceable.
• Malware and Ad-Blocking: With its CyberSec feature, you can block malware and annoying ads that invade your screen over and over again.

ExpressVPN

Able to unblock millions of websites anywhere, ExpressVPN is a strong choice the best VPN service. Its works well even in repressive countries like China and Iran, where the government and regulatory authorities censor most websites.

The military-grade encryption (256-bit AES) used by ExpressVPN is virtually impenetrable and would take billions of years if current internet technology is used to try to crack its algorithm.

Sounds impressive, right?

The android and iOS apps are intuitive and easy to use with one click connection feature. Sign up today to receive 30 days for free.

ExpressVPN Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

Express VPN Features:

• Servers in 90 Countries: ExpressVPN offers more servers than you could possibly need to use. Can you even name ninety countries?
• 24/7 Live Chat Support: A compassionate team of customer support is waiting to help you with technical problems or questions about your account via email and live chat.
• Kill Switch: ExpressVPN’s built-in kill switch feature immediately disconnects all internet connections when the VPN connection is lost, saving your internet privacy at all costs.
• Server Speed Test: Since ExpressVPN shows each server’s speed right in front of you before connecting, so you no longer need to try every single one yourself.
• Unlimited Bandwidth: Don’t hold back from using the internet during traveling. ExpressVPN has got your back with an unlimited bandwidth plan.

SurfShark

Are you looking for a cheaper solution to continue using the internet while traveling? SurfShark is the best VPN software for you. Across 60 different countries, they have more than 3000 servers, each of which is made to serve every person around different corners of the globe.

SurfShark guarantees your online security with numerous advanced security features. Want to unblock certain websites on the go? Try SurfShark’s VPN that throws away censorship into the bin and unblocks websites like Hulu and BBC iPlayer.

The connection might be slower than its competitors, but it’s not a bad deal for such a low price indeed.

SurfShark Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

SurfShark Features:

• CleanWeb: Say goodbye to ad trackers, malware, and phishing websites by enjoying a cleaner web interface brought to you by SurfShark.
• Unlimited Devices: Yes, you heard it right. You can use SurfShark apps to protect the privacy on an unlimited number of devices.
• Whitelister: Want some trustworthy apps to bypass VPN security? Simply whitelist them. Your VPN won’t contradict any of these apps in the future.
• MultiHop: You can even connect with multiple servers in the world to make your internet footprints entirely undetectable.

What is the Best Free VPN While Traveling?

Paid VPN solutions are worth it for maximum protection, but occasional users might be just fine with a free VPN service. The best free VPN services offer many of the same protections, but with scaled-back speed, server choices, and data caps. Travelers who plan to stream for long sessions or downloading heavy files, should not use a free VPN service.

Most free VPNs offer starter packages that offer a limited amount of data. You’ll bump up against data limits in a few hours if you try to download a few gigabytes of files, movies, or music. Moreover, most free VPNs do not provide all of the same advanced security features that paid VPNs do. This means that your personal and private information still may have some online security risks.

Read: 29+ Awesome Travel Gift Ideas for Every Budget

Best Free VPN for Traveling Abroad

If you’re an occasional traveler who uses the internet for a short period or someone working with a limited budget, the best free VPN solutions offer some of the protections that you need.

Hotspot Shield Free VPN

You can’t go wrong with using Hotspot Shield free VPN; that’s for sure. It’s one of the fastest free VPN service providers globally but has a limited data plan of 500 MB per day. But even with those few MBs, you’ll experience lightning-fast browsing and streaming.

With military-grade encryption, Hotspot Shield keeps your free plan secure as if you’re using a paid plan. Whether it’s their mobile app or desktop version, the platform is kept as simple and user-friendly as possible.

When you’re ready for advanced features and more data, you can always upgrade to a better plan.

Hotspot Shield Free VPN Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

Hotspot Shield Free VPN Features:

• VPN for Netflix: You might wonder which VPN for Netflix is great among free ones. ProtonVPN can unblock Netflix in almost every region of the world.
• Unblock Websites: Easy unblocking for censored and restricted websites from all over the globe. The whole world is at your fingertips for free.
• Support Center: Hotspot Shield has an excellent support center that offers comprehensive how-to guides and troubleshooting for various technical problems.
• U.S.-based Location: Since most websites are accessible from the US, you won’t find trouble connecting with your desired one in most cases.

TunnelBear

TunnelBear is another free solution to hide your online identity with ease for free. Since McAfree owns it, you know that your privacy is in safe hands. Their reputation for defending your data is one of the primary reasons we added it to our list of best free VPNs.

One of the things that might hold you back from using TunnelBear is the 500 MB per month usage restriction. It is the worst among the free VPNs we reviewed. Due to its extremely limited data plan for the free version, be careful what you are downloading. Once you hit your limit, your online activity is no longer protected against hackers and criminals.

You can still use TunnelBear for secure connections when you really need a robust VPN solution that’s free and provide fool-proof security.

TunnelBear Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

TunnelBear Features:

• User-Friendly: It comes with a cute logo where the bear protects against malware, ads, phishing, and much more.
• 20+ Servers: There is still a lot to explore with the TunnelBear free version where you get more than 20 servers to hide your IP.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN provides no data limits for monthly usage! It’s the most attractive feature to make ProtonVPN your number one free VPN solution.

It’s rare to see a free VPN offering unlimited bandwidth, but ProtonVPN makes it possible for its users to use an unending amount of data every month. Furthermore, you can use up to three locations for changing your IP address.

Since it’s free and unlimited, speed may get compromised in peak hours. But if you can bear it, it’s the best free VPN for you as a traveler. To watch Netflix while using ProtonVPN, you must upgrade to the Plus tier or higher.

ProtonVPN Available Platforms:

• Windows: Yes
• Android: Yes
• iOS: Yes
• Mac: Yes
• Linux: Yes
• Chrome: Yes
• Firefox: Yes
• Android TV: Yes

ProtonVPN Features:

• No Bandwidth Restrictions: As a traveler, you won’t have to pay a penny for VPN service ever because ProtonVPN’s free plan will never run out of bandwidth.
• No logs/No Ads: With Proton VPN’s free plan, user activity logs are not recorded and are never saved. Also, there are no ads to bother you.

Which VPN for Netflix?

Whether you’re traveling by yourself or with family, someone will undoubtedly want to watch some movies or shows while traveling. However, Netflix doesn’t always work when connected to international WiFi. So, which VPN for Netflix? In the chart below, you’ll see which of the best free VPN services and best VPN for traveling can connect you to your Netflix account.

	NordVPN	ExpressVPN	SurfShark	Hotspot	TunnelBear	ProtonVPN
Speed	Fast	Fast	Fast	Fast	Fast	Medium
Data Caps	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	500 MB per day	500 MB	Unlimited
Devices	6	5	Unlimited	5	5	1
Servers	5,462	3,000+	3,200+	3,200+	Unknown	1,080
Countries	59	94	65+	80+	26+	3
Kill switch	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Logs	None	None	None	None	None	None
Which VPN for Netflix?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Upgrade to Plus tier
Cost	$12 per mo$59 1 year$89 2 years	$13 per mo$60 6 months$100 1 year	$13 per mo$39 6 months$60 2 years	Basic FreePremium $96 1 year Family $144 1 year	Basic Free$40 1 year$120 3 years	Free Basic $4/mo Plus $8/mo
Money back guarantee	30 days	30 days	30 days	45 days	None	None

Here’s another reason why “which VPN for Netflix” matters when picking the best VPN for traveling. Some movies that are not available in the US are available when using a VPN service to “move” to another country.

The Bald Thoughts

Free VPNs are undoubtedly the best option available in terms of affordability. However, sometimes you get what you pay for. Fewer protections, less bandwidth, more ads. Whether you’re at the local coffee shop down the street or traveling internationally, buying a paid VPN plan from NordVPN or the others on this list is the best solution to avoid compromising online privacy.

What VPN network do you personally use when traveling?