There’s a lot to think about when selecting a VPN for travel. Leveraging our years of expertise in the VPN space coupled with what you’ll need when traveling, here’s what to look for: 

Server network

Specifically for travel, you’ll want a large VPN server network. More overall connectivity options are beneficial; you’ll also want plenty of countries if you plan on any international travel. Therefore, it’s important to consider both the total number of servers and the number of servers per country.

For instance, some VPNs have thousands of servers sprinkled through only a few nations. At the high end, you’ll find VPNs with servers in 100 or more countries, although I’d recommend picking a VPN with a presence in at least 50 international locations. Many servers in a smaller handful of countries might work if you only travel to one of those spots. For regular international adventures, greater country choice comes in handy. 

Privacy

VPNs add a layer of protection by encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address, making it harder for cyber attackers to access your browsing data. When traveling, you’ll likely use open wireless networks at an airport terminal, in the hotel lobby or at a coffee shop, but a VPN keeps your browsing data private from snooping ISPs, prying network administrators or compromised Wi-Fi networks. 

Look for a strict no-logging policy that’s been audited by a reputable third-party to back up zero-log claims. You’ll want to use a VPN provider that has modern encryption — either AES 256-bit or ChaCha20, depending on the VPN protocol.

For VPN protocols, WireGuard and its equivalents or derivatives — like NordVPN’s NordLynx and ExpressVPN’s Lightway — typically offer fast speeds with robust security. OpenVPN meanwhile is a tried-and-tested protocol with strong security, but slower speeds. IKEv2/IPSec can be handy for mobile devices, since it seamlessly handles switching between mobile and Wi-Fi networks. But in my experience, our top-rated VPNs all handled network switching on mobile devices flawlessly.

Obfuscation, which tries to disguise your VPN use as standard web traffic, can be useful in scenarios where you need to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, such as while on school Wi-Fi or when traveling to a country where VPNs are frowned upon. You can find obfuscated servers as well as obfuscation-focused VPN protocols, such as NordVPN’s NordWhisper or Proton VPN’s Stealth.

A standard VPN connection should suffice for fundamental privacy or streaming. But if you’ve got serious privacy concerns, consider a VPN specialty servers that bolster your privacy even further. Double hop, or multi-hop, uses two VPN connections instead of one to make it even harder to trace your web traffic back to your device. Tor over VPN, or Onion over VPN servers, use Tor — The Onion Routing — to make it more difficult to follow your internet activity back to your device. Double VPN and Tor over VPN servers both achieve similar feats, but using different technologies. Depending on your needs, a VPN, Tor, a proxy server or a combination of privacy protections might be the right choice to use.

Device compatibility

You’ll want a VPN that runs on the gadgets you’re bringing on your trip. Make a list of the devices you want to bring along with a VPN installed, and ensure your provider has apps for those electronics. Luckily, most providers offer solid Windows, MacOS, Android and iPhone or iPad apps. Many offer Linux VPN apps, but only some feature a graphical user interface, which is more beginner-friendly than a command-line interface. If you want to tote your Linux laptop along, look for a VPN with a Linux GUI app. Although most folks don’t travel with streaming devices, you might tote along a Fire Stick, Android TV box or Apple TV for your hotel room. 

Speed

All VPNs slow down your internet upload and download speeds somewhat since your data gets encrypted, but the fastest options drop your connectivity by an average loss of only 10% to 25%. Especially if you’re performing internet-intensive tasks like streaming video in 4K, Zooming for work, gaming or uploading YouTube videos, you’ll want a fast VPN. Even if you aren’t, reliable internet speeds are great for a better experience when checking your email and browsing the web. 

Streaming support

Aside from privacy, many people use VPNs to unblock region-restricted content. For instance, you can use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer — normally available only in the UK — from other countries, like the US, meaning you can stream shows like The Jetty. Similarly, a VPN is useful when traveling. If you’re on vacation in a foreign country but want to access Netflix libraries from your home country to continue your binge-watching, a VPN makes that possible. Check which VPNs unblock the streaming services you want to watch from abroad. If you want to stream movies and television shows, consider one of the best VPNs for Netflix or best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video.

Price

VPNs range from about $6 a month to around $100 annually. Generally, you’ll get a discount by paying for a year or more of service upfront, but we don’t recommend shelling out for more than 12 months at a time. While the VPN you pick might initially be fast, secure and excellent for streaming, it could get acquired by a shady company, suffer a data breach or get slower during a year. We suggest sticking to an annual plan for the best value and the least risk.