10 Best VPNs for Traveling Abroad in 2024
Traveling can really expand your horizons. Unfortunately, it can also expand your threat horizon, too, increasing the number of potential online hackers you can be exposed to. Whether you’re traveling across the country or to the other side of the world, a VPN will help keep you and your data protected every time you go online. Find your best VPN travel companion for 2024 here.
Why should you always use a VPN while traveling?
No matter where you travel, a VPN should always be at the top of your must-have list. It hides your IP address and encrypts your online activity so you and your data stay protected as you travel. For example, hitting up a local coffee shop to do some work? Use a VPN whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi network to keep would-be hackers from accessing your credit card info, passwords, browsing history, and more.
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10 best VPNs for travel in 2024
1. Best overall VPN: NordVPN
NordVPN is one of the leading VPN services out there—and a new essential for any modern traveler. Wherever you go, NordVPN encrypts your connection to the Internet. This means no one can find out what websites you visit or what data you choose to share. It also offers a unique Threat Protection feature to block malware, trackers, and ads before they can do any harm to your devices. Best of all, staying safe is easy. It just takes one click to turn on NordVPN and keep yourself protected.
Price: starting at $5.29/month
2. Best budget VPN: Atlas VPN
Overall, VPNs are pretty affordable. On a month-to-month basis, a VPN will cost you around $10. If you sign up for a longer contract, you can usually secure a deal between $2 and $4 per month. Atlas VPN makes staying safe online even more affordable. And don't worry—just because they're cost-conscious, it doesn't mean they're skimping out on the goods. With Atlas VPN, you still get protection to surf the web with anonymity. They'll even block websites that are known to have malicious content and stop third-party trackers from collecting data on your online activities.
Price: starting at $1.83/month
3. Best VPN with cookie pop-up blocker: Surfshark
Cookies are everywhere online, even when you travel. (And, no, we're not talking about the chocolate chip kind). Every time you visit a website, you're usually barraged with annoying ads, banners, and cookie pop-ups—that is, unless you've got the right VPN. We love Surfshark because it comes outfitted with CleanWeb, an easy-to-use feature that blocks ads, banners, cookies, and trackers. Even better, when Surfshark blocks ads, it doesn't just make things easy on the eyes. It also makes websites load faster by eliminating all the ads that would otherwise slow down your connection.
Price: starting at $2.05/month
4. Best VPN with dedicated IP: CyberGhost
One of the main advantages of using a VPN is anonymity, but sometimes things are easier when you have a known IP address—for example, when you want to access IP-restricted networks or make online transactions without having to go through the hoops of extra security verifications. That's why CyberGhost gives you the option between a dedicated IP address and shared IP addresses. You'll get a dedicated IP that's unique to you and will always be the same across all your devices. And when you want to go incognito, you can effortlessly switch to their shared IP NoSpy servers for secure, unrestricted activity.
Price: starting at $2.03/month
5. Best VPN with open-source software: Private Internet Access
If you're a techie who loves to dig into the details, then this is the VPN for you. Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the only top VPN providers that offers 100% open-source VPN apps. Open source is all about transparency and trustworthiness. It means the PIA client source code is always available to the public so anyone can inspect and analyze it whenever they want to. Worried about whether digital privacy is really PIA's priority? Just take a look at their code and see for yourself!
Price: starting at $2.03/month
6. Best VPN for unlimited devices: IPVanish
Whether you're at home or on the road, making sure your computer is protected from threats and hackers simply isn't enough. You've also a cell phone to protect and maybe even a tablet and some other devices, too. When you use IPVanish, you’re never restricted when it comes to online security. With just one account, you can protect every device you own and even use them all at the same time. This means that all your web browsing, video streaming, messaging, and more are encrypted whether you’re working on your laptop, messaging on your phone, or streaming on your tablet—anywhere you go.
Price: starting at $3.99/month
7. Best VPN with split tunneling: ExpressVPN
Naturally, different VPN providers are always trying to outdo each other with new, impressive features. But we think this one from ExpressVPN is worth it. In addition to IP address masking and a no-logs policy, you’ll also get VPN split tunneling. This nifty feature lets you opt to route some device traffic through a VPN while letting the rest access the Internet directly. This is useful if you’re working while you travel, for example, and want to access a corporate network and your local or foreign network at the same time.
Price: starting at $8.32/month
8. Best free VPN: Proton VPN
VPNs have a reputation for being pretty affordable, but Proton VPN can even top that. How does free sound? That’s right. Proton VPN believes that privacy and security are fundamental human rights. To that end, they provide a free version of their VPN that anyone can use, no questions asked. Of course, their paid plan will give you a bit more, like access in 67+ countries, 10 VPN connections, and NetShield malware and ad-blocker. But if you need to stay safe on a budget, Proton VPN’s free version has got your back with their strict no-logs policy and 100+ servers in three countries.
Price: starting at $0/month
9. Best VPN with no-logs policy: PrivateVPN
Privacy is one of the main pillars of a quality VPN. And you can count on PrivateVPN to deliver. One of their top features is their zero data logging policy. Because they’re based in Sweden (where data protection legislation is no joke), they maintain no data traffic logs, which means there is no risk that your data history can be seized by governments. Conversely, Internet service providers (ISPs) can be legally obligated to share information about your online activities if they’re subpoenaed by a governmental body. You may not be doing anything wrong, but if you believe privacy is a basic human right, then PrivateVPN is right there with you.
Price: starting at $2.00/month
10. Best VPN for PCs: Norton Secure VPN
Norton is a legacy name in the security industry, and their VPN definitely speaks to their long-standing reputation for quality. Wherever you travel in the world, you can count on Norton to help you stay anonymous, protect your data, and mask you from bad actors. They also offer cool features like split tunneling and a kill switch, which will automatically disconnect you from the Internet if your VPN connection is ever lost in order to maintain your privacy. It’s worth noting, though, that these features are available for Windows and Android only.
Price: starting at $29.99/year
VPNs for travel - common FAQs
Do you really need to use a VPN when traveling?
Yes, you really need a VPN when you travel. A VPN gives you both security and convenience. Not only does it encrypt your web traffic (a must-have when you're using public Wi-Fi), but it also lets you access websites and apps just as you would at home.
How much should I pay for a VPN?
VPNs do a lot to safeguard your data, your privacy, and your overall cybersecurity. And the best part is, they're not that expensive. If you sign up for a year(s)-long contract, you can usually pay as little as the price of a cup of coffee (between $2 and $4) per month for a VPN.
What could happen if you don’t use a VPN while traveling?
Using a VPN while traveling is such a small, simple step. But it can help protect you from some pretty serious consequences. For example, if you don't use a VPN while traveling, your computer could be hacked and your data could be stolen—think identity theft or credit card fraud. Yikes!
