Updated on: April 26, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for travel in 2024:
- 🥇ExpressVPN: It has a large server network, with 40+ server locations in Europe, 20+ server locations in the US, and servers on 6 continents. It includes excellent security features and maintains the fastest speeds out there for all online activities, including streaming, torrenting, and gaming. ExpressVPN covers all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I recommend getting a VPN to secure your devices when you’re traveling. Like most travelers, you probably rely on public Wi-Fi networks, such as in hotels, cafés, and airports, to connect to the internet. Unfortunately, most of these networks are unsecured, leaving you open to bad actors who want to steal your personal information.
A VPN is the best way to ensure hackers don’t ruin your holiday or business trip. VPNs encrypt your data so third parties can’t read it, and they use other measures to protect your devices. This is especially important if you have proprietary company data in your online communications.
However, not all VPNs are up to the task. Many have faulty security features that could leave your data vulnerable, frustratingly slow speeds, or small server networks that make connecting a hassle.
I tested 30+ VPNs to compile this list of top VPNs for travel. My #1 recommendation is ExpressVPN, thanks to its top-notch security, large server network, and great speeds. That said, all the VPNs on my list have their merits that make them good choices.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for travel:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best VPN for travel in 2024 (top-notch security features & lightning-fast speeds).
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN for travelers’ Android & iOS devices (has servers in all 50 US states).
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Versatile VPN with automation rules (auto-connects on unsecured public Wi-Fi).
- 4. NordVPN — Highly secure VPN with a large server network and unique connectivity feature.
- 5. Surfshark — User-friendly VPN for travelers (great for beginners and good on a budget).
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall VPN for Travel in 2024
ExpressVPN is the best VPN to take with you while traveling. It has an extensive server network, spanning 105 countries, so you’re very likely to have a local or a nearby server available wherever you go. I appreciate its server locations in 40+ European countries, including popular destinations like Greece, France, Italy, and Spain.
When it comes to cool extra features, I’m a big fan of ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection. It blocks ads, trackers and malicious sites — this way, you won’t open a fake site or app that contains malware while researching things while you travel.
I also like how it has an obfuscation feature, which hides the fact that you’re using a VPN. This is a particularly useful feature if you’re visiting a country that restricts internet access, such as China or Cuba.
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN out there, thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol. I tested its speeds on local, nearby, and faraway servers, and I was very satisfied to see that even media-heavy websites loaded instantly. I could also stream YouTube videos on any server without buffering.
I really like ExpressVPN’s split-tunneling feature. It lets you choose exactly which apps connect through the secure VPN tunnel, and which ones use the regular internet. This way, you can still use apps that often block VPN traffic, such as banking apps, as well as apps that require your real location, like Maps or food delivery apps, while still securing your other apps’ traffic.
ExpressVPN is excellent for streaming if you travel abroad — it works with 100+ streaming platforms worldwide, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. Additionally, it allows torrenting on all its servers, and it works with popular P2P clients, like qBittorrent and Vuze. If you like to play video games when you visit other countries, it has DDoS protection on all servers, and it supports cloud gaming, so you can still play console titles you left at home.
ExpressVPN has easy-to-use apps for all major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. It also lets you cover up to 8 devices on a single subscription, which is more than enough for most travelers.
ExpressVPN offers plans starting at $6.67 / month. In addition, it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test its features thoroughly while traveling without financial risk.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is my top recommendation for a VPN to use while traveling. It has a very large server network, so you’ll find a nearby server just about anywhere. It’s also super fast, and it has excellent security features to protect you on unsecured Wi-Fi networks. ExpressVPN is also great for streaming on the go, as it supports 100+ streaming services. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Excellent Traveling VPN for Mobile Devices
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a great way to secure all your mobile devices on the go, thanks to its excellent apps for Android and iOS. The apps have plenty of convenient features, such as Quick Settings, which lets you toggle PIA’s features on and off quickly, and Quick Connect, which shows the last 6 servers you used. The apps’ home screen has a 1-click connect button, and you can manually browse the server list, sorted by region.
PIA’s server network is spread across 91 countries. Although this is fewer than ExpressVPN or other VPNs on the list, it’s still a quite large network. Also, PIA is a great choice for traveling to the US, because it uniquely has servers in all 50 US states.
PIA has great security features. It uses perfect forward secrecy to protect you from hackers that take advantage of unsecured public networks. Aside from a typical kill switch, I like how you can also set up PIA to entirely prevent you from going online without connecting to the VPN first. Moreover, I really like how you can connect an unlimited number of devices under one subscription, ensuring all your devices are secure while on the move. I also like how it keeps you safe online even in restrictive countries by obfuscating your traffic on specialized Shadowsocks servers.
The Android app has two features the iOS app doesn’t — split-tunneling and PIA MACE. That said, very few VPNs out there have split-tunneling on iOS, so this isn’t much of a downside. On the other hand, PIA comes with the best VPN ad blocker available, called PIA MACE. I just wish it was available on iOS as well.
I really like PIA’s torrenting-friendly features. In addition to allowing P2P traffic in all countries, it has a port forwarding feature, which allows more peers to connect into the swarm, potentially increasing your download speeds. Also, it lets you use SOCKS5 proxy servers, which change your IP address but don’t encrypt your data — the lack of encryption also noticeably speeds up your connection.
Private Internet Access has affordable plans starting at $2.03 / month. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all purchases.
Bottom Line:
Private Internet Access is a great way to secure all of your mobile devices while traveling, since it allows an unlimited number of connected devices, and it has great apps for Android and iOS. It has a large global server network and even has server locations in all 50 US states. It has good speeds on all servers, and it has great security, too, featuring an advanced kill switch feature.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN for Travel With Convenient Automation Rules
CyberGhost VPN is a very customizable VPN that lets you automate your connection. Thanks to its Smart Rules feature, you can configure everything once and not have to think about it while relaxing on your travels. I like how you can set it up to connect you to a server if it detects an unsecured network, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally using the internet without protection. Additionally, you can set it to auto-connect if you launch a particular app, like your browser or email app.
Aside from Smart Rules, CyberGhost VPN’s apps make it really easy to connect. There’s a 1-click connect button that connects you to the fastest server available. Alternatively, you can manually choose from a list of servers in CyberGhost’s network, which spans 100 countries. Moreover, the apps have explanations for all the settings, so you don’t need VPN experience to use CyberGhost VPN.
What’s more, CyberGhost VPN has dedicated streaming servers for 50+ streaming services, spread across 20+ countries. These servers are optimized to work with particular apps for a smooth streaming experience. It also has dedicated gaming servers in 4 countries (Germany, France, the UK, and the US), which are similarly optimized for smooth and stable gaming sessions without lag.
I like how secure CyberGhost VPN is. It uses perfect forward secrecy to further protect you on unsecured networks, and it has a kill switch that conveniently is always switched on, so you don’t have to enable it yourself. Still, I wish it had an obfuscation feature to let you use a VPN in countries that restrict internet access (ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access have obfuscation tools).
CyberGhost VPN has plans starting at $2.19 / month. It offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on its long-term plans and a 14-day guarantee on its monthly plan.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has nifty automation rules that let you fine-tune its connection settings. It protects you on unsecured public networks by auto-connecting, so you don’t accidentally browse the internet unprotected, and it has a great kill switch feature. It has very good speeds on a large server network and servers optimized for streaming and gaming. It backs its long-term plans with a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — High-Security VPN for Travel
NordVPN provides top-notch security features for travelers. It has a kill switch across all of its apps, while the Windows version also lets you choose specific apps it’ll shut down instead of your internet connection. It has perfect forward secrecy, as well as tapjacking protection, which notifies you if any malicious transparent overlays are present on your device.
My favorite NordVPN feature is definitely Meshnet. It lets you create a private network of up to 60 devices, which you can use to securely share files over. This is a great option if you urgently need to access some files from the work computer you left home, or if you want to send travel photos to your home computer without using a cloud storage service.
While NordVPN has obfuscated servers, sadly they don’t work in restrictive countries like China or Cuba. If you’re traveling to such a country, ExpressVPN is better for accessing a free and open internet.
I like how easy it is to use NordVPN’s apps. There’s a Quick Connect button that connects you to the fastest server, and if you want to connect manually, you can browse the server list or click through the interactive map to pick any of NordVPN’s servers, spread across 111 countries.
NordVPN allows torrenting on servers in 45+ countries — this is far less than the top VPNs on this list. It also works with popular clients like Transmission or qBittorrent, and lets you use SOCKS5 proxy servers to increase your download speeds. However, it doesn’t have a port forwarding feature like Private Internet Access does.
NordVPN’s plans start at $3.09 / month, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN has great security features to protect your data while traveling. It also has a unique Meshnet feature that lets you securely connect to any device you left at home. It has pretty good torrenting support on servers in 45+ countries. Its apps are easy to use, with an interactive map that makes it super simple to connect to any server in its massive network.
5. Surfshark — Beginner-Friendly VPN for Travelers
Surfshark is a great VPN for travelers who have never used a VPN before. Its apps are super user-friendly, with a simple and clean interface, as well as concise explanations for all of its settings. It also makes it really easy to connect, thanks to the quick-connect button that connects you to the fastest server available.
Surfshark has pretty good security to protect you from would-be hackers while connected to unsecured WiFi away from home. It uses perfect forward secrecy and has a kill switch that functions similarly to Private Internet Access’s kill switch. It can both cut off your internet connection if the VPN connection drops, or it can prevent you from going online before you connect to a server. I also really appreciate how Surfshark lets you secure an unlimited number of devices on a single subscription.
Surfshark has an obfuscation feature called Camouflage Mode. However, it’s a bit of a moot point, since the support reps told me it doesn’t work in countries that actively restrict the internet and VPN usage, like Indonesia or China — it’s better for bypassing network filters at places like schools.
When it comes to streaming, Surfshark covers 50+ streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but I couldn’t get it to work with Disney+. While it’s great for streaming, I prefer ExpressVPN for streaming, since it works with 100+ streaming apps, including some less country-specific ones, like RaiPlay, Channel 4, and BBC iPlayer.
Surfshark has affordable plans, starting at $2.29 / month. In addition, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a super beginner-friendly VPN for travelers without VPN experience. It has simple, intuitive apps for all major devices, and good security that extends to all your devices (it lets you connect as many devices as you want). Its speeds were pretty good in my tests, and I like that it has a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Read the full Surfshark review
Comparison of the Best VPNs for Travel in 2024
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I compiled this list of the best VPNs for travelers after testing 30+ VPNs according to our proven VPN testing methodology. I looked into important aspects that a quality VPN should have, such as broad device support, large server networks, and strong security to protect you on public Wi-Fi networks, like in hotels or airports. Here are the main criteria I used to grade VPNs:
- I made sure the VPNs are compatible with a wide range of devices. I only recommend VPNs that have apps for popular operating systems, including Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
- I checked the VPNs’ server networks. All the VPNs on my list have server networks spanning 90+ countries, so you’re very likely to have a nearby server wherever you go.
- I tested the VPNs’ speeds. A VPN causes your speeds to slow down because of the encryption process. Only the VPNs with good enough speeds that don’t cause noticeable lag made it onto my list — ExpressVPN was the fastest.
- I examined the VPNs’ security. The VPNs on my list have industry-standard VPN security features, including a kill switch, 256-bit AES encryption (used by militaries worldwide), and an independently audited no-logs policy. What’s more, they all have RAM-only servers that don’t save your data to disk, and they passed all of my IP leak protection tests.
- I evaluated the VPNs’ value. I compared the VPNs’ plan prices, as well as the number of devices they let you connect to simultaneously. All the VPNs on my list let you connect at least 7 devices at a time and have plenty of extra features, such as an ad and tracker blocker.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Hola VPN. Hola VPN is a popular free VPN, but I don’t recommend using it. It’s a peer-to-peer network, which means you get another user’s IP address instead of a secure server. Also, that means that someone could use your IP address for potentially illegal activities.
- TunnelBear. TunnelBear is very beginner-friendly, but it’s not as fast as the other VPNs on this list. Also, it doesn’t have a money-back guarantee.
- Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN comes with great security and privacy features, but it’s not great for streaming. Plus, it only allows 5 connections, which is below the industry average of 7-10 connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a VPN for my device for travel?
The procedure is super simple and has only 3 steps:
- Step 1. Pick a quality VPN. I compiled this list of VPNs so you could easily choose the one that best suits your needs.
- Step 2. Download and install the VPN on your device. Either download the installation files from the VPN’s website or install it from the appropriate app store. The whole process takes only a few minutes.
- Step 3. Launch the VPN app and connect to a server. That’s it! Your device is now protected by the VPN wherever you go.
Can I use a free VPN to secure my devices while traveling?
You could, but I don’t really recommend it. Many free VPNs only let you connect a single device per account and could have other limitations, such as data caps or small server networks. What’s more, there are free VPNs out there that could pose risks, such as faulty security or even collecting your data!
You’re much better off using a premium VPN like the ones on this list. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN since it has a large server network and top-notch security for your devices. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.
How many devices can I cover with a single VPN subscription?
My top choice, ExpressVPN, lets you connect up to 8 devices at once, which is usually enough for the average traveler, and more than what many VPNs provide. Out of the VPNs on this list, it has the best security and speeds, and provides great value for its price.
If you’re traveling with your family and need to cover more devices than that, then I recommend Private Internet Access, which lets you connect an unlimited number of devices.
Can I stream with a VPN while traveling?
You can, since all the VPNs on this list support streaming. However, be sure to connect to a local server in the country you’re visiting to be able to legally stream on local platforms.
Hypothetically, you could use a VPN for a streaming service that isn’t available in your current location, but that goes against most platforms’ Terms of Service and could constitute copyright infringement. Please use VPNs responsibly and in line with all applicable laws and regulations.
