As per a survey by hotels.com, 49% of business travelers choose a hotel based on the availability of free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, this simple convenience also makes you a potential target for cybercriminals – over a public Wi-Fi, your data is less secure and anyone can gain access to personal information. The good news is that by using a virtual private network, i.e. VPN for travel, you can continue using the internet without putting yourself at risk of a data breach. Let’s delve in and explore how a VPN provides you a safe and secure environment, and what features should the best VPN for international travel have.
Why Do I Need VPN for Travel
A VPN is like your safe space – it is a secure gateway to the internet that keeps your data and information safe from being intercepted as all the data is encrypted by the provider. This means that all your digital activity is covered with a ‘cloaking mechanism’ and no one can know the websites you visit, your login credentials, emails, social media activity, calls, etc.
Why Travelers Need A Secure VPN
After a detailed inspection of 31 million global Wi-Fi hotspots, it was discovered that 28% posed a serious threat to users personal information.
This is quite alarming since many people use public hotspots on-the-go for both professional and personal reasons. For instance, businessmen use the VPN airport to access their company e-mail and also log in to Azure Cloud where the organization keeps all their important files.
In fact, many cybercriminals create free WI-FI hotspots just for the sake of luring unsuspecting people and extracting their passwords and credit card information.
And while there are plenty of free VPN services to choose from – for instance, those found through a simple Google search like ‘Europe VPN’ or ‘International VPN’ – they are not secure. Remember, even though the internet service provider does not receive or store your information, a VPN provider is able to view your entire activity.
In other words, it is always a safe bet to pay a little and subscribe for the best VPN for overseas travel.
Here are some more reasons why you should opt for a premium VPN while traveling:
To Secure Your Online Activity
Using a VPN shields you from potential harm as all your activity is rerouted through a secure encrypted network that hides all your information from hackers and cybercriminals.
To Bypass Location-Based Restrictions And Government Censorships
Many countries restrict access to certain websites for security reasons while many sites limit access geographically. For instance, while traveling you want to deliver a bouquet of roses to your wife from the local flower shop but surprise, the site can only be accessed from your country.
Similarly, people in China cannot access websites like Google and Facebook which is why on your next trip to Beijing, you need to set up your VPN before you go.
To Save Money While Buying Airline Tickets
Prices of airline tickets may vary in different countries, so there is a chance that buying from the airline's home base may provide you a much better rate than buying it from your own country.
For this, you can use your VPN and pick a server belonging to a country that the airline is from and their online ticketing system will provide you with a much lower rate.
To Stream Content From Around The World
Streaming services like Netflix have wired their content according to the country; apart from globally available content, many region-specific shows only appear in one country and may not be available to stream in another.
The good thing is that a VPN allows you to access all the content by just switching between servers from the provided dashboard.
What To Expect From A Good VPN Service Provider
The digital grid is filled with many VPN service providers as data security is of utmost importance. But before choosing a provider, you should consider if they have the following:
- Whether it can be accessed through different devices
- If it is easy to install and use
- Will you be able to simultaneously connect on several devices without paying extra charges
- If it works in most countries
- Whether it tracks your history by keeping an activity log
- If it provides you the ability to choose a country and always use it to access the internet (for instance, always home VPN)
- Provides a speedy online experience and have fewer bandwidth restrictions
- Has plenty of end-points so if one point gets blocked by a website, it can be accessed by another end-point
The bottom line is that VPNs ensure your security online and help you in accessing restricted websites while traveling. But the most important thing is to choose a provider that meets all the aforementioned requirements so you can use it with ease.
Here are the five top VPN service providers and the best VPN apps for international travel that are equipped with the recommended features. As a bonus, these are also cost-effective and start from as low as $1.99 a month up to $6.67.
If you hurry up now, you can avail special deals which will significantly reduce the cost so you can enjoy uninterrupted service from your VPN for travel. The deals include:
- NordVPN: 75% off for the three-year plan
- ExpressVPN: 49% off for the 15-month plan
- Private Internet Access: 58% off for the two-year plan
- PureVPN: $2.88 per month instead of $3.33
Summary
The bottom line is that VPNs ensure your security online and help you in accessing restricted websites while traveling. But the most important thing is to choose a provider that meets all the aforementioned requirements so you can use it with ease.
