Traveling somewhere? Don’t get on the airplane without a VPN.
A VPN (virtual private network) is an application that you can run on your phone and/or computer to encrypt your data and conceal your location. By using a VPN, you make it harder for cyber attackers and hackers to steal your data, such as passwords, financial information, and other data.
However, there are some countries that heavily restrict or ban the use of VPN, such as Iran, Russia, and China. Before traveling, you must check the local laws and regulations of the country. If there’s no ban or restriction on using a VPN, download a VPN immediately and then leave your home for your destination.
Need more reasons to use a VPN while traveling? Let’s go.
Reasons To Use A Vpn While Traveling
- Safe Browsing On Public Wi-Fi Networks
Don’t you love getting free public Wi-Fi connections when traveling? But the free Internet comes with vulnerabilities. It is susceptible to cybersecurity threats because these are open networks that might make your online activity known to anyone on the same network.
Also, cybercriminals are known to create fake hotspots in order to collect information from unsuspecting travelers.
The only way to safeguard your information, keep your online activities under wraps, and truly stay safe when connected to public Wi-Fi is to use a VPN. A VPN offers a secure connection that allows users to access the Internet securely during their travels.
- Overcome Regional Restrictions
Enjoy unrestricted access to the Internet by using a VPN. VPNs help in bypassing location-based restrictions so you can access unavailable websites or forbidden content.
So, if you are traveling to a country where certain websites or content is restricted, you can use a VPN to unlock these restrictions. Also, you can use a VPN to bypass the blockages and filters imposed by libraries, schools, and banks.
- Prevent Location-Based Price Targeting
Businesses utilize your browsing information to alter their prices. Did you know?
Airlines and such companies hike up their prices simply because you have been looking around. Similarly, when you are browsing sites from different locations around the world, you might see there’s a huge discrepancy in pricing.
You can counter this by using a VPN. A VPN will protect your data and hide your IP address so that your location is changed. This will help you save a bit of money every time you book a flight, hotel, and so on.
- Enjoy Permanent Access To Netflix
Are you worried that you won’t be able to access your home Netflix library during your travels? This fear is unfounded and redundant, thanks to VPNs.
Not only Netflix, but you can access any movie and music streaming platform from across the world using a VPN. Furthermore, you can access your home content library even if you are thousands of miles away from your home location.
Using a VPN, you can change the IP address to your home country and then continue watching the TV show or movie that you had added to your library before leaving home.
Similarly, you can catch up on the local and sports news of your home country while you are traveling abroad.
- Hide Your Online Activities
For modern travelers, a VPN is a must-have. The software encrypts data and disguises the IP address. Using this software, you will be sure of anonymously browsing the Internet and not leaving behind a breadcrumb trail.
So, you can stay connected while working or traveling overseas and gain secure access to messaging applications and social media sites without worrying about your information falling into the wrong hands.
Besides cybercriminals and hackers, your data is also encrypted and hidden from your ISP and companies that collect data on your online activity.
Hence, whenever you are traveling abroad, don’t forget to install and enable VPN. This will encrypt your data and ensure nobody is able to track what you are doing online.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Vpn For Traveling Abroad
Several VPN providers are at your disposal, and this makes the selection process harder than you’d imagine. All of them claim to be the best, but they are not all reliable or effective. You must exercise caution when it comes to selecting a VPN service provider because this software will single-handedly thwart hacking attempts and keep your online activities anonymous.
Pay attention to these factors when selecting a VPN service for your travel:
- You must not use free VPNs. It is essential you pay for the service, or this will do more harm than good. Although it is tempting to protect your data and gain unrestricted Internet access with a free solution, the free services are untrustworthy and lack essential functionality. Also, some of them might compromise your security.
- Ensure that you select a reputable VPN service provider offering features like a no-logs policy. With this policy, the provider will ensure that your data won’t be collected while you browse the Internet. Also, ensure the service provider has several servers that allow you to browse anonymously from any location in the world.
- Check what encryption protocols the VPN service provider is offering. During your research, you will notice that the top providers offer stable and secure encryption methods, such as AES-256. Also, some services use reliable VPN protocols, such as WireGuard and OpenVPN.
- Consider the connection speed of the VPN and ensure the service doesn’t reduce the speed of your Internet while the traffic is moving through an encrypted tunnel.
Some of the popular VPNs for travel are NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, VyprVPN, TunnelBear, and so on. You must do your own research, go through the features offered by the service providers, and ensure they align with your requirements. Also, see if the service provider matches your budget.
The Bottom Line
So, have you been traveling without a VPN? It must end now!
Using a VPN, you can enjoy unrestricted Internet access anywhere in the world while your data remains encrypted.