The most evident benefit of the best travel VPNs is, and always will be, peace of mind. Wherever you go to relax and have fun, your VPN stays hard at work keeping you safe online. Plus, with Memorial Day celebrations beginning and summer weather on the way, it's more important than ever to grab a VPN to help you access your home comforts securely, whether you're using public WiFi or otherwise.
The TechRadar team unanimously agrees that NordVPN is the best VPN for travel in 2025, but rivals like Proton VPN and Surfshark are great alternative picks for the budget-conscious.
Below, we've compiled a list of the best VPNs for travel in 2025, courtesy of our very own hands-on data. We'll dig into the speed, security tools, and overall value for money of each of our shortlisted services, so you know which VPN to bring with you on your adventures.
5 best travel VPNs: a quick overview
The best travel VPNs in 2025
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The best travel VPN overall
NordVPN is the best VPN for travel, not just because of its impressive and widespread server network (7,000+ servers across 118 countries), but also because a single subscription includes top-notch security features, speeds, and virtually all other aspects of an awesome VPN.
We were particularly impressed by its obfuscated servers, a technology that disguises VPN traffic to make it look like regular internet traffic. That's why, no matter where you travel, no one will know you're even using a VPN, which is perfect for regions where VPN use is both frowned upon and outright prohibited.
Read more about NordVPN ▼
Streaming
Streaming content from your home country while traveling abroad is one of NordVPN's strongest use cases. During our latest round of testing, we used the service to access Channel 4, iPlayer, 9Now, 10Play, Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix (including its Australian, Japanese, Canadian, UK, and US libraries). All in all, it's one of the best streaming VPNs on the market today.
NordVPN performed beautifully without breaking a sweat, and we had no issues accessing any streaming services or sudden VPN detection warnings. For reference, we used a number of different devices (Android, iOS, FireStick, and a Windows 11 test desktop) to put Nord through its paces properly.
NordVPN's speeds are top-notch as always, clocking 950 Mbps peak download speeds with the NordLynx protocol. This is way more than you need for smooth streaming and torrenting, and puts NordVPN squarely near the top of our fastest VPN list.
Privacy & Security
NordVPN is among the most secure VPNs available today, and supports both OpenVPN and NordLynx (its own proprietary protocol built on WireGuard). While OpenVPN is the industry standard for a high-security connection, NordLynx was built for speed and usability on mobile devices, but is every bit as secure.
This provider also introduced post-quantum encryption to the NordLynx protocol in September 2024, a feature specifically geared towards those users worried about quantum computing.
You also get a kill switch with DNS leak protection, Onion Over and Double VPN capabilities, Threat Protection, and Threat Protection Pro, all of which work together to shield you from governments, ISPs, and any other third-party snoops curious about what you're doing online.
All of these features combined also make NordVPN the absolute best travel VPN, as well as the best all-around VPN for most users.
The best secure VPN
Proton VPN comes from the same creative tech cauldron as Proton Mail, created by the Swiss-based privacy company, Proton. As far as the best VPN for travel is concerned, Proton VPN even offers a free VPN plan, something no other competitor on this list can match. While the free plan does come with serious limitations, there's no denying it's still nice to see.
With a staggering 112 countries to choose from, ProtonVPN is the undisputed winner in terms of server network. However, this comes at the cost of offering less impressive coverage in some regions compared to others (such as Europe, where you'll be better off with ExpressVPN, and North America, where you may want to go with PIA).
Read more about Proton VPN ▼
Streaming
We put Proton VPN through the wringer with streaming giants like Disney+ and Amazon Prime, and regional Netflix variants (Australia, Canada, Japan, UK, and US). This VPN provided instant access to the services we tested in all cases. No matter where you're traveling, you need only pick the location you want to watch from, and you're ready to start streaming.
The same goes for more regional services accessed from abroad, including 9Play, 10Now, ITVX, Channel 4, and BBC iPlayer. ProtonVPN successfully accessed all of them.
Average WireGuard speed results were lower this time around compared to our previous testing round. While connecting to our nearest server capped our testing rig out over 950+ Mbps, testing from the UK to the US on the same protocol only clocked in at 630 Mbps (down from 700 Mbps previously).
OpenVPN speeds were similarly lower than we'd hoped, only measuring 220 Mbps compared to previous results of 400 Mbps. That said, all of these speeds are absolutely more than enough for almost all your internet activity, including handling 4K streaming with no issue at all.
Privacy & Security
ProtonVPN is an impressive VPN service that offers OpenVPN, WireGuard, and its proprietary Stealth protocol (depending on which platform you're using the VPN on). Stealth is an obfuscated version of WireGuard running over TLS, and it's mainly useful for ducking past enterprise rule-based firewalls.
Proton also has three consecutive annual no-logs audits, all of which are available to see on its website without registering an account (something most other VPNs require).
Of particular note is Proton VPN's Secure Core architecture, which adds an extra protection layer by routing traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries – a particularly convenient tool to have when traveling. This effectively defends against network-based attacks while simultaneously implementing Forward Secrecy.
Proton VPN's malware blocking could do with improvement, though. At only 11% of malware sites blocked and only 19% of phishing results during our latest round of testing, we believe Proton can and must do better.
The fastest travel VPN
Surfshark offers fantastic value for money and outrageous speeds, making it the very best cheap VPN on the market. You also get unlimited simultaneous connections to play with, which is perfect if you're traveling with a large group.
This provider offers 3,200+ servers in more than 150 locations across 100+ countries. It's perfect if you're visiting China or other countries where VPNs are restricted, thanks to its NoBorders mode. This feature switches on automatically whenever it detects restrictions on your network, and presents you with a list of servers strong enough to bypass the restrictions.
Read more about Surfshark ▼
Streaming
Our standardized streaming test at TechRadar is a rigorous process, during which we go all out to see whether VPNs provide as-advertised performance. Surfshark aced the test, performing flawlessly, and granting access on all platforms, regardless of the location, always on the first try.
In addition to global Netflix libraries in Australia, Japan, UK, Canada, and the US, we also put Surfshark through its paces on Disney+ and Amazon Prime. Besides these major platforms, we also go through smaller regional sites like 10Play, 9Now, Channel 4, ITVX, and BBC iPlayer, all of which Surfshark decimated.
While this provider doesn't have streaming-optimized servers, all of them are capable of accessing region-specific content. This means that, when you're in the mood for some Hulu or Disney+ while abroad, you won't have to hunt for a specific server to join. We found this to be a nice bonus for VPN newbies who'd rather not get bogged down in menus.
Additionally, we've long celebrated the fact that Surfshark sits atop our fastest VPN rankings, and it delivered another hard-to-believe performance during our latest testing round. It consistently clocked 950+ Mbps download, both locally and worldwide, utterly decimating most of the competition.
If speed and low cost are your priorities when looking at the best travel VPN, look no further than Surfshark.
Privacy & Security
Surfshark has two recent audits done by Cure53 and Deloitte, proving that the provider isn't interested in logging or keeping tabs on user activity. It relies on industry-standard AES-256 encryption to secure user data as it travels between the VPN server and the user's device.
The kill switch is notably impressive, designed as a simple on or off switch that reliably cuts your internet connection in the event of a VPN dropout to prevent data leaks. This is very convenient when traveling abroad and/or using unprotected public Wi-Fi networks in airports, cafes, and hotels.
A standard subscription also gets you DNS leak protection that stops ISP snooping, multihop that routes traffic through an extra server for more security, and the No Borders mode mentioned above, allowing you to bypass government censorship to enjoy a safer and freer internet.
The best beginner VPN
If you're on the market for the best VPN for travel and are new to the tech, you'll struggle to find a better choice than ExpressVPN. Thanks to more than 3,000 servers across 160 locations and 105 countries, you'll be spoiled for choice. The best part is that you can find all of them at the press of a single big red button, so it's no surprise that ExpressVPN is the best VPN for beginners.
ExpressVPN has long been hailed as the most privacy-focused VPN on the market, and it has the best coverage we've found in Europe. It also comes with servers across 26 Asia-Pacific regions, including locations in Indonesia, Iran, China, and other places that have restrictive VPN rules. ExpressVPN is the king of simplicity among VPN providers.
Read more about ExpressVPN ▼
Streaming
ExpressVPN is a household name when it comes to unblocking geo-restricted content. During our latest testing round, this provider performed excellently, but we did encounter minor inconveniences.
When attempting to access big streaming sites like Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Netflix, we include regional variants as standard. In the case of Netflix, we check the service's US, UK, Australian, Canadian, and Japanese libraries. ExpressVPN allowed us to stream in each case, but we had to swap servers repeatedly to get access to the Australian and Japanese libraries.
It was similar when we tested smaller regional sites like 10Play, 9Now, Channel 4, ITV, and BBC iPlayer. While most sites performed fine on the first go, we once again had to shop around to access 10Play. Mind you, once in, the 898 Mbps download speeds over WireGuard make sure you're in for the experience of your life.
Privacy & Security
The good news is that ExpressVPN is one of the most well-tested VPNs out there, with an extensive audit history and TrustedServer technology that uses RAM-only servers.
You get top-notch security features: access to OpenVPN, IKEv2, and its proprietary Lightway protocol designed as a mobile-first solution with speeds far beyond what OpenVPN can provide.
It also uses AES-256 encryption, alongside a hybrid 4096-bit RSA and quantum secure 1000-dimension ML-KEM key exchange with Perfect Forward Secrecy. This means its encryption is so strong it'd take thousands of years to decode using today's computing power.
A built-in kill switch is a key security feature, and we were particularly thrilled to see Shuffle IP, which allocates a random IP address for every site you visit. This means there's no correlation between your online activities, making it that much harder to track.
Bottom line, ExpressVPN will keep you safe and secure when traveling, though you might struggle just a bit to unblock certain online content.
The best Linux VPN
Private Internet Access is another industry veteran, and the reason why it's one of the best travel VPNs around is that it has over 20,000 servers across 91 countries. Besides never being far away from a server, it also has a server in every US state, meaning it's a fantastic choice if you're traveling to the US.
It also has server locations in many areas where VPNs are restricted, like Turkey and China. However, PIA won't work if you're traveling to Myanmar, Syria, Cuba, or Iran, so make sure to check whether it works in your destination before signing up. On the plus side, you get a cheap price and unlimited simultaneous connections.
Read more about Private Internet Access ▼
Streaming
PIA has made significant improvements in speed since our previous testing round, and during our latest tests reached 436 Mbps download over WireGuard (up from 330 Mbps). While we found this to be great news, this provider still ranks surprisingly low among its competition.
OpenVPN showed a different picture, with PIA ranking second as a result of 257 Mbps peak download speeds, which is pretty respectable. However, Surfshark still almost doubled this at 460 Mbps, and still claims the top spot.
Despite being among the slowest VPNs on this list, PIA is still more than fast enough to keep up with most activities, including 4K streaming.
It also successfully accessed Netflix in a variety of regional choices (Australia, Japan, Canada, the UK, and the US), as well as Amazon Prime, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, ITV, and 9Now. However, during our latest testing round, the service failed to access 10Play, which is less than ideal.
Privacy & Security
For the most part, PIA includes all the essential security features a VPN needs. You get a kill switch that's reliable and simple to use on all available apps, no DNS leaks thanks to encrypted DNS servers, a strict no-logs policy independently verified by Deloitte in two separate audits, and more.
However, our latest testing round did reveal some areas in which Private Internet Access could improve.
For instance, we tried running Mace through a gauntlet of phishing URLs to see which ones it'd block. Out of 100 brand new malicious URLs from anti-phishing experts OpenPhish, PIA managed to block only two of them.
Even though we think this is because Mace is pulling from a blocklist of known suspicions links, and most of the URLs we're testing are fresh threat intelligence, this is nevertheless far below what we've come to expect from one of the best VPNs for travel.
How to choose the right travel VPN
When choosing the best travel VPN, you’ll need one that will successfully spoof your true IP address and make it appear as though you’re in a different location. This will prevent third parties, including foreign governments, from being able to see your online activity or restrict your internet usage. Therefore, you’ll want a VPN with plenty of robust security features to prevent anyone from being able to view any of your data.
It’s also important to check whether or not it has a good range of secure servers at your destination. If you’re headed somewhere that restricts VPNs, such as China, Iran, or Russia, you’ll also need one that has obfuscated servers so you can access the content you want without detection.
On top of this, a good travel VPN will be able to unblock region-restricted sites and services from around the world. If you’re traveling as part of a large group, it’s a sensible idea to pick a provider that offers enough simultaneous connections for everyone.
How we test travel VPNs
Before recommending the best VPNs for travel, we put all the market-leading providers through a rigorous testing process before selecting the best options.
Our expert team of in-house testers try out a huge range of options and decide on the best ones. We trial desktop and mobile apps on all major operating systems and check all of the settings in each app to ensure it works well.
We also run further tests every six months to keep our findings completely up to date and to ensure we’ve tested out any new features. And we test each VPN to see if it can consistently unblock all the major streaming services.
For more details, see our full methodology on how we test VPNs.
Travel VPN FAQs
Do I need a VPN for international travel?
If you're asking whether you absolutely and unequivocally need a VPN for international travel, the answer is probably not. However, if you're asking whether you'd be safer and have more peace of mind with a VPN when traveling abroad, the answer is yes. Like with most cybersecurity things, it's better to be safe than sorry. Many of the best travel VPNs we mentioned above can be had cheaply, not to mention they all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Do VPNs track your data?
No, most reliable VPN services don't track your data – that's why they continuously update and have their no-logs policies verified by independent third parties. We should mention that this doesn't mean that a VPN won't log any of your data. For instance, when choosing and paying for your VPN subscription, you're typically required to input your personal and payment information. In that sense, a VPN company does know who you are, but it doesn't track your search history and internet activity.
Do VPNs work anywhere?
Yes and no. The simplest way to answer this question is to understand that your chosen VPN will work in every country in which it has a server location (physical or virtual). That said, there are regions of the world in which governments strictly prohibit the use of VPN technology for various political and other reasons, such as Russia (infamous for not allowing the use of VPNs), but also China (which isn't as strict as Russia, but also isn't quite as liberal as Europe or North America). Therefore, the best way to ensure one of the best travel VPNs from this list will work where you're traveling is to check before you book your trip.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
