Best VPN for summer travel [year]

Best VPN for Summer Travel 2025

Something changed this year that actually matters for travelers. More streaming services — including Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer — have quietly tightened their geo-enforcement. That means the VPN that worked fine on your last trip abroad might now get blocked at the login screen. Not great news if you're planning a long summer trip and want to keep watching what you pay for at home.

And then there's hotel Wi-Fi. It's gotten worse, not better. More hotels are running shared networks with minimal security, and more opportunistic attacks are targeting travelers specifically because they're distracted, jet-lagged, and connected to networks they know nothing about.

So if you haven't updated your VPN setup since last summer, now's a good time to do it.

What to Actually Look for in a Travel VPN

Most VPN review sites give you a list of 12 criteria. We're going to give you the four that genuinely matter when you're traveling.

1. Can it unblock your streaming services?

This is the whole point for most people. You want to watch your home version of Netflix, or catch up on a BBC show, or follow a sport that's blacked out where you've landed. Not every VPN can do this — streaming platforms actively block known VPN IP addresses. You need one that updates its server pool regularly and specifically lists streaming as a feature, not an afterthought.

2. Does it hold up on sketchy hotel Wi-Fi?

Hotel networks are a security mess. They're shared, often unencrypted, and frequently targeted. A VPN encrypts your connection before it ever touches the hotel's router, which means what you're doing online stays private. Look for a VPN with an automatic kill switch — if the VPN connection drops, it cuts your internet rather than exposing you unprotected. That matters more than most people realize.

3. How fast is it, actually?

Speed matters on the road because you're often already dealing with slower connections abroad. A bad VPN makes that worse. You want something that adds minimal overhead — ideally under 10–15% speed reduction on a decent connection. The top providers now use protocols like NordLynx or WireGuard that are genuinely fast. Older VPNs running only OpenVPN can be sluggish.

4. How many devices can you connect?

When you travel, you've probably got your phone, laptop, and maybe a tablet. If you're traveling with a partner or family, that multiplies quickly. Some VPNs cap you at five connections. Others give you unlimited. Know what you're buying before you commit.

Our Top Pick: NordVPN

We'd recommend NordVPN for summer travel, and the reason is specific: it's the only VPN we've tested consistently that unblocks both US Netflix and BBC iPlayer and Australian Stan in the same subscription without any manual server-hunting. You pick "UK streaming" or "US streaming" from a dedicated server list, and it just works. That matters when you're abroad, tired, and just want to watch something.

Beyond streaming, NordVPN's Threat Protection feature blocks ads and known malicious sites at the VPN level — which is genuinely useful on hotel Wi-Fi where you have no control over what traffic the network's already been exposed to. It's not a replacement for good sense, but it's a solid extra layer.

The app is easy enough that you don't need to know what a protocol is to use it well. One button connects you to the best available server. Done.

• Price: From $3.09/month (about £2.45 / €2.85) on a 2-year plan. Monthly plans run $12.99/month (about £10.30 / €12).
• Simultaneous connections: Up to 10 devices
• Servers: 6,400+ servers in 111 countries
• Kill switch: Yes — available on all platforms
• Streaming: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu, DAZN, and more

Best for: Travelers who want one setup that handles everything without fiddling.

Solid Alternatives Worth Considering

Surfshark — Best budget option

If you're comparing monthly costs, Surfshark wins. On a two-year plan it can work out to around $2.19/month (about £1.75 / €2.00), which is genuinely cheap. And unlike a lot of budget VPNs, it actually unblocks Netflix reliably. The catch? It occasionally struggles with BBC iPlayer and some regional sports platforms. If those aren't priorities, it's a great deal — especially because it gives you unlimited simultaneous connections, which is perfect if you're traveling with family.

• Price: From $2.19/month (about £1.75 / €2.00) on 2-year plan
• Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
• Best for: Budget travelers and families

ExpressVPN — Best for reliability on difficult networks

ExpressVPN is the one we'd recommend if you're spending significant time in countries with aggressive internet restrictions — think parts of the Middle East, China, or Southeast Asia. It uses a proprietary protocol called Lightway that's noticeably better at maintaining connections on unstable or restricted networks. It's expensive at $12.95/month (about £10.30 / €12) on a monthly plan, though the annual plan drops it to $6.67/month (about £5.30 / €6.15). Worth it if you're going somewhere that's genuinely tricky.

• Price: From $6.67/month (about £5.30 / €6.15) on annual plan
• Simultaneous connections: 8 devices
• Best for: Travelers heading to internet-restricted countries

Proton VPN — Best for privacy-first travelers

Proton is built by the team behind ProtonMail and is headquartered in Switzerland, which has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world. If you're traveling for work and handling sensitive data — legal, journalistic, financial — Proton VPN is worth the premium. Its streaming support has improved a lot in the last year too, though it's still not quite as plug-and-play as NordVPN in that department. Plans start from $4.99/month (about £3.95 / €4.60) on an annual subscription.

• Price: From $4.99/month (about £3.95 / €4.60) on annual plan
• Simultaneous connections: 10 devices
• Best for: Privacy-conscious travelers and those handling sensitive work data

Side-by-Side Comparison

Prices shown are lowest available on multi-year plans as of mid-2025. Always check the provider's site for current offers — VPN pricing changes frequently.

Country-Specific Advice for Summer Travelers

Going to the US?

You'll want a VPN set to your home country to keep watching your home streaming library. US Netflix has more content than most other regions, but your UK or Australian subscriptions won't automatically give you the US version — you'll see the local catalog unless your VPN connects you home. Also worth knowing: US hotel Wi-Fi is widely considered some of the least secure in the developed world. Keep that kill switch on.

Traveling around Europe?

If you're an EU resident, EU streaming rights mean your Netflix or Disney+ subscription should technically follow you across EU borders. In practice it's patchy, and some platforms still geo-block. A VPN connecting back home sorts it instantly. If you're a UK traveler, note that post-Brexit you no longer have EU digital portability rights — so a VPN connecting back to a UK server is essential for BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4.

Heading somewhere with restricted internet?

Turkey, the UAE, Egypt, Indonesia, and several others block or throttle VPN traffic in different ways. For these destinations, ExpressVPN is the safer call — its obfuscation features are better tested in restricted environments. NordVPN has an obfuscated servers option too, which is worth enabling before you land.

Australia and Asia-Pacific?

Australian streaming (Stan, Binge, 9Now) is geo-locked hard, and local sports like AFL or NRL will be blacked out if you're accessing from abroad. NordVPN and ExpressVPN both unblock these reliably. For Japan, Singapore, and South Korea — broadly open internet, so any of the options here will work fine.

Verdict: Who Should Buy What

Get NordVPN if: You want the best all-around travel VPN that handles streaming, security, and general reliability without you having to think about it. It's our first recommendation for a reason.

Get Surfshark if: You're on a tighter budget or traveling with family and need unlimited connections. You'll get most of what NordVPN offers at a lower price — just manage your expectations around a few streaming platforms.

Get ExpressVPN if: You're going somewhere with restricted or censored internet — UAE, Turkey, and similar. The premium price is justified by genuinely better performance in difficult conditions.

Get Proton VPN if: Privacy is your primary concern and you're handling sensitive work while abroad. It's not the flashiest option, but the no-compromise approach to data handling is real.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to use a VPN while traveling?

In most countries, yes — VPNs are completely legal tools. The exceptions include countries like China, Russia, North Korea, Belarus, and the UAE, where VPN use is restricted or illegal. Even in those places, tourists aren't typically prosecuted for VPN use, but it's worth being aware of the local rules. Using a VPN to access content you'd have access to at home is a grey area legally but widely practiced and rarely, if ever, an issue for individuals.

Do I need to set up the VPN before I leave?

Yes — do this at home before you travel. Some VPN websites are blocked in certain countries, so trying to download or set up a VPN after you've landed can get complicated. Install the app, log in, and test it before you get on the plane. Takes five minutes.

Will a VPN slow down my connection?

A little, yes — there's always some overhead from encryption. But with a modern VPN on a decent connection, you're typically looking at under 10–15% speed reduction. On hotel Wi-Fi that's already slow, you might not even notice. The protocols used by NordVPN (NordLynx) and ExpressVPN (Lightway) are specifically designed to minimize this.

Can I use a free VPN while traveling?

We'd strongly advise against it. Free VPNs almost all have data caps, slow speeds, and limited server options — which makes them nearly useless for streaming. More importantly, many free VPNs have poor (or no) privacy policies and have been caught logging and selling user data. On hotel Wi-Fi where you actually need the security, a free VPN may give you a false sense of protection. Paid VPNs cost less than a coffee per day on an annual plan. It's worth it.

What if a streaming service blocks my VPN?

This happens occasionally, even with paid VPNs. The fix is usually simple: switch to a different server in the same country. Most