Best VPN for Travel: 5 Picks for Trips and Long Stays Abroad
Top picks at a glance
Swipe for all 5 →
01
NordVPN
Best overall
- 150 countries on its list
- 10 devices per account
- 6 no-logs checks
02
ExpressVPN
Built-in travel eSIM
- 113 countries
- eSIM data on Advanced
- From $4.99 a month
03
Surfshark
Families travelling
- Unlimited devices
- 100 countries
- 30-day refund
04
Proton VPN
Free backup
- Free plan, no data cap
- 140+ countries on paid
- Swiss, audited yearly
05
CyberGhost
Long refund window
- 45-day refund on long plans
- 100+ countries
- 7 devices
Buttons are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, which never changes the order or a fact on this page.
A travel VPN earns its keep in two moments: the hotel Wi-Fi password taped to the desk, and the banking app that suddenly won't let you in from abroad. It encrypts the first and fixes the second by routing you through a server back home.
This guide ranks five providers for trips and long stays on what we could verify on 28 October 2026: how many countries they cover, how many devices one plan protects, refund windows, audits and the price after the intro deal. Then it covers setup, legal checks and the honest limits.
The best travel VPNs compared
| Provider | Countries | Devices | Refund window | First term | After renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 150 (public list) | 10 | 30 days | Not shown to us | Not shown to us |
| ExpressVPN | 113 | 10 (Basic) | 30 days, new users | $74.85 / 15 months | $99.95 / year |
| Surfshark | 100 | Unlimited | 30 days | Shown in local currency | Not on pricing page |
| Proton VPN | 140+ (paid) | 10 (Plus) | 30 days | $83.76 / 24 months | $83.88 / year |
| CyberGhost | 100+ | 7 | 45 days (14 on monthly) | €56.94 / 26 months | €56.94 / year |
1. NordVPN: the best VPN for travel overall
01
Best for Most trips, most travellers
NordVPN's public server list showed 7,239 servers in 150 countries on 28 October 2026, the widest spread of our five. One account runs on up to 10 devices, and its no-logs claims have passed six independent checks, the latest by Deloitte (report dated 12 December 2025).
Why it’s here
- Servers in more countries than any other pick
- 10 devices: phone, laptop, tablet and the family's
- Six no-logs assessments on record
Watch out for
- We couldn't read a price; its pricing page blocks automated readers
- Refund covers the first 30 days of a first purchase
- Countries
- 150 on its public server list
- Servers
- 7,239
- Based in
- Panama
- Devices
- Up to 10
2. ExpressVPN: the one with eSIM data in the box
02
Best for Travellers who want data and a VPN in one buy
ExpressVPN covers 113 countries, and its Advanced plan bundles a holiday.com eSIM with 3GB of data valid for 3 days in 150+ destinations, on eSIM-compatible, unlocked phones, once per account. Basic is $74.85 for the first 15 months; Advanced is $89.85 and covers 12 devices.
Why it’s here
- eSIM data allowance included on Advanced and Pro
- 113 countries
- KPMG no-logs assessment as of 28 Feb 2025
Watch out for
- The eSIM bonus is small: 3GB over 3 days
- Renewal: $99.95 a year on Basic, $119.95 on Advanced
- Basic
- $4.99 a month for the first 15 months
- Advanced
- $5.99 a month, 12 devices, eSIM data included
- Based in
- British Virgin Islands
- Refund window
- 30 days for new users
3. Surfshark: the family-trip pick
03
Best for Families and groups on one plan
Surfshark puts no limit on connected devices, so every phone, tablet and laptop on a family trip shares one subscription. Its server list covers 100 countries, and Deloitte reviewed its no-logs statement in 2023 and in June 2025.
Why it’s here
- Unlimited devices
- 100 countries
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Watch out for
- Shows prices in the currency of where you browse from; compare at checkout
- Renewal prices aren't printed on the pricing page
- Countries
- 100 on its public server list
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Registered
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Latest audit
- Deloitte, June 2025
4. Proton VPN: the free backup in your pocket
04
Best for A free second VPN for when the first one misbehaves
Proton's free plan has no data cap and no ads, on one device, with servers in 10 countries chosen for you. That makes it a sensible spare to install alongside a paid VPN. VPN Plus opens 140+ countries and 10 devices for $83.76 over the first 24 months.
Why it’s here
- Free plan with unlimited data
- Swiss company; Securitum audits every year 2022-2026
- Paid plan covers 10 devices
Watch out for
- Free plan can't choose a country, so it won't reliably get you 'home'
- Paid plan renews at $83.88 a year, double the intro monthly rate
- Free
- 1 device, 10 countries chosen by Proton
- VPN Plus
- $3.49 a month for the first 24 months
- Countries
- 140+ on paid plans
- Based in
- Geneva, Switzerland
5. CyberGhost: the longest refund window
05
Best for Trying a VPN across a whole trip
CyberGhost gives 45 days to ask for a refund on its 6-month and 2-year plans, the longest window here and long enough to cover most holidays. It lists servers in 100+ countries and allows 7 connections. Prices are in euros: 56.94 for the first 26 months.
Why it’s here
- 45-day money-back guarantee on longer plans
- 100+ countries
- Deloitte Audit Romania reviews in 2022, 2024 and 2025
Watch out for
- 7 devices is fewer than the others
- Monthly plan gets only 14 days for a refund
- 2-year plan
- €2.19 a month: €56.94 for the first 26 months
- Renews at
- €56.94 a year
- Run by
- Cyberghost SRL, Romania
- Devices
- 7
What a travel VPN fixes, and what it can't
Three problems come up on almost every trip. Banks, brokers and tax portals often challenge or block logins from abroad as a fraud check, and a server in your home country usually calms that down. Shared Wi-Fi in hotels, airports and cafés is easy to snoop on, and a VPN encrypts everything you send over it.
The third is the one people expect most and should expect least: home streaming. Many services licence their catalogue by country and set out in their terms where you may watch. A VPN doesn't change those terms, and a service can refuse VPN connections, so check its own travel rules before you rely on it.
Check the destination's VPN rules before you go
Across the European Union, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and most of the world, a VPN is plain legal software. A smaller group of countries polices how you use one or restricts it heavily, and a handful ban it. Our VPN law by country map sorts destinations into four tiers, with dates and sources.
Going somewhere in the stricter tiers? Read the country's own guide first: China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia or India. Each one explains the law, not ways around it. Moving abroad for longer? Our country picks for the UK, Canada and Australia cover local servers, privacy law and prices.
Prices: plan for the renewal, not the launch deal
Travel VPN prices look tiny because the first term is discounted and paid upfront. The renewal is the number that sticks. On the pages we read on 28 October 2026, ExpressVPN Basic goes from $74.85 for 15 months to $99.95 a year, Proton VPN Plus from $83.76 for 24 months to $83.88 a year, and CyberGhost renews at the same €56.94, but yearly instead of every 26 months.
Set it up before you leave: a five-minute checklist
- Subscribe and install on every device you're taking while you're still on your home network.
- Sign in on each one and connect once, so you know the login works.
- Favourite two servers in your home country: one for banking, one spare.
- Turn on the kill switch, so nothing leaks if the connection drops on flaky Wi-Fi.
- Switch on auto-connect for untrusted networks, so the hotel Wi-Fi is covered without thinking.
Travel VPN or eSIM? Usually both
They solve different problems. A local or travel eSIM gives you a data connection; a VPN changes where that connection appears to come from and encrypts it. Use the eSIM for data and the VPN on top for privacy and home-only services.
ExpressVPN's Advanced plan blurs the line slightly by bundling a small holiday.com eSIM allowance: 3GB valid for 3 days in 150+ destinations, according to its order page on 28 October 2026. Handy for landing day; you'll still want a proper data plan for a longer trip.
Special cases worth planning for
- Long-stay expats: you'll lean on home tax, pension and health logins for months. Note two home-country servers that work for each one, and keep the refund window in mind while you test.
- Business travellers: your employer's corporate VPN is the expected route to work systems. A personal VPN covers your own accounts and the hotel Wi-Fi.
- Families: count devices before you buy. Surfshark has no limit; CyberGhost stops at 7.
- Remote workers on the move: check your employer's rules on personal VPNs before you install one on a work laptop.
Travel VPN questions
What is the best VPN for travel?
Which VPN works best for international travel on a budget?
Do I need a VPN when I travel abroad?
What's the best VPN for travel to Europe or Asia?
Can I use my banking app abroad with a VPN?
Will a VPN let me watch my home streaming services abroad?
Should I install the VPN before I travel?
Planning a trip or a move? Start with the VPN legality-by-country guide, or read up on using a VPN behind the Great Firewall.