Best VPN for Travelers

Best VPN for Travelers

The Solo Female Travel checklist can get pretty lengthy. We have a lot of things we need to do, buy, keep track of, before we get on the plane and after we get off. Now here I am adding something else to the list! I get the desire to just keep it simple, go minimalist and only worry about the necessities. But at this point, VPNs are a necessity, so I’m going to share with you the best VPN for travelers.

**Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon Affiliate/other affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you!**

What’s A VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN reroutes your connection to a remote and secure server. This means your true location, data and identity are masked.

Why Do You Need One?

This probably sounds all cloak and dagger and you might be thinking “I don’t need to mask my location or identity. I don’t have anything to hide.” But the thing is, you do have something to hide, or I should say, something to protect.

Protect Your Identity

During your travels, you will eventually need to hop on the internet. Whether it’s to book your next hostel, check the state of your bank account, connect to family and friends on Facebook, look up directions, on and on it goes. You’ll need to connect and you’ll have no choice but to do so on public networks and wifi.

This is the digital age. Thieves don’t just lurk in back alleys, they are now plugged in and ready to snatch all that unprotected data floating through cyberspace. The credit number you typed in when you booked your hotel. The password you inputted when you checked your bank account. The savvy cyber-criminal can get their hands on it if you don’t protect your info. A VPN will do that for you.

Protect Your Privacy

So you spent the weekend searching how to get that travel book you’re writing published and then after collecting all that helpful info, you hop on social media and find yourself bombarded with ads about writing, marketing your book, etc. Internet service providers have a habit of passing info about your online activities to third parties and advertisers but with a VPN your private information can stay private.

Protect Against Censorship

A VPN can help you bypass government internet restrictions. In some countries, Facebook, news sites, video-streaming, are prohibited. China’s firewall and internet restrictions are so infamous it has been dubbed the Great FireWall of China. A VPN will get around this by masking your real location and making your computer appear as though it’s still in the US, or whichever country you choose.

Protect Your Netflix Queue

There was a time when I was naive, innocent, young. I thought the world was a kind, happy place and nothing bad could ever happen. Then I went to Thailand.

I left the US behind and traveled across the world to the beautiful country of Thailand. All was well until I settled into my hostel one night to enjoy a few episodes of Psych before bed. But wait…where was it?! Frantic swiping and searching ensued until I came to the horrible realization that Psych was not available in Thailand. I would have to spend an entire month without it. Queue the waterworks.

The sad reality is that some Netflix titles are not available in every country and if your location changes, your queue will change with it. This was an issue I didn’t want to deal with when I accepted a job to live and work in South Korea for two years. So I purchased a two-year plan with the subject of this post: NordVPN.

Best VPN for Travelers: NordVPN

The VPN I use in South Korea and around the world is NordVPN. Not only does it provide all the benefits I stated above but it does so at a great price and on up to six devices. With one plan I am able to protect my laptop, tablets, and cellphone everywhere I go.

I knew I would be in South Korea for two-years so it made sense to go for the Two-Year plan which costs only $3.29 USD a month. You also have the choice to opt for a One-Month plan for $11.95 USD for a shorter backpacking trip. Or a One-Year plan at $5.75 USD per month.

I’ve had NordVPN for almost a year now and I love it. I love that I can feel secure when I connect to public wifi. I love that my internet speed isn’t affected in any way and everything streams and loads quickly when I’m on the VPN and off. I love that NordVPN is so affordable. I love that all major platforms and devices are supported, from Macs to Kindles. I love that I can still watch my favorite shows. So with all that said, I recommend NordVPN for solo travelers and expats.

Happy Travels

Pickpocketing isn’t the only way for thieves to get their hands on your money and information. I’m all about helping women travel solo but more than that I want women to travel safely. This means you need to know how to protect your person, your belongings, your information and your privacy. A VPN is another great tool to have in your arsenal. So good luck out there, ladies! And happy travels!