Travel is when you rely on your phone the most and trust its connection the least. Maps, bookings, boarding passes, banking and messages all run over hotel Wi-Fi, airport hotspots and roaming data. A VPN does not fix everything, but it fixes several of the most common travel headaches.
Why travellers use a VPN
Untrusted Wi-Fi everywhere. Hotels, airports, trains and cafés all offer networks shared with strangers. The operator, and anyone who sets up a look-alike hotspot with the same name, can see which services your devices connect to. A VPN encrypts that traffic between your device and the VPN server.
Banking apps that panic abroad. Many banks challenge or temporarily block logins from another country. Connecting through a server in your home country makes the login look familiar.
Services that work differently abroad. Some apps and sites behave differently, or not at all, depending on the country you connect from. A home-country server can keep things working the way you are used to.
Networks that block apps. Hotel and conference networks, and some mobile networks, block particular apps or VPNs. A VPN with a stealth protocol, which makes the tunnel look like normal HTTPS, can get through.
Five things to do before you leave
1. Install and test the VPN at home. The single most important tip. On the road you may not have a good connection to download an app, and app stores can behave differently abroad.
2. Check your subscription dates. Make sure it does not expire mid-trip.
3. Test both Wi-Fi and mobile data. Connect over each, and try the stealth mode if your VPN has one.
4. Save the support contact. Email and any chat or Telegram support link.
5. Set up auto-connect. Many VPN apps can connect automatically on untrusted Wi-Fi, so you do not forget in a busy airport.
At the hotel or airport
- Ask staff for the exact network name; fake hotspots use near-identical names.
- Complete the network's login page first, then switch the VPN on. Until you are past that page the VPN cannot connect.
- Never install "certificates" or "updates" offered by a Wi-Fi login page.
- Turn the VPN on before opening banking, email or messaging apps.
On roaming data
- Mobile data is generally safer than public Wi-Fi, but your carrier and the foreign network can still see which services you use.
- If the VPN will not connect on a foreign network, enable the stealth protocol.
- Choose a VPN with unlimited data so you are not juggling two sets of limits.
- On Android, set the VPN's battery usage to Unrestricted so it does not drop in the background.
Which server to pick
- Banking and home services: a server in your home country.
- General browsing and maps: the server nearest to where you are, for speed.
- If one server is slow: try the next nearest.
Common questions
Will a VPN get my bank account blocked? Usually the opposite. A login through a home-country server looks more familiar to your bank than one from abroad.
Does a VPN use more data? A little. Encryption adds a few percent.
Can I use it on my laptop too? Check how many devices your plan covers before you travel.
Korp VPN for travel
Korp VPN works over Wi-Fi, mobile data and roaming on iPhone, Android and Windows, with unlimited data, a strict no-logs policy on RAM-only servers and a stealth protocol for networks that block VPNs. Plans are $4.99 for three months or $17.99 a year. Install it before you go.