Travelling overseas can be dangerous – and we don’t just mean when you’re riding a motorbike around the streets of Bali.
Everyone loves the convenience of free Wi-Fi at hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and even airports when travelling overseas.
These public Wi-Fi networks allow us to stay in touch with family and friends back home, work remotely, or upload holiday snaps to social media without purchasing extra international roaming data.
However, there’s a dark side to using public Wi-Fi on trips.
This is where a VPN can help, providing increased data privacy and far greater online security to prevent hacking, cybercrime, and government surveillance.

What is a VPN?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet.
Your exact location – or IP address – is hidden, allowing you to browse securely on public Wi-Fi networks with far less risk of cybercrime.
Another benefit is that it bypasses censorship in some countries, giving you access to content as if you were at home in Australia.

Understanding the Risks of Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is vulnerable to hackers, who use various methods on these networks to steal data.
This could result in compromised passwords or even bank accounts.
However, connecting to a VPN keeps your data invisible to hackers, ensuring superior online security on your trip.

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Stay Anonymous and Avoid Government Surveillance

Some countries block access to websites and apps you probably use daily.
This includes social media platforms and streaming services.
With a VPN, you can bypass this censorship and access restricted content on your devices as if you were at home in Australia.

How to Choose the Right VPN for Travel

There are numerous VPN services available, both free and paid.
However, paid options are far superior in speed and data privacy.
Free services often have limited servers, slower speeds, and data caps.
Some free providers may also sell user data or generate revenue through intrusive ads.
Quality paid services have no-logs policies, which means they don’t track or store your online data.
They also offer superior speeds and no data usage restrictions.

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Setting Up and Using a VPN

Setting up and using a VPN service for online security and data privacy when travelling is quick and easy.
Major paid services offer apps you can download to quickly connect on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
Once signed up and logged in to the apps, you can choose ‘Auto Connect’ to automatically connect whenever you are online, which is wise when travelling.
Most paid services have servers in Australia, which you can select for automatic connections to keep your internet access as it would be at home while keeping your digital footprint safe.

The Best VPN for Travel

Popular paid services include NordVPN, Surfshark, PureVPN, ExpressVPN, Ivacy, and CyberGhost VPN.
At Hack Your Trip, we use NordVPN for our travels.
While we haven’t tried all the service providers, we have used Surfshark and PureVPN in the past. However, in our experience, NordVPN has offered the best speeds and apps and has had the fewest issues.
NordVPN also boasts robust encryption protocols, a no-logs policy to keep your data safe, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously.

Summary

A VPN is a must-have tool for anyone travelling. It provides enhanced online security and data privacy on public Wi-Fi networks. Using a VPN, you can protect your data from hacking, avoid government surveillance, and access geo-restricted content. When choosing a service, look for paid options with strong encryption, a no-logs policy, and fast speeds. NordVPN is our personal choice for travelling. This is one of our essential travel tips if you are heading overseas.

Written By: Chris
Updated: October 2024

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Using a VPN while travelling secures your data on public Wi-Fi networks, such as those at hotels, cafes, shops, and even airports. This helps to reduce your risk of being a victim of cybercrime. It will also allow you to access any Geo-Restricted content or apps while travelling.
A VPN sets up a secure and encrypted connection between your device and the internet when you use public Wi-Fi. This means hackers using these public Wi-Fi networks will be unable to view your data, allowing for secure browsing while travelling.
Some of Australia's most popular – and best – services include NordVPN, Surfshark, PureVPN, ExpressVPN, Ivacy, and CyberGhost. At Hack Your Trip, we have personally used NordVPN when travelling over recent years, which we believe to be one of the best services for international travel.
Most VPNs are very easy to set up on your devices, with many providers offering apps for phones, computers, and tablets. You can download these apps and login to your account before you travel, and then simply hit the ‘Connect’ buttons in these apps during your trip.
Yes, in most cases, you can connect to a server in Australia, which will allow you to access apps and content as you would at home – even if they are blocked in the country you are visiting. This way, the internet will believe that you and your device are in Australia.
Australians have access to a wide range of paid providers offering relatively similar products. However, we have tried a few and have found NordVPN to be the best for us. NordVPN consistently offers reliable connections and fast speeds whenever we travel.
While there are free services, there is always a catch, and some of these services may sell some of your data or bombard you with intrusive ads. If you want a VPN, you should purchase a quality paid service that offers quick connections, fast speeds, and a no-logs policy.
We all have lots of devices these days and take most of them with us when travelling. The good news is that some paid services like NordVPN allow you to have up to 10 simultaneous connections on one account. This means if you are travelling with the family, you can secure not only your phone but also the phones of those travelling with you and any tablets or computers you take as well.