If you haven’t heard it before, then let us tell you that a virtual private network is one of the most significant tools to optimize your security online, especially while traveling.

Now, you must be thinking why. VPNs are often known to be shady, but technically, they can be quite useful. All you’d have to do is spend a few bucks and become safe from all the dodgy yet alluring public Wi-Fi connections and keen surveillance of the government.

Other than that, a VPN is also a great option to unblock geo-restricted websites on the road or access your local bank account.

Confused about how a VPN would do all that? Then, let’s make it easy for you. In this guide, we’re going to explain why using a VPN is important while traveling and potential issues you’re going to face if you don’t use one.

There are thousands of VPNs in the industry, but not all of them are completely safe. In case you’re searching for the most reliable one for traveling, then you can check out the best VPN by VPNRanks and from the given options, select the one you find suitable for yourself.

Why is a VPN Necessary for Traveling?

There are multiple significant reasons why a VPN is necessary while traveling. A few of these are as follows:

• Accessing your local bank account easily and safely:

Even if you inform your bank that you’d be traveling abroad and there will be a possibility of a transaction from anywhere outside the country, your bank might still lock you out of your account on the basis of some “unusual activity.”

While banks take this security measure to protect their customers, it can result in annoyance when you’re outside the country. Imagine you’re booking something urgently, but end up spending 30 minutes talking to the fraud department of your bank.

This is where the role of a VPN comes in. Your bank always knows the IP address of your location from which you’re making the transaction. So, if you connect to a server of your home country while traveling, then making transactions while traveling would be relatively easier.

• Unblocking geo-restricted sites from across the world:

If you’re traveling to a restrictive country, be ready to let go of multiple entertainment websites and applications that you regularly use. Many websites, social media, and streaming platforms are blocked in certain countries worldwide.

For example, TikTok, a popular video-focused social network, is blocked in various countries, including India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Similarly, China blocks Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.

This is why you need a VPN. A virtual private network offers thousands of servers in the world. You can connect to a server that doesn’t restrict the website you desire to unblock and use it easily in the country you traveled to.

• Protect yourself on public Wi-Fi networks:

Even if you buy yourself the local SIM card of a specific region, you’d still be bound to connect to a public Wi-Fi network at some point.

While these Wi-Fi connections may seem like saviors to you as a traveler, they are known to expose your online activities and all your data to malicious folks lurking on the connection.

You cannot just rely on HTTPS websites to stay secure. These websites do reduce the risk of a data breach, but there are many insecure and malicious apps and sites out there.

This is why you need a VPN service. Launch your VPN app on your device, connect to one of its servers, and stay protected on public Wi-Fi networks in malls, airports, and more.

What Circumstances Will You Face if You Don’t Connect to a VPN While Traveling?

Even though the cybersecurity stats of 2021 are more alarming than ever, people still choose not to opt for a VPN service while traveling without actually understanding the circumstances.

Imagine yourself stuck in a situation where you need to book a hotel for yourself in a different city after an unexpected booking cancellation.

You try to use your credit card, but your local bank immediately blocks it, assuming fraudulent activity. This situation will leave you helpless without a VPN.

Along with that, chances of data breaches also spike on your devices while traveling without a VPN service.

That’s not all. Imagine you need to connect to a friend back home, and with a blocked online chatting service, you’re unable to do so.

These are all the circumstances where you might feel overwhelmed without a virtual private network. If you hadn’t thought about all this before, then it’s high time you do and subscribe to a VPN before you travel.

Conclusion

All these reasons above are significant enough to make you subscribe to a virtual private network while traveling.

Once you do that, you’d stay completely protected on the internet, be able to access sites back home, and also be able to enjoy the content of geo-restricted streaming services from all over the world when you’re bored.

However, for traveling, try to get a trusted VPN service for yourself that is compatible with all the devices you’re carrying.