So here you are. You’ve worked hard, saved money for travel, and booked an affordable flight to your dream vacation. As you kick back on the beach with the warm sun on your skin, you switch on your phone to check in on Facebook. Just imagine how jealous your friends will be when they see where you are! As you fire up your Facebook app…
Blocked. Doh!
For many travelers, one of the only negatives about traveling is not being able to access their favorite apps while abroad. Whether it’s Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram, there’s nothing worse than going abroad and not being able to share your memories with loved ones or keeping up with your favorite online entertainment. So what’s a traveler to do?
Answer: Use a VPN.
Don’t let the acronym scare you. A virtual private network is very easy to use and is your gateway to an unblocked internet, wherever you are. While it might not be very useful if you wind up on Mars, a VPN lets you connect to various internet servers around the globe and surf the web as if you were located in a certain country. In other words, it’s the perfect solution for unblocking websites abroad.
So if you want to watch some good old Netflix, connect to a Netflix VPN via a U.S. or Canadian server location (and hope the local stores sell good ready-made popcorn). If you want to tune into BBC iPlayer instead, switch to a UK server. And if you want to secure your local internet connection, just connect to a server in or nearest your holiday location. Don’t leave your social media or online banking passwords as a souvenir for local hackers!
The best part? A VPN is easier to use than your local travel map.
No really, it is. Many people imagine VPNs to be complicated tech tools that require entering incomprehensible codes and hours of setup. In fact, modern VPNs usually come in easy-to-use app packages. Whether you want to connect to a location, switch to a different location, or do something more technical like changing the VPN’s connection protocol, everything can be done from an appealing visual interface at the click/tap of a button.
Lastly, remember how you arrived at your dream vacation spot by taking an affordable flight? Turns out, booking early and comparing prices across websites aren’t the only ways to help you find cheap flights and hotel bookings (and online shopping). What else can you do to save precious dough on travel bookings?
You can also use a VPN 😉