Months on the road through a string of hostels, night buses, and cafe WiFi is a different kind of travel than a two-week trip — and it puts a different kind of pressure on your budget, including whatever you're spending on a VPN.
| Provider | Best for | Devices | Audited | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Speed & streaming | 10 | Deloitte, 2025 | $3.49/mo |
| Surfshark | Budget & multi-device | Unlimited | Deloitte, 2025 | $2.49/mo |
| Proton VPN | Privacy & free plan | 1 free / 10 paid | Securitum, 2025 | $2.99/mo |
Lowest advertised long-term rates shown against each provider's standard monthly rate, checked August 2026. Prices change often and renew higher — check the provider for current pricing. Audit column names the firm and year of the most recent published no-logs audit. Proton VPN was recommended here, including its free plan, before we joined its affiliate program in September 2026.
Backpackers tend to rely on public WiFi more than any other type of traveler, simply because it's often the only option in hostels and budget accommodation. That makes security genuinely useful here — but so does keeping monthly costs down over a trip that might run six months or longer.
What backpackers should prioritize
- Low cost over a long stretch. A VPN you're paying for over many months adds up — the per-month rate matters more here than on a short trip.
- Coverage for every device you're carrying. Often a phone and a lightweight laptop or tablet, sometimes shared with a travel companion.
- Simplicity. You want something you can set up once and not think about again, especially on patchy hostel WiFi.
Surfshark
For long trips, Surfshark's combination of a lower price on extended plans and unlimited devices makes it easy to justify for months of continuous travel — you're not paying more because you're covering more devices.
Get Surfshark's Latest Deal →Making a VPN part of your routine on the road
- Turn it on as a habit the moment you connect to hostel or cafe WiFi, without needing to think about it each time.
- Download the app before you leave home — connectivity to app stores isn't guaranteed everywhere on your route.
- Pick a plan length that roughly matches your trip so you're not paying for months you won't use, or scrambling to renew mid-trip.
If streaming matters more than budget
Long trips often mean wanting your usual shows during downtime too. If reliable streaming access matters as much to you as cost, it's worth weighing that against our best VPN for streaming abroad guide.
Considering a free VPN to save money?
It's a reasonable question on a tight budget, but worth understanding what you'd be trading away first — see our breakdown of free VPN vs paid VPN before deciding.
What about mobile data between countries?
Relying entirely on hostel WiFi means dead zones the moment you're between accommodation — on a bus, at a border crossing, or just lost trying to find the place. An eSIM covers that gap without a new physical SIM at every border. See our guide to eSIMs for travelers for how to set one up before you go.
The other budget leak: currency and card fees
VPN and eSIM costs are predictable — bank card fees on a multi-country route usually aren't. Foreign transaction fees and poor exchange rates on a typical bank card quietly eat into a backpacking budget the same way roaming fees do. A multi-currency card like Wise avoids most of that, converting at closer to the real exchange rate instead of whatever markup your home bank applies at each border.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a VPN for a multi-month backpacking trip?
Long trips typically mean relying heavily on hostel and cafe WiFi across many countries, which increases exposure compared to a short trip — making a VPN more useful, not less.
Will a VPN work in every country I visit while backpacking?
Most countries allow VPN use without restriction, though a small number regulate or restrict it, so it's worth checking rules for specific destinations on longer routes.