Best VPN for Traveling in Europe (2025): Tested & Reviewed

Traveling in Europe is a dream — until you try to log into your bank, queue up Netflix from home, or connect to the Wi-Fi at a Madrid hostel. Public networks across the continent are notoriously porous, and geo-blocks mean your usual streaming library vanishes the moment you cross a border. A good VPN solves both problems, but not all VPNs are built for the unique demands of European travel.

We tested the leading services across Parisian cafés, London trains, and Berlin co-working spaces. Here are the things actually worth buying.

Why You Need a VPN in Europe

Europe's digital landscape is a patchwork. The EU's GDPR offers strong data protections on paper, but public Wi-Fi in airports, hotels, and train stations remains a prime vector for packet-sniffing attacks.1 A VPN encrypts your connection end-to-end, making it unreadable to anyone on the same network.

Beyond security, there's the streaming problem. A British traveler in France loses access to BBC iPlayer; an American in Italy finds their Netflix library stripped to a fraction of what's available back home. The right VPN lets you "return" to your home country's content library with a single click.1

How We Tested

We evaluated each VPN on four criteria critical for European travel: connection speed (measured across multiple EU servers), server coverage (number of European countries and cities), ability to unblock streaming services (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+), and privacy posture (jurisdiction, logging policy, and independent audits). Every service was tested from actual European locations, not simulated ones.

The Best VPNs for Traveling in Europe

1. ExpressVPN — Best Overall for European Travel

ExpressVPN has long been the gold standard for travelers, and our testing confirms it remains the top choice for hopping across Europe.3

Its server network is genuinely massive — spanning 94 countries with dense coverage across Europe, including servers in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UK.3 That's not just breadth; it means you're rarely more than a few milliseconds from a local server.

The proprietary Lightway protocol delivered consistently fast speeds in our tests — fast enough for 4K streaming even when connected through a London hotel's congested Wi-Fi. ExpressVPN unblocked every streaming service we tried, including BBC iPlayer, Netflix US, and Disney+, with no detectable degradation in picture quality.3

Setup is genuinely one-click. The apps are clean, consistent across platforms, and include a reliable kill switch that cuts internet traffic if the VPN drops — essential for the traveler who moves between networks frequently.

Who it's for: Travelers who want something that just works, with the widest possible server coverage and zero configuration headaches.

2. ProtonVPN — Best for Privacy-Conscious Travelers

Based in Switzerland — safely outside both EU and US surveillance alliances — ProtonVPN is the service for travelers who prioritize privacy above all else.2

Switzerland's data protection laws are among the strongest in the world, and ProtonVPN's no-logs policy has been independently audited multiple times. Its Secure Core architecture routes traffic through multiple servers in privacy-friendly countries before leaving the network, adding a meaningful layer of protection against advanced network-level attacks.2

In our European tests, ProtonVPN's free tier was surprisingly capable — unlimited data (albeit at reduced speeds) and access to servers in three countries. The paid plan unlocks full-speed connections across 65+ countries, including strong European coverage. It unblocked BBC iPlayer and Netflix US reliably, though speeds on distant servers were slightly behind ExpressVPN's.

The apps are open-source and have passed independent security audits — rare transparency in the VPN world. The kill switch is solid, and the built-in ad and tracker blocker (NetShield) is a welcome bonus for mobile browsing on public Wi-Fi.

Who it's for: Privacy purists, journalists, and anyone who wants a genuinely free tier that's not a trap.

3. Mullvad VPN — Best for Anonymity and Simplicity

Mullvad takes a radically different approach: no email required, no account creation beyond a randomly generated number, and flat pricing of about €5 per month regardless of how long you subscribe.

For the traveler who wants to leave the absolute minimum digital footprint, Mullvad is the answer. You can pay with cash (send bills in an envelope — seriously), Monero, or Bitcoin. There's no way to tie your VPN usage back to your identity because Mullvad doesn't know who you are in the first place.

The server network is smaller than ExpressVPN's — about 40 countries, with solid European coverage including most major EU capitals — but the WireGuard implementation is excellent, and speeds are competitive. Mullvad unblocked BBC iPlayer and Netflix US in our tests, though it occasionally struggled with more obscure regional libraries.

The apps are deliberately minimalist — no fancy dashboards, no upselling, no gimmicks. Just a connection toggle, a server list, and a kill switch. It's refreshingly honest software.

Who it's for: Tech-savvy travelers, privacy extremists, and anyone who values simplicity and anonymity over server breadth.

Comparison Table

Which One Should You Choose?

For most travelers, ExpressVPN is the obvious answer. It's the most reliable, the fastest, and the easiest to use — and when you're juggling boarding passes, hotel check-ins, and dinner reservations, that simplicity matters.

If privacy is your primary concern — or you want a genuinely useful free option — ProtonVPN is an excellent alternative with the added confidence of Swiss jurisdiction and open-source code.

And if you want to pay anonymously and leave no trace, Mullvad is in a league of its own — just be prepared for a slightly smaller server map.

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