You've probably seen the ads and blog posts touting how you can save big on travel by using a VPN to book flights and hotels. It sounds too good to be true - connect to a server in another country, access travel sites from there, and voila, cheaper rates and deals just for you. But does using a VPN really help you score better deals? The truth is, it depends. A VPN can be useful for accessing some discounts and promotions not available in your home country. But more often than not, the savings aren't as huge as advertised. Here are the facts about using a VPN for booking travel so you know exactly what to expect and how to maximize any potential savings. The bottom line is a VPN might save you a few bucks, but you'll need to do more than just connect to a different server to significantly slash your travel costs. With some tips and the right approach though, every little bit helps. Ready to learn the real deal about VPNs and travel savings? Read on.
How VPNs Can Help You Save Money on Travel
Using a VPN when booking
travel can potentially help you save money on flights and hotels. Here's how it
works:
Price Discrimination
Travel companies often
adjust prices based on your location and browsing history. They use your IP
address to determine where you're searching from and may show higher prices if
they think you can afford more. A VPN masks your real IP address, making it
appear as if you're searching from another location. This can allow you to see
lower prices that are offered to customers in other countries or regions.
Access Restricted Deals
Some travel deals and
promo codes are only available to customers in certain locations. A VPN lets
you access deals that may be restricted based on your actual location. You may
find promo codes to save 10 or 15% that you wouldn't have access to otherwise.
Every dollar saved helps!
Avoid Price Spikes
Ever searched for
flights or hotels on a trip you've been planning, only to see the prices
suddenly shoot up? This can happen if travel companies use your search and
browsing history to determine you're interested in a destination and may be
willing to pay more. A VPN prevents them from tracking your interest, so prices
are less likely to mysteriously increase right when you're ready to book.
Using a VPN is not a
guaranteed way to find the lowest prices on every trip, but it can be an
effective tool for unlocking extra discounts and avoiding price discrimination.
The key is to compare prices with and without connecting to a VPN to see if it
makes a difference for your specific dates and destinations. You have nothing
to lose, and potentially hundreds of dollars to save on your next vacation!
Popular Destinations Where VPNs Unlock Cheaper
Flights
Many popular travel
destinations actually offer cheaper flight and hotel deals if you book using a
VPN. By masking your location and IP address, VPNs allow you to access lower
prices that are often geo-targeted.
Southeast Asia
Countries like
Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines frequently show lower prices to
customers searching from within Asia. A VPN can make travel sites think you're
browsing from cities like Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur, unlocking deals 30-50%
lower than the prices shown to U.S. or European visitors. Resorts, especially,
are keen to attract regional tourists and will slash rates to fill rooms during
off-peak seasons.
The Caribbean
Islands like Jamaica,
the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico also use geo-targeting to adjust rates for the
North American market. VPNs let you tap into lower prices aimed at attracting
more budget-friendly South American travelers. All-inclusive packages, in
particular, are often hundreds less for customers searching from locales like
Colombia or Costa Rica.
Domestic Destinations
Even within the U.S.,
many resorts and tourist destinations lower prices for regional visitors. Ski
resorts in Colorado, beach hotels in Florida, and Vegas casino resorts are
known to drop rates by 20-40% or more for customers searching from nearby
states. Using a VPN to mask your location and appear as though you're booking
from a neighboring state is an easy way to uncover these hidden deals for
domestic getaways.
The key is finding a
VPN with servers located in the part of the world where travel companies are
lowering their rates. Do some searching on travel sites like Kayak, Expedia,
and Booking.com to see the price differences for yourself, then choose a VPN
with servers in those locales. With the right VPN, you'll be unlocking major
savings the next time you go to book flights and hotels.
Tips for Using a VPN to Get the Lowest Hotel
Rates
Using a VPN when
booking hotels can potentially save you money. Here are some tips to get the
lowest rates:
Compare rates in different countries
By connecting to
servers in different countries, you may find lower rates offered to customers
in those locations. Some hotels adjust rates based on the local economy and
demand. For example, hotels in tourist destinations like Hawaii or the Bahamas
may offer lower rates when booking from Canada or Europe. Give it a try and you
could save 10-30% or more!
Look for coupon codes and promo deals
Once connected to a
foreign server, search for hotel promo codes and coupon deals for that country.
Many hotels release special discount codes targeted at customers from specific
locations. These deals may not be advertised to customers connecting from your
home country. Do a search for terms like “hotel promo code Canada” or “hotel
coupon Spain” and you may find an exclusive code to save you money.
Check rates in multiple currencies
If possible, compare
rates displayed in different currencies. Due to daily fluctuations in currency
exchange rates, the price of a hotel in U.S. dollars may differ from the price
in British pounds or Euros. Choose the currency with the lowest base rate, then
pay for your booking in that currency to maximize your savings. Your credit
card will handle the conversion, giving you the best possible exchange rate.
Look for seasonal sales
Just like in your home
country, hotels often run seasonal sales and specials targeted at customers in
specific locations. Connect to servers during major holidays or at the start
and end of peak season in that country. For example, you may find big discounts
for beach destinations during the off-season winter months. Or look for deals
around Christmas in European countries. With some experimenting, you can
discover the best times of year to find sales on hotels in your desired
destination.
Using these tips,
you’ll be well on your way to unlocking major savings on your next hotel stay.
Be patient, compare multiple options, and pivot between different servers and
currencies. With the power of a VPN, the world is your oyster when it comes to
finding the lowest hotel rates. Happy hunting and happy travels!
Potential Drawbacks of Booking Travel Through
a VPN
Using a VPN to book
travel may seem tempting to score deals, but there are some potential downsides
to keep in mind.
Limited Options
When connecting to a
VPN, you'll only see availability from the specific region you've connected to.
So if the deals are in Europe but you connect to Asia, you won't see them.
You're limited to what's on offer for the location you choose. Some VPN
services only provide a handful of country options, further limiting your
choices.
Extra Steps
Using a VPN requires
downloading software, paying for a subscription, connecting to a foreign
server, and then searching travel sites for deals. This can be time-consuming
and tedious, especially if you have to go through the process for multiple
locations to find the best price. For some, the extra effort may not lead to
substantial enough savings to be worth it.
Uncertain Savings
While a VPN may allow
you to access lower prices for the exact same hotel or flight, there's no
guarantee of scoring a great deal. Prices are set by the travel companies based
on many factors, and there's a chance the price difference may be negligible or
non-existent at the time you book. You could go through the hassle of using a
VPN and still end up paying a similar price as if you booked with your own
local connection.
Account Restrictions
Some travel booking
sites may restrict accounts or ban users who access their site through a VPN to
prevent fraud or price discrimination. If detected, they may lock your account
or block you from accessing their deals which would cut off the potential for
any savings. It's a risk to be aware of before investing time and money into
using a VPN for travel bookings.
While a VPN seems like
an easy trick to score travel deals, make sure you go in with realistic
expectations. The potential downsides like limited options, extra hassle,
uncertain or little savings, and account restrictions could outweigh the
benefits. For the casual traveler, booking direct is often still your best
approach. But for the dedicated deal hunter, using a VPN strategically and
selectively could yield some nice discounts with a little patience and
persistence.
Our Top 3 Recommended VPNs for Saving on
Flights and Hotels
When it comes to using
a VPN to save money on travel, we have a few recommendations based on features,
reliability and price.
Express VPN
Express VPN is one of
the most popular and trusted VPN services available. It has over 3,000 servers
in 94 countries, so you'll have plenty of options to connect to servers in
countries where flights and hotels are typically cheaper. Express VPN allows up
to five simultaneous connections and has strong encryption to hide your
activity. The downside is that it's on the higher end at $12.95/month. However,
you can often find discounts and coupon codes to save 35-50% off the regular
price.
Nord VPN
Nord VPN is another very
popular choice for accessing geo-restricted content and staying anonymous
online. It has over 5,500 servers in 60 countries worldwide. Nord VPN works
great for accessing cheaper travel rates and starting at $3.49/month, it's one
of the most affordable premium VPN options. It allows up to six simultaneous
connections and has a strict no-logs policy. The mobile apps are also very
user-friendly.
Surf shark
If budget is a
concern, Surf shark is one of the cheapest VPNs that can still get the job done.
Plans start at just $1.99/month and it allows unlimited simultaneous
connections so you can share accounts with friends and family. Surf shark has
over 1,700 servers in 63 countries. Security and privacy features are pretty
standard. The apps are simple to use but the speeds may be a bit slower than
the other two options.
Overall, using a VPN
to access travel sites from different countries can potentially save you a good
amount of money on flights, hotels and travel packages. Just be sure to compare
prices in incognito mode first to make sure you're really getting the best deal.
And of course, only book with reputable companies to avoid scams. Happy saving
and safe travels!
Conclusion
So there you have it, the truth about using a VPN for booking travel. While it can potentially help you find some deals, it's not a miracle solution. The savings aren't always huge and it really depends on your location and the specific trip. But for a few extra bucks a month, a VPN can be worth trying if you're a frequent traveler looking to shave costs whenever you can. At the very least, it gives you more options to compare and who doesn't want that? Just go in with realistic expectations—you probably won't find an amazing deal on every single trip. But when you do stumble upon those rare gems, you'll be glad you had a VPN to unlock them. For the curious traveler, it's a useful tool to have in your digital backpack.
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