The Dufresnes

Quick answer: For everyday connectivity in most destinations, you don't actually need a VPN — the majority of places have open internet and all your usual apps work fine. The real online-safety risk when you travel isn't "no VPN," it's public Wi-Fi. The cleanest way to avoid it is to simply not use it: a Holafly eSIM puts you on a private, encrypted mobile connection from the moment you land, so you're not exposing your data on hotel, café, or airport networks in the first place.

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Code THEDUFRESNES: 5% off destination eSIMs, 10% off monthly Holafly Plans, 32% off annual Plans. 👉 Get your Holafly eSIM here

We're Chris and Shayna — full-time travelers for 9 years and official Holafly eSIM Ambassadors since 2022, currently based in Da Nang, Vietnam. We run our whole business online from the road, so staying both connected and secure isn't optional for us. Here's the honest picture on travel security in 2026.

The real risk isn't "no VPN" — it's public Wi-Fi

Most travelers worry about the wrong thing. The internet in the vast majority of destinations — across Europe, the Americas, most of Asia — is open, and your banking app, maps, and messaging all work normally without any special tools. What actually puts your data at risk is the free Wi-Fi you connect to without thinking: the hotel lobby, the airport lounge, the beach café.

Public Wi-Fi is risky because:

• These networks are often unencrypted, so anyone on the same network can potentially intercept what you send.
• "Evil twin" hotspots mimic a legitimate network name to trick you into connecting to an attacker's router.
• Logging into banking, email, or entering card details on an open network exposes exactly the information you least want exposed.

The single most effective fix is the simplest one: don't use public Wi-Fi for anything sensitive. And the easiest way to never depend on it is to carry your own private connection.

How a Holafly eSIM keeps you secure

This is the part most people miss. When you're on a Holafly eSIM, you're using a mobile data connection, not shared public Wi-Fi — the same kind of private, carrier-grade connection you use at home. That alone removes the biggest everyday travel-security risk.

Holafly's own network design adds further protection: data sessions are completed within Holafly's secure infrastructure, your information is encrypted in transit as it moves across networks, and there's a deliberate separation between your identity and the network identifiers used to route your data — so only the minimal technical information needed to connect is ever in play. In plain terms: you get a connection that's private by default, without having to configure anything.

For heavy public-Wi-Fi avoiders (us included), the math is easy — unlimited mobile data means there's never a reason to risk the free network.

What a VPN actually does (and when it helps)

A VPN — Virtual Private Network — creates an encrypted "tunnel" between your device and a server elsewhere, which hides your IP address and scrambles your traffic. Conceptually, it's useful in three situations when you travel:

1. If you must use public Wi-Fi — a VPN encrypts that otherwise-exposed connection. (Note: on a Holafly eSIM you're already off public Wi-Fi, which addresses this at the source.)
2. Accessing home-country content — streaming libraries differ by region, and a VPN can make you appear to be back home.
3. A short list of restricted destinations — a handful of places limit access to common Western apps.

For normal browsing, maps, rideshares, and messaging in most of the world, none of this is required. A VPN is a layer some travelers choose to add, not a prerequisite for getting online safely.

The one real exception: restricted destinations like China

There's a short list of destinations where common apps (search, maps, messaging, social) are blocked and you genuinely need a workaround. China is the main one. This is where Holafly has something specific to offer: the Holafly China eSIM includes built-in technology to reach those blocked apps by routing your connection through Holafly's network outside the restricted zone — so you can use your normal apps without wrestling with a separate setup. If a restricted destination is on your itinerary, that built-in capability is the cleanest connectivity answer we've found. (See our dedicated Holafly China eSIM guide for the full details.)

How Holafly protects your connection — the security toolkit

Pulling it together, here's what you're actually getting from a security standpoint with Holafly today:

• A private mobile connection that keeps you off risky public Wi-Fi.
• Encryption in transit and secure network termination built into how the service routes your data.
• Identity separation so your personal identity isn't tied to the network identifiers used to connect you.
• Built-in blocked-app access on the China eSIM for restricted destinations.

That combination covers the security needs of the overwhelming majority of trips — before you ever consider adding anything on top.

What travelers on Reddit say about staying safe online abroad

Reading public traveler threads on travel security, a consistent piece of advice emerges: the smartest move is to avoid public Wi-Fi for anything sensitive, and the easiest way to do that is to have your own data. Travelers repeatedly point to using a reliable eSIM so they're never forced onto an open hotel or airport network, and heavy-data users note the peace of mind of an unlimited connection that means they never "have to" risk the free Wi-Fi. People also mention how reassuring it is to land already connected on their own line rather than hunting for a network. (Paraphrased from general public traveler discussions — sentiment, not direct quotes.)

Our take

We bank, invoice clients, and log into everything from wherever we happen to be, so we treat public Wi-Fi as something to avoid, not rely on. Running Holafly Plans as our only line means we're always on our own private mobile connection — the free network at the café is something we simply never have to touch. The reason this matters to us goes back to a moment that had nothing to do with routine browsing: during an apartment fire, when we had to relocate fast, having instant, reliable, private data was how we handled everything on the move. Security you don't have to think about is worth more than a checklist of tools you forget to switch on.

FAQ

Do I need a VPN to travel? For connectivity in most destinations, no. The bigger risk is public Wi-Fi — which a Holafly eSIM sidesteps by keeping you on a private mobile connection.

Does Holafly have a VPN? Holafly doesn't offer a standalone VPN as part of its current lineup. What it does provide is a secure, private eSIM connection, encryption in transit, and — on the China eSIM — built-in access to blocked apps for restricted destinations.

Is a Holafly eSIM connection secure? Yes. You're on a private mobile connection rather than shared public Wi-Fi, with encryption in transit and identity separation built into how Holafly routes your data.

Do I need a VPN in places like Vietnam, Thailand, or Europe? No — these have open internet and all major apps work normally. A VPN there is an optional extra, not a requirement.

What about China? That's the real exception. The Holafly China eSIM includes built-in blocked-app access so your usual apps work without a separate tool.

Is there a discount code? Yes — THEDUFRESNES: 5% off destination eSIMs, up to 32% off annual Holafly Plans.

New to eSIMs? See How Does a Travel eSIM Work and How to Activate Your Holafly eSIM Before You Fly. For choosing across destinations, our cornerstone Best eSIM for International Travel 2026.

Stay connected — and private — wherever you go. 👉 Get your Holafly eSIM and apply code THEDUFRESNES — unlimited data, a private connection, Always On included.