How To Keep Up With Netflix While Traveling

When I first began traveling, I never thought I’d even consider watching TV during a trip. I was young and naive, and believed that traveling should be a time dedicated to new adventures. It shouldn’t be spent doing the same things you would do back home.

Watching TV, playing video games, getting takeout and staying in, are all things you can do any other time. I still mostly believe that.

However, I’ve also learned that a good trip requires balance. Traveling can be very disorienting, especially if you’re changing time zones drastically. For this reason, you need ways to unwind.

It’s crucial to actually enjoying your vacation or trip. Not everyone knows how to watch Netflix from other countries, and I’m going to explain exactly how to do it.

Why Watch TV?

Jet lag is nothing to be scoffed at. Even those who have very flexible sleep schedules can struggle to adapt. Jet lag can even trigger depression in people already predisposed to it. So, while it is natural to want to go out as soon as you arrive at your destination and never stop until you leave, I don’t advise it.

Rather, you should work your way into it. Get the right amount of sleep, and try to do it when it’s dark! Adapting to jet lag can be quick, as long as you’re dedicated to staying up until an appropriate hour and getting up early the next morning.

Continue watching your favorite Netflix show to ensure you don’t feel too bothered by the sudden changes in your life. It can ground you, as can reading your favorite book, keeping up with the blogs you like, and even journaling.

What’s The Problem?

Problem is, not all countries have the same Netflix catalogs. Some countries have much lesser catalogs than the US, due to copyright and distribution issues. So, you might end up realizing that what you want to watch just isn’t available in the country you’re touring.

The good news is that this is easy to fix, and in the process, you end up increasing your online security.

What you need to do is use a virtual private network (VPN).

What’s a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is software that routes your internet connection through an external server and encrypts your data in the process.

You don’t need to get into the nitty gritty, but you do need to be aware that whenever you go online, your location is shared with every website you visit, and your data is incredibly easy to hack.

Since we do so much online these days, a lot of our data is up for grabs, which has led to the crazy rise in identity theft. Identity theft is as bad as it sounds. You can lose money, your reputation, and even struggle in your career. 

A VPN will lower the risk of this happening. Coming from an informed traveler, ts best to know of the mistakes to avoid while travelling.

But how can a VPN help you with Netflix?

Extra Benefits Of A VPN

Because a VPN routes you through an external server in order to hide your location, you look to other websites as if you are in that place. For example, if you are in Japan but your VPN is taking you through a US server, Netflix will think you’re in the US.

Simply set your VPN to a US server to get all the content you’re used to. The US and Japan, incidentally, have the biggest libraries. If you want, you can even try finding shows that the US library doesn’t have by searching on uNoGS, which tells you which countries have the content you’re looking for.

Hong Kong, for example, has some network TV shows as they come out in the US, due to distribution rights there.

How Do I Get A VPN?

Not all VPNs are created equal. Some, in fact, are pretty poor, and this is why you should never trust one you happened to find in a Google search. The worst VPNs may not only not protect you, but might sell your data. The best VPNs will never keep your data.

Read the best VPN reviews to find the VPNs you can trust. In addition, you need to know which VPNs can be used for Netflix. A couple of years ago, Netflix started cracking down on VPN users, and managed to block some of the major VPNs.

However, VPNs such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and others have managed to withstand Netflix’s measures, and can still be used.

Traveling is the perfect opportunity for new experiences. But to enjoy those experiences to their full, you have to make sure you take good care of your wellbeing. Don’t underestimate the effects jet lag can have on you.

Get good sleep, watch a bit of TV, and do some reading in between all the new adventures. And when you just need a break, have a night in. Rather than having two subpar evenings, have a rest and enjoy the heck out of the next one!

Cover Image from Flickr Creative Commons

