Can a VPN make flights and hotels cheaper?

Recreate the same booking

Start with a single trip and save its details. For a flight, fix the flight numbers, cabin, baggage allowance and fare rules. For a hotel, fix the room, occupancy, board basis and cancellation deadline. Two similar-looking results can be different products.

Record the final checkout total, currency, seller and time. A lower search-result price can disappear once a checked bag or a mandatory fee is included.

Change one setting at a time

Some travel tools let you change your location and currency directly. Try that before paying for a VPN. Google Flights says that the location setting can change which booking partners and refund policies appear. Picking pounds instead of dollars can also change the number on screen without changing the underlying fare.

If you already use a VPN, compare the same search with it switched on and off, a few minutes apart. Keep the currency, device and account the same. Repeat the original search at the end. If that quote has moved as well, availability or timing could explain the difference.

Compare the price you can actually pay

Check any residence or payment-card eligibility, plus taxes collected on arrival. Convert both totals at the rate you expect your card to use, allowing for its foreign transaction fee. Keep any free-cancellation benefit in the comparison. A small saving can disappear if the cheaper room is non-refundable.

One lower quote establishes that you found a particular offer at a particular time. It gives little basis for predicting savings on a future trip or paying for a multi-year VPN plan solely for discounts.

Further reading

• Google Flights settings for currency, language and location
• Google Flights guidance on finding fares