To me, summertime means two things: roasting on public transport and then freezing under the over-active office AC. So, like plenty of others, it goes without saying that I’m looking forward to my summer holiday.

If there’s a downside to my upcoming getaway, it’s the fact that my favorite shows and movies won’t be available on the streaming services I’m subscribed to when I touchdown overseas. Platforms like Netflix, for example, display an entirely different library of content to each region.

Given that leaving House, M.D. behind is out of the question, I need a way to get around these geo-blocks when I’m not playing the role of a tourist in Rome. And that’s where my must-have app for summer holidays comes in – a VPN.

A VPN spoofs my location so that I appear to be back home in the UK, and that means I can watch all my usual shows no matter where I am.

We rate NordVPN as the best VPN on the market, and an excellent VPN for streaming – and here’s the good part: there’s a killer deal on NordVPN at the moment with an exclusive for TechRadar readers.

Pick up a 2-year plan and you’ll bag an extra 4 months free and an Amazon gift card worth up to $50 / £50. It’s a limited-time deal available in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Why do you need a VPN in the first place?

If you’re new to the world of VPNs, you might wonder why they’ve become an integral part of an avid streamer’s toolkit.

Platforms like Netflix have to abide by strict licensing agreements that dictate where certain shows and movies can be broadcast. It’s why someone in the UK can load up Netflix and see an entirely different spread of content compared to someone in the US, Japan, or Australia.

When new episodes of Line of Duty and Departure air in the UK, for example, you simply won’t be able to tune in with everyone else back home if you’re overseas. With a VPN, however, you’ve effectively got a streaming skeleton key that’ll grant you access to shows, movies, and live sports for the entirety of your vacation.

Connect to a VPN server in the same location as your home country, and it’ll conceal your original IP address and provide you with a new, temporary one.

So, when I connect to a VPN server in the UK, my device will receive a UK IP address, which Netflix will read, then assume I’m still at home on my couch (with my cat) and reopen the doors to its British content library.

The NordVPN deal

Here’s the full details of how our exclusie NordVPN deal works. Until July 10, all of NordVPN’s 2-year plans have been slashed, with prices starting from just $3.76 a month (or $105.36 up front) if you go with the Basic plan. That’s a whopping 76% saving – but you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you opt for one of NordVPN’s more premium subscription tiers.

The Plus plan ($105.36 up front), complete with Threat Protection Pro cybersecurity suite and password manager, will bag you a $20 gift card. Upgrade to the Complete plan ($129.36) for a $40 gift card and access to encrypted cloud storage, too, or really push the boat out with an Ultimate (£129.36), Prime ($177.36), or Ultra plan (215.76 CAD) to enjoy all of NordVPN’s bells and whistles plus a $50 gift card.

Sadly, the Basic plan doesn’t come with an Amazon gift card (but all plans receive 4 extra months free), and it’s important to note that you’ll receive your gift card after the 30-day refund period has passed.

So, while that means you’ll miss the opportunity to use it on this year’s Amazon Prime Day, you can keep it tucked away until the rapidly approaching holiday season – or just treat yourself as soon as it lands in your email (the same one you used to sign up for the VPN).