How to watch Hulu abroad with ExpressVPN: 4 simple steps

If you are a Hulu watcher and you’re travelling abroad, then you may find that you get blocked from watching when you try to access it. Which sucks when you are jet-lagged and just want to catch up on that latest show whilst tucked up in your hotel bed.

This is because Hulu only works in the US. The moment you leave the country, the website will flag you as being abroad and will not allow you to access your library. Pretty annoying, to say the least.

But there is an easy solution! With a VPN (I recommend using ExpressVPN for streaming services like Hulu), you can switch your location back to the US and pick up right where you left off. Here’s exactly how I use ExpressVPN to unblock Hulu.

Why is Hulu blocked when you travel?

Hulu is a US-only streaming service. It has the rights to show its films and series in the United States, but not everywhere else, so the moment you travel outside the country, it stops working.

The way it enforces this is by checking your IP address, which gives away where in the world you are. If you’re not in the US, you’ll get a message saying the content isn’t available in your region.

That’s where a VPN comes in. It swaps your real IP address for one in the US, so as far as Hulu is concerned, that is where you are.

It is also worth noting that Hulu is being merged gradually with Disney+, so you may also be redirected to the Disney platform when trying to access Hulu outside of the US.

What you’ll need before you start

Before you can settle in with your favourite Hulu show, there are just a few things you’ll need:

• An existing Hulu account
• A reliable VPN (I use ExpressVPN)
• Your device of choice

How to watch Hulu from abroad with ExpressVPN

Once everything’s set up, the whole process takes me just a matter of minutes. Here’s the process from start to finish. Do you already have a VPN? Then skip to step 3.

1. Sign up for ExpressVPN: Head to the ExpressVPN website and choose a plan. The longer subscriptions work out better value, especially if you travel often.
2. Download the app: Install ExpressVPN on whichever device you want to watch on. There are apps for phones, tablets, laptops and smart TVs.
3. Connect to a US server: Open the app, choose a US server (I find an east coast one like New York works well), and hit connect. You’ll see a green connected status when it’s ready.
4. Open Hulu and play: Head to the Hulu website or app and log in as you normally would. Pick what you’d like to watch, and press play!

Using ExpressVPN on different devices

I’ve got ExpressVPN on all of my devices, so I can watch Hulu whether I’m on my laptop in a hotel room or my phone on the move. I tend to use the laptop for watching films in Airbnbs and hotels, and my phone for airports and long journeys.

You can use it on a tablet too, and on a smart TV through its MediaStreamer feature, which is handy for the TV when a device won’t take the VPN app directly.

With one account, you can connect between 10 and 14 devices at once, depending on your plan, so it’s easy to keep the whole household covered.

Why I use ExpressVPN for Hulu

I’ve tried a fair few VPNs over the years, and ExpressVPN is the one I trust to actually work when I need it. For Hulu specifically, that comes down to a few things.

It reliably unblocks US streaming. Some VPNs get detected and stop working after a while, but I’ve found ExpressVPN consistently gets me into Hulu, Netflix and the rest.

It’s fast. Thanks to the Lightway protocol, I can stream in HD without buffering, even when using the hotel WiFi.

And it works on everything. With MediaStreamer, you can even get Hulu going on a smart TV that won’t take the app.

It isn’t the cheapest VPN, but it is cheaper than their main competitors. Offering heaps of great benefits for less! Plans start from around $2.49/mo on a 2-year deal, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it before committing.

Find out more about ExpressVPN in my full review.

My final thoughts

Travelling no longer means you can’t stay up to date with your favourite shows. You can use a VPN, like ExpressVPN, to access your Hulu account anywhere you go, outside of the US.

ExpressVPN is one of the best for streaming networks. It’s quick, it unblocks Hulu without any drama, and it’s saved me many a boring evening in a hotel room.

The added benefit is that it will also protect your online privacy and allow you to access all your other usual websites as if you were back home. Think banking apps and other streaming networks.

Find out why I also use ExpressVPN to watch BBC iPlayer abroad.

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