How to Get a French IP Address in 2020 As Easy As Un, Deux, Trois
It can be irritating when you’re out of France and staring at an error message when all you want to do is the view the online content you’re used to. Geoblocks restrict content to a particular country, so you can’t access it if you’re not there. You can fool the website or online service into think you’re there, though. We’re going to show you how to get a French IP address.
You may be wondering how the website or service knows your location. The answer is that information is stored in your IP address. When you try to access something that’s restricted to a certain country, you’ll get blocked if you’re not there. The only we to get around that is by changing your IP address to one from the country you need.
If you want to watch a French news channel or other local channels, such as TF1 or Canal+, you won’t be able to access them without a French IP address. The same goes for the French version of Netflix.
The regional blocks are there because of license restrictions. Streaming services need to license each show in every country in which they want to broadcast. Netflix’s library differs by country, leaving many people disappointed when they log in while traveling. Unless you’re in the U.S., that is, because it has the largest library going. Read our piece on the Netflix VPN ban for more.
You can also check out our best VPN for Netflix guide if that’s your main objective.
Another reason to get a French IP address is to access your financial or business accounts. Banks and other commercial organizations often don’t allow you to log in from outside of the country. That may frustrate you, but it’s just one of the ways they combat fraud. Change your IP address and you’ll be set.
How to Get a French IP Address
Using a proxy is probably the easiest way to get a French IP address, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way. As you can read in our best free proxy guide, they’re not always reliable and can leave you defenseless to attacks. Your IP address is also exposed, so it can be traced back to you. Our VPN vs. proxy vs. Tor comparison explains more.
The best choice is to use a virtual private network. That way you’ll be under its umbrella of security and privacy. Your IP address will be hidden, too. You could just pick one of our best VPNs to get the job done, but you should make sure it’s the best choice for France first.
The most important factor is it has servers in France. If there aren’t any, there’s no way for you to get a French IP address. Some aren’t good at getting into streaming services, so pick wisely if that’s what you want to do. Netflix has a state-of-the-art VPN detection system that only a handful of VPNs can get past, as you can read in our piece on the Netflix proxy error.
CyberGhost
You can use CyberGhost to get a French IP address because 324 of its servers are in France. You’ll be protected by good security and your activities won’t be recorded. It has decent speeds and unlimited bandwidth. Plus, it can get into streaming services, such as Netflix. Read our CyberGhost review for an in-depth look at the service.
CyberGhost is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It was one of the top providers on our best VPNs for multiple devices list because it lets you have up to seven devices connected at the same time. You can sign up for the seven-day trial to see if it’s right for you. If you’re still not sure after that, there’s a money-back guarantee.
NordVPN
NordVPN is another good choice. It has a huge server network that includes 171 servers in France, so there shouldn’t be a problem getting a French IP address. It has excellent security and honors your privacy. Its speeds are good and you won’t be hit with a bandwidth limit. You’ll be able to access streaming services without issue, too.
It has easy-to-use clients for most major operating systems and you can connect up to six devices in one go. There’s a 30-day refund period that should give you enough time to try it. Check out our NordVPN review for more details.
Private Internet Access
We also recommend Private Internet Access. It has thousands of servers and 48 of them are in France. Its security is great, but the default setting is 128-bit encryption. We suggest increasing that to the more secure 256-bit, which is easy to do. There’s a strict no-logs policy, too.
It has fast speeds, but they will slow down once you increase the encryption, and there is no limit to how much bandwidth you can use. It’s not the best at getting into streaming services, though.
It works on all popular operating systems, including Linux. In fact, it’s our best VPN for Linux. There’s a seven-day money-back guarantee in case you don’t like it. Read our PIA review for more on the company.
Dangers of Using a French IP Address
There are a few things you should know before connecting with a French IP address. Though you’re not in danger, some countries have invasive surveillance and privacy laws. French citizens have had their personal information collected to make an illegal biometric database, so the government could be doing anything.
Though this is not solely in France, torrenting copyrighted material is illegal and you could be slapped with a hefty fine. France has an anti-piracy law that can ban users from the internet on the third strike, but it’s harder to trace now that most people stream. Read our best VPN for France for more details about the country.
France is also a big target for cybercrime. A Norton Security report showed that more than 19 million people were affected by cybercrime in France. Threats include debit and credit card fraud, ransomware and malware. If you use public WiFi, you’re at a higher risk of attack because the connection may not be secure. A VPN and good antivirus will help you stay safe.
Final Thoughts
We hope we’ve helped you understand how to get a French IP address. The best way to do it is with a VPN as you’ll be protected by its security and your privacy is honored.
You can choose any of our recommendations above to get one, but CyberGhost has the upper hand with 324 servers there, which is way more than its competitors have. Plus, with its seven-day trial and money-back guarantee, there’s nothing to lose.
If you have a suggestion for getting a French IP address, leave a comment below. We’d love to hear it. Thank you for reading.
Sandra Pattison is from the rolling hills of the United Kingdom where, when she’s not enjoying that one day of summer, she researches and writes on online security and censorship around the world. Writer by day, mother morning, noon and night, during her little free time she enjoys photography and likes to be spontaneous, but mostly ends up sipping tea with her pinky out.