How to watch Netflix USA from France using a VPN

French Netflix members pay a higher monthly fee and get fewer TV series and movies than their American counterparts. While Netflix’s French collection has grown in recent years, it still falls short of the US edition. Therefore, if you are currently vacationing in France and want to watch your favorite programs, you will need the assistance of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access your home Netflix collection.

If you’re in France and want to access Netflix’s American collection, you’ll need a VPN. A VPN encrypts the internet connection on your device and directs it via an intermediate server in the region of your choice. In this situation, you’d connect to a VPN server in the United States, which creates the illusion that you’re streaming Netflix from inside the country. As a result, Netflix will provide you with access to a broader repertoire of television series and films.

However, not all VPNs will work. Netflix has made efforts to prevent connections from a large number of VPN servers, which results in the following error message:

“Whoops, something went wrong. Streaming error. You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again.”

How to access Netflix US from France

To stream Netflix USA in France, simply follow these steps:

  1. Subscribe to a VPN service that works with Netflix. NordVPN is recommended.
  2. Install the VPN application.
  3. Start the app and pick a server in the United States of America.
  4. Connect to the United States server.
  5. Open Netflix and begin streaming immediately!

Not all servers from a given provider will support Netflix. Typically, a VPN service will maintain a small number of Netflix-optimized servers, which may not be visible in the applications. To determine which server to connect to, you may need to contact customer care or review your provider’s website. The VPN we suggest provides live chat assistance that can guide you through the setup process.

The best VPN for watching US Netflix from France

Our suggested VPN meets the following requirements:

  • Collaboration with the US Netflix from France.
  • Rapid transmission speeds provide high-quality, uninterrupted streaming.
  • Secure access and no-logs policy.
  • Customer service that is prompt and competent.
  • A money-back guarantee is included.

NordVPN

NordVPN is our preferred VPN for accessing US Netflix in France. It’s one of the world’s most popular providers, and for good reason. Almost all servers are compatible with Netflix. Additionally, it has access to Netflix libraries in several other countries, including France, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, it supports Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, as well as a variety of other popular streaming services.

NordVPN is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, allowing you to view HD and 4K videos without experiencing any buffering. Additionally, you receive robust security and data leak protection, as well as a kill switch that suspends internet traffic if the VPN connection fails.

Apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Linux are available.

Is it possible to use a free VPN to access US Netflix from France?

Free VPNs are not advised by Netflix. In all but a few rare circumstances, trying to watch Netflix while connected to a free VPN could result in a proxy error. Even if you manage to locate a free VPN that is not banned by Netflix, most free VPNs are too sluggish to view videos.

Additionally, free VPNs are less secure. They often collect user data and sell it to third-party advertising and data brokers to earn money. Certain free VPNs may potentially include viruses.

Paid VPNs have the resources and commercial motive to maintain and make accessible Netflix-optimized servers at all times for users. We advise you to stick with commercial VPNs and avoid free alternatives.

Netflix US vs Netflix France

According to JustWatch, French Netflix has a total of 3,526 titles at the time of writing:

  • 3,236 films
  • 1,759 television programs

In comparison, Netflix in the United States has a total of 5,211 titles:

  • 3,725 films
  • 1,954 television programs

Among the television series and films available on American Netflix that are not available on Netflix France are the following:

  • Supernatural
  • NCIS
  • Dexter
  • The Office (US)
  • Parks and Recreation
  • Attack on Titan
  • Schitt’s Creek
  • The Walking Dead
  • Breaking Bad

Despite the limited repertoire, the cheapest Netflix membership in France is US$9.47 a month. A subscription costs $8.99 per month in the United States.

Methodology for VPN testing

PrivacyExplore bases its suggestions on real-world testing. Our foreign testing crew is tasked with connecting to the VPN, opening Netflix US, and attempting to view an episode. The tester reports a positive result if the program begins to play. The result will be negative if the proxy error is returned instead.

This is part of our larger Netflix VPN testing, in which we assess each VPN’s ability to access Netflix libraries in 20 countries using the Netflix mobile app and the Netflix website via a desktop web browser. We’ve completed over 4,000 separate tests on 50+ VPNs as of this year.

To guarantee that the VPN is not just diverting users to the US version of Netflix—as many VPNs do—we search each library for country-exclusive content. This guarantees that we are linked to the Netflix version for the country in which we are located.

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