Tunnelz

China trip guide

Do you need a VPN subscription for a short trip to China?

No. With Tunnelz, a trip of up to 10 days needs only the Trip Pass: $29.99 + tax, one payment that doesn’t renew. For a trip of 11 days to a month, Monthly at $34.99 + tax costs less than two passes.

Updated

Trip Pass

$29.99 + tax

A trip of up to 10 days.

Monthly

$34.99 a month + tax

A trip of 11 days to a month.

Yearly

$199.99 a year + tax

Seven or more short trips a year, or six months or more in China.

Fig. 01
Which plan fits your trip. Squares are days for the first two plans, and months for Yearly.

The three plans

Trip PassMonthlyYearly
Price$29.99 + tax for 10 days$34.99 a month + tax$199.99 a year + tax
RenewalOne payment, no renewalRenews until you cancelRenews until you cancel
Free trialNo free trialA 3-day free trialA 3-day free trial
Fig. 02
The three plans, side by side.

Every plan covers 2 devices, and every plan can be refunded within 30 days of paying.

Which one fits your trip

  • Up to 10 days: the Trip Pass. Its 10 days start when you pay, so buy it the day before you fly.

    • Two Trip Passes$59.98
    • Monthly$34.99

    11 days to a month: Monthly. Two Trip Passes would cost $59.98 + tax; Monthly is $34.99 + tax. Cancel in the app when you’re home.

  • You want to try it at home first: Monthly or Yearly, which start with 3 days free. The Trip Pass has no trial, but it has the same 30-day refund.

    • Seven Trip Passes$209.93
    • Six months of Monthly$209.94
    • Yearly$199.99

    Seven or more short trips a year, or six months or more in China: Yearly. $199.99 + tax is less than seven Trip Passes ($209.93 + tax) or six months of Monthly ($209.94 + tax). For fewer trips, a Trip Pass each time costs less. Whichever plan you’re on, keeping your server all year adds about $5 a month at Vultr.

Fig. 03
Which one fits your trip. Bars show the price before tax, with the cheaper choice in colour.

Staying longer than planned on a Trip Pass? Buy another one. If you buy a pass while one is running, the new one starts when the current one ends, so no days are lost.

What else you pay

Your server runs in your own Vultr account, and Vultr bills you for it: about $5 a month. Vultr bills by the hour until the server is deleted, so with the server deleted a day after a Trip Pass ends, the total comes to about $32 before tax.

When your plan ends, Tunnelz deletes the server it built 24 hours later, after a reminder, so Vultr stops billing too. If you travel again soon, buy another pass or a plan before then and the server stays.

$29.99Trip Pass
+
about $2your server at Vultr, billed by the hour
=
about $32before tax, with the server deleted a day after the pass ends
  1. Your plan ends

    A reminder comes first.

  2. 24 hours later

    Tunnelz deletes the server it built.

  3. After that

    Vultr stops billing too.

Fig. 04
The full cost of one Trip Pass, and what happens when your plan ends. Buy another pass or a plan before then and the server stays.

Only have a phone?

A roaming eSIM usually covers this today. Tunnelz runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later, and the iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store.

Questions

When should I buy the Trip Pass?
The day before you fly. Its 10 days start when you pay, so buying it early uses up days before the trip begins.
Does the Trip Pass renew?
No. It’s one payment for 10 days, then it stops, so there’s nothing to cancel. Your server at Vultr is billed separately, but Tunnelz deletes the one it built 24 hours after the pass ends, after a reminder, so it stops costing you.
Is Monthly better than a Trip Pass?
For a trip longer than 10 days, yes. Monthly is $34.99 + tax, covers a month and starts with a 3-day free trial. It renews until you cancel, which you can do in the app.
Can I get a refund on a Trip Pass?
Yes. Every payment made on the web, the Trip Pass included, can be refunded within 30 days of paying.
How many devices does a Trip Pass cover?
Two, the same as Monthly and Yearly. Tunnelz runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later today; the iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store.

Sources