Speak to me of VPNs
 

Are they worth it?
Any recommended providers?

I can only talk to you of VPLs. Sorry.

yes, they're worth it if they're the right tool for the job. That is, you want access to your private network from outside the physical boundaries of that network. It's usually a corporate IT setup, but lots of good IT practices found primarily in corporations have usefulness in other environments. /disclaimer

So... what are you trying to accomplish?

Surfing the net, FB and using my emails from assorted free public wifi access points in dodgy locations around the world ...
This sort of thing, is what I'm wondering about.

When traveling over seas on your tax dollars, I use Witopia. https://www.witopia.net. It works great, my stuff is secure, and I have access to things like netflix and hulu while in countries outside of the US. I also change my DNS servers, as other countries use DNS as a first line of cutting you off of the grid, and watching what you are accessing.

Although its seems an old thread but i must recommend purevpn here because of it price(cheap) and features listed below:
Connectivity Features
• Softwares & Apps: For every platform, purVPN write its own code.
• Compatible with 20+ Devices: Compatibility with good devices.
• 500+ Servers in 141 Countries: You can connect easily to worldwide through PureVPN.
• 5 multi logins: Facility of multi login from single account.
• Access all Servers in 1 Package: This feature allows to choose any server regardless on the package plan
• Unlimited Server Switching: server to server switching facility.
• Unlimited Data Transfer: there is no limit on bandwidth.
• Split Tunneling: A user’s choice to send data from which medium, either VPN or ISP (Track security protocol)
• 99.99% Uptime: It has experts to manage and host the network.
• 24/7/365 Live Chat Support: always available for customers.
Security & Privacy Features
• No 3rd Parties for Your Data: A person to person deal.
• 256-bit Data Encryption: It encrypts(encode) the data for safety.
• Multiple Protocols: different connectivity protocols for different devices.
• OpenVPN: PureVPN hosts with the best VPN platform.
• Automatic Protocol selection: Assign a protocol through their software & apps.
• Wi-Fi Security: It also gives facilities on cloud to connect safely with dedicated secured IP.
• Dedicated IP: Assign a dedicated IP for user control over their work.
• Over 80,000+ Ips: With a single service, users can switch to different Ips as much as they can.
• Internet Kill Switch: A button through which users can go anonymous & protect their ID.
• NAT Firewall:
• Secure Browser: Provides 20Mbps boost in speed for fast browsing.
• DDoS Protection: Safe from hackers, protect from anonymous.
Entertainment Features
• Smart Purpose Selection: Has application to stream favourite content.
• Dedicated Streaming: Boosts streaming speed by up to 20Mbps.
• Fastest VPN Service: has its own network of 500+ servers.
• Defeats ISP Throttling: has no cap on server switching.