I just posted a similar comment in another section but a good alternative is to use "Tails"
https://tails.boum.org. Your IP is protected, you machine leaves no history/residue and communications are encrypted.
I hopped into this discussion to see if people were recommending any free VPNs. I would discourage from any of the free ones because, like Google/Gmail, it is paid for with ad revenue.
Tails is open source and free. It is updated frequently and used by lots of covert assets who do government stuff, whistle blowing, etc. In many ways it is better than a VPN.
I also use something called a Winston Privacy device. The only thing I am unsure about is that it is made in China. Until I hear otherwise I do this this is a good device. I protect my entire network at home with it and block adware sites, facebook trackers, etc.