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How & Where to Watch The Holiday for Free in 2025

'The Holiday' stars Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as two women unlucky in love trying to get through the festive season. It's the perfect mix of romance and comedy to add to your Christmas watchlist. So if you're wondering where to watch 'The Holiday' online for free, read on.

Sandra PattisonJasna Mishevska

Written by Sandra Pattison (Writer, Editor)

Facts checked by Jasna Mishevska (Lead Fact-Checking Editor)

Last Updated: 2025-02-02T13:41:24+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Where to Watch The Holiday
Key Takeaways: How to Watch 'The Holiday' for Free
  1. Grab a VPN subscription at a 72% discount from NordVPN’s website. Download the VPN app for your device.
  2. Connect to a server in Canada.
  3. Go to CTV and watch ‘The Holiday’ for free.

Best VPNs for Watching ‘The Holiday’ for Free:

  1. NordVPN — Premium protection and a wealth of features. A 72% discount is available for users who choose NordVPN’s extended subscription options.
  2. Surfshark — Budget-friendly VPN with unlimited connections. New Surfshark subscribers get up to 66% (plus 3 months free) reduced rates on long-term commitments.
  3. ExpressVPN — Easy-to-use VPN that doesn’t skimp on quality. Explore ExpressVPN’s features with a 30-day return policy, and grab extended plans at a 25% discount.

Facts and Expert Analysis:

  • ‘The Holiday’ stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law.
  • You can watch the film for free with ads on CTV in Canada, as well as on other streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in select countries.
  • If you’re not in Canada or a country where the film is on your service of choice, you can use a VPN to get access. We recommend NordVPN.
Best VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday’ for Free

While not technically a Christmas movie, ‘The Holiday’ has become the perfect rom-com for a cozy winter movie night. The movie is written and directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. So if you’re looking to build up a movie list for the holidays, here’s how and where to watch ‘The Holiday’ for free from anywhere.

The story follows two women, Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who are unlucky in love. Though they’re thousands of miles apart, they impulsively swap homes for the holidays, but in doing so, both end up finding new romance.

‘The Holiday’ is available to stream in quite a few countries, but which streaming service it’s available on will depend on your location. If you want a quick answer, you can watch it for free with ads on CTV in Canada or on Netflix in the U.K. and a few other regions, which we’ll mention further down. If you’re not in those regions, a top VPN like NordVPN can help you get access.

Not available in your country?

Watch The Holiday now on Netflix

Status checked 2025/02/10:

  • 10/01/2024

    We recalibrated the VPN positions after thorough reassessment of each service.

  • 12/16/2024 Facts checked

    Updated streaming options for December 2024.

  • 02/02/2025 Facts checked

    Added more information about the best VPNs for watching The Holiday.

How to Watch The Holiday

We know that ‘The Holiday’ is available in a few places — and we’ll tell you exactly where in the next section — but you might be wondering why you can’t access it on your favorite service in your location. 

The answer is geoblocks (or regional restrictions). These blocks are implemented by streaming services to ensure they keep in line with distribution agreements. For instance, if you’re in a region where Netflix doesn’t have the rights to show the movie, you won’t be able to access it, hence why Netflix’s content libraries are different around the world.

The key to bypassing these blocks is a virtual private network (VPN). You can simply connect to a server in a country where the movie is available on your chosen service and you’ll get access. The VPN will mask your true IP address, making you look as if you’re physically there.

Where Is The Holiday Streaming?

Thankfully, you can stream ‘The Holiday’ entirely free on CTV in Canada. It is an ad-supported service, but there’s no charge and no sign-up. You can just go straight to the website and start streaming. That said, you’ll only be able to do so if you’re in Canada. If not, you can connect to a Canadian VPN server to get a Canadian IP address and unblock the movie.

the holiday ctv free
‘The Holiday’ is available on Canadian service CTV for free with ads.

Aside from that, there are quite a few other services in different countries where you can watch it. They are paid services, but most offer a free trial. You can also rent or buy the film on services like Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video. Here are all of the places we found to stream ‘The Holiday.’ 

Streaming App:CountryNotes
CTV🇨🇦 CanadaFree with ads
Netflix🇬🇧 U.K.
🇦🇺 Australia
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇦🇹 Austria
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇨🇱 Chile
🇵🇭 Philippines
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇮🇹 Italy
N/A
Amazon Prime Video🇺🇸 U.S.
🇬🇧 U.K.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
🇦🇺 Australia
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇦🇹 Austria
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇨🇱 Chile
Free 30-day trial
Binge🇦🇺 AustraliaFree 7-day trial
Stan🇦🇺 AustraliaFree 30-day trial
Paramount+🇦🇺 AustraliaFree 7-day trial
Fubo🇺🇸 U.S.Free 7-day trial
Neon🇳🇿 New ZealandN/A
Now Cinema🇬🇧 U.K.N/A

Is The Holiday on Netflix?

Yes, the comedy film ‘The Holiday’ is available on Netflix in selected countries. We found it on Netflix in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and a few other countries. If you’re not in any of those countries, you can use a VPN to unblock it.

the holiday netflix
You can find ‘The Holiday’ on Netflix in certain countries.

Keep in mind that Netflix is constantly changing its content libraries, so where ‘The Holiday’ is available could change at any point. We aim to keep this information up to date, but you can move around on different VPN servers and Netflix libraries until you find the content you want. Just connect to the VPN server and log into your Netflix account as usual.

How to Watch The Holiday Online for Free With a VPN

The following steps show you how to watch ‘The Holiday’ for free on CTV in Canada by using the best streaming VPN, NordVPN. You can use similar steps to watch the film on another service, such on Netflix if you already have a Netflix account but ‘The Holiday’ isn’t in your local library.

  1. Sign Up for a VPN

    Sign up for NordVPN by going to its website and grabbing a 72% discounted plan risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The biggest savings can be had with the two-year plan.

    nordvpn step 1
  2. Install the VPN App

    Download and install the VPN app onto the device you want to stream on. Once completed, launch the app and log in to your account.

    download nordvpn
  3. Connect to a Canadian Server

    Find and connect to a server in Canada. You can browse NordVPN’s full server list and click on a server to connect to it.

    nordvpn connecting to canada
  4. Go to the CTV Website

    Go to the CTV website, search for ‘The Holiday,’ press play and start watching it for free.

    watch the holiday free ctv

The Best VPNs to Stream The Holiday

The best streaming VPN needs to have fast speeds, great unblocking ability and plenty of servers. The following picks have exactly what you need.

1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday”

nordvpn UK server
NordVPN is the fastest VPN and has an affordable two-year plan.
Best VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday’ for Free

Pros

  • Fastest average speeds
  • Accesses streaming apps
  • Interactive server map

Cons

  • Server map doesn’t work well on mobile

Unlock streaming services worldwide — subscribe to NordVPN with a 72% discount now.

Download
90 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
4 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/21/25 to 02/18/25
Data for region:

NordVPN is another good contender in the streaming game. It can access streaming platforms easily and also has the fastest speeds on average, which we noticed in our daily speed tests. There are servers in more than 100 countries and all can be easily accessed via NordVPN’s interactive server map. However, it’s not the greatest on mobile due to smaller screens.

NordVPN is a secure, user-friendly service that’s also more affordable than our first pick. You’ll need to sign up for the two-year plan to get the best deal, but there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee in place in case you change your mind. Read our NordVPN review for more information.

2. Surfshark — Best Cheap VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday’

surfshark app
Surfshark offers plenty of servers in the U.K.

Pros

  • Strong security suite options
  • Solid security
  • Excellent speeds

Cons

  • Site may collect your real IP
  • High latency on close servers
  • No Mac/iOS split tunneling

Bypass regional restrictions instantly — get Surfshark at 66% (plus 3 months free) off with a 30-day guarantee.

Download
93 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
9 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
3 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/21/25 to 02/18/25
Data for region:

Surfshark is a great VPN for streaming, and can easily access CTV from outside Canada to watch ‘The Holiday.’ It’s fast enough to avoid buffering in high quality streams and the unlimited simultaneous connections mean that you won’t have to leave any device unprotected.

Surfshark is also a very affordable VPN. The basic Surfshark Starter plan costs $2.19 per month when you buy a two-year subscription, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can get all the details in our full Surfshark review.

Surfshark Starter
  • Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
  • Yes
Surfshark One
  • Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
Surfshark One+
  • Everything in One, plus Data removal Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited

3. ExpressVPN — Best User-Friendly VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday’

expressvpn connected uk
ExpressVPN is a solid choice for streaming due to its reliability.

Pros

  • Fast streaming speeds
  • Unlocks all streaming apps
  • Servers in 105 countries

Cons

  • Expensive plans

Expand your streaming horizons — sign up for ExpressVPN and enjoy 25% savings.

Download
84 Mbps
Very Fast
Upload
8 Mbps
Very Fast
Latency
4 ms
Very Fast
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 01/21/25 to 02/18/25
Data for region:

Whichever streaming service you choose to watch ‘The Holiday’ on, ExpressVPN will help you unblock it. It has servers in more than 100 countries and fast speeds to ensure you have an uninterrupted stream. You can also install ExpressVPN’s easy-to-use app on almost any device.

Although ExpressVPN has everything you need for a great streaming experience, the price might put you off. The best deal is the two-year plan, which costs $4.99 per month. You can take it for a spin using the 30-day money-back guarantee or learn more from our ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN Plans
  • Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 8
  • Yes

PrivadoVPN — Best Free VPN for Watching ‘The Holiday’

privadovpn ipad uk server
PrivadoVPN offers a free plan with 10GB of data and free U.K. servers for Netflix.

Pros

  • Easy-to-use apps
  • Generous free plan
  • 10 device connections
  • Unblocks major streaming services

Cons

  • Relatively slow
  • No third-party audit
  • Poor customer support
  • Small server network

PrivadoVPN is one of the few trustworthy VPNs that has a free plan. You’ll have access to servers in 10 countries, including Canada, through user-friendly apps. It’s easily the best free VPN for streaming, especially if you aren’t a heavy user.

Although PrivadoVPN’s free plan only offers 10GB of data at full speeds, the VPN doesn’t lock you out when it’s been used. Instead, PrivadoVPN throttles your speeds to 1Mbps. It’s hardly fast, but it should be enough for basic streaming. Our PrivadoVPN review explains this in more detail.

The Holiday Cast, Characters & Plot (No Spoilers)

Two women, Iris and Amanda, are both feeling dejected after having relationship troubles. Amanda, who lives in an American mansion, decides to go on a house-swapping website and comes across Iris’ quaint little cottage in England. Amanda messages Iris and they decide to switch homes over the holiday season to escape their heartbreak. While in each other’s hometown, they meet new love interests. 

The film was written and directed by Nancy Meyers. Here’s the main cast and character list.

CharacterPerformer
‘Iris’Kate Winslet
‘Amanda’Cameron Diaz
‘Graham’Jude Law
‘Miles’Jack Black
‘Arthur’Eli Wallach
‘Ethan’Edward Burns
‘Jasper’Rufus Sewell
‘Sophie’Miffy Englefield
‘Olivia’Emma Pritchard
‘Ben’John Krasinski
‘Bristol’Kathryn Hahn
‘Hannah’Sarah Parish
‘Maggie’Shannyn Sossamon
‘Norman’Shelley Berman
‘Ernie’Bill Macy

Other Christmas Classics to Watch

Aside from ‘The Holiday,’ here are some other Christmas movies that you can watch online. Check out the movie trailers or our dedicated articles to find out more.

Final Thoughts

Over the festive season, we often see Christmas movies aired on various channels, but it’s good to know that you can watch them in your own time on demand. Thankfully, ‘The Holiday’ is available on a good number of streaming platforms and in multiple countries, giving you a lot of options. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean all of the options are available to you, and if you find yourself blocked from accessing ‘The Holiday,’ you can use a VPN to unblock it. NordVPN is our top recommendation, and its 30-day money-back guarantee means it’s risk-free. An alternative choice is Surfshark, which is also a top tier VPN provider.

Have you watched ‘The Holiday’ before? Will you need a VPN to watch it this holiday season? If you do, which VPN is your go-to? Let us know in the common section and, as always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: Watch The Holiday for Free

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