Best practices for connecting DBs that are in different geographical regions We are about to set up SQL Servers in different countries. We need to link them, but we don't have to have a direct link (as in linked server). In other words, they can be loosely coupled.

Is it better to connect them via a VPN and have them as linked servers, or use loose coupling via web services?

By "better", I am referring to stability.
VPNs are definitely more secure than web services.  As far as stability goes, as long as the VPN is set up correctly and the network doesn't go down in either location, VPNs are stable.