Let’s face it, everyone loves a freebie! Check out these 11 top tips for getting something for nothing and freeload your way around the world!

It seems that everyone’s after a bargain at the moment. Most of us don’t have wads of spare cash to splash out on expensive vacations.

So once you’ve managed to get away, why not score some extras as you go along??

C.P. Storm

Getting stuff for free is a lot easier than you might think. It’s also kinda fun!

Check out these 11 handy tips and watch your shame fly out the window!

1. Ask

Seems obvious doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised what you can get when you swallow your pride and just ask!

More often than not, people will be more obliging than you might think.

2. Smile

A smile can go a long way. A toothy grin and the recognition that you’re being a bit cheeky can make the world of difference.

3. Strike a Multi-deal

Whether you’re staying in a hotel for a good few nights or buying up the souvenir shop, recognize the value of your custom and propose a good-will freebie.

4. Make Friends

People do business with people they like. The same principle applies to getting stuff for free.

Have a laugh and a joke with the staff on reception and you might just find an exotic fruit basket in your room!

5. Complain

Just had the worst meal of your life? Don’t sit and fume about it. Make a polite complaint and the chances are they’ll be champagne and tiramisu coming your way.

6. Don’t Push it

No one likes being pressurized, so be cool and know when to back off. A laid-back strategy is guaranteed to get you further in the long-term.

7. Dangle a Carrot

Provide an incentive. You’ll find people much more accommodating after you’ve mentioned that big corporate booking or wedding reception that you’re planning.

8. Name Drop

Use your contacts. Remember that friend who works at Conde Nast or Lonely Planet? Well now’s the time to slip their name into the conversation!

9. Flirt

A shameless tactic but a fun one. Whether you’re trying to bag a flight upgrade or a free cocktail, 9 times out of 10 you’ll do better addressing a member of the opposite sex.

10. Try Stuff

Ah the beauty of the trial. After-shave, cosmetics or Italian ice-cream – whatever you’ve got your eye on, explain you’d like to try before you bye and lo behold that cute mini something is all yours…. absolutely free!

11. Exploit your Skills

Got a special skill or talent? Exploit it! Offer some free music/dance/comedy/magic in exchange for what you want. Genius!

Got more freebie tactics or funny stories?? Post up your comments below, we want to hear from you!

Coming up…How to Avoid Disappointing Vacations. Don’t miss out! Sign up for free blog alerts below!

You know the feeling – you’ve been traveling for an eternity, you’re completely whacked, all you want is to drift off into a blissful snooze before catching your next flight.

But those airport chairs are hard, so very hard and the arm-rest keeps digging into your head.

The latest trend of “pod” or “capsule” hotels might be just the solution to this perennial traveling dilemma.

Take, for example, Yotel’s London and Amsterdam hotels. Situated in airport terminals they offer futuristic pod rooms for stays as short as four hours – perfect for “nappers in transit”.

Capsule living
With cabin-like rooms measuring just seven square meters, it won’t take you long to grasp the space-saving capsule concept.

But Yotel promises that there’s as much in this tiny space as you’ll find in most four star hotels. And with talk of organic cotton sheets, flat screen TVs and 24 hour cabin service, they might just be right.

The micro hotel trend certainly seems to be catching on. Originating in Japan, catering for inebriated businessmen too scared to face their wives, teeny tiny hotels have now spread throughout Europe and the US.

Broom cupboard benefits
Cost and convenience are the main reasons why travelers are opting to risk a bout of claustrophobia to stay in these ultra-modern hotel joints, as well as the draw of something genuinely fresh and different.

And with many of the hotels located in pricey city and airport destinations, their rates are certainly in tune with today’s economic climate.

Where to find your pod
If you’re thinking of joining the capsule revolution, check out Yotel’s airport chain, The Pod or The Jane (New York), citizenM (Amsterdam) or StayOrange.com (Kuala Lumpur). For an authentic Japanese pod experience, check out the deals on flights to Tokyo, and head to the Capsule Inn Akihabara.

Travel fad or fresh innovation, it looks like capsule hotels are here to stay, for the time being at least. So take a break from arm-rest-itis and give them a whirl, just be sure to leave your cat at home.

Photos from Flickr. Photo credits (in order of placement): Yotel by donutshead, Tokyo Caspule Hotel by Matteo Mazzoni.