New G7 group pools agency leaders and resources

A new agency group that is small but mighty is set to start operations in early January.

Worrying about your wallet while you travel can really take the fun out of things. You can also let your guard down sometimes when you’re caught up with having fun, and that can lead to unhappy experiences.  Here are some helpful tips:

Slim Down
Empty your wallet before you leave home. Not entirely of course, but there’s no point in taking all your Canadian credit and loyalty cards with you.

15 of the World's Most Bike-Friendly Cities

Grab a helmet and check out these 15 cities where drivers use all five fingers when they wave at you.

EUROPE

Amsterdam, Netherlands

How to catch some decent shuteye on planes

Not enough legroom. People climbing over you. Noise from movies and video games and screaming children. Sunlight pouring in your neighbor's window at 35,000 feet. With all the distractions and hassles of air travel, what doesn't make it tough to sleep on planes?

Considering making the leap from a mega ship to a luxury vessel?

It may not exactly be an original thought, but here's a piece of advice for anybody planning a cruise vacation: Buy as much cruise as you can possibly afford.

Written by Gisella Deputato, a CNN producer in London.

Romans do know how to throw a party. Rome is young, fun and fast-moving, but you'll get the most out of the Eternal City if you really take time to explore and savor it.

This magical city is all about walking. As you start wandering about, you can't help but stand in awe of the historical sites scattered copiously all over the city. It's a place you'll want to discover on foot or by public transport as traffic is spectacularly bad.

To the uninitiated, planning a safari can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Wildlife excursions are largely confined to eastern and southern Africa, where the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalos) converge. Within those regions, there are some basic rules that help distinguish the kind of experience each country offers.

Six Unforgettable African Wildlife Trips

On the approachable end of the spectrum, Kenya and South Africa are among the easiest-to-navigate nations in Africa.

Passport Canada has advised that its processing times are updated on a regular basis. Processing times may change depending on the volume of applications received and are not guaranteed.

Applicants should keep in mind that processing times do not take delivery times into account. The complexity of routine verifications and security checks may lead to longer processing times.

Effective January 18, 2011 the processing times are as follows:

Canadians living in Canada:
Options for submitting a completed application:

When it comes to shore excursions, travelers are often steered toward tourist-friendly entertainment rather than the reality that lies beyond souvenir shops. But this year, Crystal Cruises offers one volunteer excursion per cruise, providing a chance for travelers to give time to causes that benefit destinations on their itineraries.

There are pluses and minuses to checks, credit cards and currency when you're traveling abroad. Here's a comparison.

"Money alone sets all the world in motion," said Publilius Syrus, an ancient Latin writer known for aphorisms. But how do you set your money in motion when you travel? Whether check, card or currency, each method has its pluses and minuses. So it's best to take money in various forms, do some research and plan ahead.