In the rural north-east of England nestles the rustic farm of the Rogerson family. There’s mum Tricia, dad David, 13 year old Daniel, 14 year old James, Louisa 19 and 16 year old Liam. But there’s also their second family - fourteen much loved dogs. The family saves up all year for their annual holiday in Ireland’s Ring of Kerry to compete in a week of prestigious dog shows. This year they’re hoping to win with Bruno, Megan, Alex, Magnum, Chelsea, Pepsi and Brett. According to Dad David “Everything we think, dream, drive to, whatever we do, it involves the dogs”.

The complete strangers who will be joining them in Ireland are the streetwise Francis family from Streatham in South-West London. There’s Dad, Derek, Mum, Sonia, 13 year old Dylan, Nyrie, 21, and 15 year old Raphael. Dylan and Raphael MC and DJ for urban group So Solid Kids. Their family holidays are planned around the boys' DJ-ing hobby. And, for the last few years, it's been to clubbing paradise Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

Although they are both focused on a hobby, the two holidays couldn't be more different.

The shipshape Riley family are keen sailors who spend their holidays on a boat touring around the south of England. They share holidays with the rowdy Hill family from Liverpool who love a good knees up in Spain’s largest holiday resort Benidorm.

The Rileys like to run a tight ship both on holiday and at home. John Riley is step dad to 12 year old George and nine year old Melissa and the father of four year old Fiona. Both John and Vanessa demand good manners at all times “We have to be ordered and we have to be disciplined but that’s how the children can learn what they need to know”.

The Hills are a lively family who let their kids do what they want. There is mum Tracy, dad Gareth, Bobby, 8, Natalie, 11, Nathan, 15, Natasha, 16. Although the Banderol holiday involves lots of drinking, they are planned with the children in mind “Our holiday is about the kids really, well, and us as well”

The home-loving Coates family live on a council estate on the outskirts of Bristol. Step-dad Geoff is an industrial cleaner and wife Lorraine is a housewife. They have two daughters; Mary-Anne (16) and Sammy-Joe (15). The Coates family don’t just live in Bristol, it’s also where they like to holiday. Meaning they never have to leave home and haven’t done so for the past 17 years. If they do venture out of Bristol it’s to nearby Weston-Super-Mare, where annual breaks are spent sight seeing, visiting entertainment complexes and riding the local buses.

The complete strangers who will be joining them in Bristol are the Wigmore family from Newbury. There’s dad Paul, Mum Sarah, 19 year old Jade and 16 year old Harry. Unlike the Coates family, they like to get as far away from their home town as possible. Traveling the world and experiencing different cultures is the Wigmore families number one priority. But the one country they’ve fallen in love with is Thailand.

For the Coates and the Wigmores, their holidays couldn't be more different. For the globe trotting Wigmores, sharing another family’s home is going to be quite a challenge.

The Richardson family live in rural Lincolnshire in the heart of middle England. They all have a strong military background. Mum Lorraine is in the navy reserves, dad John spent 26 years in the RAF and 16 year old Will and 14 year old Eleanor are both at military boarding school. The Richardson’s pride themselves on having a traditional English way of life, well suited to the Texas mindset. And their old fashioned views extend to most aspects of their life. They don’t agree with homosexuality and the men and women have very clear roles. Mum Lorraine and Daughter Eleanor cook the dinner, while John, as chief hunter – gatherer, sits at the head of the table.

The complete strangers who will be joining them in Texas are the liberal Blackwood family from London. Anarchist video artists Paul and Emma are both bisexual but were married to each other a year ago in a pagan ceremony known as broom-jumping. Paul’s now step-dad to her three children – ten year old Tanzy, 12 year old Joel and 14 year old Natasha. Gender roles don’t apply in the Blackwood household and Dad Paul is often seen vacuuming the house in drag. On holiday the Blackwood’s visit cities to collect images for their video art. Their favourite destination is San Francisco, the gay capital of America.

Sue Woodcock is a die-hard Dolly Parton fan who has saved up to take her family to Dollywood in Tennesse – a theme park dedicated to the country and western star. They’re a family of plain eaters, who live on tinned food and boiled potatoes. Rice ‘looks like maggots’ and ketchup is ‘too spicy’.

Eka Patterson is passionate about exploring her Jamaican roots and regularly takes her family to visit relatives in the rural parish of St Elizabeth. Food is very important to the Patterson family, and they especially love all things Caribbean.

First impressions of Dollywood are a dream for the Woodcocks, but more of a nightmare for the Pattersons. They drag their heels around the Dolly attractions of Tennessee, and when Eka tells Sue she’s not enjoying herself, 13 year-old Emma Woodcock jumps to her Mum’s defense. Feeling a personal slight against her idol, Sue and Eka’s relationship quickly goes downhill and, after a row over food, the two families choose to separate for a few hours.

Relationships start to improve between the families in Jamaica, but things soon take a nosedive when Eka arranges a party for her partner’s birthday. The Woodcocks have struggled to cope without decent showers and toilets at their guest house, as well as food they can’t stomach, and the loud music and the presence of people smoking cannabis pushes them over the edge. A final confrontation leads to a separation, and when the families reunite for the showdown meal there is no hope of reconciliation.