Getting away from it all - with a family of nine?

Going on your first ever family holiday abroad can be stressful enough at the best of times - but what about when you are packing and planning for a family of nine? Jen Hogan tells all.

Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen. Every day my morning greeting from the six year old includes the number of sleeps left. The eight year old meantime hops from one foot to the other grinning while reminding me that “it’s getting really close mammy”. And it is — our first ever foreign holiday is just around the corner.

Everyone looks forward to holidays, we’re not unique in that, but not everyone takes as long as we have to finally manage that seemingly elusive, first family holiday abroad.