Newcastle family travelling europe in £25k american school bus bought on ebay

LOTTI HARRISON AND TY BURNS BOUGHT THE £25K AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS TO TRAVEL EUROPE WITH THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS 10:43, 29 May 2025 Meet the couple who sold their restaurant business to buy a £25k

yellow American school bus on eBay - and travel Europe with their toddlers. Lotti Harrison, 29, and Ty Burns, 37, had always dreamed of travelling in a van but after having their girls -

aged one and two - the reality of it became tricky. But when Ty spotted the 11-metre long school bus listing in August 2024 the couple knew they had to go for it before it was too late. They

spent the next six months renovating the bus - fitting it out with underfloor heating, air con and a log burner - before selling 90% of their furniture and their restaurant business for

life on the road. Lotti, Ty and their daughters set off in April 2025 and have travelled around Belgium, France and Italy so far and plan to head to Slovenia and Croatia next. The family

hope to spend a year travelling - using their savings to fund it - before coming back to the UK and deciding if they want to keep going. Lotti, from Newcastle, said: "We've never

been that 9 to 5 vibe - but ever since having the girls we realised how quickly time goes. We wanted to spend as much time now together as a family and watch them grow up. Sending them to

nursery didn't seem right to us. If we didn't do it now we'd probably never do it." Lotti and Ty have always talked about travelling and even bought a bus they saw on the

side of the road for £500 six years ago. But after realising the bus was "knackered" they put their travelling dreams on hold and started a family. Lotti said: "Since having

the girls the reality was a bit more tricky." It was until Ty spotted the school bus on eBay that the couple decided to take the leap. Ty spent six months renovating it himself -

putting in bunk beds, a full-sized fridge, washing machine and a king-sized bed. He also kitted it out with acoustic sound deadening panelling - to help with noise levels. Lotti said:

"It's very fancy. It's a luxury bus - we haven't scrimped on this. We wanted it to be as comfortable for us and the girls as possible." They ended their tenancy for

their four-bed, three-storey town house and sold most of their possessions - only keeping essentials and sentimental items in storage. Lotti said: "We realised how much we had

accumulated over the years and how much we didn't need. It felt so good to get rid of stuff." The family set off for Belgium in April before heading to Luxembourg, France and

Italy. They will now travel around Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia before heading to Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. They will then head back to the UK through Greece, Italy and France. Lotti

said: "The girls have taken so well to it. Waking up in a different place is so exciting for them." The family also love that they can stay longer in places if they're really

enjoying it or move on to the next if they weather is "rubbish". Lotti said: "It's been really freeing." Article continues below It's not been without its

challenges - but Lotti's favourite memories have been taking the girls to Disneyland Paris, and cycling around Lake Annecy in France. She said: "Everyone has loved the bus so far.

Everyone is beeping their horns. Everyone is in awe. We can't go anywhere without being papped." Lotti hopes to inspire others to take the plunge to travel if they want to and be

"pushed" out of their "comfort zone". She said: "There's a whole world out there." Follow the family @bigyellowskoolie on Instagram and TikTok.