Couple ditch the UK to travel around Europe with their children - and fund their lifestyle by working 10 hours a week selling solar panels on eBay

A couple who ditched the UK to travel around Europe with their two youngest children have revealed how they are funding their lifestyle by working just 10 hours a week selling solar panels on eBay .

Lee Bodell, 47, and Aimee Bedford, 39, made the unconventional decision to leave their life in Birkenhead, Merseyside, behind in July to travel the world with their daughters Matilda-May, 10, and nine-year-old Mila.

The couple sold their house and all of their belongings before boarding a train to Paris. Now, in just three weeks, they have already visited seven countries, having spent £1,800 on 60-day continuous first-class train tickets.

To fund their travels, the pair are relying solely on Lee's remote job of selling solar panels for mobile homes on eBay and his own website, which he spends just 10 hours a week doing and earns between £500 to £1,000 a week.

The family reckon they have spent around £6,000 in total so far, including the interrail tickets, but once they fly to southeast Asia they plan to budget around £1,500 per month.

By November, they plan to visit as many countries in Europe as possible before heading to Thailand to spend Christmas and New Year.

Lee, a former HGV driver, said: 'During Covid I was placed on furlough and was off work for 10 weeks. I was always a workaholic and never missed a day off work in eight years being sick and I was constantly doing overtime.

'Spending 10 weeks at home with the family completely changed my mind set on life and I thought "I want to do this full-time".'

Lee Bodell, 47, and Aimee Bedford, 39, made the unconventional decision to leave their life in Birkenhead, Merseyside, behind in July in favour to travel the world with their daughters Matilda-May, 10, and nine-year-old Mila

To fund their travels, the pair are relying solely on Lee's Lee's remote job of selling solar panels for mobile homes on eBay and his own website, which he spends just 10 hours a week doing, making between £500 to £1,000 a week

The couple sold their house and all of their belongings before boarding a train to Paris. Now, in just three weeks, they have already visited seven countries, having spent £1,800 on 60-day continuous first-class train tickets

Lee explained that over the 'past few years' he has been able to build up his unique solar panel business, and now both buys and sells on eBay and Amazon. He also runs his own Shopify store.

In May 2025, the couple decided to see if running Lee's business abroad was possible and hired out a villa in Cyprus for 10 days to 'test the waters'.

On their return home, they put their four-bed home up for sale, which sold in July 2026 for £330,000, leaving them with £140,000 equity.

Aimee, who used to work as a family support worker at a primary school prior to their travels, said: 'We set a couple of grand aside from the house sale and Lee's wages top that up, with some saving as well.

'The money that was made from selling our belongings and cars has gone towards the trip.

'We've invested the rest of the house money and hope to earn off that as well.'

She added that while travelling has been expensive, it is still '100 per cent cheaper' than life in Britain.

'We were spending with a mortgage, bills, days out, running the house and cars with four children around £3,000 to £4,000 a month,' she said.

'We knew it would be more expensive in Europe and at the end of it when we get to Southeast Asia we will easily be living on £2,000 per month all in.

'We had jobs and the kids were attending school all day long and we were lucky if we had two hours with them at the end of the day. We wanted more time to experience life together. We came away with three suitcases'.

Aimee said that while travelling has been expensive, it is still '100 per cent cheaper' than life in Britain. 'We were spending with a mortgage, bills, days out, running the house and cars with four children around £3,000 to £4,000 a month,' she said

Since jetting off to Paris in September, the family have visited the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. Matilda-May and Mila have been de-registered from school

The couple's eldest two children Billy, 18, and Lyla, 17, chose to stay at home with family but have flown out with Aimee's sister Katie, 37, to celebrate Aimee's 39th birthday in Italy

Since jetting off to Paris in September, the family have visited the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy.

Matilda-May and Mila have been de-registered from school and despite being 'initially sad' to leave behind family and friends, are settling into life on the move.

'I think we're deliberately choosing to give them these experiences, and I think we want them to learn through travel rather than just recreating school at the kitchen table if you like,' Aimee explained.

'They do enjoy learning but we're not shoving it in their faces as it's very early days. I think personally I'd be ok with them not attending school for at least two years.

'If they want to learn more and there are other subjects they are interested in, we will make it happen, but that will be online.

'We're not planning on sending them to international schools. It's definitely sparked curiosity and they're forever asking questions so as long as that continues, we'll be happy.'

While the family do not have a set budget, they have deliberately chosen to avoid tourist hotspots and city centres and instead travel in to see the sights.

And they have also taken to TikTok, under the handle @the.bodells, to share their unconventional move with others looking to do the same, adding that they hope to 'inspire' other families to make the leap.

The couple's eldest two children Billy, 18, and Lyla, 17, chose to stay at home with family but have flown out with Aimee's sister Katie, 37, to celebrate Aimee's 39th birthday in Italy.

They hope to eventually settle outside the UK, but are not sure where that will be yet.

'The beauty of being able to travel is we might find somewhere and it might be our forever home.'