Cancelled Thailand need baby friendly alternative in Europe

[Blueberry1990]

We were due to go to Thailand and Singapore in August for mt Husbands 40th but as we were staying a night in Doha on each leg we have decided to cancel the holiday and stay in Europe.

We plan to have a week at the beach then will do a European city for a few days each side.

For the beach holiday I think probably Greece will work best (budget around €2500 for 7 nights).
Looking for a hotel that is baby friendly (14 month old), has an indoor soft play area, not bothered about board basis, high chairs in the restaurants, walking distance to supermarket and beach.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

You have cancelled your entire holiday because of a one night stop over? Could you not have just changed the stop over?

I wouldn’t recommend Greece with a baby unless you are happy to be inside all day.

I when to Athens last year with my 18 month old son, father and brother.

It was great fun, good food and very very hot

How about the Baleric islands, should be a bit cooler than Greece in August x

Greece in August will be unbearably hot. I would think about Cornwall or Norfolk.

Just go to Thailand but using an airline that goes direct or via Kuala Lumpur or a different gateway city.

This cancellation is just batshit

Surely you’ll lose all of your money by cancelling?

I wouldn't have cancelled your whole holiday to be honest and as others have said taking a small baby to Greece in August sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Have you been to Greece before to comprehend just how hot it will be? You won't be able to spend the week at the beach.

Are you kidding? It won't be - we were there last August. Wrong time of year for a week in any central or southern European city too.

Thailand is far more baby friendly than Greece. You get more villa hotels so you’re not stuck in one room in the dark at 7pm. Can you fly direct instead?

what a daft post. From one extreme to another. Can’t think of anything more awful than crowded Cornwall or Norfolk when you can’t trust the weather, and cold, murky water.

@OP my husband is Greek so we go ever summer and yes it’s hot but perfectly doable with a baby (any holiday is not quite a holiday with a baby). To the beach at 9am for a swim then 10-4am back home for lunch and a nap, then back to the beach for late afternoon swim and play on the beach.

And yes, a city break in Europe will be very hot and I would not recommend..

Personally I’d prefer Greece to Thailand with a baby but I’d try to push the trip back to September when is will be a bit cooler and not as busy. August is holiday season for Greeks and also international tourists so everywhere will be busy. August is not great in most of Thailand too.

This, or as @Spirallingdownwards has mentioned fly there (e.g. Bangkok, KL or Singapore) with an airline that operates Europe-Far East non-stop.

Quite a few airlines do so but people do seem to have become persuaded a transit in the Gulf is mandatory.

BTW be wary of 'direct" in this context, it does not necessaily mean "non-stop"...

I really recommend a tie on/clip on high chair seat and then you can eat in any restaurant. Greece is all pretty baby friendly but they don’t necessarily have equipment. I have never stayed in a resort type hotel so don’t know about soft play.

I have never found Greece too hot in August. Probably more pleasant than Thailand because it is less humid.

10am-4pm every day on holiday for “lunch and nap”? 😕

Cancels Singapore and Thailand for bloody Cornwall 😅 only on MN.

OP all you need to do is change the Doha stopover and flight and you’re sorted

I know I though the same! 🤣

Yeah because Europeans enjoy lunch rather than the Brits who have a sandwich in 20 minutes. and insist on a bath time at 6pm and bed at 7pm 🤣 so if you’re holidaying in Southern Europe in August with young kids then you need to adapt. So after 4pm, it’s beach in the late afternoon and then a lovely dinner and up late.

I am cancelling the holiday because I don't want to stop in the middle east incase there is any problems when we travel (airspace closes again etc). There is no other option to stop somewhere else that isn't the middle east.

Have you already cancelled?
You could change your flights, I refuse to fly through the middle east for many years due to a horrendous experience when travelling with work. There are direct flights with Thai Airways and also Singapore direct flights with BA.

There are direct flights to Singapore and Thailand? Why the stop over in the Middle East? Can you keep your accommodation and switch for a direct flight?

Echoing what has been said - I would not take a baby to Greece in July /August. If you do want to go to Europe I would be looking at West France / Vendee/ region or Brittany.

...but do you accept that you can get to places like Bangkok and Singapore from UK and mainland Europe in one go i.e. non-stop,.no need to stop in the middle east...(e.g. one of several examples, BA do LHR- SIN non-stop)

However if you are locked in or commited to one of the Gulf Carriers, and I know their prices are attractive, then a Gulf transit is inevitable due to route licences/ route freedoms.

Ultimately non-stop, far east, no landing in the ME is entirely possible right now, just not with one of the Gulf carriers.

BTW health warning again, "direct" does not automatically mean non-stop....

I would not do a direct flight with a 14 month old as it would be hell 😅 that is why I was splitting the journey up and staying a night in Qatar as I have a direct flight from my local airport.
I live in the South of Spain so the heat is not an issue, we would be travelling from the 29th of August so not in July