Last checked: 22 July 2026. Our journey and all price examples date from March and April 2026.
Travel update – 22 July 2026: Renewed fighting in the Gulf region has once again made flights between Asia and Europe less predictable. At the time of our latest check, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency was advising airlines to avoid the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, and to stay clear of several Gulf areas including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and parts of the Gulf of Oman. Some airlines have also suspended routes between Asia and Gulf hubs well into the autumn, and national travel advisories have been tightened again – the Netherlands, for example, moved the UAE, Qatar and Jordan back to “essential travel only” on 21 July, which stops package tours from routing through those hubs even where flights still operate.
This is not a complete shutdown. Many flights continue to operate, usually on longer routings via Egypt and Saudi Arabia or north of the region. But schedules, routings and availability can change at short notice. Check your exact flight with the airline before travelling to the airport, and do not rely on the first fare a flight search engine shows you.
When our original flight home from Thailand was cancelled in March 2026, the obvious replacement flights to Europe were either unavailable or extremely expensive. Travelling as a family of four made the problem much bigger: a fare that looked painful for one passenger became almost impossible once multiplied by four.
Instead of continuing to search for one conventional through-ticket via the Middle East, we split the journey into separate stages. We flew from Bangkok to Seoul, continued from Seoul to London and completed the final part with Rail & Sail from London to Harwich and the overnight ferry to Hook of Holland.
That route will not suit everyone. It took longer, involved separate bookings and meant crossing London with our luggage and children. But during the disruption we faced, it gave us a workable and substantially more affordable way home.
The quick answer
If flights from Southeast Asia to Europe through the Middle East become unavailable or unaffordable, it can be worth searching for the journey in separate parts:
- Southeast Asia to an East Asian hub such as Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong
- East Asia to a European city with a workable long-haul fare
- Train or ferry for the final stage to your actual destination
The best route depends on where you need to end up. London worked for us because it offered a practical onward journey to the Netherlands via Harwich. Someone travelling to Scandinavia, Germany, France or southern Europe may find a different European arrival airport more logical – we cover those options further down.
Why Asia-Europe flights can be disrupted
Many of the most common connections between Southeast Asia and Europe rely on hubs in the Gulf. When airspace is restricted or airlines have to change their routings, the effects spread far beyond the countries directly involved.
Flights may still operate, but they can take longer routes, be rescheduled, become more expensive or be cancelled at short notice. Travellers can be affected even when both their departure point and final destination are far from the Middle East.
Comparison websites can also be misleading during fast-moving disruption. During our own search, we repeatedly saw attractive fares that disappeared, increased sharply or turned out not to be available once we clicked through to the booking page.
Always complete the search on the airline or ticket provider's own website before treating a fare as genuine.
Our situation in March 2026
We were travelling in Thailand with our young family when our original return flight was cancelled. That flight was due to route via the United Arab Emirates, and by then the regional situation had made that connection increasingly uncertain in any case.
When we searched for alternatives, the workable fares back to Europe were showing at around €3,000 per person, with several options costing considerably more. For four people, that meant potentially spending €12,000 or more simply to get home.
Instead of accepting the first available Europe-bound itinerary, we looked at where affordable regional flights could take us first. Seoul emerged as the most useful stepping stone.
Our tested route: Bangkok-Seoul-London-Harwich-Hook of Holland
Our journey home consisted of four main stages:
- Bangkok to Seoul by air
- Seoul to London by air
- London to Harwich by train
- Harwich to Hook of Holland by overnight ferry
Why Seoul worked for us
Regional flights from Bangkok to Seoul were much easier to find than an affordable through-ticket from Thailand to Europe. Seoul also gave us access to long-haul flights that approached Europe from the east, without depending on a connection through the Gulf.
That did not automatically make every Seoul-Europe fare cheap. The value came from searching for the two flights separately and staying flexible about which European city we arrived in.
Why we flew to London
London was not our final destination, but it offered the most workable combination we could find at the time. From London, we could continue overland to Harwich and cross directly to the Netherlands by ferry.
This makes the route especially relevant for travellers heading to the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany. It is less attractive if your final destination is in France, Spain, Italy or eastern Europe, where a different arrival airport could reduce the amount of backtracking.
Why we ended with a ferry
After the long flight from Seoul to London, we did not want to put the children straight onto another aircraft. We took the train from London to Harwich and boarded the Stena Line night crossing to Hook of Holland, arriving in the Netherlands the following morning – no extra airport, no second security queue, no baggage carousel.
Read the full account of this final stage in our Harwich-Hook of Holland overnight Rail & Sail review.
What the routes cost during our search
The figures below are a dated snapshot from our search in March 2026. They are included to show why we started looking at unconventional routes, not as current live fares.
| Option or journey stage | Price found in March 2026 | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Workable Southeast Asia-Europe flight | Around €3,000 per person | Some options were considerably more expensive |
| Potential total for four people | Around €12,000 or more | Based on the long-haul fares appearing during our search |
| Bangkok-Seoul flights | Around €900 total | For our family of four |
| Seoul-London flights | Around €2,000 total | For our family of four |
| Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry and cabin | Around €350 | Final overnight leg to the Netherlands |
| Combined alternative | Around €3,250 | Based on the fares available when we booked, before meals, local transfers and extras |
Price note: airfares and ferry fares change continuously. Baggage, seat selection, airport transfers, hotels, meals and travel insurance can also alter the total considerably. Compare the complete journey rather than the headline fare alone.
Alternative routes by final destination
There is no single alternative route that works for every European traveller. Start with your final destination and work backwards.
Returning to the UK
Search East Asian hubs for direct or one-stop services to London, Manchester or another practical UK airport. Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong can be useful starting points, but the best choice depends entirely on live availability.
Check whether reaching the East Asian hub requires changing airports, collecting your luggage or entering the country. A cheap regional ticket is less useful if the connection cannot be made safely.
Returning to the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany
London can work as a European gateway because the Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry gives foot passengers a direct onward route to the Netherlands. Hook of Holland has rail connections towards Rotterdam and the wider Dutch network.
Allow plenty of time to cross London and reach Harwich, though. An arrival at Heathrow is not the same as arriving beside the ferry terminal, and the transfer becomes more demanding with children or heavy luggage.
If your long-haul flight lands in northern England or Scotland instead, the overnight DFDS crossing from Newcastle to Amsterdam (IJmuiden) avoids the journey south to Harwich altogether – a route we have also sailed ourselves.
Compare the Harwich-Hook of Holland ferry and the wider choice of ferries from the UK to the Netherlands.
Returning to France, Spain or southern Europe
Arriving in London and crossing the Channel can work, but it may add unnecessary distance if you can find a reasonable flight to Paris, another French airport or a city farther south.
When London is the best available arrival point, compare the main ferry routes from the UK to France. Dover-Calais is usually the most frequent corridor, while crossings from Portsmouth, Newhaven and Plymouth may fit western or southern journeys better. For destinations in Spain or Portugal, the long-distance ferries from the UK to Spain sail from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao and can replace a second flight entirely.
Returning to Scandinavia or northern Germany
Flights into Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen or Oslo may open up different rail and ferry combinations. During our own search we spotted surprisingly reasonable fares from Phuket to Helsinki, which is what first put this option on our radar.
Helsinki connects onwards by sea in several directions: Finnlines sails to Travemünde in northern Germany, while Tallink links Helsinki with Stockholm and Tallinn. From Oslo, the Color Line ferry to Kiel offers a direct overnight route into Germany.
Always check these as complete journeys. A flight that looks cheaper can lose its advantage when it requires a hotel night, a long airport transfer or an expensive last-minute ferry cabin. Confirm that the connecting ferry actually operates on your arrival day and that you have enough buffer between separate bookings.
Before booking separate tickets
Splitting a journey into separate bookings can save money, but it also transfers more of the risk to you. This is the biggest drawback of building your own route.
- Leave a substantial buffer. If the first flight is late, the next airline or ferry operator is usually not responsible for your missed connection.
- Consider an overnight stop. A hotel can be cheaper than losing a non-refundable long-haul ticket.
- Check baggage rules separately. Different airlines may have different weight limits and charges.
- Check whether luggage must be collected. On separate tickets it will usually need to be reclaimed and checked in again.
- Check entry and transit requirements. You may need permission to enter a country even when it is only an intermediate stop.
- Check official travel advice for every transit country. Insurance cover and whether tour operators will fly can depend on your government's travel advisory, not just on whether flights are operating.
- Check airport names carefully. Two flights listed under the same city may use different airports.
- Check your travel insurance. Not every policy covers missed connections between separately booked tickets.
- Save documents offline. Keep flight confirmations, ferry tickets, insurance details and receipts accessible without mobile data.
Travelling through the UK? Check whether your nationality requires a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation or other entry permission. Our UK-Europe passport, ETA and border checklist explains the main preparation points, but always verify your own situation through the official government service.
Contact the airline before replacing a cancelled flight
If you booked through a tour operator, contact them first – under package travel rules the organiser is responsible for getting you home or offering an alternative. The advice below applies mainly to independently booked flights.
Do not automatically cancel the original booking yourself as soon as disruption appears. First check what the airline is offering and what passenger rights apply to your itinerary.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority explains that passenger rights depend on the departure point and the airline operating the flight. Where UK or European passenger-rights legislation applies, an airline may still need to offer replacement transport and care when a flight is cancelled, even when the cause is an extraordinary circumstance.
Fixed compensation is less likely when disruption is directly caused by conflict or airspace restrictions, but that does not necessarily remove other rights such as rerouting, meals or accommodation. Keep every receipt if you end up paying reasonable costs yourself.
Read the UK Civil Aviation Authority guidance for affected passengers.
Why a ferry can work after a long flight
A ferry is not automatically the cheapest or fastest way to complete the journey. For our family, its main advantage was that it changed the character of the final stage.
- The children could move around rather than sit in aircraft seats for hours more
- We had proper beds in a private cabin
- We could eat on board instead of relying on airport food
- There was space to sit, walk and get fresh air on deck
- We travelled while sleeping and arrived in the Netherlands the next morning
- We avoided another check-in, security queue and baggage collection
The ferry made sense because it also moved us towards our actual destination. Adding a ferry purely for the experience would not have improved the journey. It worked because Harwich-Hook of Holland was a practical transport connection as well as a more comfortable final night.
Our verdict
Our Bangkok-Seoul-London-Harwich-Hook of Holland route was not simple, but it solved a problem that conventional flight searches were not solving.
The most important step was to stop searching for one through-ticket from Thailand to our final destination. By separating the regional flight, the long-haul flight and the final European connection, we found a route that was financially realistic for four people.
That approach comes with risk. Separate tickets need generous connection times, careful document checks and a willingness to adapt. Treat it as a plan B for when normal flight options are unavailable, unreliable or disproportionately expensive.
For travellers heading towards the Netherlands, Belgium or western Germany, London followed by Rail & Sail can be a surprisingly logical combination. For other destinations, the same principle applies: search beyond the obvious route, compare the full journey and use trains or ferries where they genuinely improve the final stage.
Check before booking: flight schedules, airspace restrictions, ferry timetables, entry requirements and prices can change quickly. Confirm every stage with the airline, ferry operator and official government sources before committing to separate non-refundable tickets.
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