Next week I will be travelling with my wife and two kids to Heathrow, UK with Gulf Air, from Bangkok. There is a sop over in Bahrain. There is 2 hours 30 minutes between flights. Anyone got experience of this stopover? Do we have to wealk to the lounge or is it a bus transfer (like qatar). is 2.30 enough time, with some relaxing in the lounge? thanks

Bahrain is a pleasant stopover mate. You shouldn't need to bus it at all....not tried the lounge but everything was cheap last time I passed through there.

They must surely have stopped everyone smoking all over the terminal by now.....yes a while since I last flew Gulf Air.

^

There are 2 smoking rooms in the terminal plus 2 bars (sky lounge & Irish bar) that also allow smoking inside.

As said above, 2.5 hours is fine. I did it a couple of years ago - probably the same flight times - and although it is quite a small airport, there's enough there to waste time having a bit of a shufty round, and the Irish bar is quite relaxing.

Take some loo paper though, as that's one part of the terminal which is of a rather lesser standard.

Here's a map.

http://bahrainairport.com/bia/airportmaps.htm