Easyjet cancelled. Had to rebook via Dublin wwyd?

[CandyLeBonBon]

So, I'm on a short city break with dd. Arrived yesterday morning - had lots planned and was due to do a lovely watercolours masterclass in the morning, followed by a lazy lunchtime/afternoon at Venice lido with us heading home on the 9:50pm to Gatwick.

Got an email from easyJet at 4:15pm today saying flight is cancelled (2nd time for this trip ffs).
Absolutely Gutted. Have to cut short the rest of our lovely plans as I have to be back at work Weds so can't extend a day. No idea why it's been cancelled, either.

No other easyJet flights from Venice to Gatwick tomorrow via any other airline, so I've managed to book a flight home via Dublin - arrives 2:35pm

Got a connecting flight to Gatwick leaving 7:25pm.

Have we got time realistically, to look round Dublin at all, or should we just stay put in the airport?

I know I've just waffled a bit here but I'm so gutted and pissed off that our trip has been cut short I was hoping for a little silver lining.

It's cost me a bloody fortune as well so I really just hope the insurance covers it if easyJet don't offer compensation.

So wise mumsnetters, what should I do?

No it won't be worth your while leaving the airport . It will take at least an hour to get out of the airport and into town.
By the time you orient yourselves it will be time to go back out again .

No, unfortunately you won't have time to get into town, see anything, and get back to the airport. I'd strongly advise staying at the airport. Which terminal are you flying into / out of?

Terminal 2 in/out

Also, Dublin airport is massive and even the airport express bus, which is quite expensive for a return trip into the city, can get snarled up in traffic, which it could well do if you're going back at 5 pm ish, which you would be for that flight out of Dublin.

You could book into the lounge so at least you'll have somewhere comfortable to wait with free food and drink. Or there's retail parks/Ikea close to the southern outskirts of the airport, so you get a bus/taxi there for a couple of hours?

Ah, T2 in Dublin Airport is a bit shite for food options, unfortunately. Butler's do decent coffee, but if you need food, you're honestly better off going to Burger King, or getting a packaged sambo from WH Smith. Or, as @BarbaraofSeville suggested, paying for lounge access. There's plenty of charging points though, which is handy. I'm assuming that you'll have to clear passport control and then go back through security?

If so, yes you could definitely get a cab to IKEA or Airside Retail Park, which has a couple of restaurants. Tbh though, I find security in DUB can be very slow, so I'd personally opt for getting it out of the way, then relaxing airside with a large cold glass of wine. Sorry you've had such a shitty end to your trip, it must be so disappointing

OP, you could get a bus (no. 41) or a taxi (€12 or thereabouts) into the nearby village of Swords - it's only 15 minutes away. There is a shopping centre there - The Pavillions - where you could have a wander round the shops and have coffee or there are a number of pubs / restaurants on the main street where you would get nicer food than at the airport.

Don't waste hours in the airport if you don't have to.

Thanks all - flight out of Venice ended up being delayed by over an hour so we just wondered round the airport and played it safe!

It's been a long day!