How to Get to Montserrat from Barcelona

Considered the most representative mountain in the region of Catalonia, a trip to Montserrat is a must to get out of the urban environment and get to know this wonderful enclave that houses a monastery, a natural park and eroded rocky mountains that offer tourists an incredible landscape. Below I will explain with dots and signs all the transport options available in Barcelona to get to this destination.

For friends who visit Barcelona with the intention of enjoying this beautiful city, I always recommend an organised excursion to visit the famous monastery or the well-known rocky landscapes.

The reasons? The convenience of not having to think about any logistical aspects and the advantages included in this activity, such as the return transfer, the rack railway ticket, the accompaniment by a tour guide, the entrance to the audiovisual exhibition "Espai Audio visual Montserrat" and a tasting of liqueurs made by the nuns of the monastery. Sounds good, doesn't it?

You have two options:

• Book an excursion to Montserrat Monastery from Barcelona, which includes everything I've told you about.
• Book an excursion to the Monastery of Montserrat with a visit to a winery, where after visiting the Monastery you can visit a winery and enjoy a wine tasting accompanied by tapas and snacks.

What is offered in this type of excursion

In general terms, the excursion to Montserrat from Barcelona may include several of the following activities or facilities: an expert guide who provides explanations about the history and evolution of the place; a visit to the famous Monastery and also to the small Museum of Montserrat; you will visit the chapel where the famous Black Virgin is housed; you could also enjoy a tasting of the liqueur made by the monks of this place.

If you choose the excursion with wine cellar, the tour will last a little longer (around 7 hours) as you will be visiting the cellar.

Finally, before your return to Barcelona you will have some free time to explore the area on your own.

Useful information

• Price: from 59€. From €82 if you choose the excursion with wine cellar.
• Duration of the trip: 4 and a half hours. 7 hours if you choose the excursion with beda.
• Recommended if... You're in Barcelona to relax and enjoy yourself and you don't feel like wasting time planning the details of an excursion outside the city; the presence of a guide is a very interesting added value.

The monastery and the Montserrat Massif could be defined as the most visited enclave around Barcelona, as they receive an average of 2.5 million tourists every year and some of them prefer a means of transport that provides them with ease of movement and flexibility.

If this is your case, renting a car in Barcelona for a day is the perfect plan for you, although you should bear in mind that at weekends and in high season parking is almost impossible unless you leave the city in the early hours of the morning.

Route

If you are travelling by car on your own, you will find several routes for the Barcelona-Montserrat route. However, in most cases, the quickest option will be the one below:

• Take the A2 motorway towards Lleida and stay on it until exit 570.
• You will find numerous signs indicating the direct route to Montserrat/Manresa. Taking this route you will pass through Olesa de Montserrat if you want to make a detour.

Another popular alternative is to take the C-58, passing near Sabadell. Once you get to Monistrol de Montserrat, you will take a winding climb up to the parking area. There are several parking areas in and around Montserrat:

The main one is the Monastery car park with a capacity for 1000 vehicles, the Can Massana car park and the Santa Cecília car park.

Companies offering this service

In the heart of Barcelona you will find numerous companies that offer the option of renting a vehicle for one or several days. Here are some interesting options:

• Sixt A branch located on Calle Rambla de Catalunya, 74.
• Europcar Barcelona One of their branches is located at Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 680.
• Centauro Rent a Car main branch is at Carrer de Béjar, 63-73, in Local 08.
• Budget You can find them at Carrer del Rector Triadó, 104.

Useful information

• Price: From 20€ + fuel + Montserrat car park, which costs 6,50€.
• Journeytime: One hour's drive from the centre of Barcelona.
• Recommended if... You visit Montserrat and Barcelona at a time when there are few tourists and not at weekends.

Among the many alternatives available, the most popular option for connecting the two destinations is to use the Catalonia train service, renowned for its efficiency, speed and punctuality.

Route

The Barcelona-Montserrat route by train has two interesting alternatives, which I present below:

• Train + cable car: You'll take the R5 train from Plaza Espanya towards Monistrol de Montserrat, here you'll need to take the Aeri de Montserrat phone to go up on a direct journey to the monastery. Needless to say, the view is breathtaking.
• Train + rack railway: The journey starts the same way by taking the R5 train from Plaza Espanya in the heart of Barcelona. Except that instead of the cable car you take the rack railway up to the monastery.

Companies offering this service

The local train service between the two destinations leaves Barcelona every hour and is operated by FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya).

The Aire de Montserrat cable car service was created as a private sector initiative and tickets can be purchased online.

Finally, the Montserrat rack railway is also operated by FGC.

Useful information

• Price: approximately 15€ each way.
• Journeytime: 1 hour 45 minutes between the train and the funicular.
• Recommended if... you want an intermediate option in terms of price and comfort.

If you prefer a quieter, more relaxed and economical trip, you should know that you can organise your trip by bus to Montserrat from Barcelona. This is an option almost always used by locals as a second alternative to the local train and it is also a fantastic option if you have time and want to reduce the costs of your trip as much as possible without depriving yourself of getting to know the Monastery and its surroundings.

Companies offering the service

If you use the public transport service you can take the bus from Barcelona to Esparreguera with the company ALSA, with a new bus leaving approximately every hour. From Esparreguera you can take the bus of the company Transporte Olesa, which leaves approximately every 40 minutes.

Some companies such as Autocares Julia offer direct transport between the two destinations. The main inconvenience with this option is the timetable as they leave Barcelona Sants station early in the morning (between 8 and 9 am); returning to the city at the end of the day.

Useful information

• Price: 5€ each way + the funicular or rack railway, which costs 9.10€.
• Journeytime: about two hours, not including possible waiting times.
• Recommended if... you want a cheap trip and have time to spend; it is the recommended option for those who have visited the destination before.

As a last transport option between the two destinations, you have the option of paying for a taxi in Barcelona to get to Montserrat, spend a few hours exploring the place and then return to the city. Although the plan may sound interesting at first glance, it is not an option I would suggest in any scenario, mainly because of the cost.

Companies offering this service

...

To go to Montserrat by taxi from Barcelona you will find several companies. Most of them enable digital channels to make your reservations online but they also have a very efficient customer service to answer your questions via whatsapp or direct call. Here are a few recommendations:

• Taxi Class contact number +34 933 07 07 07
• Taxi Barcelona 24 Hours contact number +34 935 16 00 27
• Radio Taxi Barcelona contact number +34 933 77 77 77 77
• Radio Taxi 033 contact number +34 933 03 30 33
• IMET contact number +34 932 23 51 51

Useful information

• Price: about 120€ for the return trip.
• Journeytime: approximately 50 minutes.
• Recommended if... you don't mind spending money and want to get there quickly and comfortably.