How to Get to Montserrat from Barcelona

Considered as the most representative mountain of 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 explain with dots and signs all the transportation options available in Barcelona to get to this destination.

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

The reasons? The convenience of not having to think about any logistical aspect and the advantages that this activity includes, such as the round trip transfer, the ticket for the rack railway, 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, don't you think?

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 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 hours and a half. 7 hours if you choose the excursion with beda.
• Recommended if... You are in Barcelona to rest and enjoy 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 in the surroundings of Barcelona, as they receive an average of 2.5 million tourists every year and some of them prefer a means of transportation that gives them 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 keep in mind that on weekends and in high season finding parking is almost impossible unless you leave the city in the early morning.

Route

If you travel by car on your own you will find several routes to make the journey Barcelona - Montserrat. However, in most cases, the fastest option will be the one below:

• Take the A2 highway towards Lleida and stay 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 in case 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 until you reach the parking area. You will find several parking areas in Montserrat and surroundings:

The main one is the Parking del Monasterio with capacity for 1000 vehicles, the parking of Can Massana and the parking in Santa Cecília.

Companies that offer 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 at 74 Rambla de Catalunya street.
• Europcar Barcelona One of its branches is located at Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 680.
• Centauro Rent a Car The main branch is located 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 parking, which costs 6,50 ¤.
• Duration of the trip: One hour drive from the center of Barcelona.
• Recommended if... You visit Montserrat and Barcelona at a time of low tourist influx and not on weekends.

Among the many alternatives available, the most popular option to communicate both destinations is using 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 will take the R5 train from Plaza Espanya in the direction of Monistrol de Montserrat, here you will have to take the Aeri de Montserrat phone to go up on a direct trip to the monastery. Needless to say, the view is breathtaking.
• Train + rack railway: The trip starts the same way by taking the R5 train from Plaza Espanya in the heart of Barcelona. Except that the climb to the monastery is done instead of the cable car on the rack railway.

Companies offering this service

The commuter train service that connects both destinations departs every hour from Barcelona and is operated by FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya).

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

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

Useful information

• Price: 15€ each way approximately.
• Travel time: 1h 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 organize your trip to Montserrat by bus from Barcelona. This is an option almost always used by locals as a second alternative to the commuter train and is also a fantastic option if you have time and want to reduce your travel expenses as much as possible without depriving yourself of getting to know the Monastery and its surroundings.

Companies that offer the service

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

Some companies like Autocares Julia offer direct transport service between both 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€.
• Duration of the trip: about two hours, without considering possible waiting times.
• Recommended if... you want to make an economical trip and have time to spend; it is the recommended option for those who have visited the destination before.

As a last transportation option between both destinations you have the possibility of paying for a cab 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, it is not an option that I suggest in any scenario, mainly because of its cost.

Companies that offer this service

...

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

• Cab Class contact number +34 933 07 07 07
• Cab 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 round trip transportation.
• Duration of the trip: about 50 minutes.
• Recommended if... you don't mind spending money and want to get there quickly and comfortably.