Montserrat Day Trip from Barcelona: Train, Cable Car and What to See

Take the R5 train from Plaça d’Espanya, then the Cremallera rack railway or the Aeri cable car up to the monastery. All 15 guides Roam Barcelona read give that route, in English, Spanish and French, and it’s the one the operators’ own pages describe. You’ll want a full day. Hours and fares below come from the operators’ own pages and the abbey, not from those guides, so check them on the day.

Montserrat is a Benedictine monastery set in a jagged mountain about an hour from Barcelona. See Montserrat on the map. The picks below follow how many guides name each one, and a pick that’s named by only a few is called a less common pick.

The short list

Getting there: the train and the Cremallera

Recommended by 15 of 15 guides read.

Trains leave Plaça d’Espanya on the R5 toward Manresa, every hour from 8:26 according to the Montserrat visitor site. Change at Monistrol Enllaç, the stop guides call Monistrol de Montserrat, for the Cremallera, which covers 5 km to the monastery in about 15 minutes. The rack railway’s own site puts the whole trip at about 90 minutes, made up of 60 minutes by train and 20 on the rack railway with the transfer.

One catch. Transport tickets from the integrated ATM system aren’t valid on the rack railway or the funiculars, per the same page. Combined tickets start at €50 for Trans Montserrat and €71.50 for Tot Montserrat, and they’re exchanged at the Montserrat Reception Point in the Plaça d’Espanya FGC station.

The Aeri cable car

Recommended by 14 of 15 guides read.

Stay on the R5 to the cable car stop instead of changing for the Cremallera. The Aeri runs every 15 minutes and the ride takes about 5 minutes, and the 2026 fares are €10 one way and €15 return, per the Aeri de Montserrat fares page. That page doesn’t list a seasonal timetable, so don’t plan a late return until you’ve checked it.

The Black Madonna

Recommended by 14 of 15 guides read.

La Moreneta is the reason most people come, and it’s why 14 of the 15 guides name it. The basilica is open every day from 7:00 to 20:00, and the Throne of Our Lady, is open from 8:00 to 10:30 and from 12:00 to 18:25, with the afternoon opening at 12:15 on Sundays and holidays, per the abbey’s schedule. Go in the first session if you can.

Walking trails

Recommended by 14 of 15 guides read.

The guides name the Sant Jeroni summit and the walk to Sant Miquel’s Cross most often. Ask at the monastery for the trail map, and don’t forget to leave time for the way down.

The funiculars

Recommended by 12 of 15 guides read.

The Sant Joan and Santa Cova funiculars climb from the monastery to a chapel and a grotto. They run on their own tickets and the rack railway’s site links their timetables.

Driving

Recommended by 12 of 15 guides read.

You can drive, and there’s a free car park at the station with 900 spaces, per the Montserrat visitor site. That’s the Monistrol Vila station, the foot of the rack railway.

Montserrat Museum

Recommended by 10 of 15 guides read.

The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:45, per the Montserrat visitor site.

The Escolania boys’ choir

Recommended by 8 of 15 guides read.

The Escolania sings the Salve and Virolai at 13:00 Monday to Friday, and at 12:00 on Sundays and holidays, per the abbey’s schedule. It sometimes sings elsewhere, so check the abbey’s calendar the week you’re going.

Timing and tickets

Start early. Said by 8 of 15 guides read. Trains leave Plaça d’Espanya every hour from 8:26, and an early one gets you to the Black Madonna’s first session.

Buy tickets ahead. Said by 6 of 15 guides read. Tot Montserrat and Trans Montserrat can be bought online, and you’ll exchange the combined ticket at Plaça d’Espanya.

Staying the night? Hotels at Montserrat. Prices are for the night of Saturday 14 November. You can change the dates on Booking.com.

Hotel links go through Stay22: if you book, Roam Barcelona earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A day plan

• Leave Plaça d’Espanya on a morning R5.
• Take the Cremallera or the Aeri to the monastery.
• See the Black Madonna in the morning session.
• Walk one trail, or ride a funicular.
• Be at the basilica for the 13:00 Salve and Virolai on a weekday.

For the rest of your trip, see things to do in Barcelona, where to stay in Barcelona and Barcelona travel tips.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get to Montserrat from Barcelona?

By the R5 train from Plaça d’Espanya, then the Cremallera rack railway or the Aeri cable car. The whole trip is about 90 minutes each way.

Can you do Montserrat as a day trip from Barcelona?

Yes, and it’s a day trip in all 15 guides read. Trains leave Plaça d’Espanya every hour from 8:26.

How much is the Aeri cable car?

€10 one way and €15 return in 2026, per the Aeri de Montserrat fares page.

Does the T-casual work for Montserrat?

Integrated ATM tickets, the T-casual among them, aren’t valid on the rack railway or the funiculars. The combined Tot Montserrat and Trans Montserrat tickets include the rack railway or the Aeri.

When does the Montserrat choir sing?

At 13:00 Monday to Friday and at 12:00 on Sundays and holidays, per the abbey. See the Montserrat entry on the map.