There are five ways to get to Montserrat from Barcelona: the rack-and-pinion train, the Aeri cable car, the public bus, an organized tour with transportation included, and by car. In the VenturPass catalog, Montserrat is not listed as a destination in its own right: its seven current offerings are listed under Barcelona. Two are solely for mountain transportation—the Aeri cable car and a public transportation pass that does not specify the mode of transport—; the other five are guided tours, four of which include round-trip coach transportation from Barcelona (one of them also includes the rack-and-pinion train) and one that consists solely of admission tickets to the mountain. This guide compares the five ways to get there so you can choose based on your time, your budget, and whether you’re traveling with children or without a car.
In this guide
- A Comparison of the Five Ways to Get There
- Montserrat Zipper
- Montserrat Aeri Cable Car
- Public bus
- Organized tour with transportation included
- Personal car
- Which one is right for you based on your profile?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Book
A Comparison of the Five Ways to Get to Montserrat
| Medium | Approx. duration. | Comfort | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montserrat Zipper | Approx. 1 hour from downtown Barcelona (FGC train + rack-and-pinion section) | No need to transfer on foot, with scenic views during the climb | Anyone who prefers to go on their own without driving |
| Montserrat Aeri Cable Car | Approx. 1 hour from downtown Barcelona (FGC train + cable car ride) | A short, scenic route; the car has a smaller capacity than the train | Anyone who wants to experience the cable car itself, not just get there |
| Public bus | Varies by service; some travel guides list a travel time of an hour and a half from Sants Station | No transfers, but it's a good idea to check the schedule before you go | Anyone looking for the most economical option who doesn't mind a slightly longer trip |
| Organized tour with transportation included | Five hours for the small-group tour; half an afternoon for the liquor-tasting tour; the rest do not specify a duration in their descriptions | Everything's taken care of: round-trip bus and, in most cases, a guide included | First visit, not much time to plan, or wanting to go into areas like the sacristy |
| Personal car | Approx. 50 minutes to 1 hour by car (about 50 km from Barcelona) | Maximum flexibility in scheduling; paid parking in the mountains | Anyone who already owns a car and wants to set their own pace |
The durations are approximate and are based on general travel information, not the VenturPass catalog, unless otherwise indicated: Please confirm current schedules with each operator before traveling.
Montserrat Zipper
The Montserrat Rack Railway is a rack-and-pinion train operated by FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya). It departs from the town of Monistrol de Montserrat—which can be reached by FGC train from Barcelona-Plaça d’Espanya—and climbs up to the monastery, overcoming the mountain’s elevation gain. It is an Abt-type rack-and-pinion system, designed for gradients that a conventional train cannot climb.
The VenturPass catalog does not offer a standalone ticket for the Montserrat rack railway. It is, however, included as part of a specific package: the mid-afternoon tour with liquor tasting includes a round-trip ticket on the rack railway. The Tot Montserrat card also covers mountain transportation, but its description does not specify whether the route is via the rack railway.
Montserrat Aeri Cable Car
The Aeri de Montserrat is a cable car that opened in 1930; its departure station is different from that of the rack-and-pinion train: Aeri de Montserrat, a few kilometers before reaching Monistrol de Montserrat on the same FGC line. The rack-and-pinion railway and the cable car are two separate mountain transportation systems with different departure stations, although both can be reached by the same FGC train from Barcelona.
This is the only mountain section on VenturPass that features its own content: Montserrat Cable Car: Up and Down. According to the listing, it includes round-trip cable car rides and free Wi-Fi; it is transportation only, without a guide. The meeting point listed for this product is the Montserrat cable car station, located at the Funicular Aeri de Montserrat, C-55.
Public bus
Several travel guides describe a direct bus service between Barcelona and Montserrat, departing from Sants Station. I cannot confirm this information based on the VenturPass catalog or any verified official source in this guide, so please take it with a grain of salt: check with the operator to see if the service is still running and how often it operates before planning your day around it.
VenturPass does not offer a standalone bus ticket to Montserrat. The coach service listed in the catalog is always part of an organized tour, with departure and return times set by the operator: this is the next option.
Organized tour with transportation included
VenturPass offers four tours to Montserrat that include round-trip bus transportation from Barcelona, plus a fifth option that consists solely of tickets to the mountain. What sets them apart is not so much the route as the rest of the package: where you’re picked up, whether they include any additional activities for the day, and which areas of the monastery they provide access to.
The most important factor when making your choice is the pickup: one tour picks you up at your hotel, while the others depart from a fixed location in Barcelona. The second factor is whether you’re looking for more than just the standard tour: one includes skip-the-line admission to the sacristy and the Black Madonna, another adds a tasting of four local liqueurs, and it’s the only one that explicitly states in its description that the funicular ticket is included. The fifth option, Mountain Experience, does not include transportation from Barcelona: it’s a ticket package for the mountain itself, designed to be combined with any of the other four options in this guide, not as a complete tour on its own. Details on what each option includes are listed below.
Personal car
Montserrat is about 50 km from Barcelona, in the municipality of Monistrol de Montserrat, in the Bages region. By car, you can take the BP-1121 from Monistrol de Montserrat until it connects with the C-55, or take the BP-1103 through the natural park until it connects with the N-II and A-2 highways. The trip takes about 50 minutes to an hour, depending on your starting point in Barcelona and traffic conditions.
The mountain has its own paid parking lot next to the monastery. It offers the most flexibility in terms of schedule, as you don’t have to depend on train schedules or a group, but it’s also the only one of the five that doesn’t—and can’t—offer a bookable option through VenturPass.
Which one is right for you based on your profile?
- Family with children. The Aeri cable car or the rack-and-pinion train are better options than driving: the final leg of the trip becomes part of the tour instead of just a ride in the back seat. Plus, if you’d rather not have to arrange train tickets on your own, the tour with hotel pickup takes care of the entire trip.
- No car. The Aeri funicular or cable car, combined with the FGC train from Plaça d’Espanya, cover the entire route without needing to rely on any other mode of transportation. Any of the organized tours are a good alternative if you’d rather not have to coordinate transfers.
- I'm short on time. The mid-afternoon tour with liquor tasting is designed for just that: transportation, the rack-and-pinion train, a guided tour, and an extra stop—all in one block of time, without having to worry about connections.
- Tight budget. The FGC train to Monistrol de Montserrat or to the Aeri de Montserrat station, followed by the rack-and-pinion train or cable car, is usually more affordable than a tour that includes pickup. Compare the cost of driving and parking with that of public transportation before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Montserrat Funicular the same as the Aeri de Montserrat cable car?
No. They are two separate systems, with different departure stations on the same FGC line between Barcelona and Manresa. The Cremallera is a rack-and-pinion train that departs from Monistrol de Montserrat; the Aeri is a cable car that departs from a different station, a few kilometers earlier.
Is it possible to get to Montserrat without a car?
Yes. The FGC train from Plaça d’Espanya connects to the rack-railway or the Aeri cable car, and there are also five organized tours from Barcelona that include bus transportation. Some travel guides also mention a direct bus route from Sants Station, although it’s best to confirm this service before traveling.
Does VenturPass offer a ticket just for the Montserrat Rack Railway?
Not on its own. The cable car ticket is included in the mid-afternoon tour with a liqueur tasting. The other mountain transportation option listed in the catalog is the Aeri cable car, and the Tot Montserrat card, whose description does not specify which specific sections it includes.
Do the organized tours to Montserrat include a guide?
Most of them do: the tour that includes admission to the sacristy, the small-group tour with hotel pickup, the guided tour, and the liquor-tasting tour all include a guided tour, as indicated in their descriptions. The exception is "Montserrat: Mountain Experience," which is a ticket package that does not include transportation or a guide.
How long does it take to get from Barcelona to Montserrat?
About an hour by train, combined with a rack-and-pinion railway or cable car, and slightly less by car on the highway. The small-group tour lasts five hours door-to-door. These are approximate figures provided for general travel information and in the product descriptions—not from the full catalog—so please confirm schedules and travel times before planning your day.
Book
Mountain transportation only, no tour:
- Montserrat Cable Car: Up and Down — Round-trip ride on the Aeri cable car, without a guide.
- Tot Montserrat Card: Public Transportation from Barcelona — Mountain transit pass; check the details of the included segments before booking.
Organized tours, including round-trip bus transportation from Barcelona:
- Montserrat: Guided Tour from Barcelona + Admission to the Sacristy and the Black Madonna — Live guided tour, skip-the-line access to the sacristy and the Black Madonna.
- Montserrat: Small-group tour from Barcelona with hotel pickup — Five hours, hotel pickup, small group.
- Montserrat: Guided Tour from Barcelona — guided tour and round-trip transportation.
- Montserrat: Half-Afternoon Tour from Barcelona with Liqueur Tasting — includes a ticket for the rack-and-pinion train and a tasting of four local liqueurs.
Mountain tickets, without transportation:
- Montserrat: A Mountain Experience — open-air museum, audiovisual space, basilica, and access to La Moreneta; combine this with any of the modes of transportation listed in this guide.
To fit Montserrat into a broader trip to Barcelona, the Barcelona Guide It covers the rest of the city's neighborhoods and attractions.