How to Get to Montserrat From Barcelona: Train vs. Car After Doing Both

Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona, and it makes sense. A monastery tucked into the mountains beneath enormous rocky peaks… it feels like the setting of a movie. But how do you actually get to Montserrat from Barcelona?

I’ve made the trip two different ways: once by car and once using public transportation. Both worked, but each came with its own advantages and tradeoffs. In this guide, I’ll walk through both options, what each experience was actually like, and which one I’d choose depending on how you want to spend your day.

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How to Get to Montserrat: Your Options at a Glance

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Getting From Barcelona to Montserrat by Car

The first time I visited Montserrat, my friends and I rented a car from Barcelona and drove. If you’re comfortable driving abroad, it’s a pretty straightforward trip once you’re out of the city.

If you don’t already have a car in Barcelona, you can compare rental car prices for Barcelona here before deciding whether driving makes sense for your trip.

Getting out of Barcelona was probably the most stressful part of the drive. It was typical city driving with busy streets, merges and highways. Once we were out of the city and on the highway, though, the drive was pretty straightforward. The final stretch winds up the mountain toward the monastery with lots of curves, but I didn’t find it particularly difficult. If anything, this was the more scenic part of the drive as we climbed higher into the mountains.

The benefit of driving was that we could leave Barcelona when we wanted, arrive without coordinating multiple connections and decide when we were ready to head back. Driving also gives you more control if you want to get to Montserrat early, before the larger crowds arrive. That flexibility is useful if you want quieter time around the monastery, better opportunities for photos, or a full day of hiking without planning around the return train.

Parking was easy, too. There’s a lot right below the main complex with a short walk across a bridge to get to the monastery.

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Getting From Barcelona to Montserrat by Public Transportation

The second time I visited Montserrat, I went entirely by public transportation. If you decide on public transportation, you’ll need to take two forms of transport: train and a cable car or the rack railway.

Your basic journey will look like this:

START AT: Plaça Espanya
TAKE THE: R5 toward Manresa
CHOOSE WHERE TO GET OFF:

1. Aeri de Montserrat For the cable car
2. Monistrol de Montserrat For the rack railway

ARRIVE AT: Montserrat

I first took the metro to Plaça Espanya, where I hopped on the R5 train toward Manresa. From there, you’ll eventually need to choose between getting off for the cable car or continuing to the stop for the rack railway.

I used a TransMontserrat ticket package on my trip, which cost around €50 at the time. I liked it because it bundled several of the transportation pieces and monastery tickets into one purchase, so I didn’t have to figure out and buy everything separately.

Taking the train to Montserrat isn’t particularly difficult. There are just more steps involved than getting into a car and driving there, especially if you aren’t used to navigating public transportation in a new country. Finding the correct rail line inside Plaça Espanya, knowing which Montserrat stop to get off at, and then connecting to your next form of transportation all add a little mental load.

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Cable Car vs. Rack Railway: Which Should You Choose?

If you’re taking the train from Barcelona, you’ll need to choose how you want to make the final trip up the mountain.

The cable car is the quicker and more dramatic option, taking about five minutes and giving you wide, open views over the valley as you rise toward Montserrat. The rack railway takes closer to 20 minutes and makes a more gradual journey up the mountain.

I chose the cable car because, well, taking a cable car up a mountain sounded more fun. And I enjoyed it. The ride is short, but the views made it feel like part of the Montserrat experience rather than simply another transportation connection.

The two cost about the same, so I wouldn’t base the decision on price. I’d choose based on the experience you want: the cable car for a quicker, more dramatic ride and open views, or the rack railway for a more gradual trip up the mountain.

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What I’d Choose After Doing Montserrat Both Ways

If I were going back for another full day, I’d go by car. That doesn’t mean I disliked public transportation. I didn’t. The train was easy enough to navigate, the cable car was fun, and I’m glad I experienced Montserrat that way.

But I preferred having more control over my day when we drove. On my second visit, we had an event back in Barcelona that evening, so we were already watching the time. Our cable car down the mountain was delayed, which left us running to catch our train.

We made it, only to realize we were going in the wrong direction after a little old lady pointed it out to us. We got off at the next stop, crossed to the other side, and eventually caught the correct train back to Barcelona… which then ended up being delayed for about an hour anyway.

Getting on the wrong train was obviously our mistake, but the experience reinforced something I’d already noticed: with public transportation, there are simply more schedules and connections to think about.

If I were planning a full day of hiking and exploring Montserrat, I’d rather have a car so I could stay as long as I wanted without thinking about when I needed to start making my way back.

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When I’d Take a Montserrat Tour Instead

If you’ve gotten this far and the R5, cable car, rack railway and different train stops already sound like a nightmare, I’d consider taking a tour.

There are actually tours that cost only a little more than what I paid for the TransMontserrat package, which could make paying for the convenience more appealing.

The tradeoff is flexibility. You’re following someone else’s schedule rather than deciding how long you want to spend at the monastery or on the mountain. If I wanted a full day to hike and explore at my own pace, I’d still rather go on my own.

I wouldn’t book a tour because Montserrat is difficult to reach on your own — it isn’t. I’d book one because sometimes paying a little more to have someone else handle the logistics is worth it.

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So, What’s the Best Way to Get From Barcelona to Montserrat?

After doing both, I’d drive if I had access to a car and wanted the most flexibility.

If I didn’t want to drive, I’d happily take the train again and choose the cable car for the ride up. It takes a little more coordination, but it’s manageable.

And if I wanted the easiest option possible, I’d book a tour and let someone else deal with the tranportation.

Once you know how you’re getting there, my Montserrat Day Trip From Barcelona guide covers what I’d actually prioritize once you arrive.

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