How Much Does It Cost to Go to Montserrat From Barcelona?

A day trip to Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona, and rightfully so!

Montserrat is a stunning mountain range northwest of Barcelona with a historical monastery, amazing views over the Catalan countryside, and plenty of hiking opportunities.

But one of the most confusing things about visiting the Montserrat Mountain is figuring out how much does it cost to go to Montserrat from Barcelona?

Should you go by train?

Is it worth buying one of the many combination tickets available?

Or should you go by bus instead? Or maybe rent a car?

Or do you get the best value for money with a guided Montserrat day trip from Barcelona?

The number of different options available for visiting Montserrat is quite overwhelming!

I visited Montserrat while living in Barcelona, we ended up choosing to go on a DIY tour, combining the train and the cable car to Montserrat.

When I was trying to figure out the best (and most cost-effective) way to visit with my mum and her husband, I ended up creating a spreadsheet while I had several tabs open on my computer at the same time.

So, instead of just deleting my hard work on the spreadsheet, I decided to turn my hours of research on prices and options into this blog post.

Hopefully, this post will save you hours of research and headaches on poorly designed websites about visiting Montserrat.

Let’s get under the skin of planning your Montserrat trip from Barcelona!

A Complete Cost Breakdown for Visiting Montserrat From Barcelona

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How Much Does it Cost to Go to Montserrat from Barcelona?

So, how much does it actually cost to visit Montserrat from Barcelona?

It costs around €50 to €100 per person to go to Montserrat from Barcelona, depending on the transportation you choose and the attractions and activities you want to do at Montserrat.

The Cost of Transportation to Montserrat from Barcelona

One of the most confusing things to figure out for your Montserrat day trip is how to get there from Barcelona, and how much each option costs.

There are 6 ways to go to Montserrat from Barcelona:

• Take the train & the cablecar: €26.20 (round-trip)
• Take the train & the rack railway: €19.80 (round-trip)
• Take the train & hike: €12.70 (round-trip)
• Take the bus: €12.50 (round-trip)
• Rent a car: From €20 per day
• Join a guided tour: From €29

The Cost of Entrance Tickets to Montserrat Attractions

There are so many things to do at Montserrat that you can spend more than one day exploring the mountain top.

However, if you only have one day to visit Montserrat, I would recommend that you don’t skip visiting the Montserrat Monastery with its unique Black Madonna.

Here are the ticket prices for some of the main attractions in Montserrat that you should account for when planning the cost of your Montserrat trip:

• Montserrat Monastery standard ticket: €8 online (€9 at the ticket office).
• Montserrat Monastery with the Black Madonna: €11 online (€12 at the ticket office)
• Montserrat Monastery with a concert by the Boys Choir: €25
• Montserrat Museum: €12

The Cost of Montserrat Combo-Tickets

There are also many combo-ticket options for visiting Montserrat that include transportation as well as entrance tickets to some of Montserrat’s main attractions.

The ticket prices vary depending on what is included.

These are the available combo tickets:

• Visit Montserrat Combo – Rack Railway: €30.90
• Visit Montserrat Combo – Cable Car: €34
• Trans Montserrat: €46.45
• ToT Montserrat Ticket: €69.90

Honestly, it can get quite confusing to choose which is the best and most cost-effective option for visiting Montserrat.

So, let’s break each of these options down!

Book a tour to explore Montserrat!

The Cost of Transporation to Montserrat Mountain

The largest expense on your Montserrat day trip budget is likely to be transportation! Because transportation to Montserrat isn’t just confusing, it also isn’t cheap!

To get to Montserrat from Barcelona, you can:

• Take the train
  • and the cable car
  • and the rack railway
  • and hike
• Take the bus
• Rent a car
• Join a guided tour

Let’s explore how much each of these transportation options cost!

The Cost of the Train with the Cable Car or Rack Railway

To visit Montserrat by train, on top of the train ticket, you also need either a ticket to the cable car or the rack railway to get to Montserrat Monastery at the mountain top.

If you’re hiking to the top of the Montserrat mountain, you can skip the cable car or rack railway tickets.

• Take the train: €12.70 (round-trip)
  • and the cable car: €12.70 + €11.65 = €26.20 (round-trip)
  • and the rack railway: €19.80 (round-trip with combo-ticket)
  • and hike: free – you just need to train ticket

If you plan on taking the cable car or rack railway from the train station to Montserrat Monastery, I strongly recommend that you buy your tickets in advance, as they quickly sell out.

How Much Does it Cost to Go to Montserrat by Train from Barcelona?

The train ticket from Barcelona to Montserrat costs around €6.35 one-way or €12.70 round-trip.

In Barcelona, you need to take the regional FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya) train from Plaça Espanya Station to either the Aeri de Montserrat Station (for the cablecar) or Monistrol de Montserrat Station (for the rack railway).

You can buy the tickets directly at the ticket machines at Plaça Espanya, and there is no need to reserve ahead of time.

You can double-check the current ticket prices at FGC’s website.

In the “Ticket Recommender” box on the website, choose “Llobregat-Anoia” in the dropdown for “Lines” and then “Barcelona-Plaça Espanya” in “From” and “Aeri de Montserrat” or “Monistrol de Montserrat” in the “To” dropdown. Under the Recommended tickets, look for the tickets Bitllets de FGC: Bitllet senzill (one-way ticket) or Bitllets de FGC: 2 en 1 (round-trip).

How Much Are the Tickets to the Montserrat Cable Car?

The tickets for the Montserrat cable car cost €8.15 one-way, or €11.65 out-and-return.

Tickets to the cable car can be bought directly at the Montserrat Aeri’s website.

GetYourGuide also offers the cable car tickets at a slightly higher price, but the cancellation and refund policies are normally better with GetYourGuide than with the local cable car company.

Get your tickets to the Montserrat Cable Cars

How Much Are the Tickets to the Montserrat Rack Railway?

The tickets for the Montserrat rack railway cost €8.70 one-way, and €14.50 round-trip for adults.

There are discounted ticket prices available for children (up to 13 years) and seniors (+65 years).

It is also possible to buy a combination ticket including both the FGC train and the rack railway.

The combination ticket for the FGC train and the rack railway is €11.35 one-way, and €19.10 round-trip. Again, discounted prices are available for children and seniors. Check the ticket prices available on Turis Tren.

The different rack railway ticket options are also available to purchase directly at Turis Tren’s webshop.

Montserrat Train Ticket Price Overview

An overview of the cost of visiting Montserrat by train and cable car or rack railway from Barcelona:

Ticket	Price (one-way)	Price (round-trip)	Where to get the ticket
FGC Train	€6.35	€12.70	Train tickets can only be bought in the vending machines at Plaça Espanya.
Cable Car, Aeri Montserrat	€8.95	€13.50	Tickets can be bought at Aeri Montserrat’s website or through GetYourGuide.
Montserrat Rack Railway	€8.40	€14.50	Tickets can be bought at Turis Tren. Discounted rates for children and seniors are available.
FGC Train & Rack Railway Combination ticket	€11.35	€19.80	Tickets can be bought at Turis Tren. Discounted rates for children and seniors are available.

How Much Does It Cost to Go to Montserrat by Bus from Barcelona?

The bus ticket to Montserrat from Barcelona is around €6.25 one-way.

There doesn’t seem to be any discounts on roundtrips, so if you want to go by bus both out and return, the roundtrip is €12.50.

There is one direct daily bus running from Barcelona to Montserrat, operated by Autocares Julia.

The bus leaves from Barcelona’s Sants bus station at 9:15 am daily, arriving at 10:40 am at Montserrat right in front of the monastery.

The bus back to Barcelona leaves from Montserrat at 5 pm (October through May) or 6 pm (June through September).

Since there is only one daily bus back and forth between Barcelona and Montserrat, it limits your flexibility a bit when choosing to take the bus.

You can book the tickets on Autocares Julia’s website, and also double-check Autocares Julia’s website for any updates to the bus time schedule (click on the link to the PDF timetable).

I have not personally tried the bus to Montserrat, so I’m not sure how reliable the service is.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Car and Drive to Montserrat?

You can also choose to rent a car and drive to Montserrat yourself. Including insurance, the cost of renting a car in Barcelona from one day starts at €20 for the cheapest car models.

On top of the cost of renting the car, you should also add the cost of any parking and refill of the car before you hand it back.

The car drive from Barcelona to Montserrat takes around one hour, and there is paid parking available near the monastery.

Renting a car and driving gives you more flexibility, and is a great option if you’re traveling in a smaller group.

I haven’t tried driving up to Montserrat by car, so I’m not sure how much the paid parking is. Also, on top of the rental price, you should consider the entrance tickets to the attractions you want to visit at Montserrat.

Alternatively, you can hire a private transfer or taxi to take you from Barcelona to Montserrat. GetTransfer or WelcomePickUp are great platforms for checking availability and pricing of hiring a private transfer.

How Much is a Guided Tour to Montserrat from Barcelona?

The average price for a guided tour to Montserrat is around €55 to €70.

Some Montserrat guided tours go as low as this guided tour at €29 (this was the cheapest I could find, and it actually has decent reviews), while others go as high as €340 for a private tour to Montserrat.

Montserrat is one of the most popular day trips from Barcelona, and there are many different tour operators offering different types of tours.

The guided tours often include transportation to and from Barcelona, a visit to Montserrat’s highlights with a guide, and sometimes entrances tickets to Montserrat’s main attractions.

The benefit of the guided tours to Montserrat is that some of them include additional activities to place you might not have ended up visiting if it wasn’t for the tour, like wine and tapas tasting, visit to a Cava Winery, or winery tour and lunch.

The guided Montserrat tours are perfect if you are short on time and want a hassle-free experience where you don’t have to worry about dealing with local transportation.

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Are the Montserrat Combination Tickets Worth it?

There are several options for Montserrat combination tickets, including both transportation and some of the main attractions at Montserrat.

But are the actually worth it?

Let’s explore the different combination ticket options:

Montserrat Combination Ticket Price Overview

Ticket	Price (round-trip)	What’s Included?
Visit Montserrat Combo – Rack Railway	€30.90	– Round-trip rack railway ticket – Access to the Black Madonna and the Basilica, and the Montserrat Audio Visual Space – Admission to the Montserrat Art Museum – Audio guide to Montserrat
Visit Montserrat Combo – Cable Car	€34	– Round-trip cable car ticket – Access to the Black Madonna and the Basilica, and the Montserrat Audio Visual Space – Admission to the Montserrat Art Museum – Access to the Open-Air Museum (incl. audio guide)
Trans Montserrat	€46.45	– Round-trip metro ticket in Barcelona – Round-trip FGC train ticket – Round-trip rack railway or cable car ticket – Unlimited use of funiculars on Montserrat Mountain – Access to the Black Madonna, Basilica, and the Montserrat Audio Visual Space
ToT Montserrat Ticket	€69.90	– Round-trip metro ticket in Barcelona – Round-trip FGC train ticket – Round-trip rack railway or cable car ticket – Unlimited use of funiculars as Montserrat Mountain – Access to the Black Madonna, Basilica, and the Montserrat Audio Visual Space

Visit Montserrat Combination Tickets

The Visit Montserrat Combination tickets cost €30.90 for a round-trip with the rack railway and €34 for a round-trip with the cable cars.

A part from the round-trips with the rack railway or the cable car, the Visit Montserrat combo tickets also include admission to these popular Montserrat attractions:

• Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, including the Black Madonna
• The Audio Visual Space, “Montserrat Behind Closed Doors”
• The Montserrat Museum
• An audio guide to Montserrat

There is a minor difference in price between choosing the rack railway or the cable car, but keep in mind that it needs to be the same type of transportation out and return. You can’t, for example, use the cable car up and the rack railway down with these combination tickets.

Also, the FGC train tickets between Barcelona and Montserrat are not included in the Visit Montserrat combination tickets, so you do have to add 12.30€ for the train tickets.

So, the final price of visiting

The Visit Montserrat Combination tickets are offered by the local tourist information at Montserrat, Montserrat Visita.

Trans Montserrat

The Trans Montserrat ticket costs €46.45, and includes both transportation within Barcelona City and between Barcelona and Montserrat, as well as admission to Montserrat’s main tourist attraction, the Montserrat Monastery and the Black Madonna.

The Trans Montserrat combo ticket includes these Montserrat transportation:

• Round-trip metro rides in Barcelona to get to Plaça d’Espanya
• Round-trip train tickets from Barcelona to Montserrat
• Round-trip ticket for either the rack railway or the cable car to Montserrat.
• Unlimited use of the funiculars to get around Montserrat (Sant Joan and Santa Cova funiculars)

The Trans Montserrat ticket also includes admission to:

• The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey & the Black Madonna
• The Audio Visual Space “Montserrat Behind Closed Doors”

The benefit of the Trans Montserrat combo tickets is that you don’t need to make a pre-booking for the Black Madonna and the Basilica.

Show up with your Trans Montserrat ticket at the entrance to the Basilica and join the queue to enter. I did see that you’ll not be given priority in the queue with a Trans Montserrat ticket, and when you can enter depends on the capacity of the day you visit.

It is also important to note that the Trans Montserrat ticket only includes access to the Basilica, and it does not include access to seeing the Montserrat Boys’ Choir.

The Trans Montserrat ticket is a combination ticket offered by Barcelona Turist Information, and according to the Barcelona Tourist Information’s website, you need to print the online voucher and pick up the physical Trans Montserrat Card at a pick-up location ahead of your trip to Montserrat.

In my opinion, this makes it a bit of a downside for choosing the Trans Montserrat ticket option.

ToT Montserrat Ticket

The ToT Montserrat Ticket costs €69.90, and is an all-in-one Montserrat ticket offered by Barcelona’s Tourist Information.

The ToT Montserrat Ticket includes the same as the Trans Montserrat ticket, plus entrance to the Montserrat Museum and a meal at a coffee shop in Montserrat.

So, to sum up, the ToT Montserrat Ticket includes:

• Round-trip metro rides in Barcelona
• Round-trip FGC train tickets to Montserrat
• Round-trip ticket for either the rack railway or the cable car to Montserrat
• Unlimited use of the funiculars to get around Montserrat (Sant Joan and Santa Cova funiculars)
• Admission to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey & the Black Madonna
• Admission to the audiovisual exhibit, “Montserrat Behind Closed Doors”.
• Admission to the Montserrat Museum
• A meal in a coffee shop/self-service cafeteria at Montserrat.

Honestly, I can’t see how these two additions (meal and museum’s admission) compared to the Trans Montserrat ticket justifies a price increase from €46,45 to €69,90.

GetYourGuide also offers the ToT Montserrat tickets at a slightly higher price. If you’re facing issues with your international credit card on the Barcelona tourist office’s website or want better refund and cancellation options, GetYourGuide might be worth a try.

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Final Thought: What is the Best Value-for-Money Ticket for Visiting Montserrat?

The best-value-for-money Montserrat ticket for you comes down to what you want to see and do on your Montserrat day trip from Barcelona.

We prioritized seeing the Montserrat Monastery, doing some light hiking in the area, and visiting the Montserrat Art Museum.

For our Montserrat day trip, we ended up choosing the Visit Montserrat Combo – Cable Car for €34 per person.

On top of the €34 per person, we still needed to buy the train tickets, so our Montserrat day trip ended up at €46.70 per person, which is more expensive than many other popular day trips from Barcelona.

The Visit Montserrat Combo includes a round-trip cable car ticket, admission to the Black Madonna and the Basilica, the Montserrat Audio Visual Space, the Montserrat Art Museum, and Open-Air Museum with an audio guide.

We did skip both Montserrat Audio Visual Space and the open-air museum, and instead we did the hike to Sant Miquel’s Cross and visited the Montserrat Art Museum.

Choosing the cable car option was intentional to experience the impressive views that comes from handing in a metal wire over the Catalan country side.

Looking back, we might even have been able to find a guided day trip for more or less the same price as the Visit Montserrat Combo.

With this Montserrat cost guide, I hope I have helped you get a better overview of the cost of visiting Montserrat from Barcelona, and the many different tickets options to choose from!

If you have any questions or comments on visiting Montserrat, feel free to share them in the comments below!