Cog Railway from Ribes de Fraser to Nuria

I've taken the rack railway to Vall de Núria, yes you can just show up and buy tickets, they have departures all day long. The track also stops by Queralbs halfway, a charming mountain village, you can eat there or at the restaurant at the mountain hotel at Núria, it's quite big there are a few shops and things to do. Never heard of a cable-car in the area.

Hi Roger,

In late September you can buy on the spot, but for peace of mind, you can also purchase online https://www.turismefgc.cat/en/destins/eskiing-and-mountaineering/vall-de-nuria/ --note this is the source, not an intermediary.

Yes there is a cable car in Núria: https://www.valldenuria.cat/en/summer/activities/cable-car-ride/ but note in September it only works on weekends.

Although, up in the valley -in Núria- there is a restaurant and a bar (read it in the European sense, that is, a "less formal restaurant") don't expect much. The restaurant is a so-so buffet and the bar has basic sandwiches and little more. Quality in both cases is rather very basic to low.

If you're simply spending the day in Núria, I suggest getting something "to go" in Ribes de Freser. Being a town of +2000 inhabitants, you'll find a wider variety of options, from delicious samples of Catalan cuisine to take away at https://vdgust.com/ to "proper" top-of-the-range hamburgers at La Tinto de Ribes, or, if you're more into sausages, a "frankfurt" at the family-run Frankfurt Ribes. For a sitting-down, yet quick lunch, you can have a look at Cafè de la Plaça or at La Cantina, among others.

Also, should you visit Queralbs, which is a small village halfway up the mountain between Ribes and Núria, you can have a very nice lunch at El Racó de Cal Litus. They also offer takeaways.

In any case, if you're in Barcelona on/around the 22-25th of September do not miss the "Festes de la Mercè", one of the biggest popular traditional festivals in the city: https://www.barcelona.cat/lamerce/en -all activities are free, btw. The program comes up at the beginning of September and can be downloaded from the above website. Want to have a general idea of what La Mercè is? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxKWRetO9VI

PS: on a fun fact... Roger (pronounced https://forvo.com/word/roger/#ca in the Catalan language) it's a very popular name here in Catalonia

We did it! After a beautifully scenic and somewhat long drive from Vielha to Ribes de Freser, we took the cog railway “Cremallera” at about 2:30pm on Saturday, Sept 22, up to Nuria. It was a pleasant and scenic train ride, gorgeous weather, and we had a lunch snack at the top of the short cable car ride (free, included with the train ticket). The facilities and activities at Nuria (especially for kids) are quite impressive. Highly recommended off-the-beaten-path attraction!

Thanks for the update.