Monserrat

It's been nearly a year since we were in Barcelona, but we used Spanish Trails for three tours, all of which we greatly enjoyed. We didn't take their small-group tour to Montserrat, but as I recall it gets good reviews on Trip Advisor.

https://spanish-trails.com/tours/montserrat-wine-country-day-trip/

I went on my own with a rental car from Barcelona, then drove to Zaragosa. If you check at any of the bus stations in Barcelona or the TI, there will be plenty of choices for buses that will take you there and bring you back with time to stop and visit at least the church. I'm not sure they give you enough time to hike around the mountain.

We went on our own using public transportation and it was very easy and fun. Here is a link to the best and most concise info about Montserrat. The info was from a frequent Barcelona contributor, Enric. We used it and it was a breeze to follow:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/a-visit-to-montserrat-the-holy-mountain-near-barcelona-in-catalonia

We got the tickets that allowed us to take the funicular above the monastery and to the top. We did a fair amount of hiking and the views were spectacular. We did well on our own, it was an inexpensive day and we would have felt no need for a guide.

For those "early risers", Montserrat at sunrise can be really something, especially in Spring and Autumn. The temperature difference between the nighttime and the daytime provokes a "sea of clouds" worth seeing. This is a timelapse (accelerated video, for those not familiar with the term) of a sunrise in Montserrat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeYTiCklt8 Ain't it something or what?

Unfortunately, both, the cable car and the funicular, start their respective services "after" sunrise, so this is only enjoyable for those driving up to the monastery.

Ditto to Jules remarks. We did on our own as a day trip from Barcelona. Be sure to take tram, a portion down the hill, to the trail with the stations of the cross (all different artist). The chapel at the end is well worth it even if the stations don't speak to you. It is one of my all time favorite travel days. I'd recommend packing a lunch.

@ Carol,

As of the 28th of last month, the Santa Cova cable car is out of service until further notice for maintenance. http://www.cremallerademontserrat.cat/en/home/

I don't see mention of when you are wishing to visit the Monastery, and so, this may or may not impact your plans.

My original plans did not include visiting Montserrat, until I started researching the area... I will now be making the trip there, in a couple of weeks.

Happy Travels,
John

We did this day trip on our own using public transportation and found it very easy.

The day before, we bought a “TransMontserrat” from the TI in Barcelona. Be sure to specify if you want the cable car (Aeri) like Rick takes in his video or the rack train (Cremallera) up to the monastery. I had originally bought a ticket for the rack train, but once I saw the cable car I wanted to change my plans. Luckily, I was able to switch my ticket at the Aeri ticket booth for a small price increase. So glad I did...the Aeri ride is beautiful!

https://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/shopv3/en/product/616/trans-montserrat.html

For info, the TransMontserrat can also be bought at the manned-booth at the departing station, in Plaça Espanya, on the day of the trip. It's also very easy and the staff is very helpful. Obviously, the ATMs are also available.

At Placa Espanya the two booths are very close to each other. They were very good, though, about making sure each customer got the type of transportation they wanted. For me, I needed to be careful which we choose because we wanted the funicular to the top included.