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Montserrat

Working on a trip to Spain which will include a day trip to Montserrat from Barcelona. When I look on the website, Barcelona-tourist-guide-com, it appears I cannot buy a ticket in advance which allows me to travel up to the monastery on the cable car and travel back down via the rack railway . Am I correct? If so, can you tell me how long of a wait I would have to buy each individual ticket ( one on cable car and one on rack railway) just before using them?

Also, on the tickets.montserratvisita.com website, there is an option to buy a basic ticket, “Ticket to the Basilica,” then there is another ticket called, “Ticket to the Throne of our Lady.” If I want to see La Moreneta or the black Madonna, will I not see that if I buy the “Ticket to the Basilica?”

Last, when buying tickets, I see a reduced price for “pensioners.” Would that apply to all people over 65 or only Spaniards?

Thank you,
Janice

Posted by
560 posts

I don't know anything else you ask but yes, the over 65 is only for domestic visitors.

Posted by
44 posts

Thank you. Do you know if it’s possible to buy those single way (cable car up + train to Montserrat and rack rail down + train back to Barcelona) a couple days ahead at Barcelona’s Placa Espanya train station?
Also, does the hiking at top require hiking poles? It doesn’t sound like it from what’s written in the Rick Steves book, but he does say we can ask for hiking maps at the TI.

Posted by
3220 posts

There’s no combo ticket that lets you go up with one transport and come down with the other.

You can get the TransMontserrat combo ticket — it covers the train from Barcelona, plus the ascent and descent with either the rack railway OR the cable car, but not mixed, plus the funiculars in the mountain (to the top and to Santa Cova). The combo ticket is more convenient than purchasing individual tickets.

So if you want to ascent from the train station to the monastery in one transport and descent in the other, here’s the solution:

  • Buy the TransMontserrat with the rack railway option. That means you take the train from Barcelona, get off at Monistrol de Montserrat, and go up to the monastery on the rack railway.
  • Then, when you're ready to come back down, just buy a single ticket for the cable car. That’ll take you down to the Aeri de Montserrat train station (which is one stop before Monistrol), and from there you can catch the train back to Barcelona.

Why this order? Because if you buy the combo with the cable car option, it’s only valid to Aeri de Montserrat — and if you go down using the rack railway, you’d end up at Monistrol de Montserrat, which is the next station. So if you hopped on the train there without a valid ticket for that leg, technically, you’d be riding one stop without a valid fare.

You can purchase these combo tickets at the station in Barcelona on the day of the departure, or online at the Tourism Office website here: https://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/shopv3/en/product/616/trans-montserrat-barcelona-to-montserrat-train.html

Posted by
44 posts

Hello Enric,

If I chose to buy the TransMonserrat with Cremallera option, aren’t I paying for the Cremallera both up and down the mountain?

If I know I want a specific departure time of the R5 FGC train out of Barcelona, can I still wait until the day of to buy this ticket? Or would I risk that time slot being sold out?

Thank you

Posted by
3220 posts

If I chose to buy the TransMonserrat with Cremallera option, aren’t I paying for the Cremallera both up and down the mountain?

Yes, you are — the TransMontserrat with the Cremallera option covers both the ride up and down on the cable car. For that you get off at the train station "Cremallera de Montserrat"

But if you decide to come down using the rack train instead, it drops you off at the TRAIN station before the one your combo (with Cremallera) ticket covers. It'd drop you at the train station "Monistrol de Montserrat". So if you hop on the train there to head back to Barcelona, you’d technically be travelling one stop without a valid ticket — as I mentioned earlier.

Hence, the reason I am suggesting purchasing the combo with the rack train option instead and a single ticket on the spot for the descent with the cable car - should you choose to go up one way and come down with a different mode of transportation. This way you'd be covered.

Line https://muntanyamontserrat.gencat.cat/web/.content/temes/informacio_i_recursos/com_arribar-hi/en_tren_i_cremallera/mapar5_582.jpg_784710109.jpg

If I know I want a specific departure time of the R5 FGC train out of Barcelona, can I still wait until the day of to buy this ticket? Or would I risk that time slot being sold out?

Nope, it never sells out — it’s more like a metro: you just hop on whichever one you want. No seat reservation, just sit wherever you want/can -or, if full, you stand.