Montserrat on your own

[kayce1111]

For our day in Barcelona I would like to see Montserrat.

I would appreciate if someone could give instructions from the port to the train station and assess if doing this on your own is advisable.

[lambs2]

The most thrilling way to arrive at Montserrat is by train and cable car from Barcelona. FGC trains (line R5: Montserrat-Manresa) leave from beneath Plaça d'Espanya daily 8.36am-3.36pm at hourly intervals; get off at Montserrat Aeri, just under an hour away. From here, a cable car (the Telefèric de Montserrat Aeri; every 15min, daily 10am-1.45pm & 3-6.35pm) completes the journey, a five-minute swoop up the sheer mountainside to a spot just below the monastery - probably the most exhilarating ride in Catalunya. If being suspended on cable at great height is not your thing, take the bus; a half-hour ride departing ten minutes after the trains pull in. A return ticket, including train and cable car, costs €11.50, and there are also two combined tickets: the Transmontserrat, which includes the metro, train, cable car and the two funiculars on the mountain (€17.40 return) and the Totmontserrat which includes all of this plus museum entry, unlimited use of funiculars, lunch and a five-percent accommodation discount (€29.50); both tickets are available from any FGC station. Returning to Barcelona, the trains back from Montserrat Aeri station are again hourly, this time from 10.35am to 6.35pm.

Practically, the first train you can get from Placa d'Espanya to Monserrat is the 8.36 (on the R5 route). This is because both the cable car and Cremella (rack railway) don't start operating until this train arrives at their respective stations. Aim to get to Placa d'Espanya by 8.15am and wait for the train to pull in to the platform. As this is essentially a commuter train, there is lots of standing room and not very many seats. So, when the train doors open, do not be polite! Get on the train as quick as you can and grab a seat...its a 1 hour trip to Monserrat!

 

 

***(We have not done this yet, but plan to in January 09. All above info info is from other Cruise Critic posts).

[lambs2]

The most thrilling way to arrive at Montserrat is by train and cable car from Barcelona. FGC trains (line R5: Montserrat-Manresa) leave from beneath Plaça d'Espanya daily 8.36am-3.36pm at hourly intervals; get off at Montserrat Aeri, just under an hour away. From here, a cable car (the Telefèric de Montserrat Aeri; every 15min, daily 10am-1.45pm & 3-6.35pm) completes the journey, a five-minute swoop up the sheer mountainside to a spot just below the monastery - probably the most exhilarating ride in Catalunya. If being suspended on cable at great height is not your thing, take the bus; a half-hour ride departing ten minutes after the trains pull in. A return ticket, including train and cable car, costs €11.50, and there are also two combined tickets: the Transmontserrat, which includes the metro, train, cable car and the two funiculars on the mountain (€17.40 return) and the Totmontserrat which includes all of this plus museum entry, unlimited use of funiculars, lunch and a five-percent accommodation discount (€29.50); both tickets are available from any FGC station. Returning to Barcelona, the trains back from Montserrat Aeri station are again hourly, this time from 10.35am to 6.35pm.

Practically, the first train you can get from Placa d'Espanya to Monserrat is the 8.36 (on the R5 route). This is because both the cable car and Cremella (rack railway) don't start operating until this train arrives at their respective stations. Aim to get to Placa d'Espanya by 8.15am and wait for the train to pull in to the platform. As this is essentially a commuter train, there is lots of standing room and not very many seats. So, when the train doors open, do not be polite! Get on the train as quick as you can and grab a seat...its a 1 hour trip to Monserrat!

 

 

***(We have not done this yet, but plan to in January 09. All above info is from other Cruise Critic posts).

[sddsddean]

Just one addendum, if you don't fancy the cable car, you can use the rack railway (Cremella) which leaves from Monistrol, which is the next station after Monserrat Aeri. The rack train will be waiting for you at the end of the platform and takes about 30 mins to get up to the monastery.

Also, be aware of your departure time and make sure you leave enough time to get back to the ship.

 

Simon

[iancal]

lambs2 is vorrect. We were in Barcelona (not on a cruise though) last May and did this exactly. It was a snap and we had a wonderful day out. Would highly recommend it. We had no issue with the train, lots of seats on our train. BUT...be careful and ensure that you get on the right train. As I recall you need to pay attention and read the signs.

[nho9504]

We did the trip on a weekend this May. HUGE mistake because the crowd was unbelievable. We were expecting a quiet, relaxing trip out of town and then found out we were among thousands of locals visiting the area as a weekend outing. The squares were incredicably jampacked with crowds, the roadside garbage bins were overflowing with trashes...

 

OTOH I am sure if you go on a weekday, the feel would be totally different.

 

We did make the long hike to the grotto where the black Virgin was said to be found. It is quite a hike but the scenes along the way are well-worth it. If you are not physical fit, this may not for you because the distance is probably over a mile one-way, with several upslope stretches.

 

One more thing, the tickets are sold at the machines right in front of the R5 platform. There is an employee helping people on how to use the machines. No ticket booth. We bought the combo of the metro-tickets, train tickets and the cable car tickets, return tickets.