Day trip to Montserrat - any tips?

TTT

No one?

I wish I had some real advice to give,but I really don't. We were there in May 2008. I can say it is worth it. We were part of a bus group, which I don't normally do. It is a long winding drive up the mountain. We did get to hear the singing/chanting, but I'm sorry to say, I don't remember the time. It had to be mid-afternoon, but that's as close as I can recall. There were also dancers in the plaza there in costume. Adults and children. Very beautiful. There were sidewalk vendors with cheeses and honey. The view is spectacular. We did not have time to take the rail up the mountain. We did see it. It is a straight incline. I would have liked to but dh didn't like the looks of the height or incline. Sorry, I really can't say anything useful. Hope you have a good time, though.

Before you buy your combo ticket ask for times the trains run and that everything on the combo ticket is available.

Last fall we bought a combo ticket from Vienna to Melk only to find out when we arrived in Melk that the boat on the Danube was not making a late afternoon run. We had to purchase a train ticket back to Vienna. And we received no refund on the boat portion of our ticket.

We were given no information except that the boat left melk at 4:30 pm which it did not.

I'm back from my trip and we spent a day in Montserrat. It was fantastic. In case this thread comes up in the future in a search, here are a few things I find helpful:

Here's a link to the Montserrat segment of my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/yks-trip-report-barcelona-modernisme-montserrat-daytrip-nov-09.cfm#comment-6076738

How to get there?
The R5 train departs from Plaça Espanya (the commuter station section, not metro section) once an hour. The journey takes 1hr 4 minutes. *Make sure you double-check the train schedule before your trip.*

There are two stops that serve Montserrat:
a) Montserrat-Aeri stop if you're taking the Cable Car up
b) Monistrol de Montserrat stop if you're taking the rack railway up

It's crucial you get off at the correct stop, or you'll be in quite a bit of trouble.

Anyway, you get off at one of the 2 stops in Montserrat, then you take either the cable car OR rack railway up to the monastery. Once up in the monastery, there are 2 funiculars you can take to get to other parts of the mountain.

Ticket Options
For the casual tourists, it's best to purchase either the TransMontserrat ticket or the Tot Montserrat ticket. They are on sale at all the Barcelona Visitors Centers. They can also be purchased at Plaça Espanya, but you "lose out" on the free metro ride (see below) http://www.montserratvisita.com/archivos/4070-242-MenFitxaFitxer5/tottransr.pdf

TransMonterrat ticket (€22) includes:
• r/t metro ride between any metro station & Plaça Espanya
• r/t train between Plaça Espanya & Montserrat
• Cable car OR rack railway up to Monastery (you have to choose one or the other when you purchase the ticket)
• Sant Joan & Santa Cova funicular (unlimited rides)
• 20-min "virtual tour" in the AV room

Tot Montserrat ticket (€36,95) includes all the above plus
• lunch (3-course + bread + drink)
• Museum of Montserrat

We bought the Tot Montserrat ticket with Cable Car. In retrospect, we probably could have just gotten the TransMontserrat ticket and pay for our lunch and skip the museum.

I recommend the Tot Montserrat ticket if:
1) You plan to spend the ENTIRE day there, and
2) You have a healthy appetite

Useful Websites for Montserrat
Official Montserrat website: http://www.montserratvisita.com/
Rack Railway (Cremallera) http://www.cremallerademontserrat.cat/website_cremallera/eng/index.asp
Cable Car http://www.aeridemontserrat.com/home.htm
Santa Cova funicular http://www.cremallerademontserrat.cat/website_cremallera/eng/funicular_santacova.asp
Sant Joan funicular http://www.cremallerademontserrat.cat/website_cremallera/eng/funicular_santjoan.asp
Escolania de Montserrat (the music school & boys choir that performs daily in the Basilica) http://www.escolania.cat/index.php?lg=3

Helpful Tips
• Montserrat is worth an entire day
• Try to go on a nice day (the totmontserrat and transmontserrat tickets are good for ANY day)
• As mentioned above, buy your ticket ahead of time from a tourist visitors center so that you can take advantage of the free r/t metro rides.
• Get to Plaça Espanya early - the train has lots of standing room but not many seats. You don't want to stand the entire trip
• Check the last run times for funiculars, rack railway, and cable car. You do NOT want to be stranded!
• The boys choir sings in the Basilica at 1pm; *do not miss this*. Get to the Basilica early if you want a seat. They sing for 10-15 minutes
• If you choose the Cable Car option, beware that on your return train trip back to Barcelona, you may not get a seat, because the train stops at Monistrol de Montserrat station first (where the rack railway folks get on)
• Museum of Montserrat is not a must-see; but it has some nice paintings including a Caravaggio of St Jerome
• The lunch included with Tot Montserrat ticket is served at "the cafeteria". The food is really mediocre. You may do better if you try a different restaurant (which also has a self-service section).
• Wear sensible shoes if you plan on doing some hiking. There are several hiking trails from the top of Sant Joan funicular, and the trails are not paved - gravel paths.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen, and dress in layers; esp if you plan to hike. Also bring water & power bar for the hikes.

Don't go unless it's a clear day.

Don't go if you are allergic to super-touristy crowds.

Don't go if you are allergic to cult-icon worship.

Don't take the cable car if you are afraid of heights.

Beware the transit and transfer points (epecially Placa Espanya), which are notorious for pickpockets.

Go for the nature and hikes, not the art and architecture.

I really enjoyed Montserrat as a unique daytrip from Barcelona. And contrary to yk who offers otherwise excellent advice, I also really enjoyed the cafeteria lunch which I did not purchase in advance expecting the food to be of poor quality like a North American cafeteria which it definitely is not.

Perhaps we didn't like the food much was because we didn't eat lunch until around 2-2:30pm; the food probably had been cooked a few hours earlier.

I'll be in Barcelona in 2 weeks.

A half-day guided tour is $79 pp, including bus. Advice above to only go on a clear day sounds good but can't be predicted in advance.

Can anyone suggest a tour company to Montserrat.
OR
Should I go it alone?

Is Monday a good day to go?

Well it's really easy to do on your own - take a suburban train right to a cableway that takes you right up to the shrine up on the mountain - everything is right there. Probably cost you $10 return max on train/cableway

IMO Montserrat. while interesting and scenic, is not woth a full day. We took the train, and it must have been a commuter/local because it took forever to reach Montserrat. Wouldn't go again on the same schedule. If I could do it in a half day, fine, but not a full day.