Montserrat - is it worth it?
 

I am going on a cruise and we stop in Barcelona for one day - about 10 hours. I have read about Montserrat and it sounds wonderful, but going there would take up a large portion of the day. I am wondering if it is worth it, given everything else there is to see in Barcelona.

I went to Barcelona last year for 10 days and took a day trip to Montserrat. It is amazing and the views and trails are wonderful. However - if you're only in Barcelona for one day - and you haven't seen anything of Barcelona - I would opt for staying in Barcelona and seeing the Casa Mila, the Palace of Music and if you have time - Sagrada Familia. It took my friend and I a full day to get to and back from Montserrat.

<BR>No. <BR> <BR>OK, it is worth it, but not for that little amount of time. Logistically, you'd need impecable timing to go to Montserrat, see around, and get back. It can easily consume 4-5 hours, IF you have a car. If not, you'd need to take a train, which leaves hourly from Plaza Espanya. Plaza Espanya is like 15-30 minutes away from the harbor. <BR> <BR>In 10 hours, you have enough time to walk up La Rambla (from the port to Placa Catalunya), take a left at the Hard Rock Cafe, take your first left (Porta del Angel), walk down that street and get directly to the Cathedral (very nice) and Placa Sant Jaume. You can then walk to Museu Picasso (not worth it, in my opinion, but the building is quite nice). Go to nearby Santa Maria del Mar (by far, the loveliest church in Barcelona). <BR> <BR>Go back to Via Laietana,and go to the Metro stop (Jaume I), take the yellow line in the direction of Trinitat Nova (No. 4) to the Verdaguer station, change to line 5 in the direction of Horta, and get down at Sagrada Familia for a tour (if I recall correctly, morning tours are @ 11:00 and 1:30, two more in the afternoon, can't recall the times). <BR> <BR>Go back to line 5, in the direction of Cornella, and get down at Diagonal. Go to the corner of Rambla Catalunya and Mallorca, and step into Cerveseria Catalana (best tapas in Barcelona). <BR> <BR>In the afternoon, maybe take a cab to Parc Guell, or walk back to Passeig de Gracia and walk towards the port. Major shopping and sightseeing (Casa Mila, Casa Batllo) opportunities. <BR> <BR>Enjoy!

Not worth it. Don't give up a one-and-only day stay at Barcelona. Might be stretching it to do it all in one day, but there are better places to visit in the city - Sagrada Familia, Barrie Gothic, Las Ramblas, Picasso's house/museum.

Oops. A little mistake. <BR> <BR>At the end of La Rambla, you take a left at MARKS & SPENCER, not at the Hard Rock Cafe next door. <BR> <BR>We know return to our regular programming.