Taxi to Montserrat

Montserrat is an hour from the airport and about the same from the city — a Benedictine monastery wedged into a mountain of extraordinary rounded rock pillars, with the Black Madonna, the Escolania boys’ choir, and walking trails running off along the ridge. It is the most common single day trip out of Barcelona.

The standard public route involves a train from Plaça Espanya then either the rack railway or the cable car up. It works, but it is a long half-day of connections and the last returns leave earlier than people expect. With a car and driver you go directly to the monastery car park and come back when you are ready.

Most people book this with waiting time — three to four hours covers the basilica, the museum and a walk, or longer if you want the funicular up to Sant Joan and one of the ridge paths. The choir normally sings at 1 p.m. on weekdays; if you want to hear it, tell us and we will time the departure to get you there in good time.

Questions about this route