Montserrat, Girona and Figueres Day Trips
Two different train stations, one stop apart, get travelers to two different rides up the same mountain, and mixing them up means buying the wrong ticket entirely. Montserrat is worth getting right before the other inland trips below it.
Montserrat: pick your ascent on purpose
The FGC R5 line runs from Placa Espanya to Monistrol de Montserrat in about an hour. From there, the Cremallera rack railway climbs 5km in 15 minutes, EUR 8.70 one-way or EUR 14.50 return, with a combined train-plus-Cremallera ticket at EUR 15.90 one-way or EUR 28.80 return. The Aeri cable car is a separate ride entirely, departing from Monistrol-Casetes, one stop earlier on the same line, EUR 10 one-way or EUR 15 return. Both reach the Benedictine monastery and the Black Madonna shrine, with hiking trails through the jagged massif above. Book a Montserrat day trip from Barcelona bundles transport if working out which station serves which ride sounds like more effort than it is worth, or check cremallerademontserrat.cat directly for current Cremallera fares.
Girona: forty minutes, a genuinely different town
A fast train from Barcelona-Sants covers the roughly 40-minute run for EUR 9-17 one-way depending on service. Girona’s medieval old town, its cathedral, the Jewish quarter known as El Call, and the colorful houses lining the Onyar river reward a full day rather than a rushed half one.
Figueres: pair it with Girona, not with anything else
The Dali Theatre-Museum sits 55 minutes to 2 hours from Barcelona depending on service, fast AVE or Avant trains against a slower Rodalies commuter option that saves roughly EUR 12 each way at the cost of extra time on the rails. One-way fares run EUR 12-25; museum admission is EUR 18. Since Girona and Figueres share the same rail corridor, this is the natural one-day pairing rather than a standalone trip; a morning in Girona’s old town followed by an afternoon at the Dali museum fills a full day without doubling back on the same train line. Book a Girona and Figueres day trip covers both towns in one booking, or check salvadordali.org for current museum hours.
Buy Montserrat’s train-plus-Cremallera combined ticket rather than two separate fares; it is cheaper than paying for the FGC leg and the mountain ascent apart. Our 4-day Barcelona itinerary works Montserrat into a longer trip for anyone who would rather not squeeze it into a single rushed afternoon.