Anyone done Montserrat on their own from Barcelona? Would appreciate details on how to get there and approximate cost.

Bag drag, I did Montserrat a few years ago on a shore excursion. It's beautiful and well worth the effort. Be sure to see the black Madonna. Montserrat is a 1 1/2 hour drive from Barcelona, half of which is on narrow, switchback mountain roads. Princess cruises charges $42 per person for a 4 1/2 hour tour. If you want to do it on your own you'd need to hire a taxi for half a day or rent a car. I wouldn't recommend you driving unless you're comfortable with narrow, winding mountain roads. For me, it was worth the money to have someone else drive and I thought the ship's tour fee was reasonable given the distance and time. Hope this helps.

Good advice - doesn't sound like we would want to drive. Holland America is offering only an 8 hour tour with a stop at a winery (I think) for $99. We really want to see some of the city as well so 8 hours is a bit much. Would you know anything about taking a train there?
Thanks for the response.

Well, I was trying not to act like a "know it all" and was keeping mum on this topic. But, guess somebody needs to help you out. We have been to Montserrat, but did it one day while we were driving around Northeastern Spain. We have also used the Barcelona trains to get to Sitges..which is a nice sea resort about 40 min from Barcelona. But, its pretty easy to get to Montserrat on the train. Rather than go through the steps, here is a great link that will give you plenty of details. http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/barcelona-montserrat.html

Hank

Thanks to all for the help. Hank - that website is great!

Wanda