Barcelona: Montserrat Tour with Cog-Wheel & Black Madonna
4.6 (9,388 reviews)
from €52.80Check dates
✦ Independent review · checked 18 Oct 2026
Catalunya Bus Turístic reviews: day trips, prices and whether it is worth it
Verdict: well-rated, all-inclusive day trips from Estació del Nord with no middleman, but with no published cancellation policy and no hotel pickup — 6.5/10.
ⓘ Note: we are not Catalunya Bus Turístic We are not Catalunya Bus Turístic or its official website. This is an independent review based on public sources; some links are affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Headout).Tickets and tours to book
24 options · Prices checked on 18 October 2026
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01 —
Verdict: 6.5 out of 10
Despite the name, Catalunya Bus Turístic is not a hop-on hop-off bus. It is a brand of coach day trips that leave Barcelona's Estació del Nord for Montserrat, Girona and Figueres, the Costa Brava and the Penedès wine country. It has run since 2003 and belongs to the same family as TMB's Barcelona Bus Turístic (they share the Hola Barcelona shop, and the city bus's discount booklet takes money off these trips). Guides and entry tickets are included, and reviews of the guides are good. What costs it points is transparency: it does not publish a cancellation policy on the pages we checked, and it contradicts itself on the age at which children start paying.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price and transparency | 6/10 | Clear prices with 10% off online and entry tickets included; contradictory child age and an expired promotion still on show. |
| Flexibility | 4/10 | No published cancellation policy, fixed departures from the station and no hotel pickup. |
| Public reputation | 7/10 | 4.9 on Google from 834 reviews; 4.4 on Tripadvisor, but mostly from older reviews. |
| Experience | 7/10 | Guides praised, especially at Montserrat; some find the Girona pace too quick. |
| Reliability | 8/10 | Entity with tax ID and company-register details in view, running since 2003; partner companies not named. |
| Overall | 6.5/10 | Mean of the five criteria, rounded to the nearest 0.5. |
Good for
- Anyone who wants Montserrat sorted in one go: rack railway, guided visit, basilica and museum on a single ticket.
- Travellers staying in the centre or the Eixample, close to Estació del Nord (Arc de Triomf metro).
- Anyone who already holds a Barcelona Bus Turístic ticket: its discount booklet takes 15% off these trips.
Not for
- Anyone who needs a hotel pickup or a different departure point: every trip leaves from the station.
- Wheelchair users: the coaches are not adapted (call ahead).
- Anyone who wants the cancellation policy in writing before paying: ask by email.
02 —
Fact sheet
| Company | Catalunya Bus Turístic, UTE (tax ID U63233696), entered in the Barcelona Commercial Register. TMB lists it among its tourism services; the partner companies are not named |
|---|---|
| Running since | 2003 |
| Base | Offices at Avda. Miramar 20-30 (Montjuïc); departures from Estació del Nord, C/ Alí Bei 80 |
| Catalan tourism registration | Not published |
| What it sells | Guided day trips: Montserrat (two versions), Girona and Figueres with Dalí, Costa Brava (Tossa de Mar), Penedès wine and cava, a shuttle to La Roca Village |
| Official price | From €25 (La Roca Village shuttle) to €116 (wine and cava), with 10% off online on the excursions |
| Where to book | catalunyabusturistic.com and the Hola Barcelona app. We did not find it on GetYourGuide, Tiqets or Headout |
| Public ratings | 4.9/5 on Google Maps (834 reviews) · 4.4/5 on Tripadvisor (321 reviews, mostly from 2013–2018) |
Ratings read on the review date. The website displays a Tripadvisor "Travellers' Choice 2023" badge.
03 —
What it sells and what it costs
Every trip leaves from Estació del Nord (platform 3 for Montserrat, platform 29 for Dalí) and asks you to be there 20 minutes early. Guiding is in Catalan, Spanish and English through radio-guide headsets, and the coaches have Wi-Fi and air conditioning. Departure days vary by route, so check the booking calendar.
| Trip | Official price (online) | Includes | Platform alternative (another operator) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Montserrat | €76 (€68.40) | Rack railway, guided visit, basilica (the Black Madonna), museum, Escolania choir (weekdays only) | Montserrat with cog-wheel and Black Madonna, from €52.80 |
| Easy Montserrat | €56 (€50.40) | Rack railway, guided visit and free time | Montserrat with transfers and basilica entry, from €37.60 |
| Dalí's Figueres and Girona | €87 (€78.30) | Guided Girona with the Jewish quarter, priority entry to the Dalí Theatre-Museum and Dalí Jewels | Girona, Figueres, Dalí Museum and Cadaqués, from €49.68 |
| Costa Brava – Tossa de Mar | €62 (€55.80) | Tossa walk, sweet tasting, optional boat to Cala Giverola | Tossa de Mar with beach time, from €39 |
| Wine and Cava Experience | €116 (€104) | Penedès vineyards, tasting and making your own cava | Penedès by 4WD with wine and cava, from €97.49 |
| La Roca Village Shopping Express | €25 | Outlet shuttle | — |
The honest maths: platform alternatives usually start cheaper, but they are not the same product. Catalunya Bus Turístic trips include entry tickets that other tours charge separately or leave optional (on Premium Montserrat: rack railway, basilica, museum and the Escolania on weekdays). Add up what each listing leaves out before you compare. In the platforms' favour: they show the cancellation policy on the listing, often free up to 24 hours ahead; Catalunya Bus Turístic does not publish one.
Children: the child fare (ages 4–12) is €64 on Premium Montserrat, €44 on Easy Montserrat and €65 on Dalí and Girona. The age at which children start paying is covered under traps below.
Official prices from catalunyabusturistic.com; platform "from" prices read on the review date, for other operators' trips with different inclusions. Platform prices change often.
04 —
The best and the worst
Tripadvisor reviews are few and mostly old; Google reviews are more numerous and very positive. These are the patterns that recur.
The best
- The guides, especially on the Montserrat trip.
- Comfortable coaches with air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
- Entry tickets included: on Premium Montserrat, rack railway, basilica and museum are all on one ticket.
The worst
- A quick pace in Girona: some travellers find the walking visit too short.
- Few recent Tripadvisor reviews, which makes it hard to know how the service has changed.
- One departure point: if you are staying far from Estació del Nord, add an early trip across town.
05 —
The small print
- Booking required: according to its FAQ, you must book in every case to be guaranteed a seat.
- Cancellation: not mentioned in the FAQ or on the information page we checked. Ask for it in writing (tickets@catalunyabusturistic.com) before paying.
- Accessibility: the site says the coaches are not adapted for wheelchairs and asks you to call +34 93 280 58 05 in advance.
- Children: the information page says under 8s travel free; the Easy Montserrat and Dalí listings say under 4s.
- Escolania: Montserrat's choir is only included on weekdays; if it is your reason to go, choose the date with care.
- Punctuality: be at the stated platform 20 minutes early; the coach does not wait.
06 —
Traps and how to avoid them
It is not a city sightseeing bus. The name leads many people to confuse it with the Barcelona Bus Turístic (Red and Blue routes around Barcelona). They are separate products with separate tickets, and neither is valid on Barcelona City Tour buses.
Contradictory free age. "Under 8s free" on the general page and on Premium Montserrat, which at the same time charges a child fare from 4 to 12; "under 4s free" on Easy Montserrat and Dalí. If you travel with children aged 4 to 7, ask for written confirmation before paying.
A January promotion still on show. In October the site was still displaying a 30% discount notice valid only on certain January dates. Do not count on it.
The discount that does work. A Barcelona Bus Turístic ticket comes with a booklet containing a 15% code for these trips, more than the usual 10% online discount.
07 —
How to book at the best price
- Direct, and always online. On catalunyabusturistic.com or the Hola Barcelona app you pay 10% less than the standard fare. It is the only channel: GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout do not sell it.
- With a Bus Turístic ticket, use the booklet code (15%).
- If you need guaranteed cancellation, another operator's trip on a platform gives you that safety net: for example Montserrat by rack railway or Girona and Dalí in a small group. Check which entry tickets each one includes.
- Montserrat on your own: our Montserrat guide compares train, rack railway and cable car; our day trips from Barcelona page covers the other destinations.
08 —
Alternatives
09 —
Frequently asked questions
Is Catalunya Bus Turístic reliable?
Yes: it is a joint venture with its tax ID and company-register entry published, it has run since 2003 and TMB counts it among its tourism services. It scores 4.9 out of 5 on Google from more than 800 reviews.
Is it the same as Barcelona Bus Turístic?
No. Bus Turístic is TMB's hop-on hop-off bus around the city; Catalunya Bus Turístic runs day trips outside Barcelona. They are part of the same family, but each has its own ticket.
Can I cancel?
It does not publish a cancellation policy on the information pages we checked. Ask by email before paying or, if cancellation is essential, choose an equivalent trip on a platform that shows its policy on the listing.
Catalunya Bus Turístic or a Montserrat tour on GetYourGuide?
Platform tours usually start cheaper and some use other meeting points, but you have to add the entry tickets they leave out. Premium Montserrat from Catalunya Bus Turístic includes everything and leaves from Estació del Nord.
Do children pay?
It depends on the page: the general information says free up to age 8, while some trips say up to age 4. There is a child fare from 4 to 12. Confirm before booking.
Where does it leave from?
From Estació del Nord (C/ Alí Bei 80), near Arc de Triomf metro. Platform 3 for Montserrat and 29 for Dalí; arrive 20 minutes early.
Would you rather book with free cancellation?
Catalunya Bus Turístic is not sold on the platforms we work with. If you need to be able to cancel, compare equivalent trips from other operators and read what each one includes.
Girona, Figueres and Dalí: see dates