We recently completed a day trip from Salzburg to Mauthausen and wanted to share some tips for transportation that we weren’t able to find here previously!
From 1 March to 26 October 2025, bus line 362 goes directly from Linz/Donau Hbf to the memorial itself. The Mauthausen memorial website describes this on their “How to get here” page with a short form of the schedule and a link to the timetables and journey planner (can also purchase tickets online and print, or buy on the bus). Our guidebook is from 2023, so I am not sure if this has been updated, but using the 362 bus ended up being much easier and quicker than the bus / train connections for Mauthausen town (not the memorial) described in our guidebook.
Arriving on the train from Salzburg just after 0900, we caught the 0915 bus, arrived at the memorial about 0945, and had about three hours before catching the 1300 bus back to Linz and then our train back to Salzburg around 1400. Overall this made for a very somber but extremely worthwhile day trip. I believe this would have been workable as a slightly longer day trip from Vienna as well.
Of note, at Linz/Donau Hbf, the bus terminal was undergoing construction and it was difficult to find our bus gate - for any E gates, look for the tiny print on signs in between the A gates! Also, the bus drops off not back at the terminal but at the Linz Musiktheater, about a ten-minute walk away - if you have previously booked a return or onward train journey make sure you have extra time to accommodate.
Hope this helps someone! Happy to answer any questions.