Getting around Southern Bugey without a car means combining train and coach, one of the key questions of everyday life in the area. Belley, the main town, has no railway station. This page sets out which station and which line serve which destinations, based on the Bugey Sud community of communes, the grouping of local municipalities (pages checked on 9 November 2026). We do not publish train or coach timetables: they change with each annual timetable and during engineering works. Always check the official websites before you travel.
In France, TER trains are the regional rail services, here run for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region; regional coaches (cars) fill the gaps between stations and villages.
Culoz station
Culoz station, Place Pierre Semard, is the main station in the area. It is the only one with a ticket office open to the public; it also has ticket machines.
Destinations served
According to the community of communes, four TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes routes stop there:
| Route | Where it takes you from Culoz |
|---|---|
| Geneva / Annecy – Grenoble – Valence | Annecy, Grenoble, Valence |
| Saint-Gervais / Évian / Geneva – Bellegarde – Lyon | Bellegarde, Geneva, Lyon |
| (Chambéry) – Culoz – Ambérieu – Lyon | Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Lyon, Chambéry |
| Chambéry – Culoz – Geneva | Chambéry, Geneva |
No TGV (high-speed) service and no direct service to Paris is mentioned by official local sources. “The Culoz train” therefore means TER regional trains, with possible connections at the larger stations.
Accessibility
The Accès Plus assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility is only offered at Culoz within Southern Bugey. It must be booked at least 48 hours in advance, on 08 01 01 02 02 according to the community of communes.
Getting to the station
Coach line A43 links the station with Belley. A door-to-door on-demand transport service also exists for certain groups (see below). For cyclists, Culoz is the most convenient station for the Seyssel – Belley stage of the ViaRhôna cycle route, and a Maison du vélo (cycling centre) there occasionally hosts a tourist office information desk.
Virieu-le-Grand–Belley station
Despite its name, the station is in Virieu-le-Grand. It has no ticket office, only ticket machines. Two TER routes serve it:
- Saint-Gervais / Évian / Geneva – Bellegarde – Lyon;
- (Chambéry) – Culoz – Ambérieu – Lyon.
It is linked to Belley by coaches A45 and A47. Accès Plus assistance is not available there.
Regional coaches from Belley
Intercity coaches are the responsibility of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and are operated by the Régie des transports de l’Ain. Five lines serve Belley:
| Line | Route | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| A43 | (Chanay) – Culoz – Belley | Belley – Culoz bus, connection with Culoz station |
| A45 | (Champagne-en-Valromey) – Virieu-le-Grand – Belley | Valromey, Virieu-le-Grand–Belley station |
| A47 | Brénod – Hauteville – Belley | Hauteville plateau, Virieu-le-Grand–Belley station |
| A73 | Belley – Chambéry | Belley – Chambéry bus |
| A93 | Belley – Morestel | Towards Isère |
For some lines or stops, booking is compulsory the day before by 12 noon: they operate as on-demand services. Access for people with reduced mobility must be booked within the same time limit. Timetables and bookings: the regional website laregionvoustransporte.fr, under intercity transport in the Ain (in French).
La Navette, Belley’s town bus
The community of communes runs La Navette, a regular line serving Belley’s main hubs: town centre, hospital, sports complex, retail park, residential areas and business parks. It runs Monday to Saturday, with no Sunday service according to the page we consulted. The timetable in force since 2 February 2026 can be downloaded from the CC Bugey Sud Navette page; times are also shown at each stop, with a QR code to track the bus in real time.
The service is fare-paying: single tickets (on board or online), a 10-journey card, and monthly and annual passes. The new France services address on rue de la Louvatière (France services is a public one-stop help centre for official paperwork) is served by the “Louvatière” stop.
On-demand transport and other options
The community of communes offers an on-demand transport service reserved for certain groups. According to the Artemare municipal website, it is for people over 75, people with reduced mobility, recipients of the APA (a French allowance for older people who need care), jobseekers or people on back-to-work schemes, and young people aged 15 to 18. The grouping also promotes electric bike hire, mobility grants and car-sharing. Conditions and registration: the CC Bugey Sud website.
Several villages in the Valromey and on the plateau are not served by any regular line identified in official sources: Valromey-sur-Séran, Haut Valromey and most of the hamlets of Arvière-en-Valromey.
Where to check before you travel
- Trains: timetables and tickets on the SNCF and TER Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes websites.
- Regional coaches: laregionvoustransporte.fr.
- Belley town bus: the community of communes’ page.
- Roads: the Brégnier-Cordon bridge towards Aoste (Isère), closed since April 2026, had a reopening announced for 30 October 2026 by the Isère Département. The Grand Colombier roads are closed in winter. Dated information is in the news.