Driving in Provence?
 

Can anyone tell me if the roads in Provence are especially twisty, steep, or hilly. Unfortunately, I get severe car sickness and want to know so I can be prepared. Our itinerary looks something like this. Leave Lyon and drive to St. Remy which we will use as a base, then onto Arles, Aix and other local sights. Will also do the hill towns of Luberon which already means medication to me! Any advice would be appreicated. Also planning to drive to Burgundy from Lyon. That itinerary is not planned. Any suggestions so I can see the road and not have to keep my eyes closed. Thanks again.

I'd say they are relatively tortuous - depends on where you're driving. In the area around St-Rémy there are plenty of straight roads as well as lots of smally ones that wind around. I don't think one can generalize.

If you'r prone to car-sickness (have you tried the wrist bands?)you might want to stick to the autoroutes and routes nationales instead of the smaller local roads. From Lyon you can take the autoroute all the way down to Avignon, where you have a choice of good roads leading to St-Rémy. (Some are actually Roman roads: straight for mile after mile.) Getting to Arles by good roads is easy, and Aix is reached primarily by the autoroute these days. Only in the Luberon hill towns will you be encountering the twisty, hilly roads that cause problems. Burgundy from Lyon will again be doable on the beautiful Autoroute du Soleil.

What you don't want to do is go to Les Baux or places like the Gorge du Verdon/Route Napoléon. Avoid those and you should be fine. If you want more easy sightseeing (in driving terms), go down into the Camargue, which is flat.

We found that there were usually two ways to get places in Provence - the big highways and the little twisty roads. I think you'll be fine.

Do not drive up and over Mont Ventoux!

Or up to Buoux in the Luberon!!! That's where we were almost hit by a guy flying down the hill in the center of the narrow winding road.