winter driving in provence

hi everyone! i am wondering if anyone has any experience driving in provence during the winter months? we are thinking of going there in february (best for our work schedule). we want to rent a car but i am concerned about the road condition. i heard that some hotels and restaurants will not be opened during that time (when do they re-open? april?) when is the best time to go? we would also like to find out about the famous millau viaduct (it would be cool to drive through it!) i am not able to find any info on the regular guidebooks. what route should we take to go there?

thanks for the help! much appreciated!

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If you have a choice, of course being in Provence would be warmer in late March or early April. But as I write this it is Jan. 10th and was 49F today, though tonight it is almost freezing. Still I must say that the full moon is fantastic and the light during the day is worth the trip alone. It gets dark early--about 6p but that will improve. As for driving in Provence, it would be weird to see snow (but it can happen every couple of years) but we have experienced, in the early morning, slippery frost in places that don%26#39;t get sun: otherwise if you are careful about that, you should have a wonderful experience driving here. Museums are not closed but what you might miss most is the perfection of sitting in the sun in an outdoor cafe. Though even in Feb. there will be days when you can do that. Remember this: almost everything in Provence closes from 12-2pm for lunch, so plan a relaxing mealtime (many Americans have big lunches and smaller dinners) and enjoy the touring afterwards.