Many people who are perfectly fine in a city get queasy on mountain roads. The good news: with a few simple habits, most guests who worry about it have a comfortable drive.
Tell your driver before you leave
This is the most useful thing you can do. When I know someone gets car sick, I drive the bends more smoothly, stop more often and pick the best seat for you. Nobody minds. It's far better than suffering in silence for two hours.
Where to sit
- The front seat is best: you see the road coming and your body can anticipate each bend.
- In the back, sit in the middle or by a window facing forward, so you can look out of the front.
- Avoid the very back row of a large vehicle, where the movement is strongest.
What to do on the road
- Look at the horizon, not at your phone. Reading or scrolling is the quickest way to feel sick.
- Fresh air helps. Ask for the window open a little or the air conditioning on your face.
- Eat lightly before and during the drive. An empty stomach and a heavy meal are both bad ideas; plain bread, biscuits or fruit are better.
- Ginger (sweets, biscuits or tea) helps some people.
- Stop before it gets bad. A five-minute break and a short walk can reset everything. Just say the word.
- Sleep if you can. Closing your eyes often helps more than fighting it.
Medication
If you know you suffer badly, talk to your doctor or a pharmacist before your trip about travel-sickness tablets or patches. Many need to be taken before the drive starts, not once you already feel ill. Pharmacies in Moroccan towns are easy to find and pharmacists are helpful, but it's easier to bring what already works for you.
Choosing a gentler trip
If mountain roads really aren't for you, we can plan around them: more nights and shorter days, so you're never in the car for long, or routes that spend more time on flatter roads, such as the Atlantic coast. Tell me when we plan the trip and I'll suggest the easiest way to see what you want.
My advice: don't let worry about the bends stop you seeing the Atlas. Sit in front, keep your eyes on the road ahead, and tell me early. We'll stop as often as you need.