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When are you travelling?  If your outside the peak season some sites are not open, but have a look at this website which lists all sites within 15 km of the major routes through Europe, and lists those open all year in red.  Brief details are given, as well as POI details.

Don't know if you know about Camping Cheques (night on site for two people, car, caravan, awning, electricity and a dog for £13.40). if not then have a look at the website www.campingcheque.co.uk, similarly www.touringcheque.co.uk, www.campingcard.com (ACSI), and www.vacancessoleil.com - all 'discount' schemes which offer a range of sites, at discounted prices over the site's normal tariffs.  Check on the site details to make sure dogs are accepted - though they are on most sites.

Chateau du Gandspette at Eperleques on your return - handy for a vet about 500 metres away, well used by lots of other British caravanners.  It's a nice site, too, and worth a bit longer stay - good pitches, excellent sanitary facilities, and a restaurant with some nice choices.  It accepts Camping Cheques, and the ACSI card.

We are setting off for Murcia on the 30 Jan and will be using the following route, we also take a dog.

Calais to Forest View ( English owned site near at Remalade  228 miles

Remalade to Camping Beausoliel at Bordeaux  327 miles

Bordeaux to Camping Haro 240 miles

Camping Haro to Camping International Arunjuez  232 miles

Arunjuez to La Manga 264 miles

As you can see we are taking the Western route through France as the weather is usually a bit better. We are also taking it easy so that we arrive at a campsite mid afternoon and can then get a walk in.

Coming back we stay at Forest View and use the vet in Remalade

Hi

It really depends when you are travelling as there are not many sites open in France in the winter , if you are talking spring or summer your choice is vast.

We spent 3 months from oct to dec last year 2008 travelled down very slowly befor staying in Almeria near Murcia .We travelled back in 6 days as it really takes 2 days to sort the dog out at the Calais end. We used a vet in Wimereux and stayed in a French Passion site just up the road . We found joining ACSI invaluable and it saved us loads of euros when sites were also cc or cc&i.

Our route back was

cabo de gata    to  kiko park

kiko park         to  villanova

villanova           to la bastide

la bastide          to beaune

beaune             to camping club de parc (paris)

camping club de parc   to   french passion

palaceboy

Sorry didn't reply to your brilliant tips before.  The Camping Cheque system sound great.  Thank you for all your help, we are travelling in May so by the sounds of this we will have plenty of choice.

Hi Poppysmum

We are also driving down from London/Calais to Polaris World/Murcia for the first time in May 2009 with our dog so any hints you have picked up in the meantime since this message would be gratefully received.   Or if anyone else can help - we will only be taking the lightest of tents and equipment as we have a flat in Murcia.

Many thanks, Sunshine22a

Many thanks for the warning - a freind did show them to me in the trees at Christmas last year - really creepy but they were just beginning to drop off then so I think we are all safe in the Spring and Summer.   Hope so anyway as they are very toxic to dogs and humans so don't be tempted to investiage them or their nests further.    If you don't know what to look for, they are dark brown caterpillers which emerge from a circular/bottle shaped nest which looks like a massive spiders web in small trees and bushes and drop down from 5 or 6 ft above ground once all have emerged from their crystalis.