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France provides a network of 'Aires de Service' for Camping Cars - and often these are in the middle of towns or villages, so very convenient for a cheap (or free) overnight stay.  They are generally signposted and easy to find.  You can buy a guide to them from Vicarious books.  There are also lots of places where you can park up along a beachfront, for example, and many in motorhomes do just that.

Buy fuel in supermarkets with fuel, rather petrol stations as it's generally much cheaper, but beware because some now have height barriers - so check carefully before trying to get in.  Don't try to get in to the Auchan in Cosne Cours sur Loire for that very reason (and for the fact that there is nowhere to turn around if you've already committed yourself to the slip road to the supermarket!).

If you're going outside peak season and want to stay on campsites then you don't need to book, generally, and can just head wherever the mood takes you.  There are over 11,000 campsites in France, so there's always one just down the road from wherever you are and outside peak season you will always find room.

Don't forget a lot of the autoroutes in France have tolls - and these can add up, but there are N and D roads which can provide good alternatives, and driving, in general, in France is much more pleasant than in Britain - less traffic, more places to stop, and very few places where you have to pay for parking.  Even in cities parking over the lunchtime period is often free to tourists - check the meters or car park regulations for details.