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I'd do a really long first day, and stay one night in a budget hotel such as a Mister Bed (29 euros offer at the moment, for a room which sleeps three, with en suite), then get down to the more scenic parts of Southern France and have a day or two there.  For the five of you you'd need two rooms, which would cost more than a campsite but saves the hassle of unpacking and setting up the tent for a night in unspectactular scenery.

You could then have  a couple of days around the Millau area (577 miles from Calais) - or in the Gorges du Tarn (not all that far from the A75 (free) autoroute, off at junction 44a) - and find a cheap campsite by the river Tarn.  Many of the campsites along there have river beaches, and the scenery is absolutely spectacular, and if your children like wildlife it's a great area.  Just up the valley in the Gorge du Jonte vultures were reintroduced years ago, and you'll see them soaring over the valleys every day.  They are enormous.   The river Tarn has beaver, and if you're quiet at dusk you may be able to spot them swimming up or down river.

The municipal campsite in Le Rozier is a good standard, with a pool and river beach - and the high season charges (though higher than many municipal sites) are not bad.  There are lots of other sites all along the route to the Gorges du Tarn, and you'd have no problem finding a pitch.  There's also the municipal site in Aguessac which is fine, but doesn't have a pool.

From there you could be well down into Spain for the next overnight, or choose to stay somewhere along the Mediterranean.  We did have a look around Le Pepiniere (the website may take a time to load) in Grau d'Agde, and that's a site with good sized pitches, a nice toilet block, alongside the River Herault and is within walking distance of the beach at Grau d'Agde (nice safe family beach).  There's also a little ferry across to the beach at La Tamarissiere, which is really pretty, and quieter.  The prices were very modest compared to a lot of seaside sites.  I think it would be under 30 euros for the five of you. 

From there you could do another stop somewhere along the Spanish coast (sorry can't help with this as we've been no further than Tarragona).

This campsite is lovely if you want somewhere different in Spain.  Can Coromines inland from Girona and not bad prices for Spain.  But you might need to ring to book as it's a way to go if they don't have a space for you.

There are loads of other campsites on the coasts but some are packed inlike sardines.