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Top 5 Music Festivals in Europe

Glastonbury Festival has been running for 40 years and it is still one of the most popular festivals in the UK, along with Reading festival and V Festival.

But maybe you fancy sidestepping the rain and mud this year for more sunny festival climes? Why not try one of the music festivals in Europe?

Remember that the best way to get to music festivals in Europe is to use public transport as it probably wouldn't be worth the money hiring a car. Travelling by car will see you stuck in traffic jams in sweltering heat, which isn't a good way to acclimatise to your new surroundings! Make sure you plan your trip and buy train or bus tickets in advance if you can.

Here's our rundown of the top 5 music festivals in Europe.

FIB Heineken Benicassim Festival, Spain 15-18 July

For the ultimate sun kissed festival head over to Benicassim on Spain's east coast. The beach is just a stone's throw away and ticket prices include nine days of camping.

After enjoying a quick dip in the Med, you'll get a chance to see Gorillaz, The Prodigy, Kasabian, Vampire Weekend, Lily Allen, Goldfrapp, Klaxons and many more. The music starts around 5pm and carries on into the small hours.

If you are catching a train to the festival, it's best to book your ticket in advance as seats quickly fill up. There are also bus services from the surrounding airports from around 30 € return.

For just 20 € you can purchase a pass to take you to and from the beach and Benicassim town centre via the regular bus service. Nine days of camping and four days of music gives you the flexibility to combine a holiday in the sun with an unforgettable festival experience!

Sziget Festival, Hungary 11-16 August

Budapest's Obudai Island will be transformed into a music lover's paradise this summer for the Sziget Festival where performers from a range of genres will take to the stage. Sziget is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe and it attracts big name bands every year.

This year you can catch the likes of Enter Shikari, Papa Roach, Faithless, Kasabian, Muse, The Hives, UB 40 and Iron Maiden.

Sziget's organisers strive to make the festival as eco-friendly as possible, and with the backing of Green Peace, they don't do at all bad. A comprehensive recycling initiative helps to spread their green ethos, and revellers are rewarded for returning plastic cups.

You can camp within the festival grounds from as early as 8 August. Or there are numerous hotels within easy reach if you want a more comfortable bed for the night.

A train station is situated near the entrance of Sziget Festival, making it easy to get to. Train lines run extra services during when the festival is running.

A Campingflight to Lowlands Festival, Holland 20-22 August

Lowlands combines great music, stand-up comedy, film and theatre over three days.

Blink-182, The Kooks, Placebo, Pendulum, Snow Patrol, Queens of the Stone Age and many more will be taking to the Lowlands stage this year.

With seven campsites, there's plenty of room for your tent, but there's also the option to rent a Podpad or Bellepad if you don't want to cart all your equipment around with you. Podpads are perfect for two. They are little huts with beds, lights and locks, while Bellepads are sturdy tents with four blow-up beds. All campsites have toilets, hot showers and running water.

Food at Lowlands is on a global scale, from spicy curries to good old fashioned burgers.

A free shuttle service can take you the festival from the nearest train stations: 't Harde or Lelystad.

Pukkelpop, Belgium 19-21 August

With eight stages to chose from and acts such as Placebo, Snow Patrol, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit and Groove Armada, Pukkelpop is going to be a blast this summer! 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of this buzzing festival and around 200 acts will be performing across eight stages.

The festival is based in Kiewit Hasselt in Belgium and the best way to get to the site is by train - the station is just 500 metres from the festival site.

Pukkelpop offers the option to buy food and drink tickets online in advance, making grabbing your grub that little bit easier!

The festival is well equipped to cater for disabled music lovers. There is an accessible entrance for people in wheelchairs, special disabled platforms near many of the stages, and a reserved disabled camping zone.

The Pukkelpop website is a great source for foreign visitors to the festival. The English section of the Community Forum enables Brits to discuss their Pukkelpop plans and offer advice to fellow festival goers.

Roskilde Festival, Denmark 1-4 July

Roskilde Festival has been running since 1971. Gates open at 18:00 on 26th June.

This year Roskilde festival goers will be bobbing along to the music of Gorillaz, Jack Johnson, Muse, Prince, The Prodigy and Them Crooked Vultures.

Before the music kicks off, a women only footie competition called Sensational Street Soccer will be making its first appearance at the festival. Teams of 5-8 female players can take part. The overall winners will get tickets to next year's festival and there are prizes up for grabs for the best team name and the best male cheerleaders!

There's the normal campground to sling your own tent up in, or why not stay at Reboot Camp? Reboot Camp includes all kinds of perks including a ready made-up tent for two, breakfast, an eco-friendly laundry service and exclusive bars to chill out in.

Check out the Roskilde website - it's got some great fun ways to win tickets to the festival.

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