Seven of the best music festivals to visit by train from the UK

"Fete de la musique, which began in Paris in 1982 but is now popular across the country. It is a loose event encompassing dozens of free, semi-impromptu outdoor performances all over each host city, including plenty in Lille, which is even cheaper and quicker to get to than Paris on the Eurostar from London."

"Fete de la musique is a chance to immerse yourself in the music that rarely crosses the Channel, from spirited chanson to Francophone hip-hop and the breakneck carnival styles of shatta or bouyon, where MCs rattle through commands on tracks of more than 160 beats per minute."

"Le Guess Who? in Utrecht (5-8 November) is celebrating its 20th year this year, and hands over some of the curation to a series of invariably excellent left-field musical guests: the likes of Animal Collective, Lonnie Holley, Mabe Fratti and Stereolab have held the reins in recent years."

Paris hosts notable festivals including Cercle, featuring dance music in an aerospace museum, but Fête de la Musique stands as the most accessible and democratic option. Beginning in Paris in 1982, this free festival now spans the country with dozens of semi-impromptu outdoor performances. Lille offers an even cheaper and quicker Eurostar alternative to Paris. The festival showcases French music rarely heard in the UK, from chanson to Francophone hip-hop and fast-paced styles like shatta and bouyon. Beyond France, Dutch festivals provide additional options: Le Guess Who? in Utrecht celebrates its 20th year with guest curators, Rewire in The Hague features experimental artists, and Roadburn in Tilburg specializes in adventurous heavy music. All destinations are accessible via Eurostar from London.

Read at www.theguardian.com