I've made three SEPA deposits to Kraken and each time they were available the next business day. I haven't withdrawn anything yet but BTCs. The website is really well done and the possibility to use leverage is quite interesting (and risky!). I believe you need to be verified to use this feature though. Bitstamp looks good too, much more volume.
I can confirm kraken processes payment VERY fast. And the registration process is very fast as well and not nearly as restrictive and tedious as mtgox and btc-e. In fact after about a week mt. Gox finaly emailed me about my registration, and they DENIED it (while I sent them legal documents that are undeniable proof of residency) while kraken accepted them in a matter of hours.
Can't even get money into btc-e so I'm not even going to bother with that. Not to mention I hear a lot of stories that tons very hard to get money out of mtgox.
I honestly believe kraken is not nearly as popular as it should be, just because it's new doesn't mean it is bad. Quite the contrary in fact.
Localbitcoins works well too, easy to use, just note that it's kind of like an eBay for bitcoins, you or buying them "over the counter" from individuals, and it's possible to get scammed, so make sure you're dealing with trustworthy people only.