ask for Coookie... - he is also an FAA examiner.
Can anyone else confirm that he is a DPE, as I thought it was only (Capt) TPH, and AH in the UK, and I can’t find his name on the FAA database.
As far as the original question, the FAA IR is by far more easily attainable in terms of a reduced amount of study and general p1ssing about with theoretical exams, and not having to pay massive test fees to the CAA. I would recommended a visit to the US and an intensive course done inside 3-4 weeks. I wouldn’t bother trying to find a FAA CFII (of which I’m one of many in the UK) to do the training in the UK and try arrange a test in France/Jersey. Simply do it in the states, get a stand-alone FAA certificate issued, then find a sensible person with Euro IFR experience once you get back to fill in the blanks with airspace and filing.
I don’t think some people quite appreciate that an instrument rating is still a fairly big deal, and a lot more involved than just having an IMC/IR(R) and flown through a few clouds - you may well find that your “only 10 hours CBIR” course runs over that amount by some margin, plus you’d still have a load of theoretical hoops to jump through.
What I can say from experience, is that neither FAA nor EASA will give you any idea of actually filing and flying airways throughout Europe. If FAA, you’ll be able to jump straight into an IFR flightplan in the US, and competently conduct the flight. Under EASA, you may have an idea of flight-planning and filing, but your training will likely have amounted to concentrating on 2-3 test routes, which no doubt you’ll be able to do come the day of the test, but you’ll be completely frazzled by flying anywhere else, having never covered this.