IO540,
What you say about flying in France is absolutely true. Though we did fine there with VORs, and only occasionally used the GPS as a back-up.
But there's plenty of flying in the UK - and Ireland - to keep most PPLs going for a few years at least. Cornwall, with loads of new airfields to try. Scotland, with the Highlands and Islands. Fly-ins, the Dawn to Dusk, nav competions...if you fancy something different. ALL of this can be done relatively cheaply, in fairly basic aircraft, VFR, and using traditional nav. It doesn't have to be, but it can.
The lack of confidence of new PPLs is a different issue entirely. GPS or not, after my first trip beyond Northern France last year, I was glad I had the confidence which comes with a few years of flying, if only to deal with ATC...
"Lille, we're NOT over the channel, we're almost in your airspace"; "Metz, who exactly do you suggest we talk to then?" It was a steep learning curve...and that wasn't the nav!
New PPLs will probably only get the type of confidence that's needed through experience. The easiest, best, safest, and most fun way of doing that is finding someone else to fly with. For that you need friendly clubs where you'll meet other pilots. Who cares if they're a bit anoraky or in some other way not your type; you're going to fly with them or ask their advice, not marry them! That way you can gradually extend what you do, and that process can be continued for quite a while, in a basic hired tatty old C150, before it becomes boring and you need to move on.
As I've said, when I got my PPL(A) I found another newish PPL to fly with. Then I joined the BWPA, and met someone who wanted to do long distance stuff, but didn't have anyone to go with. That's how my longer trips got started. The BWPA is great if you're female, just for making those kind of contacts. Some men think an equivalent organisation is needed for men. We do have it, lots of them in fact - they're called flying clubs. All it takes is for those of us who frequent them to make them more friendly places where people can get to know each other.
Yet another broken record......