Thank god I live in OZ or I'd never get anywhere. Here so long as you have a nav aid rating such as a VOR or NDB and the NVFR rating does that you can fly VFR on top outside controlled airspace. For years I used to fly to Sydney in the winter from the west over full fog/ low cloud for 150nm untill crossing the Blue Mountains then decend from 7500' to clear conditions. You see here the prevaling westerlys push the cloud up to the mountains where they then back up for 150 miles or so and there is no getting under them in winter. Over the top is the only sensible way to go bathed in 10octas of sunshine and 10octas of whiteout below. The trick of course was to phone up before takeoff and confirm clear or at least suitable cloud conditions east of the divide and always have enough fuel to go back if you had to.
I know live in south Oz where there wouldn't be more that probaby 12days a year you couldn't go flying at some point due weather.