I would also caution the US route. We have had a number of people at the club over the last few years who have done their training in the US either a JAA licence or a FAA one.
They have in general needed a large number of hours dual before they were safe to fly solo. The flying environment is just totally different. Unused to grass and in need of the comfort of runway lengths we just do not have. That plus the weather and different R/T makes for them an often unexpected conversion period.
Let me be clear, I'm not in any way knocking US instruction and training, but they are doing it on a large continent and we fly from a small island.