Tiger_Moth,
I'd be wary of accepting any 40 hour PPL courses if I were you, considering you need a minimum of 45 hours to qualify.
How old did you say that guide was?
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KBaB,
I've just completed my PPL in the UK, with a total time of just under 6 weeks. It was very reasonably priced, and I didn't have any of that namby pamby California weather to lull me into a force sense of security!
(I also had to adhere to correct radio procedures, etc)
In my opinion, the bottom line is, train in the country you intend to fly in, if you think about it, it makes a lot more sense!
FJW.