im currently in florida doing my ppl.
the actual cost of the course is about £2000 cheaper than in the uk. that is even with the poor exchange rate. when you factor in flights, visa costs etc, it will still be cheaper than the uk.
i practised circuits yesterday, we did 15 touch and gos. to do the same in the uk would have cost me a fortune! (you dont pay landing fees in the states!)
as always, factor in atleast an extra 15-20% extra cost just in case things dont go too well for you.
as for the time frame, i am here for 3.5 weeks. im feeling the pressure and i wish i did more studying at home! even still, im now ready to go solo and its only taken a week.
when i get back to the uk, i plan on booking atleast 5 hours with an instructor to "polish" my skills. there are a few differences ie the R/T is different and you join the circuit in a different manner. even with this extra cost, atleast i will be logging P1 time and would still have saved a fortune on the uk course price!
oh last thing is the weather. i have often heard people say there is no weather in the states but sunshine. rubbish! on a cloudy day here, you can watch the localised rain storms form, move across the sky and dissipate. this will be happening on your left, behind you, to the right and all around! makes you more aware of storm clouds and how quickly things can turn nasty if you dont learn your met!
whatever you choose, do your research and enjoy it!