Good post from BP.
I've been around this block a few times since doing the FAA PPL some years ago.
Taking into account the present-day FAA options in Europe, my view is now that one should minimise one's European training expenditure and do all the pricey stuff (like flying) in the USA, and somewhere where the weather is nice so the project can be wrapped up on a predictable schedule.
Anything that could stretch the critical path and whose cost is not really relevant in the big picture should be done in the UK: written exam, medical, general reading and getting ready for the oral exam.
I would never go to the USA without having done the written
here first. The FAA writtens are just 1 exam each but they are harder then one would think.
I don't think training in UK weather has any
net benefit - aside from reducing one's IHT liability
You spend a pile more money, take a year to do a 6 week job, take 3 steps forward and 2 backwards... Anybody with a brain can be trained to read tafs and metars, and not fly in IMC, etc.