Soaringhigh
Just to add to the previous post the way the UK works and Europe for that matter is that most of the airspace outside class A is unregulated - so you dont need to talk to anyone, and many pilots dont. For large parts of the UK and Europe there is often no one to talk to even if you want to. Dotted around are the regional airports which are usually surrounded by class D airspace the base of whcih extends to the bottom of class A airspace. Obviously you cant go there without a clearance. Many people dodge around - still not talking to anyone. Some ask and receive a clearance and some end up going straight through with consequences!
So forget about flight following and the seamless transition from one area controller to another - it doesnt exist. Most of the time the class D controllers dont want to speak to you unless you want a transit.
I am not suggesting it is a problem - it is just a very different concept. It works, but there is often very little hand holding so it relies on everyone knowing where they are and what they want to do.
France is perhaps the worst - where you really can go for hundreds of miles without speaking to (or needing to speak) to anyone else, or for that matter having anyone that wants or is able to talk to you.
Dont forget, times are hard this side of the Pond.