From my own experience (which is in the US, where long-distance flight is a lot easier than in Europe) I have come to the conclusion that flying is a great hobby, as long as you don't confuse it with a means of transportation.
If you want to learn to fly SO THAT you can take yourself to various different destinations around Europe, just stick to Ryanair/Easyjet/etc. It'll cost you WAY less money and you won't end up as a statistic because you absolutely had to be back at work on Monday even though the weather didn't look too good.
Of course sometimes you CAN do these kinds of trips and they are hugely enjoyable. But you can rarely count on it - especially with the weather in the northerly half of Europe. An IR is essential but even then, unless you have serious $$$ (or the local equivalent) ice will still keep you on the ground.
Learn to fly for the fun, challenge and reward of flying, then regard the occasional long distance trip as yet another bonus.