why do you use the term "intensive course"? is your plan to go commercial? if not, why not go out every once in a while and enjoy yourself whilst getting a licence at some point?
also have you considered cutting the cost by getting the 10 ours of your minimum 45 hour journey to be done on microlights?
to answer your question - EASA licence in the states is not as cheap as people will tell you, you can get a PPL over the continent for about 7,8K, but then when you come back to UK, you don't know anybody, you don't know the weather.. you don't know the UK's RT procedures - you're pretty much useless. Good luck finding anyone who will be willing to rent you an aircraft. You get what you pay for!