Here’s how it is from my point of view, taking out the languages issues. I haven’t crossed borders yet but it’s something that I’m planning to do maybe this summer. I just got my licence few months ago so I’m quite new and this is what I find daunting about crossing borders:
1. Regulations.
How do I file a FP? How far in advance? What is all this GAR business? Will ATC speak the same lingo as in the UK? Do I need to carry life rift or just life jackets when crossing channel? when do I switch radio? etc…
2. Charts
How do I get charts for country X? Should I just get a skydemon subscription? Why does the airspace look different?
3. Airfield procedures
Overhead join is standard in UK. What happens abroad? Is it as simple as joining downwind? Do i need high vis jackets? :)
I know all of these can be researched and there is a lot of info online (a lot on this site) and respective AIPs. For those that have done it must be a piece of cake, but for someone that hasn’t yet, it’s a lot of stuff that I could get wrong. Being relatively inexperienced it’s a lot of obstacles to overcome.
There is something to be said about standardization… it would make things much easier if each county had the same regulations and procedures. It would make things much simpler for a newbie like me.
Another thing is that this is stuff they don’t teach you at flight school. I mean you read about flight plans and GAR forms on the books but it’s not a part of the course to submit one. I’m not picking on any particular school, but in general I do think some of this stuff should be part of the course. I’m not 100% sure but I think students are not even allowed to cross borders when solo. It would be great if I had the possibility of doing the cross country trip to say France!
A Maltese friend told me that to do his cross country he had to travel to Sicily with his instructor and visit two airfields solo over there. There is only one airport in Malta so students have to travel abroad to do their cross country trip. As a result newly qualified pilots don’t find it daunting to go abroad because they’ve been doing it during their training (nor are they afraid of water).
Anyways… This isn’t really stopping me, I’m hoping to do some quick trips north France this summer…
In Europe, I think the French pilots are the most extreme in their never-leave-the-country behavior. Most French PPL pilots I know have never made a trip abroad. However, the French also generally do not spend their vacation abroad.
Some aircraft are travel machines, others aren’t. Mine is nothing but a long distance travel machine but a Yak pilot or an Extra 300 pilot probably didn’t buy his aircraft to fly across Europe.
I second geekflyer’s comments (expect for the UK specifics such as GAR).
I’ve only conducted one flight abroad (about 3-4 months after receiving the license last year) and while it really was a non-event, I felt a bit insecure about it before. The flight was to Lelystad and everything went really nice. What got me in the end was the marshaller. 
I learned the signals in Air Law theory, but had never been in a position to use them so when there suddenly was one in front of me (as simple as the signals are, really!) I was at a loss for a couple of seconds and didn’t really know what to do. Awkward situation for both, I think.
Generally, as a renter and weekend flyer, extended trips abroad from my home base will be few and far between. However, I do plan to charter when I go travel to exciting destinations. I had booked an airplane when I was in Scotland in January (surprisingly, both check-ride and the actual trip had to be cancelled due weather). I will book an airplane on Mallorca this summer (if still possible, not sure about that). I would definitely plan to rent in the US next time I’m there…
What I don’t agree with is that it should be a part of the PPL training syllabus to fly abroad. The course should be designed to form save pilots. While at times daunting and complex, planning an international trip is not a matter of life and death in my view. And the actual border crossing has no impact on your flying at all. It’s also pretty specific for each individual country/country combination I suppose, so these could not possibly be covered in the course. After all, it’s a license to learn!
…I think the French pilots are the most extreme in their never-leave-the-country behavior….
And why should they? They have the best food, nice beaches, the highest mountains, everything. Would you fly to Germany if you were French? Me not… And where else can you speak french on the radio even when flying IFR?
And regarding training flights abroad: “My” flying school discourages them because of the complications and expenses necessary when maintenance is required abroad. After a few bad experiences in the past, the owner allows them only in exceptional cases. Like a few weeks ago when a required 300NM CPL cross country flight was only possible towards Austria due to bad weather everywhere else.
EVERY pilot really felt a bit insecure before flying abroad the first time, I think that is completely normal and understandable. It’s also nornal to discover that it’s much easier than one thought it would be. At home with all the maps, notams, charts and stuff one tends to get the impression it’s all such a drag and complicated … and then you fly, call the first frequency and it all just happens by itself … THe best thing is to do it as often as possible
What next,
I understand what you are saying, but my motivation for flying abroad are neither beaches (and there’s better ones than the French ones) nor is it food. It’s the feeling of making a JOURNEY… to discover unknown regions, to see something i don’t know yet.
And regarding training flights abroad: “My” flying school discourages them because of the complications and expenses necessary when maintenance is required abroad.
No approaches into EDSB with your school?
I think you UK guys are not counting with simple thing which is selfconfidence in foreing language
ICAO English (at least) level 4 certificate
in example :)
but as written here, there is no need for FPL between Czech and Germany and VFR flighs so quite lot of guys here did their long PPL training fligh to dresden instead of brno (fees was somehow around 1/3 don’t know if still valid) even it was a bit unlegal as I don’t think so everyone holds his Full Radiophone Operator Certificate (mandatory thing to fligh abroad here, but a bit funny, this doesn’t belong to Civil Aviation Authority so they can’t check, force or whatever, but belongs to Czech Telecomunication Office, which has authority only in Czech republic so they can hardly do anything, but this is a different story)
And where else can you speak french on the radio even when flying IFR?
Québecois is still sort of French… So Quebec, including some Air Canada IFR flights – which surprised me. It’d be a lonely French-only cross country from Brest to Montreal!
No approaches into EDSB with your school?
Well actually our base at Stuttgart is kind of “abroad” – the flying school itself being from Badenia…
