@jfw: I am glad to see another participant from Belgium (and indeed from quite nearby). Welcome! @Aviathor is quite right: if you could fly EBGB-LFQQ you can fly anywhere in rural France. Use recent maps, check NOTAMs plus the military low flying, avoid those nuclear power plants and all will be well.
The only way to do it is to commit and get going. The next time it is far easier. You must have the skills. Get a chart and carefully plan the route and go.
A new one from belgium, nice!
LFAT is not difficult at all, it is really easy to fly there. If you have specific questions, just open a topic here. There is a lot of knowledge on this board, just don’t be intimidated by it ( I was in the beginning). Just by reading, you will learn really a lot.
If you find it easier to ask questions in Dutch, you can always contact me if you want.
Thanks for your kind advices, and thanks to the others for your support 
Feels good to be supported.
@Peter, if I can get my hands on the club’s plane I might try to join 
Other question on a more general post-ppl questions:
-what is best to do in the short term: build experiece? Move for a night rating ?
-And for a mid-long term ? IR I guess
Any tips and school/training suggestions are welcome as well
I would recommend doing more day trips.
Night flying is instrument flying in all but name, and if you find yourself on a real dark night you will be on instruments, in terms of both aircraft control and navigation.
Both night flight and the IR are much easier if you are a good and accurate VFR (VMC) pilot. So I would work on that first.
A PPL will suffice in both local flying and cross-country flying. But cross-country poses higher risk for bad weather and being stuck somewhere on the ground if you lack the instrument rating to keep going in marginal weather. Also, insurance companies want the instrument rating to give the better rates. So bothering to get the instrument rating has a couple of economic and safety incentives over just putting in a lot of hours as a PPL in VFR and 1 hour days.
Everything discussed on every aviation board applies to both types of flying.
The specialty flying like aerobatics, tail draggers, STOL, and gliders can all be done without a PPL (just a sport license) and are less concerned with instrument conditions or cross-country flying.
Some ‘kids’ are looking to make a living flying so they will want/need to progress rapidly through the ratings – PPL, IR, Commercial, ME, ATP.
Also, insurance companies want the instrument rating to give the better rates.
In Europe?
The specialty flying like aerobatics, tail draggers, STOL, and gliders can all be done without a PPL (just a sport license) and are less concerned with instrument conditions or cross-country flying.
No Sport license in Europe…
I am all in favour of getting the IR. It really opens up one’s flying. I would have struggled doing most of these trips legitimately VFR. However, it does come with costs, in the form of needing a better aircraft and generally spending quite a lot more money on one’s flying. And I would not recommend anyone starting on an IR until they are already a good accurate VFR pilot.
Guess you could argue LAPL a sort-of sport pilot’s license.
Peter wrote:
. And I would not recommend anyone starting on an IR until they are already a good accurate VFR pilot.
I wouldn’t necessarily agree with this. If flying IFR (or long trips with a little more certaintly of getting there and back around the planned dates) is what you want to do I personally would start it as soon as you can in your flying career. Studies have shown in the US that when the lowered the entry hours for the IR, accident rates fell ie the became better safer pilots). But plenty of pilots have no interest in it or need for it which is also fine.
Anything that keeps people flying and learning is good. Night, aeros, tailwheel, IR. All of these make you a better more accurate pilot.
