I'm frankly horrified at my total spend when I take a European break.
a) the country is not that much different to ours (so no excitement there).
b) the prossies mostly are not *that* much cheaper.
c) the accommodation is expensive.
d) I detest having to change planes at Luton, Gatwick etc.
e) flying time (and sometimes travel from the airport too) is disproportionate to the holiday length and overall cost.
f) it's either just as fucking cold as here, or colder, or occasionally too fucking hot. In other words, the overall weather is worse than here.
There's a few tiny exceptions, plus I don't really know Eastern Europe an awful lot. I did the long train trip once from Koln I think it was or somewhere like that. The buildings gradually get scruffier. The people gradually get worse-dressed. The food gets worse. Eventually they're getting on the train with a fucking pig or goat and that's their prize possession.
And then they have the cheek to charge Western prices for a shag!!
If I want to fuck in shitville, there are frankly more interesting places to do it
Interesting places: South America, Africa, Japan. That's really like visiting a different world. Of the three, South America I've found the most fun, the best pussy and the best for a vast variety of different experiences. The main downside of longhaul is time. Cost out a trip to S.A. and work out how many trips to Germany that's equivalent too. One life changing experience a year or three nice but not exactly gobsmacking ones. The other downside of longhaul, especially visiting a country for the first time, is prep and planning. Get lost in Germany and someone will keep you ok. Try it in parts of Africa and you could starve before you figure the sign language.