John,
I've done a similar thing (a good friend acting as guide) in England, France, Germany and Ireland.
In France, some of the airports also close for lunch. The operator might become upset with you if you land right at lunchtime, and don't expect any services until after lunch!
In Germany you might have to pay a graduated landing fee based on how much noise your airplane makes, and whether you've invested in noise abatement equipment.
In Ireland you must have a flight plan for every flight, and you may not depart until you've obtained permission to land at your destination. Such permission might be withdrawn if something comes up and the airport becomes unattended (airports may not be used while unattended).
The airport at Swansea, Wales, is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. If you go to Cardiff instead, it will cost a breathtaking amount of money in fees of all sorts.
As I suspect is true everywhere, aviators in all these countries are wonderful people. But you're right, it really makes you appreciate what we have in the US!
