I had cause to do a flight the other day, it was an LPC as it happens, and the mission profile was entirely typical of this sort of flight.
Amongst other things I had to do a normal takeoff, simulated engine failure, and then an OEI precision approach, and single engine missed approach, all hand flown, followed by a non-precision approach. Then we were on to other stuff which was done en-route and/or at home base
The flight was not the problem, the examiner was not the problem, the aircraft was not the problem, all of that passed in the usual way, not perfection but acceptable.
My issue was finding somewhere to do the approaches!
Our home base field has several IFR airports around, but the request for just two instrument approaches (no landings) was declined at the first 3 I called. I eventually got a booking at the fourth try at an airport around 50 NM away, but even they tried to give me a 45 minute delay after I had taken off. I have had similar problems before in another area of the UK with different airports.
If this is representative of the way things are going in the UK we are all in bother, or at least we will have to be booking approaches at silly times or long in advance. Does anyone else have this problem?
In Germany, while the same general problem exists (i.e. almost all IFR airports require prior booking for several consective training approaches), it is not that bad, as it is more a formality than anything else and unless it is Frankurt or Munich, you can expect to receive the slot, and even as per your requested timetable). BTW, the booking must normally done with the area’s radar ATC unit, not the airport itself.
Still, in some cases, there can occasionally be problems. Some airports also have Sunday bans for reapted instrument approaches and so on.
Come to Sweden, we have plenty of space. No approach fees and PPR for approaches are not so common even though it is common sense to call them before to let them know your intention. :)
What helps is if you have IFR airports around that don’t have any airline traffic. These tend to be ideal for instrument pratice. Germany has many of these, but the smallest ones usually only have one GPS approach, which isn’t ideal for training. But some even have ILS (Schwäbisch Hall) or a LOC (Mannheim) or VOR approaches (Zweibrücken).
Italy for example has zero GA-only airports with IFR procedures. They used to have one (Padova), but it turned VFR only a few years ago. Likewise, Spain doesn’t seem to have any.
I think this issue exists because there is a significant demand for training approaches, both by FTOs which need to fly them all the time an by individuals doing revalidations or doing IMCR training.
Out of Shoreham I normally fly to Lydd for the ILS. It is about 30 mins away. This has to be booked (they seem to book it in 15 or 30 minute slots) but I have occassionally managed to get it by calling them on the radio. Then I phone them afterwards to pay the £20 or £30 fee (I never land there nowadays; I have 2x had food poisoning from the ice cream 
). And Shoreham has NDB/DME and GPS (non LPV) approaches.
Come to Denmark. We still have NDB approaches, ILS, RNAV, LPV.
