Just to be difficult, but I suggest that if you really are a novice then you put the time & effort into practicing your game in UK b4 paying for a pick-up-focussed trip abroad.

As, regardless of country, you still need to pick up!

IMO it's like a psychological phenomenon such as "my job's shit in UK! therefore UK must be shit! therefore if I work abroad everything will be OK!" (it ain't).

As I said, I'm saying this just to be difficult.

And on a positive note, who knows - some chicks in Oslo might be quite keen for hearing a British or Irish accent? But you know what I mean -- no magic bullets, you need skills if you wanna play.