Yes, another difference I neglected to mention is in Germanic countries, because your degree is your life, people think it's ok take it easy, enjoy your student life a bit, maybe stretch it out to 6-7 years where it's supposed to take 5. And you certainly cannot just stop after your bachelor's degree!
In the UK, people are 21 or 22 when they finish university, and it's off to find some job. It's not unusual to find 25 year old phds who've raced through the academic system.
This naturally also has an impact on the debate about who should pay, and how much.