Finally having some first experiences with Bitcoin, seems very disappointing.
The fees are very high, and it is very slow. This makes it very impractical for a lot of uses. What am I missing?
There is only one fee in the bitcoin protocol and it is the
lowest competitive fee. If anyone on the network thinks they can do it for less, then they can. I frequently send money overseas and I assure you, there is no cheaper option.
The bitcoin protocol (and alt-coin clone networks) is the
fastest way to send money. For comparison, a credit card takes between two days an a month to settle. As a user you may not know that. It is well known to business owners.
Now if you are trying to mix bitcoin with fiat currency, then yes, it is going to take forever. But it has nothing to do with bitcoin. The slowdown is in meeting legal requirements for the use of dollars or euros. Those currencies have many, many, laws.