The distances between stars are so great that real, physical interstellar travel is probably the rarest thing in the universe. It probably only ever happens for the motive of escape. In particular, there is nothing you could possibly bring back from a trip to another star which would justify the cost.
Who is to say that such a technically-advanced race isn’t from right here on Earth? About the time we climbed down from the trees they said “There goes the neighborhood” and split for an underground base in Antarctica.
Might take the sting out of that consternation.