Planning a holiday with another person sounds simple until you have to compare prices, agree on dates and explain why one weekend does not work for you. In this B1 study guide, we use the Michael–Sarah planning conversation as a model for exactly that situation: two people trying to turn a vague summer idea into a workable plan.

If you have been searching for English conversation practice for planning a trip with a friend, or wondering how to talk about hotel prices and train times in simple English, this guide gives you the language step by step. The conversation stays at the planning stage — no trip has happened yet — so the focus is on questions, comparisons, suggestions and practical constraints.

The situation and your learning goal

Michael and Sarah are having an everyday conversation. Michael first asks about Sarah's week at the hotel and the new manager, they briefly mention their pets, and then the talk turns to their summer holiday. Most of the exchange is back-and-forth planning: the places Michael sent, a hotel by a lake in a mountain town, July and June prices, possible dates, time off, transport and simple arrangements.

Your goal at B1 is not to sound like a travel agent. It is to keep a shared plan moving: ask what the other person thought, compare two options honestly, suggest an alternative, and say clearly what you need to check before you can agree. By the end of this guide you should be able to do all four in a short, natural conversation.

Useful English for this situation

Did you look at the places I sent you?

This question checks whether the other person has seen your suggestions. It is friendly and direct, and it works well at the start of a planning conversation. The past simple "did you look at" suggests a specific moment in the recent past.

  • Verified example from the conversation: Michael asks Sarah whether she looked at the places he sent.
  • Extension example (added for practice): "Did you look at the hotel website I emailed you?"

Follow-up questions keep it going: "What did you think of it?" or "Which one did you like best?"

It is quite expensive in July.

"It is quite expensive" is a polite, softened way to say a price is high. "Quite" makes the comment less blunt than "very expensive" or "too expensive". Adding "in July" shows the price depends on the time.

  • Verified example from the conversation: the July price of the hotel is described as quite expensive.
  • Extension example (added for practice): "The apartment is quite expensive in August, but it has a kitchen."

Use this phrase to raise a concern without rejecting the plan outright. It invites a response rather than ending the discussion.

Maybe we can go in June instead of July.

This is a soft suggestion with a clear alternative. "Maybe we can" keeps it open; "instead of" places the new option before the old one. Note the pattern: instead of + noun or time expression.

  • Verified example from the conversation: June is suggested as an alternative to July.
  • Extension example (added for practice): "Maybe we can take the bus instead of the plane."

I have to ask my manager.

This phrase explains a real constraint: you cannot confirm yet because you need approval for time off. It is neutral and practical, not an excuse. "Have to" signals an obligation outside your control.

  • Verified example from the conversation: time off work and checking with a manager come up as part of fixing dates.
  • Extension example (added for practice): "I have to ask my manager about the third week of June."

The train is cheaper than the plane.

A simple comparative with "than". Remember the pattern: cheaper than, more expensive than. Do not say "cheaper as". This phrase is useful when you compare two transport options by cost.

  • Verified example from the conversation: transport choices, including train and plane, are compared during the planning.
  • Extension example (added for practice): "The train is cheaper than the plane, but it takes about six hours."

Vocabulary you will need

  • hotel — a place to stay with rooms and services for guests.
  • apartment — a place to stay with rooms and often a kitchen; often a good idea for longer stays or lower budgets.
  • manager — the person who leads a team or business; the person you ask about time off.
  • schedule — a plan of times for work or activities.
  • expensive — costing a lot of money.
  • cheaper — costing less than another option.
  • picnic — a meal eaten outdoors; a simple, low-cost activity to add to a plan.
  • castle — a large old building that tourists often visit.

How to use the language

Think of the conversation as a cycle you can repeat with any destination:

  1. Ask about options. "Did you look at the places I sent you?" / "What did you think of the hotel by the lake?"
  2. Compare. "How expensive is it?" / "It is quite expensive in July." / "The train is cheaper than the plane."
  3. Suggest. "Maybe we can go in June instead of July." / "An apartment is a good idea."
  4. Agree or check. "That works for me." / "I have to ask my manager."
  5. Confirm arrangements. "Let's book it." / "What time do we arrive?"

Keep your turns short. At B1, one question plus one comment is often enough. Use "maybe" and "quite" to soften, and "That works for me" to close a point clearly. When you share news that affects the budget — a family event, for example — link it to the plan: "I have a family event in July, so June is better for me."

Common mistakes and practice

Watch for these typical B1 errors:

  • Comparatives: say "cheaper than", not "cheaper as"; do not leave out "than".
  • Instead of: use it before a noun or time expression ("instead of July"), not before a full clause.
  • Dates: practise ordinals and ranges — "the second weekend", "the third week of June", "the 21st to the 28th".
  • Tone: "It is quite expensive" raises a concern politely; "It is too expensive" is stronger and can sound like a rejection.

Try these practice tasks:

  1. Role-play a planning call. One person proposes a destination; the other asks about prices, dates and transport. Then swap roles.
  2. Compare two hotels or apartments. Ask "How expensive?" and choose using "cheaper than" and "instead of".
  3. Use a constraint card. Give each learner a date, a budget limit or a pet-care problem, and negotiate a plan with "I have to ask…" and "That works for me."
  4. Practise travel arrangements. Use fresh examples with train and bus times: "every hour", "takes about", "arrive" and "leave" — then add a simple picnic plan.

Now listen to the lesson and follow how Michael and Sarah move from one suggestion to the next. Then try one response yourself: imagine your friend suggests a hotel that is quite expensive in July, and reply with a polite comparison and an alternative date.