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Done with airport delays and long lines to get through security? A new luxury overnight bus company is in the US, promising a ‘personal suite’ on wheels that lets you actually sleep while traveling between Washington, D.C. and Nashville, Tennessee.
As reported by the New York Times, Napaway's only route right now stops once in Knoxville and once at a rest stop for 15 minutes, but otherwise plugs through the night in a 17-passenger bus that’s only available to riders 9 years and older.
The bus’s suite includes over 13 square feet of usable space with two seats that sit next to each other, but slightly staggered, with one a bit in front of the other. These fold down to create a 6.5-foot-long, 40-inch wide bed advertised to let you lie flat without bending your knees—although photos make it look like you’ll be sleeping diagonally or in an S-shape to account for the two seats being uneven. You’ll sleep on a memory foam mattress pad on a full-sized pillow, with provided sheets and a plush blanket. A black privacy screen can be pulled down to make the space even more private (there’s already a wooden half-wall). The company provides you with a bottle of water, a branded sleep mask, disposable toothbrush and paste, ear plugs and a makeup remover pad.
During the day, the suite is more of a home office, with a proprietary fold-out desk. There are of course, power outlets, USB ports, cup holders and places to stow stuff. The free wifi is fast, and there are a few movies in the online library.
Yes, the restroom is a tiny affair, but that would be the case on an airplane anyway.
Now here’s where the rubber hits the road. The Napaway ride starts at $125 each way, $250 round trip. A quick search for flights from Washington, DC to Nashville shows a price of $228 round trip before taxes, so the Napaway is basically the same price, but with a slower pace and a more luxurious experience. We’re willing to try it. After all, an overnight trip stretched out and asleep sounds more relaxing than a busy two-hour flight (which is really four or five hours, given transportation to the airport and the need to be there two hours in advance). Plus, you get to keep the cute eye mask.