A new luxury bus startup with bedroom and office suites will bring passengers between DC and Nashville overnight for $125 (2024)

Foto: Napaway

• Startup Napaway Coach is launching a sleeper bus service with private suites.
• These suites can be used as an office, lounge for two people, or bedroom with a mattress.
• The company will begin red-eye services between Washington, DC and Nashville, Tennessee for $125.

Say goodbye to dreadful overnight travel sleeping upright in a cramped bus or plane. Startup Napaway Coach is launching a red-eye sleeper bus service with private suites for every guest.

Unlike the typical budget bus with rows of packed seats, Napaway Coach's 18 onboard suites can convert into an office, lounge for two people, or bedroom. Given Napaway's red-eye itineraries, the latter mode will likely be used more frequently, and for good reason: The seats can turn into a 6.5-foot-long bed with a memory foam mattress, bedding, and a privacy screen.

For a more restful slumber, passengers will also receive a "nap kit" with toiletries like an eye mask, earplugs, and a toothbrush. But if a night owl traveler would rather stay up and work, the suites will also have WiFi, outlets, foldout desks, device mounts, and "in-flight" entertainment options, creating a flexible space for every passenger's needs.

his arrangement was developed with Butterfly Flexible Seating Solutions and was inspired by the company's aviation seating designs.

Service will be limited when the company begins operations on June 17. Its first trip will bring passengers from Washington, DC to Nashville from 10 p.m. through 7:30 a.m. the following morning. Return service will then depart Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m. before arriving back in DC at 7:30 a.m. the morning after.

At least nine hours on the road may seem unreasonable compared to faster flight options. But according to a statement from Dan Aronov, Napaway's founder, using a coach service eliminates wasted waiting time at airports. And because pickups and dropoffs are in the heart of both cities, there's no need to navigate complicated bus terminals or airports.

More routes and times will be unveiled as the company progresses.

Napaway isn't the only new luxury bus startup servicing the Washington, DC market. In late 2021, the Jet began operating $99 bus rides between the capital and New York City. Like Napaway, the Jet relies onluxurious amenities — like its motion-canceling seats and in-seat service — to set it apart from less expensive long-haul bus competitors.