A last-minute flight from Washington, D.C. to Nashville for $200 was found by John. There was no easy way to get to the train.
The man started looking for buses online. He stumbled upon a company that promised premium overnight accommodations on an 18-passenger bus with seats that fold into a flat bed and a plush blanket.
Mr. Rosenberg and his friends spent 18 hours at Midway Airport in Chicago after they were thrown off their flight to Washington. After sleeping for 45 minutes in the airport chapel, he was kicked out by security.
The Napaway could not be worse. At least he would be moving.
The flight to Nashville was booked for $125.
His friends were making fun of him. Are you planning on spending 11 hours on a bus?
The man was.
On a Sunday night, after spending the weekend in Nashville, Mr. Rosenberg joined five other passengers, including me, on the Napaway, which took travelers from Washington to Nashville.
The company and other premium bus companies are betting that Americans will abandon the image of the cramped bus as the last resort for cash- strapped and long-haul travel.
A staple of travel in parts of Latin America and Asia has been the giant sleeper bus. The concept has never taken hold in the US. Cabin started taking passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco for overnight trips in 2017, but stopped in 2020. The founder of Cabin wouldn't say why the service ended.
A 14-seat bus that ferries people from Metro Center in Washington to Hudson Yards in Manhattan is one of the more successful coach services.
They advertise seats that recline far back, high-speed wi-fi and a feeling that even though you are technically on an intercity bus, you are on a refined, affordable journey.
She said that the word bus doesn't show up in the ads. It is said that it is a first-class luxury experience.
Dan Aronov is the founder and chief executive of the company. When a flight from Washington to Nashville takes less than two hours, many travelers may be hesitant to take the bus.
He pointed out how bad the experience can be. A passenger will spend a lot of time getting to the airport, going through security and waiting at the gate. Mr. Aronov said that's assuming a flight is on time.
He said that the experience of traveling while lying on a mattress pad and sleeping under a blanket was different.
You were going to sleep for seven to eight hours. You're just doing it.
Megabus and BoltBus, which offered $1 rides and curbside pickup in the early 2000s, paved the way for premium coach travel.
He said that those companies stimulated more innovation and investment.
Professor Schwieterman said it is possible that the stars have aligned for premium coach travel as train service remains elusive in much of the South.
He said that airlines and rail have higher fuel costs and need a small army of employees to operate.
By contrast, a premium bus requires a crew of one to two drivers and perhaps one attendant, which means that even if a company sells less than half of its seats, it can still cover its costs.
Mia Reed, a singer from Brooklyn who found trains and airplanes too expensive and inconvenient, was looking for a bus that would take her to visit her parents in Virginia.
Ms. Reed said she learned about the Jet on social media.
It was easy to book online, and the Jet was better organized than an ordinary bus. During the four-hour trip, an attendant would come by to check on passengers and give out refreshments.
The company's founder and chief executive said it was meant to be a private jet experience. The name was given to the jet.
Buses are difficult to imagine in the American imagination. We were warned of them by Weird Al in his parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" In movies, they are often used to show the protagonists at their most annoyed, dead or alive. One of my relatives suggested I carry a pocketknife when I told them I would be on the bus.
Theresa and I traveled to Washington on Friday.
At 9:30 p.m., we found the bus at the parking lot on L Street NE, near the outdoor beer garden where the song "Party in the U.S.A" was played.
We were joined by three other people, including an elderly retiree, a shy woman from the Dominican Republic, and a graduate student studying social work.
The bus had a lot of stars painted on it. There were 36 seats inside, two for each passenger, that were converted into S-shaped beds.
She booked the bus for the novelty of it after sky-diving for the first time at 70 and zip lining at 80.
When she told her friend about the bus, she said the friend said it was a great idea. The ethos of the Napaway is that passengers should refrain from loud talking or playing their devices out loud.
Mr. Aronov said that no one under the age of 8 can ride the road. There is an age minimum of 6 for the Jet.
Mr Aronov sympathizes with parents. We have an age minimum for the sake of the other passengers.
Mr. Aronov said that Nashville is popular with tourists because of its lack of public transit options.
Mr. Aronov, a graduate of Oxford University, said he started the company with the help of individuals. He wouldn't say how much it cost to start the company.
It takes time for the word to get out about it.
Passengers have requested trips from Washington to Atlanta, New York and Boston. In November, the bus will add Wednesday and Thursday to the schedule.
Travelers ranged in age from 9 to 93.
Mr. Aronov told me that he tries to ride as much as possible. He explained how to lower the seats when the bus came to a stop. A sleep mask, toothbrush, ear plugs, and disposable towelette were given to each passenger.
Ms. Saltano was struggling with her privacy screen when Mr. Aronov came to her aid. She fell asleep after looking at her phone for a few minutes.
I lay the mattress on the floor and wondered if someone taller than 6 feet would be as comfortable. Mr. Aronov said that anyone taller than 6 feet should be able to lie flat on their back.
At 2 a.m., I woke up. I couldn't hear anyone snoring over the soft sound of the engine and the wheels. The bus moved but the rocking motion was silent. I imagined how a baby felt in a carriage as I slept.
I felt refreshed when I woke up.
We spent about 36 hours in Nashville, visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, catching live music at Rudy's Jazz Room, and eating at Biscuit Love.
On the way back to Washington, we were joined by Ms. Lee and Mr. Aronov.
The trip back was as peaceful as the one down. We were delayed by about an hour because of an accident on I 81.
No one was upset.
She stretched and rose from her seat on the bus.
The man said he slept for about four hours.
He told Mr. Aronov that it was great. I have never been on a bus that was as comfortable as this one.
I asked if he would go back on the road.
Only if a one-way plane ticket costs more than $300.
Each way, tickets cost $125. The Napaway goes from Washington to Tennessee. The train leaves from Washington at 10 pm on Friday and arrives in Nashville at 8 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. The next day is central. The bus will take you to Rep. John Lewis Way N.
The Napaway leaves Nashville at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and arrives in Washington at 7:30 a.m. on Monday. If you have time before the bus, you can stop for a drink at Skull's Rainbow Room, a bar and restaurant that is 7 minutes away from the meeting spot.
Every passenger has a bottle of water. You can use the free wi-fi on the bus to watch TV shows. There is a free online library of movies.
You can use your privacy screen to get changed at your own seat, but there is a small bathroom on the plane. Twice the bus stops, once for pickup and drop-off in Tennessee and once for roadside rest stops. Mr. Aronov hopes you won't notice because you'll be fast asleep.
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