Another try with sleeper buses

[Willbridge]

Washington, DC to Nashville:
https://wtop.com/business-finance/2022/05/napaway-starts-bus-service-from-dc-to-nashville-with-beds/
https://busride.com/napaway-sleeper-coach-service-aims-for-comfort/
This is unusual as a start-up route. The small company has spent a good deal of effort working with a design firm to develop an 18-berth Prevost (seats 36 in daytime mode). And they have an elegant website:

https://napaway.com/

 

[Bob Dylan]

Washington, DC to Nashville:
https://wtop.com/business-finance/2022/05/napaway-starts-bus-service-from-dc-to-nashville-with-beds/
https://busride.com/napaway-sleeper-coach-service-aims-for-comfort/
This is unusual as a start-up route. The small company has spent a good deal of effort working with a design firm to develop an 18-berth Prevost (seats 36 in daytime mode). And they have an elegant website:

https://napaway.com/

What's the Over and Under on this Start-Up Making it a go??

 

[Brian Battuello]

40 years ago I lived in San Francisco, and an occasional sight was busses filled with European tourists peeking out of their slumbercoach tubes as they trundled down streets late at night. Seemed like a fine way to see the US on the cheap.

Look up "The Big Bus" movie. Do not waste your time watching it.

 

[Willbridge]

40 years ago I lived in San Francisco, and an occasional sight was busses filled with European tourists peeking out of their slumbercoach tubes as they trundled down streets late at night. Seemed like a fine way to see the US on the cheap.

Look up "The Big Bus" movie. Do not waste your time watching it.

San Francisco was a terminal for Pickwick Stages, which operated Sleepercoaches before WWII. Of course, their buses called at Pickwick Hotels. Imagine sleeping on US99 to Portland, including winter travel over the Siskiyous. On the other hand, for people who hated the SP, it was an alternative.

 

[George Harris]

Pickwick stages: Yes, I recalled seeing somewhere that there had been sleeper buses at some time in the past, but did not remember the when or where. Are there sleeper buses anywhere in the world today? Unless there was a huge cost advantage, I cannot see taking a pre-interstate highway sleeper bus.

Why those particular end points? Per my phone, that is 664 miles and 9h33m drive time. However, that drive time would mean an average speed of 69.5 mph, which is ridiculous. Something on the order of 12 hours seems a lot more likely, and even that means minimal stopping and keeping at the speed limit as much as practical. This is however significantly faster than any rail time that ever was or is possible now. Something more on the order of 20 to 24 hours was probably on the normal range. Anything much faster than this would require major line relocations due to the Appalachians.

I just have problems seeing a market for a berth on a bus. You are looking at the need to travel but can't or won't drive and don't want to or can't fly. For the can't crowd, there are those that have trouble dealing with the change in air pressure you have when flying. These are understandable, but it seems like the can't fly list is growing because we are getting more and more people coming unglued on flights and getting themselves kicked off and put on don't fly lists. For this last contingent, if they can't stay rational for an hour or two on a plane, how are they going to make 12 hours plus on a bus? I don't want to find out the answer to that one.

 

[caravanman]

There was news recently of a "luxury" seated coach running service between Washington and New York. Anyone know how popular that is proving, it might give an indication of folks willingness to pay for a deluxe sleeper bus service, over an economy class model?

 

[Everydaymatters]

The Green Tortoise was a sleeper-bus a while back. They even had hostels here and there.

 

[joelkfla]

A start-up called Cabin launched a sleeper bus between SF & LA with great fanfare in 2017. After struggling for a while, they relaunched with a revised vehicle design in 2019. I can't find anything on the internet after that.

Now Yelp reports them closed, their Facebook page has no activity since 2019, and their website doesn't exist.

 

[railiner]

Washington, DC to Nashville:
https://wtop.com/business-finance/2022/05/napaway-starts-bus-service-from-dc-to-nashville-with-beds/
https://busride.com/napaway-sleeper-coach-service-aims-for-comfort/
This is unusual as a start-up route. The small company has spent a good deal of effort working with a design firm to develop an 18-berth Prevost (seats 36 in daytime mode). And they have an elegant website:

https://napaway.com/

Wow... this is truly an innovative concept. A lot different than the "Cabin" business model, which was designed purely for shorter strictly overnight trips with very little provision for day travel. The flexibility of running 18 night passenger's or 36 day passenger's offers a lot more utility, and can make a difference in the ability of this start-up to make it, as is the lack of the need for an on board attendant, which some current luxury buslines provide. The statement that he would like to grown into a nationwide service is very ambitious, but I hope the company succeeds.
Thanks for posting this.

 

[railiner]

40 years ago I lived in San Francisco, and an occasional sight was busses filled with European tourists peeking out of their slumbercoach tubes as they trundled down streets late at night. Seemed like a fine way to see the US on the cheap.

Look up "The Big Bus" movie. Do not waste your time watching it.

Maybe this was what you saw? They have been around the US several times through the years, and their business model is different...bringing over buses with foreign tourists on extensive "camping" tours...

https://www.uniqhotels.com/rotel-german-bus-hotel
https://www.coolthings.com/rotel-tours-hotel-bus/

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Are there sleeper coaches on any of the bus routes in Mexico (or to Mexico, from various points in the continental US)?

Looking at the schedule, it almost seems like a commuter service for people with government or affiliated jobs in DC.

 

[City of Miami]

The toilet/sink "amenity" would still be the deal breaker for me.

 

[Willbridge]

...

Looking at the schedule, it almost seems like a commuter service for people with government or affiliated jobs in DC.

Yes, and I think it would have a better chance if there was a strong marketing link with some Nashville venues and hotels.

 

[Dakota 400]

An interesting, somewhat of an upgrade concept from the Trailways Golden Eagle experience that I had many years ago. But, I still prefer taking the train.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

An interesting, somewhat of an upgrade concept from the Trailways Golden Eagle experience that I had many years ago. But, I still prefer taking the train.

I think most people would, but there isn't much choice here.

One of my friends used to do long bus tours (obviously not sleeping on the bus) and really enjoyed them a lot - don't know if it was the tours themselves or the people or what (or even the buses themselves, of course I'm going waaaay off topic here).

 

[BlackDiamond]

There was news recently of a "luxury" seated coach running service between Washington and New York. Anyone know how popular that is proving, it might give an indication of folks willingness to pay for a deluxe sleeper bus service, over an economy class model?

Jeb Brooks seemed to like it

Luxury Bus Washington to New York

 

[railiner]

An interesting, somewhat of an upgrade concept from the Trailways Golden Eagle experience that I had many years ago. But, I still prefer taking the train.

I would equate these operation's to be more akin to the Trailways "Five Star Luxury Service" which used the Golden Eagle coaches in its final years. Most of the Five Star routes were around 200 to 400 mile day trips, but did also include some transcontinental trips...

https://vonlane.com/index/services
and as mentioned above,

https://thejet.coach/
There are several other's most of which do not have an attendant or food and beverage service, other than a self-serve snack bar and k cup machine..

 

[NYP2NFL01]

I remember traveling on Trailways Golden Eagle buses as a child with my parents back in the 1960s!

 

[railiner]

I remember traveling on Trailways Golden Eagle buses as a child with my parents back in the 1960s!

The service was especially useful for sending unaccompanied minor's.

 

[railiner]

The service was especially useful for sending unaccompanied minor's.

There is a preserved Golden Eagle on display at the Museum of Bus Transportation (part of AACA) in Hershey, PA...
https://www.aacamuseum.org/mobt/mobt-galleries/

 

[John Webb]

San Francisco was a terminal for Pickwick Stages, which operated Sleepercoaches before WWII. Of course, their buses called at Pickwick Hotels. Imagine sleeping on US99 to Portland, including winter travel over the Siskiyous. On the other hand, for people who hated the SP, it was an alternative.

Many years ago I heard that, about the same time as Pickwick Stages overnight service, Greyhound tried to start up an overnight SF to LA sleeper bus. According the story, on it's first run into LA it was discovered that all the passengers upon arrival in LA, had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Greyhound neglected to factor that into it's bus design.

That ended Greyhound's attempt at sleeper bus service.

Has anyone else heard this? Any truth to it?

 

[John Santos]

Many years ago I heard that, about the same time as Pickwick Stages overnight service, Greyhound tried to start up an overnight SF to LA sleeper bus. According the story, on it's first run into LA it was discovered that all the passengers upon arrival in LA, had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Greyhound neglected to factor that into it's bus design.

That ended Greyhound's attempt at sleeper bus service.

Has anyone else heard this? Any truth to it?

Snopes has nothing I could find. Certainly if such a thing had ever happened, it would be very well known.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

Plus, would not the bus operator have died from the CO2 exposure?

 

[jis]

Plus, would not the bus operator have died from the CO2 exposure?

You meant to say CO exposure I suppose, as in Carbon Monoxide?

 

[Dakota 400]

I remember traveling on Trailways Golden Eagle buses as a child with my parents back in the 1960s!

Do you have any memory of what the meal service was like? My trip was from Columbus, Ohio to New York City. I think we were served dinner and breakfast and the same on the return trip to Columbus.