When you need to travel from Washington DC to Nashville, you have two options: taking a flight, or taking ground transportation. The average flight time is about 1.5 hours. Driving, the trip can take between 9.5 and 11 hours. So flying is the more convenient option, right?
Yes—and no.
Because when you start adding up the time it takes to get to the airport, make it through the baggage and security lines, wait for your flight to arrive, move through the boarding process, and so on—what was supposed to be a 1.5-hour flight from DC to Nashville becomes a stressful, all-day ordeal.
So how does a ground transportation option like Napaway stack up? Below, we’re going to compare the time, comfort, and convenience of taking Napaway from Washington DC to Nashville—versus flying the same route—to find out!
Flying From DC to Nashville
First, let’s talk about flying. Does a 1.5-hour flight actually mean one and a half hours?
Hours 1–3+: Getting to the Airport
With light traffic, getting from Downtown DC to Dulles Airport takes about an hour by mass transit, or about 30–45 minutes in a car (depending on your route).
However: DC traffic is rarely forgiving, so it’s wise to give yourself at least 60–90 minutes of travel time just to get to the airport. Right off the bat, you’ve doubled your travel time with little to show for it.
Hours 2–3+: Getting Through Security and Baggage
Next, you have baggage drop-off and security lines, which are generally unpredictable. You might spend 20 minutes in both lines—or, you may spend over an hour in each.
Anticipating lengthy lines, the TSA recommends arriving at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled boarding time for a domestic flight. Again, your total travel time is trending in the wrong direction.
Hours 2–5+: Waiting for Your Plane’s Arrival
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, since the Covid-19 pandemic began, one in every four flights is delayed by at least 15 minutes—and about one in five flights is outright canceled.
Airlines offer no guarantees and, technically, they’re not required by law to offer compensation of any kind if a flight is canceled or rescheduled. Fortunately, most airlines do provide flight transfers, but this means more wasted time, more hassle, and an increased possibility of lost luggage.
Assuming your flight isn’t delayed, though, it’s still hard to relax or stay productive while waiting for your flight. The possibility of a gate change, delay, or cancellation is ever-present (especially at an airport like Dulles, where gates are quite far away from each other). The hustle and bustle of other travelers only compound the issue.
Hours 4–7+: Boarding and Take-Off
Even if you buy a first-class ticket and board your flight on time, you now have to wait for the remaining passengers to board. Working or relaxing may be possible during the 10–20 minutes it takes to complete the boarding process, but other passengers stowing luggage and finding their seats is a persistent distraction.
Additionally, any task you start will be interrupted during take-off, which generally means another 10–20 minutes wasted. And during boarding, the flight Wi-Fi is usually unavailable, or, at best, spotty and slow.
Finally, airline seats are not known for their comfort. Over the past few decades, legroom has continued to shrink and some planes no longer feature fully reclining seats or adjustable armrests.
Hours 5–8+: Landing, Disembarking, Baggage Claim, Waiting for Pickup From the Airport, Getting to the City
When you’ve spent roughly an hour in the air, you’ll have to stow your electronics for landing. And even when your plane arrives in Nashville, you’ll have to taxi, wait for the jet bridge, and wait to disembark—another 15-25 minutes of wasted time.
Then, you’ll need to wait for your luggage at baggage claim before you can, at last, head to your pickup point.
All in all, this is easily another 30–60 minutes of lost time. Throughout the entire journey, you’re only able to truly relax or work for about 40–50 minutes, the time in between take-off and landing. And we’re not even counting the time it takes to get from Nashville International Airport to city center!
Taking a Napaway Coach from DC to Nashville
Now, let’s talk about taking a Napaway coach from Washington DC to Nashville. Depending on how far you live from the Napaway pickup point, the full trip generally takes about 10.5 hours. Here’s how that breaks down.
Hours 0–2: Getting to the Coach Station and Boarding
Unlike the airport, Napaway’s pickup location is only a few blocks from Downtown DC—right between the Union and NoMa Metro stations.
Plus, unlike when you fly, you only need to arrive 10–15 minutes before your coach departs (instead of the 2 hours recommended by airports).
As for boarding, the process is streamlined: there are no security or baggage lines to wait in, so you simply walk in and relax!
Hours 0–11: Make Your Way from DC to Nashville in the Comfort of a Private Suite
Once you arrive at your personal suite, you’re free to spend your time however you please for the duration of your trip. Sleep? Work? Read? Watch? The choice is yours!
Conclusion: Air Travel May Be Faster, But Not All Time Is Created Equal
Ultimately, flying may technically be faster than coach travel, but the gap narrows when you consider how long the entire process takes—and it disappears entirely when you consider how you’re spending that time.
Napaway takes a bit longer, but remember: you’ll be asleep for most of it. After all, Napaway is a sleeper bus! Or, if you don’t want to take advantage of your lie-flat bed and fresh linens, you can work, watch a movie, or do just about anything else!
Above all, consider this: the whole process of traveling from Washington DC to Nashville by plane takes eight or more hours on average—seven of which are wasted—with only about 40–50 minutes of true, usable time.
On the other hand, you can take a Napaway on the same route, relax and sleep for all but 10 minutes of the journey, and arrive in downtown Nashville stress-free and ready for the day. Does that sound equal to you?