OVERNIGHT TRAVEL: FROM WORST TO FIRST

There’s something very satisfying about the efficiency of overnight travel.  In the best of conditions you make your journey and awake, refreshed, at your destination.  But how well you sleep depends a lot on how you travel.

Here’s my list of overnight travel options, from worst to first:

DRIVING ALL NIGHT:       In my carefree youth I once drove all night from Chicago to NYC.  Tired and wired (on a LOT of coffee) I encountered no traffic and made really good time but arrived exhausted.  Not a good option… and probably not safe.

SLEEPING IN THE AIRPORT:     This one doesn’t really count, as you’re not really traveling.  And those not-so-comfy chairs at the gate don’t really allow much sleep.

The good news is that many airports (ATL, DFW, JFK) now offer Minute Suites with daybeds and showers. You can book them for an hour ($48) or for an eight-hour overnight ($175).

SLEEPING ON THE PLANE:       It’s not by chance that overnight flights are called “red eyes”.  Sure, flying overnight is fast, but if you’re sitting in coach on a crowded plane, good luck with any shut-eye.  This is why I hate flying to Europe.  You arrive jet lagged, in a different time zone and anxious to just sleep, not go sight-seeing.

Coach Class

Now, if you’re in Business Class, rest is possible… at a price.  And if money is no object, there are ultra-luxe accommodations like on Air France’s La Premiere, a private suite ten-feet square with three-star gourmet meals curated by Michelin-starred chefs, served on porcelain with Christofle cutlery… and a full bed.  Roundtrip fare JFK-Paris, about $20,000.

La Premiere

TAKING THE BUS:           “Riding the dog” (Greyhound) is not my idea of fun anytime, but there are some private companies re-thinking bus travel with much comfier accommodations. In Texas, Vonlane offers “luxury motor coaches” with Business Class seating.  Similar service between NYC and DC is offered by private carriers but not on the overnights.

TRAVEL BY SHIP:            Alas, not many options here aside from cruising or crossing the Atlantic.  But in the old days, there were steamboats plying the waters between Hartford and New York City.  As I wrote a few months back, the 14-18 hour journey had both “deck class” and cabin class accommodations.

TRAVEL BY TRAIN:         Not surprising that this is my favorite option.  But as with flying, if you’re stuck in coach class your slumber may be less than optional.  Amtrak offers bedrooms… from Roomettes to Bedroom Suites… but they’re always booked weeks in advance and are far too expensive.

There are several start-ups looking to offer much nicer (and affordable) sleeping cars, like Dreamstar which hopes to launch next year between San Francisco and LA.  And Lunatrain, running NYC to Atlanta and Chicago.

We’ll have to see if either company is successful in its launch, modeled after the highly popular NightJet train service you’ll find throughout Europe. Even in Japan, the country that launched true high-speed rail 50 years ago, there are sleeper trains offering everything from cabins to tatami mats.

Japan's "Sunrise Express"

So, as you plan your summer travels, check out these options.  You’ll save on hotel rooms and maybe have an adventure!