Bern

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Bern is the de-facto capital of Switzerland.

Sleeping

Bern seems to have only one hostel, which is located in the town center, 5 minutes walking from the parliament building. Prices are about 30 CHF per night. Check out their website.

Hitching out

Direction north (Basel, Zürich)

From the train station, take the bus #11 to the last station (You can use a short distance ticket for 2,- CHF.). Walk 5 minutes to a roundabout with a nice hard shoulder. You should use a sign, as there is a lot of local traffic.