What advice would you give your best girlfriend if she were traveling alone for the first time?

Tell her to chum up with other young ladies who are also traveling alone, or at least to sit near other women in bus stations/on trains. Also, one thing I did when traveling alone at night on trains was to put a plastic bag on the inside of the door handle so that I could sleep. That way, if someone opened the door I would hear the plastic bag making that crinkling noise and I would wake up. Sometimes I'd also put a second plastic bag on the floor where someone would step on it, thereby making noise or slipping! I was a paranoid sleeper on trains, ha ha. Tell her that many women have done it before and she will be fine. I was SO scared before I left and it's a crazy thing to do, but what an amazing experience and a great chance to learn about herself and become more independent. People give me props all the time for doing it, so it's going to get her some free lunches for the rest of her life just having people want to hear about it. :)

I would tell her to keep track of her money. Also, keep her money and anything valuable, such as a cellphone, in the front pockets of her jeans. It is much easier to take a purse than jeans.

Aso she should carry something with her at all times that can be used in her defense if anything happens. Anything simple will do, I have a pocket knife, my sister has mace... Almost anything can work.

The most important thing is probably to keep track of herself, where she is and where she's going. It's too easy to get lost in a new place, and you want to avoid asking some random person on the street. If she does need to ask someone, a policeman or a woman would do.

Don't be in an area in an airport where hardly any people are.

They always have some peope kidnapped in those areas.

always carry a phone around with you.