Is it really safe to rent a car alone in Central America without worrying about accidents? When I booked my car on QEEQ, this was already in my mind. I chose to pick up the car in Liberia in Costa Rica around the morning of March 19th 2026 at about nine o clock. I got a Toyota Yaris from Amigo Rent A Car. It was an automatic small car. I planned to drive to San José and return it there a few days later. Since I was traveling alone, I bought AXA Full Coverage from the start. I thought if there was any scratch or glass damage I would not need to be scared all the time. The first few days were actually fine. The roads were a bit rough but I drove slowly and tried to avoid bad parts. I really thought I would never need the insurance. Then on the way back from a small town to San José something happened. It had just rained and there was some mud and many small stones on the side. I was driving behind a big truck when I suddenly heard a loud pop. A small rock flew up and hit my front windshield. There was a clear small crack. I was shocked and my mind went straight to the cost. I was afraid the rental staff would charge a lot and speak many words I could not fully follow. On the return day I went to the San José office a bit earlier than I planned. It was around the morning of March 25th at nine. The staff checked the car and very quickly saw the crack on the glass. He frowned and told me this was new damage and I needed to pay for it. He took out a form and showed me the amount. I could understand the basic idea. It was not a small number. At that moment I was really nervous. I kept thinking if my card limit was enough and if I would have to cut my budget for the rest of the trip. Then I remembered AXA Full Coverage. I tried to stay calm and asked the rental staff to make the damage cost clear and give me all the papers. I still paid them first as they asked. After that I kept all the receipts and took photos of the car and the crack. I stood outside the office, circling around the Yaris and taking pictures again and again. In my head I was thinking if this insurance really works and if the claim will be too hard. When I got back to my place I started to organize everything. I put together the damage photos, the receipts and the rental contract. Since I was alone, I was scared to miss anything. I really did not want the claim to fail just because I forgot one small thing. After I prepared all the documents I sent them in the way I was told. When I finished sending them I felt a bit nervous. I could only wait for news and I did not know how long it would take. After a few days their customer service reached out to me and checked some simple details. They asked things I could answer easily like when it happened and where the damage was on the car. The person sounded calm and polite. I did not feel like they were doubting me. I relaxed a little and felt that they were trying to help me solve the problem. Some time later I checked my money and saw the claim was paid. The amount was 159.44 British pounds. My mood changed from thinking I would lose a lot of money to feeling really glad I bought that insurance. For someone like me who counts every pound, this amount is important. It can cover several nights in a basic hostel or a few better meals. What stayed in my mind is that the whole thing did not feel too complex from my side. I could understand what was going on and I just waited quietly while they handled it. Then the refund arrived. I also thought about what would happen if I did not buy AXA Full Coverage. That small crack on the glass would be fully my problem and a big part of my travel budget would be gone. On this solo trip to Costa Rica my biggest fear was car trouble on unknown roads with no friends around. When the damage really happened my first thought was that I was in big trouble. But then I remembered I had already bought the insurance. Because of that I did not break down. I stayed calm and followed the steps of taking photos, paying the rental company, and then going through the claim. Now when I look back this problem did not ruin my trip. It made me feel that if I buy the right insurance, renting a car alone in another country is not as scary as I thought.
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