With recent travel hassles such as ash clouds and strikes, insurance seems more important than ever but what kind of policy should travellers choose? To help, swiftcover.com has identified the top travel insurance myths, along with the reality behind each one.

Myth 1: I don't have to tell my insurer about any medical conditions.

Reality: If you don't tell your insurer about a pre-existing medical condition, then you won't be covered for any claim arising from or related to the condition. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot travel if you have a condition such as asthma or diabetes, but you must check with your insurer first.

Myth 2: I should claim on my travel insurance first if the airline cancels my flight before I leave.

Reality: You should contact your airline, holiday company or travel agent first, as it is their responsibility to refund you or make alternative arrangements. If after contacting your holiday company, you still need to make a claim, then you should contact your travel insurance provider.

Myth 3: I'm not covered for delays caused by the volcanic ash cloud or industrial action.

Reality: Travellers insured with swiftcover.com are covered for delays caused by ash clouds and industrial action where the airline does not provide compensation in line with EU rules, as long as they could not reasonably have been expected to know about the disruption before they bought their insurance. If you?re unsure about whether you're covered, always check with your insurer.

Myth 4: If my possessions are insured then I don?t need to worry about keeping them safe.

Reality: Insurers require that you take reasonable care of your possessions and do not leave them unattended ? if you don't look after your possessions and they get stolen, you might not be covered. Check with your insurer to find out what precautions you need to take.

Myth 5: My credit card travel insurance will cover me for everything.

Reality: Free insurance with most credit cards offers much lower levels of protection compared with dedicated travel insurance, particularly when it comes to vital issues such as medical expenses. Some policies offered by credit card companies just consist of accident cover, meaning that if you fall ill (rather than suffer an accident) on your holiday, you won?t be entitled to any assistance ? potentially leaving you tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket.

Myth 6: I will be covered if I hurt myself during a sporting activity.

Reality: Insurance provided by companies such as swiftcover.com covers policy holders for a huge range of sports (the full list of activities covered as standard on a swiftcover.com travel insurance can be found here). However, some sports, particularly winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, require extra cover, which is available from swiftcover.com.

Myth 7: If I?m travelling in the EU, I will automatically be covered by the local health service.

Reality: You are entitled to free or reduced-cost healthcare in EU countries, but only if you have a European Health Insurance Card. An EHIC Card is available free of charge from www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to access healthcare in EU countries. Using your EHIC card is likely to save you money compared to claiming for healthcare on your insurance policy because if you recover your costs through the card you won?t have any excess to pay.

Are politicians listening to motorists?

Motorists are hoping the new coalition government will help cut the costs of driving by slashing petrol and road tax, research by swiftcover.com reveals. However, despite an initial promise to introduce a fuel stabiliser that would reduce the tax burden if oil prices rose, the government now seems to have got cold-feet on the idea the coalition government's list of policy pledges made no mention of the plan.

On his first day in office, new transport secretary, Philip Hammond confirmed that the new coalition government would consult on a 'fair fuel stabiliser' one of the promises outlined in the conservative party's election manifesto.

However, the government's document of policy pledges failed to mention a consultation, subsequently stating that fuel and road tax is likely to feature as part of the new Chancellor, George Osborne's emergency Budget on 22 June.

Swiftcover.com's research found:

- 80% of drivers want the tax on petrol cut

- 43% want a reduction in road tax

Another big issue for drivers is other road-users who break the law. The research found:

- 61% want the government to get tough on uninsured drivers, who ultimately push up the cost of insurance for law-abiding drivers

Tina Shortle, marketing director for swiftcover.com, says: ?Our research shows that people want action to cut their motoring tax burden and crack down on uninsured drivers, both of which add to the overall cost of driving. But these issues are not being addressed. The coalition government needs to address the issues of the UK's 38 million drivers.?

Insurance Clinic: Jargonbuster

Travel underwriting manager, Roman Bryl says: Choosing the right insurance policy for your holiday can be a complicated business and many terms used by insurance companies can be confusing. To help, www.swiftcover.com has put together a guide to some of the jargon used in insurance policies.?

Single trip policy: A single trip policy gives you cover to travel to your destination. Your trip must begin and end in the UK.

Annual multi-trip policy: An annual multi-trip policy is a travel insurance policy that gives you cover for any holiday lasting 30 days or less, including European and worldwide holidays.

Excess: This is the amount you must pay towards any claim. You are responsible for the excess even if the incident is not your fault. The excess is the first part of any payment of a claim.

Gap policy: This policy is designed for backpackers who are travelling abroad for more than two months.

Known event: This refers to a factor likely to disrupt your travel plans that was known to you when you bought your policy, such as the threat of industrial action or illness in your travelling party. No insurer will pay out on claims due to known events, so check with your insurance provider if you're not sure.

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