Free-lance undercover agent Coplan receives a phone call from an old girlfriend in Turkey. The panic-stricken woman gives sketchy details of a plot that threatens world security. When Coplan arrives, he is told the woman has been killed, and the trail of the murderer leads to her mad-scientist brother.

The Eloi family, who have just won the "model family" competition, set off for winter sports. Also on the trip are Aunt Gabrielle and Dagobert, the village warden. For the eccentric little group, the initiation to the joys of skiing begins with a lot of excitement. The vacation gets complicated when a Hindu prince has a precious diamond stolen from the local hotel.