As ski holidays become ever more popular for sports enthusiasts looking for the next great mogul field, it has been reported that not all holidaymakers head to the slopes for black-run action.
According to moneysupermarket.com, one in six holidaymakers you might find frequenting fondue restaurants on
ski holidays in Chamonix are there for the apres ski alone and intend to spend no time on their skis.
Furthermore, it is northerners who are most likely to make up the 16 per cent of holidaymakers who spend their
European ski holidays off the slopes and in the shops with 22 per cent of this group not ever taking to the pistes.
"The apres ski spirit is an important part of most ski trips, but it's surprising how many holidaymakers now go for the good times alone and never set foot on the slopes," Peter Gerrard of moneysupermarket.com noted.
However for the majority of holidaymakers who do head to the mountains for actual skiing, many more ski resorts opened in Europe this weekend.
In France, Meribel and Courchevel opened for winter skiing, while nearby Val Thorens opened earlier in the season.