Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Here is a small list of questions that our visitors frequently ask, as well as our answers. We remain at your disposal for any further information! 🙂

Guided tours:

It is possible for you to benefit from a guided visit which takes place in two stages: the discovery of the workshop with a craftsman, who will explain to you for half an hour the history of the company as well as the techniques of construction of traditional Audomarois boats, then the visit by bacôve through the marsh. You will discover in a select committee and in the company of a local child the history of the suburbs, Saint-Omer and the marshes, the fauna, the flora, the market gardening lands, the polders...

In high season (April – October), we offer 4 departures per day: 10:30 a.m., 13:30 p.m., 14:45 p.m. and 16 p.m.

In low season: guided tour (workshop and marshes) possible by reservation on Wednesday and Friday afternoon. On Saturday afternoon, we organize two departures for a long guided walk of 1 hour 20 minutes (without workshop).

Free circuit rentals

You can also rent a Canadian-style canoe, a rowing boat or an electric motor boat to discover the Saint-Omer marsh alone, as a couple, with friends or family. In this case, you will be helped by an illustrated plan.

In high season (April-October), we offer three slots for boat rental: 10 a.m. – 13 p.m., 13 p.m. – 15:30 p.m., 16 p.m. – 18 p.m.

In low season: boat rental possible from Tuesday to Friday afternoon.

Special events

Finally, we organize unusual walks! Morning excursions in the company of a photographer, walks focusing on heritage, night outings… Subscribe to our Facebook page so you don't miss any event!

Reservations are strongly recommended. However, there are no deadlines. Some dates and time slots may be sold out well in advance due to the reception of groups.

You can make your reservation and payment directly online, 24 hours a day. You can also contact us at 24 between 0608099488 a.m. and 9 p.m. However, being a small team and being very busy in the season, it is sometimes difficult to get us.

It is still possible to cancel and postpone a cancellation online when the cancellation/postponement takes place more than 12 hours before the departure time. Otherwise, the full price requested on booking is retained by the boat builders. Indeed, the place/boat reserved remains immobilized on our side, hence this policy.

To postpone or modify a reservation, you can carry out this operation (+ than 12 hours before departure) via your online space. You will find a button provided for this purpose in the return email confirming the reservation.

For guided tours of the Audomarois marsh in high season, the price is €11,5/adult person, €7,5e/child from 4 to 13 years old, €9,5/student and free for toddlers during the summer period. Out of season (November-March), the adult rate is 13. The other prices remain unchanged.

Regarding boat rentals, we offer different circuits:

Rowing boat:

1h to 1h30: 25€/boat.

Canadian/Indian canoe 2 to 3 places:

1h30: 20€

2h: 25 €

Electric boat:

1h30: 49€/boat

2 hours: 65/small boat

Of course! Guided tours of the marsh, meals on the water, country buffet, incentive/team building, company and work council outings, birthdays, school trips... We are able to accommodate groups of (almost!) all sizes and compositions of all audiences. You can make a reservation request on our group space or compose your tailor-made quote.

Do not hesitate to contact us at 06.08.09.94.88 or lesfaiseursdebateaux@gmail.com to find out more.

At the on-site reception, we accept cash and payments in CB. Unfortunately, we are not affiliated with ANCV and therefore cannot accept holiday vouchers.

Online, you can pay remotely by credit card or Paypal.

In the off season, from November 01 to March 31, we offer a few departures for individuals during the week (consult the available time slots on the booking platform). However, we are closed between December 20 and January 5.

For groups, contact us at 06.08.09.94.88.

On a guided tour

On a guided tour, we always ask other passengers if anyone suffers from a particular phobia or allergy. If this poses no problem (and it generally does), our four-legged friends (excluding cat.1 fighting dogs) are welcome in our bacôves. However, it is still necessary to keep them on a leash and close to you (to prevent them from wandering freely in the boat or deciding to go overboard to chase a duck!). The leash is also compulsory on board the rental boats. In order to avoid any quarrel of dogs, we allow ourselves to limit the number of dogs to 1 per passenger boat.

In free circuit

For groups and families exploring the marshes by boat (free tours), dogs are allowed on board. These must be kept on a leash. However, we decline all responsibility in the event of concerns due to the behavior of the dogs.

Our postal address is 43 route de Clairmarais in Saint-Omer. On this road, 1,5 km from Saint-Omer station or 1,5 km from the church of Clairmarais, small signs invite you to cross a small road bridge bordering a bus stop called “pont Mathilde”. Our car parks are located 50m from this bridge.

For guided tours, we ask everyone to report to reception a quarter of an hour before departure time.

For boat/canoe rentals

The boats are reserved for specific slots. Everyone is asked to go to the quays as soon as possible in this time slot in order to take full advantage of their trip, taking into account the duration of the reserved trip and the time to get into the boat. Ex: if a boat is rented for one hour between 10 a.m. and 13 p.m., you are requested to report to reception around 11:30 a.m. or 11:45 a.m. maximum. Otherwise, the circuit will be reduced accordingly, the boat being reserved for a following slot by another visitor.

The rental of each boat is based on a specific visit duration. If this period is exceeded, each half-hour of delay is charged an additional €5 on return.

Yes, outdoor activities on boats are generally very popular with children. We are also used to organizing school visits.

For safety, we have life jackets suitable for children from 0 to 13 years old. Our traditional boats are also very stable.

It is possible to picnic on our grassy area or under the tent (when it is not privatized by an event). We only ask our customers to order their drinks from our bar and not to introduce alcohol on our site.

We also ask our customers to take their waste with them.

It is possible to rent a boat to picnic on the water. The banks being private, the picnic takes place in the boat, respecting the site. Visitors are asked not to take alcohol on board and to take away their waste.

We welcome many people with disabilities and know how to adapt our visits. The bar, the terrace and the toilets can accommodate people with reduced mobility in wheelchairs. On the other hand, our traditional bacôves are unfortunately not yet able to accommodate wheelchairs. We are working on it!

Disabled people with a little tonicity in their legs can embark with the help of one or two companions without problem, the bacôves being heavy and stable boats.

Yes, we have two 100% ecological dry toilets. The sawdust comes from our workshop.

We have around our platforms a car park that can accommodate 25 to 30 cars.

However, buses must park along the road to Clairmarais. Access to our site is in fact reserved for vehicles weighing less than 6 tonnes for safety reasons.

No, the workshop discovery is a little free extra that we offer in addition to a guided tour of the marsh by boat.

No special equipment is required. Just remember to equip yourself according to the weather and to have a small windbreaker on you just in case.

On hot days, also remember to bring a bottle of water and cover your head!

Finally, remember that we decline all responsibility in the event of soiling of your clothes. It is indeed a getaway in a marsh aboard a wooden boat. A casual and circumstantial outfit is in order!