Just a note that around half of the posts here refer to the British/Canadian/Australian/NZ battlefields where nearly no Americans fought: Somme, Arras, Amiens, Lille, and other areas north of Paris.

American forces fought with the French troops east of Paris, not in Verdun but just west (Argonne) and South (St Mihiel) as well as closer to Reims and CDG as mentioned.

The cemetery in Argonne is about twice as large as the one at Omaha Beach.

You might want to read "Back Over There" by Richard Rubin. The author followed the trail of the American Expeditionary Forces and has returned to the battlefields several times.

I ditto the above comment. I read this book as preparation for our September 2017 trip and am now reading his LAST OF THE DOUGHBOYS. Both books have me wanting to visit this area soon. Well done, Mr. Rubin.

Update. We are renting a car in Paris on Sunday morning and then driving to Reims. I'm wondering how the traffic will be getting out of Paris from Gare du Nord (where I'll be picking up the rental car)? I'm hoping the traffic is a little less intense. :-)

Also, I have read Rubin's "Last of the Doughboys" and now reading "Back Over There." I highly recommend both books to anyone interested in our part of WWI. We should have Sunday afternoon and all day Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday to move around the areas the AEF served in. On Thursday, we'll drive to Lille and catch the Eurostar back to London.

No idea of how traffic will be from Gare du Nord, but Sunday A.M. is probably best day of the week to try it, and heading out of town is probably better than trying to drop a car at a Gare in Paris--I know, I've done it.

Bon voyage!

Leaving paris from Gare du Nord is extremely and starts with rue Lafayette. How fitting. No stress just big boulevards you follow the flow and you are on the périphérique.
From there pretty fast on A1.
If there is traffic it will be because of Parisians coming back from the south. Not leaving north.
Have a good trip.

The A1? You want to end up on the A4... Couldn't you pick up the car at Gare de Lyon? The A4 starts just a couple of miles from the station.

Or was there something you wanted to see off/near the A1?