refundable train tickets

I would try The Trainline.

Since the refundable tickets are going to be the same price on-line as at the station, why not wait till you are certain of your schedule and buy the tickets at the station. Just save some brain damage if you have to cancel and seek a refund. What do you think you are gaining by purchasing refundable tickets in advance?

Short answer, read this: https://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm#How%20to%20buy%20train%20tickets%20for%20France

Sorry to be awkward, but why do you want to buy refundable tickets?
And what routes (where to where) are these tickets for?

If it is because you aren't sure when you want to travel, then just leave your purchase until you are sure. Or do you think you may decide not to travel, and want a refund?
If necessary, just turn up at the station and buy the ticket, that's what the locals do.

• Short distance train tickets are the same price if bought on the day, no discounts for advance purchase. No advantage to advance purchase (applies to métro, commuter lines, TER etc.)
• High Speed train tickets (TGV) have a discount for advance purchase. Tickets are train-specific, you can't decide to travel earlier or later without buying a new ticket. A refundable ticket is the same as a "buy on the day" ticket, so simpler not to buy until you are sure.

BTW, it's SNCF = Société nationale des chemins de fer français = French National Railway Company

Thanks for the advice. Are the refundable tickets on TGV trains the same price regardless of how far in advance you purchase them? If so, buying at the station would definitely be the best option.

Thanks again for the help. I responded before I saw the last post. And thanks for correcting my on the name. I always get the letters mixed up.
Here's my situation: I arrive at CDG on December 5, the day the transport strikes are scheduled to begin. I need to get to Lyon that same day. I understand that I won't know whether or to what extent the trains on that route will be affected until the 3rd or 4th. I have rental car reservation in case I have to drive. However, I would much rather take a train if they are running.
I was thinking of buying a business class refundable ticket for a train that I felt confident I could make even if my plane were a little late. If I were able to make an earlier train, I thought I could change that ticket at no extra charge. I thought that would be cheaper than just buying a ticket (not necessarily business class) when I arrive. Is that not true?

Arriving after a long transatlantic flight and driving for 6 hours on unfamiliar roads is a really, really bad idea. Please don’t do it!

The ticket price is the same so buy it when you get there. Why go the extra step of refund and buying again. Makes no sense. And buying a business class ticket or first class has no advantage over a 2nd class ticket.

Perhaps it is naive of me, but surely SNCF or TGV would release the money, or give credit for a train that never departed? I don't know if "refundable" includes "after the fact." A transport ticket is technically "a wasting asset."

All TGV tickets (not Ouigo) are refundable now, as of May 2019. The fee on the day or the day before departure is 15 euro for standard tickets, and there is no fee for business tickets but those are more expensive. Cancellation deadline is thirty minutes before departure for standard tickets, and I think two hours after departure for business tickets (or maybe only one).
And... During strike periods, the exchange fees are waived. At least such was the case this year, and last year too.
So I would just book the cheapest non business TGV ticket at a time when you are likely to make it (three hours after landing), cross fingers, and if it gets cancelled, well, you get your money back and get to pick a new train... If they aren't cancelled or full!

But if you really really need to get to Lyon that day, there are flights from CDG to Lyon.

Flight to Lyon might reduce your stress levels -- my understanding is that all SNCF trains will be shut down on December 5. There is a thread on the strike somewhere on this forum.
EDIT - Air France will also have work stoppages on December 5. This adds an additional spanner in the works.

Not the TGV, but I bought two cross-channel Eurotunnel train tickets as fully refundable fares last summer. I had some somewhat complicated plans surrounding parachuting in for the 75th anniversary of D-day that could have been torpedoed by many things out of my control (organizers, weather, politics,). If I got to England, and couldn't get on my parachuting plane to Normandy, I would have been stuck in England for the anniversary (June 6thh itself was a "no-fly" day in Normandy due to the huge numbers of visiting diplomats). Likewise, my original plan was to take a ferry to England prior to our jump, and those ferries are notoriously delayed/cancelled by weather, strikes, etc. In the end, I ended up cancelling both tickets and I got total refunds. But it opened up my options both for planning, and while I was there.

PharmerPhil, I feel if you can figure out how to parachute out of an airplane for the 75th anniversary despite strikes, I should be able to solve this! Thanks to everyone for the ideas, links, and information! I am busily following up. My trip is planned around seeing the Fete des Lumieres in Lyon December 5-8. Hopefully, I'll find a way to get there.

Linda — one thing to note that I sometimes forget — when you are looking at tickets for example on Trainline, the system defaults to show you the cheapest fare. Click on where it says cheapest to get other (more likely refundable) options.