Springtime is always one of the best times to travel in Europe. Flights are cheap. Streets and sites are mostly empty. Flowers are blooming. Locals are friendly. And if you've had a hankering for Rome or Italy, it might be time to grab one of these ultra-cheap $260 roundtrip flights from San Francisco International (SFO) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO).

UPDATE 2:30 pm Monday: The $260 roundtrip fares are no longer available- the cheapest seats are now going for around $400. Still a good deal, but not $260!

Checking Kayak today for flights in March, April and May, we are finding several one-stop options on a wide variety of airlines such as Finnair via Helsinki, Lufthansa via Munich, Iberia via Madrid and Air Canada via Montreal.

The two airlines offering nonstops betweeen SFO and Rome are Norwegian Air and Alitalia, but neither is offering this crazy discount. Norwegian Air's nonstops are currently running at about $475 for springtime flights-- a good bargain. Alitalia is scheduled to start flying from SFO to Rome in June, and it has several nonstop options throughout the summer priced at $800-$900-- a very good deal for mid-summer travel.

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As always, the cheapest fares are going to be in basic economy, with restrictions on carry on bags, seat assignments, etc. But with fares this low, you can bump your flight up to regular economy, and still get a very nice deal along with a more comfortable flight.

We found these deals on several websites today, including Kayak.com, Skyscanner.com and Google Flights.

Please note that these fares were available at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Keep in mind that coronavirus fears are now gripping Italy, and no one really knows where we'll be on that front come April or May. But if you can overlook those fears, this fare is a steal and won't be available very long.

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Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates!

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