We will be visiting Rome shortly. Our hotel in on Via Brescia not far from the Borghese Gallerey. We would like to walk from our hotel to the Spanish Steps then theTrevi Fountain, and then the Pantheon. I believe that route is downhill. What would the time and distance be on such a walk? What about walking from the our hotel to Palatine Hill? We like to walk and are in good shape for a pair of seniors.

You can use the via Michelin website to calculate "on foot" pedestrian routes and distances -- although that won't include information about walking up or down hill, or how long it will take if you stop to look at things.

Still, it's very useful, and often can be a better way of calculating the time you'll spend moving between place than relying on other people's memories or guestimates. Many people will tell you something is a 10 minute walk or half hour walk when it is actually longer, and people all walk at different paces.

You can plug in the address of your hotel and your destinations (use your guidebook or a map to find the name of the nearest piazza).

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/

maps.google.com is also quite convenient for distances and directions - by foot & by public transportation.

From your hotel to the Pantheon or Forum is about 3km. If you walk at 6km/hr it will take you 30min. Half that speed it'll take you 1hr.

Given the amount of walking & standing you're likely to do once you get to your destinations don't hesitate to spend the money in a taxi here or there - you don't get any bonus points for being exhausted.

If you like to walk it is a great way to explore Rome. There are many things you could stop to see en route to either destination which would add both to the time and to the enjoyment. I would try to avoid a very rigid time schedule

From your hotel to the top of the Spanish Steps is about 15-20 minutes walk.
From the Spanish Steps to the Fountain of Trevi is another 15 minutes.
From there to the Pantheon is about 10 minutes.

Of course, that assumes no stopping on the way which is pretty much impossible.

A leisurely walk to Piazza di Spagna will take about 20-25 minutes. It's a little over a mile. Add 8-10 more minutes to get to the Trevi Fountain. It's around 2 miles from your hotel to the Pantheon. A leisurely walk could take anywhere from 30-50 minutes. The walk to the Palatine is also around 2 miles but less direct. It can also take 35-50 minutes. The walk is slightly downhill as you walk towards old Rome. The return walk to your hotel will require more stamina.

Thanks all. You have been very helpful. We are flying to Rome tomorrow, and bringing our walking shoes!

Have a great trip! Happy walking!

>>>Many people will tell you something is a 10 minute walk or half hour walk when it is actually longe<<<

Same thing with via Michelin or Mappy. Computer maps don't know how fast anyone will walk and aren't always reliable/accurate.

If you decide you don't want to do the uphill return walk (the most tiring part is via Veneto area), you can catch the little electric bus that runs through the area.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9

You can use googleearth to plot a walk. There is a ruler on the toolbar to plot by line or path (shows distance not time.) You can zoom in for 360 street views too. For uphill or downhill, you can watch elevation changes at the bottom center of the window. It's fun too.