I am going to Rome soon. I will be staying close to the Palazzo Barberini. Are the Pantheon and the Colosseum within walking distance or should I take a bus or taxi?
Yes, walkable, but YMMV.
All of center Rome is very walkable and generally quicker. Remember, 2000 years ago they were all walking.
Kenneth have you used Google or Bing Maps yet? If you know the exact address of your hotel enter it and use the satellite image option. You can easily see how close things are in Rome. Very walkable city. Have a pleasant trip.
kenneth, As the others have mentioned, Rome is very walkable but I'd suggest "pacing yourself" as it's possible to walk almost to the point of exhaustion! As you're staying in the Palazzo Barberini (Trevi Fountain) area, you should have no trouble getting to Termini or any of the main sites in Rome. The Barberini Metro stop is close by, and that's only a few stops from Termini. The Colosseum would be a bit of a hike from Barberini, but certainly feasible if you like walking. My preference would be to use Metro line A to Termini, transfer to Line B to Colosseo. It's only a few stops on each line, so the trip would probably take about 15-minutes. The Pantheon is not really close to any Metro stops. Were you planning to visit both the same day? You could (for example) take the Metro to Colosseo, walk to the Pantheon and then "do a loop" back to Barberini. There may be local Buses serving that area, but I didn't check. Happy travels!
I'm sorry I don't have time to dig out my records tonight, so my bus numbers may be wrong. There's a mini electric bus. Is it the 106, no maybe the 112, I think. It goes from southwest central Rome past the Pantheon (round the back) towards the Trevi, through or near Barberini, up the Via Veneto and towards the Borghese. These are seriously tiny buses, the same size as those mini ones in Firenze. My memory is they seat 6, and stand maybe 10 if really buddy buddy. There are a couple of other routes like these. Its the only way to get around the smallest streets. But I do agree the best way to get around Rome is by Shanks's Pony - on foot - if possible.
Nigel it is the #116 electro mini-bus. From the Enjoy Rome website: 116 - This tiny electric bus cuts a meandering route through the narrow streets of the centro storico. It starts on via Porta Pinciana, just off the top of the via Veneto, and passes piazza Barberini, piazza di Spagna, piazza del Parliamento, via Zanardelli, corso Rinascimento, Campo de' Fiori, piazza Farnese, via Giulia, Lungotevere, Santo Spirito, Terminal Gianicolo (for St Peter's). But we like to walk so usually hoof it. Works off the wine, pizza and gelato!