Characters move in a variety of ways but generally precise measurement of movement speed is only necessary when you are in combat or for overland movement. Elsewhere, exact measurement of speed and distance probably isn't necessary, and the GM should feel comfortable estimating the time travel takes for the party.
In combat, characters get a movement action along with their standard and bonus actions. During their movement action, character move up to their speed in feet. This movement can be broken down into increments that take place before and after the other actions, provided they don't exceed their movement speed for the round.
Characters can use their standard action in combat as a second movement action, provided they aren't using their action to do anything else. This allows them to move up to twice their speed in feet combat.
Obstacles, or poor visibility can hamper movement. When movement is hampered, each square moved into usually counts as two squares, effectively reducing the distance that a character can cover in a move. You can't charge through any square that is difficult terrain.
While crawling in combat, characters move up to 1/2 their speed during their movement action. That is, each crawled square counts as two squares for movement. They may use their standard action to continue crawling, allowing them to move up to their entire movement in feet (provided they are taking no other actions).
While moving in combat, characters can perform minor interactions with their environment without slowing down their movement (opening a door, drawing a sword, picking up an unsecured object). Some interactions, like hopping a fence, might still require a minor skill check (Acrobatics), but the difficulty for these checks shouldn't be more than a DC 10 or you might need more time to focus on them. The GM will determine whether an interaction is minor enough to be done as part of your movement. The GM will also determine whether a number of minor interactions end up stacking enough to require a standard action to complete them.
Characters can perform feats of athleticism in combat, such as swimming, climbing, or jumping. When climbing and swimming, you can move at 1/4 your speed in feet during your movement action. You may still use your standard action to continue moving, allowing you to travel at 1/2 your speed during the round.
Characters covering long distances cross-country use overland movement. Overland movement is measured in miles per hour or miles per day. A day represents 8 hours of actual travel time. For rowed watercraft, a day represents 10 hours of rowing. For a sailing ship, it represents 24 hours.
Table: Overland Travel Speeds| Speed | One Hour | One Day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk | Hustle | ||
| 15 feet | 1-1/2 miles | 3 miles | 12 miles |
| 20 feet | 2 miles | 4 miles | 16 miles |
| 30 feet | 3 miles | 6 miles | 24 miles |
| 40 feet | 4 miles | 8 miles | 32 miles |
| 50 feet | 5 miles | 10 miles | 40 miles |
| 60 feet | 6 miles | 12 miles | 48 miles |
A character can walk 8 hours in a day of travel without a problem. Walking for longer than that can wear him or her out (see Forced March, below).
A character can hustle up to 1 hour without a problem. After one hour of hustling, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check or gain one level of fatigue. Every hour of hustling requires another save. The DC for these subsequent saves is cumulatively 2 points higher each attempt.
The terrain through which a character travels affects how much distance he or she can cover in an hour or a day. Most well-paved road travel will be unmodified. Rough terrain (trails through swamp, mountains, or deserts) or off-road travel through the wilderness will be between 1/2 and 3/4 your overland movement speed, as determined by the GM.
In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating. A character can walk for more than 8 hours in a day by making a forced march. For each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour) is required. Each time you fail a check you gain one level of fatigue. If you fail a constitution check while you have level 3 fatigue, you pass out from exhaustion and stay unconscious until you take a short rest.
A mount bearing a rider can move at a hustle, but they take disadvantage on all Constitution checks and any critical failures adds extra ability damage. A mount ridden on a forced march automatically gains a level of fatigue point of physical ability damage and 1d6 points of damage every hour.
Table: Mounts and Vehicles| Mount/Vehicle | Encumbered | Max Load | Unencumbered | Encumbered | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Hour | Per Day | Per Hour | Per Day | |||
| Light horse | 175 lbs. | 525 lbs. | 5 miles | 40 miles | 3-1/2 miles | 28 miles |
| Heavy horse | 229 lbs. | 690 lbs. | 5 miles | 40 miles | 3-1/2 miles | 28 miles |
| Pony | 151 lbs. | 450 lbs. | 4 miles | 32 miles | 3 miles | 24 miles |
| Dog, riding | 101 lbs. | 300 lbs. | 4 miles | 32 miles | 3 miles | 24 miles |
| Cart or wagon | Varies | Varies | 2 miles | 16 miles | -- | -- |
| Ship | Per Hour | Per Day |
|---|---|---|
| Raft or barge (poled or towed) | 1/2 mile | 5 miles |
| Keelboat (rowed) | 1 mile | 10 miles |
| Rowboat (rowed) | 1-1/2 miles | 15 miles |
| Sailing ship (sailed) | 2 miles | 48 miles |
| Warship (sailed and rowed) | 2-1/2 miles | 60 miles |
| Longship (sailed and rowed) | 3 miles | 72 miles |
| Galley (rowed and sailed) | 4 miles | 96 miles |
You can tunnel through dirt, but not rock. You do not leave behind a tunnel while burrowing. You cannot charge or run while burrowing.
Creatures with climb speeds do not need to make Athletics checks when climbing under normal conditions. You still need to make an Athletics check when attempting to Run (i.e. using your standard action to move extra).
Creatures can fly naturally.
Creature can swim naturally and do not need to make Athletics checks to swim.
When the creature burrows, it can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing the burrowing creature flings it back 30 feet, stunning it for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Con save.