2 weeks in Italy

If you want to drive for a few days around smaller towns of Tuscany, that's a good area to have a car. Around the Amalfi Coast, traffic can be much worse, and August is probably busier in both places than during the fall trips that I've made. Many visitors use just public transport. You can see also this current thread on parking at Herculaneum and use the search field above to find many previous discussions about driving the Amalfi coast. For high season, securing some hotel reservations would be your next step, now.

I recommend Lucca ..I was told its beautiful and you can see it in a few hours. I wasn't there yet I had no time last visit but will try to go there this upcoming trip in August. Happy traveling !!

Arrive FCO. Train directly to Florence. 4 Nites Florence.
If you are planning trips into the Chianti hills, rent a car here,after your time in Florence.

Train. Florence-Sorrento. 5 nites.
Driving here is not for the faint of heart! August is extremely busy, the coast road that connects the towns is packed!
Transportation is provided by bus, train, and ferry.

Train. Sorrento-Rome. 3 nites.

You can switch the nites spent in each place, according to what you want to see but keep your Rome nights together at the end.

Doesn't sound like you would want/need a car but depends on what you mean by staying in Florence.
Florence is a city and a car there is as useful as it is in Rome
Amalfi Coast the car is rarely an advantage either. if your hotel has parking, most don't. The towns you visit likely won't have parking for you even if you do not mind the traffic and winding narrow roads so your day trips are better on bus than rental car.

But you do say Country so maybe you said Florence but really want to stay in a surrounding town in Tuscany and not actually in Florence, if that is the case then you should have a car for that portion.
Would rent a car from the airport you fly into drive straight to where you are staying (only if outside the city) and then return the car before getting to your next stop.
Probably would do Amalfi Coast in the middle and then Rome at the end so you don't have to get back a night before your flight.
if you can fly into Pisa or Florence and fly out of Naples that would be ideal and save you some time; otherwise if need to use the same airport Rome is still workable.

Think you are late to be booking now for the Amalfi Coast hotels especially.

lauren,

If you haven't driven in Italy before, it would be highly advisable to do some research on some of the potentially expensive "caveats" with driving there. Especially in the peak of summer travel season (when many Italians will also be on holiday), I'm not sure that's the best choice.

If you need more information on the "caveats", have a look at this thread..... https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/thelma-louise-on-tour-italy

Thank you for all of your help. Does anyone have a recommendation for a B&B in the Almalfi coast? We would like something off the beaten path. I was looking at the Paiano area. Would you recommend a small place to stay on Capri? We would like to have good access to a smaller beach with less people. Thank you.

Hotel La Maurella in Praiano. Lovely small hotel by the sea, restaurants nearby, your car will have a sea view from the covered parking area next to the hotel.

Thanks for your help. I was now thanking about shortening the Almalfi coast to 3 days and adding in a two night/day trip to Ischia. With Tuscany, Florence, Amalfi Coast and Rome is adding in Ischia too much to accomplish in 2 weeks?

If you're staying in Praiano, take the bus to Positano 15min.
Then take the ferry to Ischia. 45 min. Leaving Ischia, travel to Naples and take the Alibus from the port to Napoli central for your train to Rome.

My husband and I just got back TODAY from Italy. I want to encourage you to use transportation other than car. It is so easy in Italy. We went to Milan, train to Lake Como, train to Venice (then cruise).

Regarding your itinerary, I would go to your most relaxing destination first, to get immersed in Italy and get used to the time change. I would fly to Rome then go to Amalfi right away. Add Capri, if you think you want to! Then train to Florence and train back to Rome to spend time there. As you approach the middle of August you will find some businesses closed, as August 15 is Assumption Day and Italians travel at this time (it was described to me by an Italian as more important than Christmas). If you are in Rome last, no matter how many businesses are closed, you will find some open too. And since this is not a vacation destination for Italians, it won't be overly crowded (but I would think Amalfi and Capri would be).
Have a great time. And remember, have gelato often.

Can anyone recommend an Ischia hotel or B &B? Thanks!!!

We loved our stay in Capri at Hotel La Tosca. The hotel is small and off the beaten track a bit, so it was quiet there. We enjoyed beautiful views from their terrace every morning for breakfast and often later in the day with a glass of wine. For Capri, the price was quite reasonable. Ettore, the owner, truly made the experience outstanding. When we arrived, he sat us down, handed us cool drinks and asked what we wanted to do in Capri. Once we gave him our thoughts, he got a map and laid out an itinerary for our time there. He even recommended restaurants (and, what we should order) and he was spot on. Our time in Capri remains one of our best memories.