Hi David,
How exciting! There is a lot you can do. Here are some suggestions, but perhaps you could add some detail about things you like to do. The below can all be arranged to fit your particular needs. Again these are only some basic suggestions.
Florence. You can fly into Florence via several European cities. I find the flight from Munich on Lufthansa very accommodating.
I can also recommend a number of hotels, starting at 3* with Caravaggio (link below). If you want something a little higher end, you might try the Tornabuoni.
You of course, would want to visit the Galleria dell' Accademia (where Michelangelo's David is). However, if you like history and archaeology, I highly recommend the Tuscan Archaeological Museum that is just around the corner. For the Galleria, you definitely want reservations. You can get these through any number of sites, but I prefer to contact the Museum directly. (See link below; the sight also has information on a number of other museums including the Uffizi Gallery, Boboli Gardens and Bargello Museum—where Donatello’s David is.) For the Archaeology museum you most likely do not need a reservation, but for the last three I just mentioned, I would highly recommend it.
Of course, you will want to visit the Cathedral (Il Duomo). The baptistery and bell tower are interesting too (both have separate admissions). I would also recommend a visit to Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella. There are also some others of interest including San Lorenzo. I would also visit the small refectory of Santa Reparata to see an otherwise not-so-well-known ‘Last Supper’.
There is also the market of San Lorenzo that sells tons of leather works and local crafts. The market gets crowded and be sure to compare prices at different stalls. Along the market is a covered public market. In the right hand corner from the main door, there is a great little butcher that sells some terrific sandwiches! You will also want to visit Ponte Vecchio for gold (especially) as well as some other items. Just be aware of the prices!
For a very nice and romantic dinner, I would recommend La Loggia on Piazzale Michelangelo (link below). The view from this hill is spectacular—you can see the whole layout of Florence plus across to another hilltop where the small town of Fiesole.
Fiesole is small but worth a visit, and easy to get to by public transport; after the visit you can easily walk down the hill (2hours) back into Florence. On the way down you can stop by the church of San Domenico where Fra Angelico took his vows.
I would recommend day visits to Pisa and to Sienna, and any other number of small towns. The first two are easily accessible by train, but you might consider renting a car (easy to do, and there are several rental agencies located near the main train station in Florence).
If you feel like having a bit of hike and a beautiful view then I would recommend visiting Cinque Terre. There are a number of ways to visit the cities, but I would do one of the following.
Staying at in La Spezia (train from Florence will put you right near the hotel) and then either taking the bus or the train to the most northerly of the cities (Monterosso). Walk to a couple of the cities and then catch the train back to La Spezia. Or stay in Monterosso and the next morning (early) set off to see all the Cinque Terre and then take the train back from (Riomaggiore). You can do the whole walk easily in about 8 hours +/- depending on how you walk, if you stop to swim, eat lunch, etc. There is a link below for Cinque Terre information.
There are many other things to do too, but I am limited in my space here. You can easily fit what I have outlined above into your 14 days. Plus you can add a little here and there. If you can rent a car, I would: there are great small hill towns and locations to visit throughout Tuscany.
I am happy to make specific recommendations. I provide personal tours and group tours of Rome and Europe. Feel free to contact me through my website listed below.
Thomas Talboy, PhD, Director
Ubiquity International, LLC
Experience. Explore. Embrace the World.(TM)
http://www.ubiquityinternational.com