Can I get from PHL to NYC? How long will it take and how expensive will it be?

With no traffic, driving from the Philadelphia airport to midtown Manhattan is roughly 2 hours (106 miles). You will be traveling on the heavily used NE corridor, so "no traffic" is the exception to the rule.

There are regular Amtrak trains (including high speed Acela trains) from 30th Street Station (see "How to get to Philadelphia" above) that run anywhere from $30 - $100 each way (this would be in addition to the SEPTA fare). Taking SEPTA from the airport, connecting to an Amtrak train can take anywhere from 2 - 3.5 hours depending on ease of connection, which Amtrak train you get (express/local/Acela/regular) and time of day.

A cheap yet more time consuming option is to transfer to the R7 SEPTA line at 30th street station and take it to the Trenton rail station (last stop). It is then an easy transfer to an NJ transit commuter train which goes directly to New York Penn Station. The total fare on NJ Transit will be $12.50 (this is on top of your SEPTA fare). This method can take anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours depending on the ease of your connection, time of day, and whether you get an express train at Trenton. Additionally, all New York bound NJ transit trains make a stop at Newark Airport.

Connections are also available at 30th Street Station to NJ Transit commuter trains to Atlantic City.

Note: When taking NJ transit be sure to purchase your ticket at an automated machine before boarding (cash and all major CCs are accepted). Buying a ticket on board is cash only and incurs a $5 surcharge.