Dear hilsmom,
I'd suggest you go to the Brother.com site and check out their offerings. There are some decent ones in $300 to $400 range; I wouldn't buy one that costs less - but that's just my opinion because I have made that mistake in the past. I like Brother machines and have a 2 of them. Once you see their offerings, write down model numbers and go check out prices on ebay and Amazon; there are some good bargains available. You could also check with a local dealer and see if they have any demo models available for sale. You might get a very good bargain on a well-maintained used machine. I did that and got a previous generation Brother Innovis' VQ3000 electronic beauty
for approx. half price
that has a HUGE harp space and does everything but make breakfast. (This is not the machine you want, however, it's not a "traveler" as it weighs 45lbs)
As far as electronic versus manual; I think that's just a personal choice. You'll get more useful features with an electronic machine - things like auto-thread cut, needle up-down, presser foot pressure settings, etc., but there are great manual machines out there too. You might also look at BabyLock. Most of them are very much like Brother machines and they can use the same readily-available accessories. Plus, many BabyLock and Brother machines are made by the same company. I know you want one that's good for travelling but I'd suggest you not buy anything less than 15lbs. They have too many plastic parts and they tend to "wander" when you're sewing.
That's just my 2-cents. Hopefully others will give you lots of good suggestions.
By the way, I almost bought a PQ1500 once, how is it for free-motion quilting?
Best of luck and happy quilting to you!