My go-to travel machine is the Brother cs6000i. It is an absolute workhorse and comes with a hard-side cover and an extension table. I had a Janome Gem and didn't like it at all -- at least the model I had had set stitch lengths and I couldn't find a good one for piecing. But this little Brother is a wonder machine. I've had mine 6 years and have sewn many a mile on it. However, it is much less than your posted price range.
I purchased it from Amazon for $140.00. It might be a bit more by now.
ETA: I have a Featherweight and a Singer 301A, but I still prefer the Brother.