At your budget and given your plans to tour internationally, the Surly LHT "Deluxe" is possibly one of the best deals out there. The deluxe version comes w/ S&S couplers which you might want to consider if you're flying over the pond. This will allow you to break apart the frame into two pieces and pack your bike in a bag/box at the max. 62 linear inches (max. allowed luggage size) without any additional fees. Airlines are now charging up to $200 each way to fly with a normal size bike internationally. The frameset alone is about $1,000 (double the cost of their frameset without S&S couplers), but you should recover most of the additional cost in your first trip to Europe.

The above is an American-designed frame manufactured in Taiwan.