Blues Dawg and RonH make a good point. The bike I use for touring is a Bianchi Volpe, tecnically a cyclocross bike. It came pretty well set up as a good all around bike. Our son races cyclocross on the single speed version of the Volpe, and the bike does well considering price. The point being: he beats the dickens out of the bike and it keeps on Ticking. I treat mine lot better ( the bike in the picture has been across the US and on several other multi-week tours), and I have replaced the stock drivetrain with all mountain bike components. It makes loaded climbing a little easier.
A crude way of getting at you second question is to stand up against a wall, and using a carpenters level and measuring tape to measure your inseam. Place the level snugly in the crotch, level it , and measure the distance from the floor to the top of the level. Then find the geometry specs of the bike you are interested in , or one that is similar that lists a standover height, and see if they list a stand over height. Ideally, you should have an inch or two clearance above the top tube. Note what size frame gives this standove height and you ishould be in the ballpark- probably close enough for test rides. The bike shop should also be a help in this.