A route guide apparatus and method finds a route to a destination and
supplies the route to a user terminal. The apparatus stores information
regarding facilities which are landmarks, searches for a route that
reaches the destination and that passes near at least one of the
facilities which is a landmark, and supplies the route to a user terminal.
The route guidance apparatus and method may further store advertisement
information. In that case, preferably a search is made for a route that
passes near the facility which is a landmark and whose advertisement
information is to be supplied to the user. This enables advertisers to
supply advertisement information to the user when the user passes near the
landmark facility.