Navigation apparatus and navigation method

Claim 1

A navigation apparatus comprising: a current position determination means for determining a current position of the vehicle; a storage means for storing map data; a route searching means for searching for a route from a place of departure to a destination by referring to the map data stored in said storage means; a guidance means for outputting instructions to guide a user toward guidance targets on the route searched for by said route searching means; and a notification means for, in a case where said route searching means cannot carry out route searching for an area in the vicinity of the destination, outputting a notification to the user that said route searching means cannot carry out route searching for the area in the vicinity of the destination when a physical quantity is determined to be less than a preset reference value, thereby indicating that the vehicle is approaching the destination, the physical quantity being associated with a relationship between the current position of the vehicle determined by said current position determination means and the destination, wherein the notification means is operable to output the notification before the guidance means finishes outputting the instructions, if the physical quantity is determined to be less than the preset reference value before the instructions corresponding to a last one of the guidance targets is output.