Travel route searching apparatus

A storage medium used together with a travel route searching apparatus for searching for a route from a start point via a designated travel point to a destination, the storage medium comprising:

• a control section for receiving one or more pieces of travel point data including at least one travel point;
• and
• a point storage section for storing the pieces of travel point data received by the control section, wherein
• the control section further reads the pieces of travel point data stored in the point storage section in response to a request from the travel route searching apparatus.

A travel route searching method comprising the steps of:

• selecting one of pieces of travel point data each including at least one travel point;
• obtaining a start point and an end point that are required for a travel route search;
• obtaining cartographic data of an area required for the travel route search;
• and
• searching, by using the cartographic data obtained in the cartographic data obtaining step, for a travel route from the start point obtained in the point obtaining step via the travel point included in the travel point data selected in the data selecting step to the end point obtained in the point obtaining step.