A traffic navigation apparatus installed on a vehicle has a record of map data of maps which covers at least the moving range of the vehicle. The apparatus detects the current vehicle position. The user sets places to be by-passed and the destination on a displayed map. The apparatus seeks a recommendable route which connects the current position and the destination by by-passing the specified avoidance places. The apparatus permits the avoidance regions to be input by various data inputs including by inputting the telephone number or a postal zip code of the region to be avoided. It then displays a recommendable route on the map which avoids the avoidance region provided the increase of distance as compared to not avoiding the avoidance region is not more than a specified value. Otherwise it displays a recommended route which includes the avoidance region in relation with the current vehicle position.