When information has a natural shape — names beside descriptions, options beside costs, features beside ratings — a table makes it instantly clearer than a list or a paragraph could. Markdown tables use vertical bars (|) to separate columns and hyphens (-) to mark the header row. The result is readable even in the plain text source, and renders as a clean, well-structured table in any Markdown preview.

What You Will Need

Your Markdown editor, open and ready.

Workflow

Step 1

Aim: write a simple two-column table.

A Markdown table has three parts: a header row, a separator row, and one or more data rows. The separator row tells Markdown where the header ends — it is always a row of hyphens.

| Destination | Country |
| --- | --- |
| Bruges | Belgium |
| Porto | Portugal |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia |

In the preview you should see a table with two columns and three rows of data. The --- row disappears — it is only visible in the source.

Step 2

Aim: add more columns.

You can add as many columns as you need. Just add more |-separated values in every row, and make sure the separator row has the same number of --- entries.

| Destination | Country | Best Time to Visit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bruges | Belgium | Spring or autumn |
| Porto | Portugal | May to October |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | June to September |

Step 3

Aim: use emphasis inside table cells.

Markdown formatting works inside table cells just as it does in paragraphs. You can make text bold, italic, or both — which is useful for highlighting a recommended choice or drawing attention to a particular cell.

| Destination | Country | Best Time to Visit | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bruges | Belgium | Spring or autumn | *Canal boat tours are excellent* |
| Porto | Portugal | May to October | **Highly recommended** |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | June to September | Less touristy than most |

Step 4

Aim: use a table inside a full document.

Tables sit comfortably alongside headings, paragraphs, and lists. Here is a short travel comparison article using a table as its centrepiece.

# Short Break Ideas for Late Summer

If you are looking for a European city break in August or September, here are three smaller cities that tend to be overlooked in favour of the obvious choices.

## At a Glance

| Destination | Country | Best Time to Visit | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bruges | Belgium | Spring or autumn | *Canal boat tours are excellent* |
| Porto | Portugal | May to October | **Highly recommended** |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | June to September | Less touristy than most |

All three are compact enough to explore on foot over a long weekend. Porto is the largest of the three and rewards a slightly longer stay if you can manage it.

## Getting There

Bruges is an easy train ride from Brussels, which has direct Eurostar services from London. Porto has direct flights from most major UK airports. Ljubljana is less well served — most flights connect through a larger European hub.

Step 5

Aim: review what you have learned.

A Markdown table needs three things: a header row, a separator row (| --- | --- | and so on), and at least one data row. Every row must have the same number of columns. Markdown formatting works inside individual cells.

Tables are best for information that genuinely fits into columns — comparisons, options, schedules, or specifications. For a plain list of items without parallel structure, a bullet list usually reads more naturally.

# Short Break Ideas for Late Summer

| Destination | Country | Best Time to Visit | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bruges | Belgium | Spring or autumn | *Canal boat tours are excellent* |
| Porto | Portugal | May to October | **Highly recommended** |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | June to September | Less touristy than most |

All three cities are compact enough to explore on foot over a long weekend.

You can now organise any information that has columns into a clean, readable table. The next workflow brings everything together — you will write a complete Markdown article using all the elements you have learned so far.