Do “there is a long way” and “it is a long way” mean the same thing?

Question

Will it be correct if I say so "there is a long way from home to university"? Is it correct to use the construction "there is" or should I use "it is" instead? If so, why?

Answer 1

Both are correct but mean different things

There is a long way from home to the university

means that there is more than one way to go, and one takes longer than the others. So you might say

There is a long way from home to the university, but it is worth it due to the scenery.

It is a long way from home to the university

means that any way between the two is long.

"There is" tends to relate to existence.

"It is" tends to relate to universality.

I do not mean those to be universal rules, but they reflect common usages.