We assess the ability of a global three-dimensional (3D) seismic model of the crust and upper mantle (CUB2.0) to locate seismic events using regional travel time data alone (epicentral distances <20¿). Assessments are based on a ground truth (GT) database, comprising nearly 1000 uncommonly well-located events which occur in 23 event clusters across Eurasia and North Africa, groomed P and Pn arrival time data observed at regional distances from individual events, and ~1000 empirical phase path anomalies produced from event clusters. Evidence is presented that supports the conversion of the shear velocities (vs) in CUB2.0 to compressional velocities (vp) in the upper mantle using the thermoelastic properties of an assumed mantle composition rather than traditional empirical scaling relationships. Two principal results are presented. First, this 3D vp model fits the empirical P and Pn phase path anomalies very well in both pattern and absolute level. Second, location assessments demonstrate that intrinsic regional location accuracy is ~5 km using the 3D vp model and ~10 km using the 1D model AK135. These findings highlight the importance of GT databases in assessing regional travel time models and establish that a global 3D vs model, together with vp inferred from it, provides a solid basis on which to build improvements in regional location capabilities.